The Brave and Loyal Girl Saint – Feast of St. Lucy

Today we commemorate another advent saint  St. Lucy – her name means light! 

Lucy was another victim of Diocletian’s Christian persecution.  Her story sounds similar to that of some other young virgin saints.  

Lucy was raised a Christian by her mother. Her father having died when she was a baby.  She was known as a sweet, pious, and devout young girl  Her mother, Eutychia, wanting the best for her daughter, made a match for her with a local pagan man.  But Lucy told her mother that she had devoted herself to a life of prayer and wanted to remain a consecrated virgin.  Her mother was persuaded when Lucy took her to the tomb of St. Agatha to pray and one of her mother’s afflictions was miraculously cured!

After that Lucy and her mother sold off her dowry and used the money to help the poor.  When Lucy’s would-be fiance heard of this he became enraged and turned Lucy over to the authorities.

Again, like the other young virgin saints, she was to be sent to a brothel so that she might commit sexual sin, but when they tried to move her she was as heavy and immovable as a mountain. Even yoked oxen could not budge her from the spot! 

Finally, the local governor had her beaten and tortured.  Some say that her eyes were plucked out as part of that torture. Other legends say that she took them out herself because her would-be suiter admired them. That is why she is often pictured with eyeballs on a platter. It is said that when she was buried, her eyes returned and were as lovely as ever. Eventually, she was stabbed through the throat and died from her injuries. 

We do know that her death was so noble and courageous that it inspired the early Christians and her memory has been revered and passed down to all of us!

Things to Do!

• The most popular tradition to celebrate St. Lucy’s feast day is for the oldest girl in the household to wear a wreath with lit candles and wake everyone in the house with sweet rolls and coffee! We took a regular small grapevine wreath from the local craft store, and hot glued battery-powered tea lights onto it. It gave the same effect and I felt safer about having my little girl walk around the house with it!
• As for the sweet goodie to share – here’s a delicious gluten-free option to share with the family, from Danielle Walker’s Against All Grain site.
• Pick up a book in Braille from your local library to experience what reading blind is like OR pay attention to signs in Braille as you go about your day-to-day life.
• Read more about St. Lucy