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Today we remember St. Lucy the Martyr or Santa Lucia! Little is known about this 3rd century saint. She died a martyr on this day in 305 AD. She is the patroness of those with eye difficulties.
Lucy's name means "light", with the same root as "lucid" which means "clear, radiant, understandable." Unfortunately for us, Lucy's history does not match her name. Shrouded in the darkness of time, all we really know for certain is that this brave woman who lived in Syracuse lost her life in the persecution of Christians in the early fourth century. Her veneration spread to Rome so that by the sixth century the whole Church recognized her courage in defense of the faith.
Lucy's name is probably also connected to statues of Lucy holding a dish with two eyes on it, see the pic above. This refers to another legend in which Lucy's eyes were put out by Diocletian as part of his torture. The legend concludes with God restoring Lucy's eyes.
Lucy's name also played a large part in naming Lucy as a patron saint of the blind and those with eye-trouble. (One huge reason why, when I was blind for about 6 mos in the 80’s I became a daily pray-er to Saint Lucy for my own eye sight)
Whatever the fact to the legends surrounding Lucy, the truth is that her courage to stand up and be counted a Christian in spite of torture and death is the light that should lead us on our own journeys through life.
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Saint Lucy, pray for us!
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