Feast of St. Lucy
A week after the Feast of St. Nicholas, we arrive at the Feast of St. Lucy (or Lucia) on Dec. 13th. Her story is of a young Sicilian girl in the early fourth century who was martyred during the reign of the Emperor Diocletian. Her martyrdom tells of her refusal to marry a pagan man, to whom she was betrothed. In retaliation, the man reported Lucy as a Christian to the authorities, who ordered that she be sent to a brothel to defile her. The legend of St. Lucy is that when they came to take her away, she would not move; she could not be moved, not even by a team of oxen! So, they proceeded to torture her to the point of plucking out her eyes before killing her. Because of this account, the Virgin Saint is often depicted holding her eye, sometimes placed on a small golden plate. This is why she was made the patron saint of the blind or those with eye ailments.
The popular picture of Lucy depicts her holding her eyes on the plate, while she gazes up and to the left with her glorified eyes. The image is strange, maybe even a little creepy. Yet, the story of St. Lucy reminds us of what it means to have true spiritual vision, even in times of trials. There is a reason the Feast of St. Lucy falls near, or is associated with, Ember Days, when the Church prays for those in the ordination process. Like Lucy, they are called to lay down their lives for the sake of the Gospel and hold to their spiritual convictions.
The story of St. Lucy is not just for those in the ordination process; it is for us all, for we are all called to be like Lucy. As we approach Christmas, we are called to look with spiritual eyes towards the hope of Christ. We are invited to consider our life in Christ as greater than worldly pleasures and an easy life. But to live for Christ, we must see things as they truly are, through the eyes of Christ. Let us approach Christmas this year with our eyes fixed on the goodness and promises of God.
There are several ways to celebrate the feast of St. Lucy. The first is to light candles when you pray the Daily Offices. Lucy (or Lucia) means light, so light some extra candles and put them on a mantle or your dining table. As you eat or pray, remember the Saint who reveals what it means to truly see what is important in this life.
Another way to celebrate the Feast Day is for a young girl to wear a crown with candles attached. Part of the story of St. Lucy is that she would wear a crown with candles so she could see her way through the catacombs to carry food to Christians who were in hiding during the persecution in Rome. While this tradition is usually done in a procession, you can do it in your home and have “St. Lucy” serve saffron buns to the family.
This leads to the last way to celebrate St. Lucy’s Day: make saffron buns. Not just any saffron buns, there are plenty of recipes online, but you are supposed to roll it into a snake and make a closed off “S” shape, and place raisins in the middle of each swirl. Once baked, it is supposed to represent her eyes (you can leave that part out when telling your children), bonus points if you have a small golden plate to serve the buns on.
Pax et Bonum,
Fr. Aaron