Saint Lucy

                           
We celebrate today the feast of Saint Lucy, one of the early young martyrs of the Catholic church. Lucy's name means "light", with the same root as "lucid" which means "clear and radiant." 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 defence of the faith. Her mother tried to arrange a marriage for her with a pagan. Lucy however was determined that she would be married only the Jesus, by remaining faithful to Him and her faith. Unfortunately, her bridegroom did not see the same light and he betrayed Lucy to the governor as a Christian. This governor tried to send her into prostitution but the guards who came to take her away found her stiff and heavy as a mountain. Finally she was killed. Apparently she had beautiful eyes, and the Emperor Diocletian demanded that her eyes will be gouged out. Lucy's name also played a large part in naming Lucy as a patron saint of the blind and those with eye-trouble, cataract and glaucoma, and other vision problems.