For I am jealous of you with the jealousy of God, since I betrothed you to one husband to present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.  2 Corinthians 11:2 

It is believed that this beloved saint lived in Syracuse, Sicily. She was born toward the end of the third century, the daughter of noble and rich parents. Her father died when she was still young.

       Lucy was a lovely girl, and more than one young noble sought her hand. Her mother arranged for her to marry one whom she thought would make a good husband for Lucy. But the girl would not consent. Lucy had secretly promised Jesus that instead of getting married, she would belong to him alone. She thought of a way to explain her wishes to her mother. She knew her mother was suffering from hemorrhages, which are bouts of bleeding. She convinced her to go with her to the shrine of St. Agatha and pray for her recovery. When God heard their prayers and cured her mother, Lucy told her of her vow to be a bride of Christ. Her mother was convinced and, out of gratitude for her cure let Lucy follow her vocation.

        But the young pagan to whom she had promised Lucy was furious. In his bitter anger, he accused Lucy of being a Christian. He threatened her with the frightening torture of being blinded. But Lucy was even willing to lose both her eyes rather than belong to anyone but Jesus. St. Lucy is often shown holding her lovely eyes in the palm of her hand. Jesus rewarded her for her heroic love. He worked a miracle and restored her eyes, more beautiful than ever.

        A pagan judge tried to send the saint to a house of sinful women. He hoped that Lucy might be tempted to give up her faith in Christ. But when her enemies tried to carry her away, God made her body so heavy that they could not budge her. In the end, she was stabbed to death, becoming a martyr for Jesus in the year 304. (iMissal, Saint a Day) Saint Lucy is the Patron Saint of: The blind, eye disorders.

       St. Lucy’s beautiful eyes remind us of the wonderful faith that lit her soul. We can ask St. Lucy to help us grow in the kind of faith she had.

       O God, our Creator and Redeemer, mercifully hear our prayers that as we venerate your servant, Saint Lucy, for the light of faith you bestowed upon her, you would increase and preserve this same light in our souls that we may be able to avoid evil, to do good, and to abhor nothing so much as the blindness and the darkness of evil and of sin. Relying on your goodness, O God, we humbly ask you, by the intercessory prayers of your servant, Saint Lucy, that you would give perfect vision to our eyes, that they may serve for your greater honor and glory and for the salvation of our souls in this world, that we may come to the enjoyment of your unfailing light of the Lamb of God in paradise. Saint Lucy, virgin and martyr, hear our prayers and obtain our petitions... Amen (Catholic Prayer)

Hail Mary full of grace...

Have a blessed Advent!

Father Vincent-Vuong Nguyen