Saint Lucy

[CENTRO ANTI-BLASFEMIA]

Saint Lucy

Feastday: December 13Patron of Blindness

Lucy's name means "light", with the same root as "lucid" which means
"clear, radiant, understandable." Unfortunately for us, Lucy's history
does not match her name. Shrouded in the darkness of time, all we
really know for certain is that this brave woman who lived in Syracuse
lost her life in the persecution of Christians in the early fourth
century. Her veneration spread to Rome so that by the sixth century
the whole Church recognized her courage in defense of the faith.

Because people wanted to shed light on Lucy's bravery, legends grew
up. The one that is passed down to us tells the story of a young
Christian woman who had vowed her life to the service of Christ. Her
mother tried to arrange a marriage for her with a pagan. Lucy
apparently knew that her mother would not be convinced by a young
girl's vow so she devised a plan to convince her mother that Christ
was a much more powerful partner for life. Through prayers at the tomb
of Saint Agatha, her mother's long illness was cured miraculously. The
grateful mother was now ready to listen to Lucy's desire to give her
money to the poor and commit her life to God.

Unfortunately, legend has it, the rejected bridegroom did not see the
same light and he betrayed Lucy to the governor as a Christian. This
governor tried to send her into prostitution but the guards who came
to take her way found her stiff and heavy as a mountain. Finally she
was killed. As much as the facts of Lucy's specific case are unknown,
we know that many Christians suffered incredible torture and a painful
death for their faith during Diocletian's reign. Lucy may not have
been burned or had a sword thrust through her throat but many
Christians did and we can be sure her faith withstood tests we can
barely imagine.

Lucy's name is probably also connected to statues of Lucy holding a
dish with two eyes on it. This refers to another legend in which
Lucy's eyes were put out by Diocletian as part of his torture. The
legend concludes with God restoring Lucy's eyes.

Lucy's name also played a large part in naming Lucy as a patron saint
of the blind and those with eye-trouble.

Whatever the fact to the legends surrounding Lucy, the truth is that
her courage to stand up and be counted a Christian in spite of torture
and death is the light that should lead us on our own journeys through
life.

In Her Footsteps:
Lucy is the patron saint of the blind. Braille is an important means
of communication for those with visual impairment or blindness.
Support the teaching of braille in schools and learn about it yourself
by calling your local chapter of the National Federation of the
Blind.

Prayer:
Saint Lucy, you did not hide your light under a basket, but let it
shine for the whole world, for all the centuries to see. We may not
suffer torture in our lives the way you did, but we are still called
to let the light of our Christianity illumine our daily lives. Please
help us to have the courage to bring our Christianity into our work,
our recreation, our relationships, our conversation -- every corner of
our day. Amen

http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=75