Seeing Through the Blindness

Today's saint understood and saw the importance of her faith even after she was blinded.

St. Lucy (Lucia of Syracuse)

Feast day: December 13
Born: 283
Death: 304
Patron of Blindness

All that is really known for certain of Lucy is that she was a martyr in Syracuse during the Diocletianic Persecution of 304 AD. Her veneration spread to Rome, and by the 6th century to the whole Church. The oldest archaeological evidence comes from the Greek inscriptions from the catacombs of St. John in Syracuse.

The oldest record of her story comes from the fifth-century Acts. Jacobus de Voragine's Legenda Aurea was the most widely read version of the Lucy legend in the Middle Ages. In medieval accounts, Saint Lucy's eyes are gouged out prior to her execution.

According to the traditional story, Lucy was born of rich and noble parents about the year 283. Her father was of Roman origin, but died when she was five years old, leaving Lucy and her mother without a protective guardian.

Lucy had consecrated her virginity to God, and she hoped to distribute her dowry to the poor. However, her mother, not knowing of Lucy's promise and suffering from a bleeding disorder feared for Lucy's future. She arranged Lucy's marriage to a young man of a wealthy pagan family.  Lucy convinced her mother to make a pilgrimage to Catania, in hopes of a cure. While there, St. Agatha came to Lucy in a dream and told her that because of her faith her mother would be cured and that Lucy would be the glory of Syracuse.  Lucy took the opportunity to persuade her mother to allow her to distribute a great part of her riches among the poor.

The governor of the region heard of this distribution of their wealth and had Lucy arrested.  Lucy told the governor that he would be punished and he became so angry that he had Lucy's eyes gouged out.  She was then martyred.

A custom of Sweden that our family has adopted is to make cinnamon rolls and serve to the family.  The oldest daughter (I took this spot this year to continue the tradition until Zaira can assist.) wakes early in the morning and dressed in a special costume (a white robe and a wreath upon her head with candles) and runs through the house shouting, "Make way for the Lord, for he is good and his love is everlasting!"  Fun tradition that everyone loves!

St. Lucy, pray for us!