Today the Church celebrates the Feast of one of her greatest Virgin Martyrs.
From the Roman Martyrology:
At Syracuse, in Sicily, in the persecution under the Emperor Diocletian, the holy Virgin and martyr Lucy. By command of Paschasius the Consular she was handed over to panders to make a public mock of her chastity, but when they would have led her away they could not move her even with ropes, and not even when these were drawn by many yoke of oxen then they poured upon her boiling pitch, rosin, and oil but these did not hurt her, and at length she was smitten in the neck with a sword, and so finished her testimony, (in the year 303.)
There is also a legend that she foretold the end of the Diocletian Persecution and the peace that would come to the Church with the rise of Constantine. This so enrages the Consular that he had her eyes torn out before killing her (hence the common images of her carrying her eyes in a dish). Upon her burial, her eyes were discovered to have regrown in their sockets.
The wreath with candles on her head is a reference to her miraculous survival of being set on fire. Such wreaths are still worn by young girls in St. Lucy's Day Processions, especially in Scandinavia.
St. Lucy has much to teach us today. Like us, she lives outside of the time of Christendom (her before it existed, we after it has collapsed.) Like us, she lived in a lewd society, surrounded with temptations to defile the flesh and, in the words of the Consular, "get the Holy Ghost out of thee." By her example and prayers, may we also stand immovable in the face of temptation to abandon ourselves to pleasure and earthly power. May we, like her, not be consumed with fear of earthly trials or the loss of prestige, but give ourselves and this world over to God. Let us, like her, look forward to a better day, even if we do not live to see it.
God bless, dear readers. Joyous Advent and Happy Feast Day! St Lucy, pray for us.
From the Book of Sirach Chapter 51:2-17 (Frequently read on the Feasts of Virgin Martyrs)
I will give glory to thy name: for thou hast been a helper and protector to me. And hast preserved my body from destruction, from the snare of an unjust tongue, and from the lips of them that forge lies, and in the sight of them that stood by, thou hast been my helper. And thou hast delivered me, according to the multitude of the mercy of thy name, from them that did roar, prepared to devour. Out of the hands of them that sought my life, and from the gates of afflictions, which compassed me about:
From the oppression of the flame which surrounded me, and in the midst of the fire I was not burnt. From the depth of the belly of hell, and from an unclean tongue, and from lying words, from an unjust king, and from a slanderous tongue: My soul shall praise the Lord even to death. And my life was drawing near to hell beneath. They compassed me on every side, and there was no one that would help me. I looked for the succour of men, and there was none.
I remembered thy mercy, O Lord, and thy works, which are from the beginning of the world. How thou deliverest them that wait for thee, O Lord, and savest them out of the hands of the nations. Thou hast exalted my dwelling place upon the earth and I have prayed for death to pass away. I called upon the Lord, the father of my Lord, that he would not leave me in the day of my trouble, and in the time of the proud without help. I will praise thy name continually, and will praise it with thanksgiving, and my prayer was heard.
And thou hast saved me from destruction, and hast delivered me from the evil time. Therefore I will give thanks, and praise thee, and bless the name of the Lord.