St. Lucy, Virgin and Martyr (d. 304)

Next Tuesday, 13th December, is the Memorial of a most popular martyr, St. Lucy (d. 304), the patron saint of those who suffer from diseases of the eye and blindness. She was a virgin-martyr from Syracuse in Sicily, who gave her life for Christ and His Church in the year 304 during the persecution of Diocletian. Her life and example so caught the imagination of the Early Church that by the time of Pope Gregory, her name was included in the Roman Canon of the Mass. We know little that’s reliable about her. The tradition is that Lucy was a young girl who dedicated herself to chastity for the sake of the Kingdom of God. But her refusal of suitors, on account of her Christian faith, led to her being handed over to the authorities. Having survived violation in a brothel, and an attempt to burn her, she was put to death by the sword. In mediaeval times, much was made of the tradition that her eyes were gouged out and then miraculously restored, and so she became patron saint of those with problems of the eye. When I was a full-time hospital chaplain, I always used to give patients in the eye-clinic the blessing of St. Lucy. Let us pray today for the blind, and for those losing their sight.
 
The picture shows the Festival of Light at York Minster held each year in St. Lucy’s honour, led by members of the Anglo-Nordic Society. Lucy’s name reached Sweden and Scandinavia along with Christianity and she became known as bringer of light amidst the dark days of winter. We venerate St. Lucy within the season of Advent. The days are still getting shorter and will not get longer until after Christmas, until after Christ has come, He Who is the Light of the World. Let us pray that just as the moon reflects the light of the sun, so the faith and witness of St. Lucy may guide us through the darkness of these challenging times to that Light, Jesus Christ.