We know very little of St. Lucy of Syracuse. Of course, we know that she was from Syracuse. Syracuse is a historical city on the Island of Sicily in the provence of Syracuse. We also know that she lived sometime between 242 and 305 becuase she was martyred under the Roman Emperor Diocletian, who was born somewhere between 242 and 245 and was emporer from 284 to 305, so we may be able to narrow it down a bit more to between 264 and 305. We know that she was young and unwed (moving her potential birth into the 380's), but that her motherr had promised her in marriage to a young Roman citizen who was a pagan. On information and belief, Lucy did not like this one iota. When she refused to go through with the nuptials, this pagan turned her over to the Roman Governor of Syracuse, Paschasius. We know that she was martyred under Paschasius. But that's really all that we know.
Image of Saint Lucy of Syracuse found at https://catholicprayerservices.blogspot.com/p/novena-to-saint-lucy-of-syracuse.html and used in the public domain
Legends about her abound throughout the Church. Some have stood the test of time. Others have not. I will delve into one in particular, only to provide some context.
As I mention4eed, Lucy was promised in marriage to a pagan man. She chose to live her life in the sertvice of Christ. She also knew that the arguments of a young girkl would not be enough to disuade her mother from forcing Lucy into the marriage. She went often to the tomb of St. Agatha, where she would pray for a way out of this arranged marrtiage. After one such trip, St. Agatha came to Lucy in a dream. Lucy's mother had fallen ill. St. Agatha toild Lucy that it would be through Faith that her mother would be cured. It was as St. Agatha told Lucy that Lucy's mother's illness was cured by faith and faith alone. Lucy used this to persuade her mother to agree that Christ was the better partner for Lucy and to give her dowry money away to the poor. T^he bridegroom was beyond anger with Lucy and allowed his anger to let him turn her over to the Governor ogt Syracuse, Paschasius. Paschasius ordered Lucy to be killed.
First, Paschasius ordered that Lucy be defiled in a brothel. When the guards came to take her, she could not be moved even when attached to a team of oxen. Next an attaempt was made to burn her, but she would not burn. Finally, she met her end by a sword to the throat. When Paschasius ordered Lucy to be martyred, she warned him that he would be punished. When Paschasius heard thius, he ordered that her eyes be gouged out. Other legends tell us that she gouged out her own eryes to disuade other suitors from being interested in her since, apparently, she had very beautiful eyes.
The oldest record we have of Lucy comes from the fifth century writings, Acts of the Martyrs, according to http://www.stlucy-campbell.org/about-staint-lucy/.
The one fact upon which historians can agree is that she was accused of being a Christian by a disappointed suitor and that she was martyred about the year 304. Another legend says that, as her body was being prepared for burial in a family mausoleum in Sicily, her eyes had been restored.
Sigebert of Gembloux stated that her relics lay undisturbed for 400 years in his sermo de Sancta Lucia. That is when Faraold I, the Duke of Spoleto, captured Sicily and took possession of her relics. They were transferred to Corfinium in Abruzzo, Italy. In 972, the Emperpr Otho I transferred the relics to St. Vincent Church in Metz in northeastern France. From there, they were transferred to a monastery near Luitburg in western Germany.
From there, according to Umberto Benigni, Pope Pope Stephen I had the relics moved to Constantinople for protection against incursions and attqcks by the Saracens. When the French captured Constantinople in 1204, the relics were once again moved, this time to the Monastery of St. George in Venice in noftheastern Italy. In 1513, rhe Venetians presented St. Lucy's head to Louis XII of France. He moved it to the cathedral located at Bourges, France.
Lucy is the patron saint of the blind.
Information gleaned from catholic.org and wikipedia.com
Saint Andrew's Christmas Novena
Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in a stable, in the piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, we beseech Thee, O my God, to hear our prayers and grant our desires, through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother. Amen.
(Prayer copied from EWTN)
Join me at 3:30 p.m. Eastern for the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, to leafrn about St. Lucy and to pray the St. Andrew Christmas Novena at: https://www.blogtalkradio.com/the4persons/2023/12/13/divine-mercy-saint-of-the-day-and-daily-update
Here is a link to my interview with Lisa Marie Nicole from Sunday, December 10, 2023. I lovingly refer to Lisa as the Catholic version of Stryper:
If you want to listen top some great interviews, John Benko and I interviewed the original modern-day Catholic Defender, Steve Ray, https://www.blogtalkradio.com/the4persons/2023/12/05/steve-ray-with-john-benko-talking-about-going-to-the-holy-land, and we interviewed acclaimed Catholic musical artist Donna Cori Gibson at https://www.blogtalkradio.com/the4persons/2023/12/05/t4p-welcomes-donna-cori-gibson.
Be sure to check out our friends at https://therockcompanyshop.com/.
Comments