Ecumenical Commemoration
Virgin & Martyr
December 13 · d. 304
also known as Lucy of Syracuse, Saint Lucy, Lucia, Saint Lucia
Lucy was a young virgin martyr of Syracuse in Sicily, executed during the Diocletian persecution around 304. She is venerated throughout the Christian world, with her feast included in the Canon of the Roman Mass (a mark of very ancient veneration). Despite this, her biography rests largely on later sources, and historical details are limited.
Traditionally, Lucy was a young woman of wealthy family who, inspired by the devotion of her mother, vowed virginity and devoted herself to Christ and charitable works. When her parents tried to force her to marry a pagan suitor, she refused. Angered, the suitor denounced her as a Christian to authorities during the persecution. She was arrested and subjected to torture. One prominent tradition claims that her eyes were put out (or that she herself removed them), which later gave rise to her association with sight and healing of blindness. However, this eye-imagery may be etymological rather than historical — her name (Lucia) derives from lux (light), a connection that medieval hagiography may have elaborated into the eye-removal legend. She was eventually executed by sword.
Lucy was a Christian virgin of Syracuse in Sicily who refused to marry and devoted herself to Christ. During the Diocletian persecution, she was denounced, arrested, and executed. The Acta Luciae (Acts of Lucy), the principal narrative source, survives in various forms, none of which can be dated before the 5th century.
The earliest patristic reference to Lucy appears in Sidonius Apollinaris, a 5th-century Roman aristocrat and bishop, who mentions her in his writings. This is within about two centuries of her death, which is relatively early. However, Sidonius provides no biographical detail, only acknowledging her veneration.
The fact that Lucy's name appears in the Canon Missae (the central eucharistic prayer of the Roman Mass) is significant: this is one of the highest marks of ancient veneration, reserved for the most important saints. Such inclusion suggests her cult was well-established by the time the Mass canon was fixed (likely by the 6th century, though parts are earlier). For a virgin martyr of modest social standing to achieve such prominence suggests either that her martyrdom was particularly celebrated or that local veneration in Sicily was very strong.
The Acta Luciae describes miracles and supernatural events during her trial and execution, but these are typical of later hagiographic narrative and should not be treated as historical. The core facts — that she was a young woman of Syracuse, a Christian, executed during persecution — are plausible, but biographical details are minimal in the earliest sources.
Lucy is said of light, and light is beauty in beholding, after that S. Ambrose says: The nature of light is such, she is gracious in beholding, she spreads over all without Iying down, she passes in going right without crooking by right long line; and it is without dilation of tarrying, and therefore it is showed the blessed Lucy has beauty of virginity without any corruption; essence of charity without disordinate love; rightful going and devotion to God, without squaring out of the way; right long line by continual work without negligence of slothful tarrying. In Lucy is said, the way of light.
S. Lucy, the holy virgin, was born in Sicily, and extract and engendered of a noble lineage, in the city of Syracuse. When she heard of the good fame and renown of S. Agatha or Agaas, which was published and spread all about, anon she went to her sepulchre with her mother which was named Euthicia, which had a malady, named the bloody flux, by the space of four years, the which no master in physic ne surgery could heal. And when they were at a mass, one read a gospel which made mention of a woman which was healed of the bloody flux by touching of the hem of the coat of Jesu Christ. When S. Lucy heard this, anon she said to her mother: Mother, if you believe that this which is read be true, and also that S. Agatha has now presently with her Jesu Christ, and also that for his name she suffered martyrdom, and if you, with this belief, touch her sepulchre, without doubt you shall be anon guerished and healed. Upon this they, after the mass, when the people were departed, they twain fell down on their knees on the sepulchre of S. Agatha in prayers, and weeping began to pray for her help and aid. S. Lucy in making her prayers for her mother fell asleep, and she saw in her sleep S. Agatha among the angels, nobly adorned and arrayed with precious stones, which said thus to her: Lucy, my sweet sister, devout virgin to God, wherefore prayest thou to me for your mother, for such thing as you may yourself right soon give to her? For I tell the for truth, that for your faith, and your good, your mother is safe and whole. With these words S. Lucy awoke all afraid, and said to her mother: Mother, you be guerished and all whole; I pray you for her sake by whose prayers you be healed, that you never make mention to me for to take an husband ne spouse, but all that good that you would give me with a man, I pray you that you will give it to me for to do alms withal that I may come to my saviour Jesu Christ. Her mother answered to her: Fair daughter, your patrimony, which I have received this nine years, sith your father died, I have nothing aminished, but I have multiplied and increased it; but abide till I am departed out of this world, and then forthon do as it shall please you. S. Lucy said: Sweet mother, hear my counsel: he is not beloved of God, that for his love gives that which he may not use himself, but if you will find God debonair to you, give for him that which you may dispend, for after your death you may in no wise use your goods. That which you give when you shall die, you give it because you may not bear it with you. Give then for God's sake whiles you live: and as to such good as you ought to give to me with an husband or spouse, begin to give all that to your people for the love of Jesu Christ. Hereof spake alway Lucy to her mother, and every day they gave alms of their goods. And when they had almost sold their patrimony and their jewels, tidings came to the knowledge of her spouse that should have wedded her, and that she was promised to, the which he demanded hereof the truth of the nurse of S. Lucy, and wherefore they sold thus their patrimony. She answered cautelously, and said that they did it because that S. Lucy, which should have been his wife, had found one which had a more fairer and nobler heritage than his was, the which they would buy tofore ere they should assemble by marriage. The fool believed it, for he understood carnally this that the nurse had said to him spiritually, and helped them to sell their heritage. But when he understood that she gave all for God's love, and that he felt himself deceived, anon he complained on Lucy, and made her to come tofore a judge named Paschasius, which was a miscreant and heathen man. And it was because she was christian, and that she did against the law of the Emperor, Paschasius blamed her, and admonested her to worship and do sacrifice to the idols. She said: Sacrifice which pleases God is to visit the widows and orphans, and to help them in their need: I have not ceased these three years past to make to God such sacrifice, and forasmuch as I have no more of which I may make yet such sacrifice, I offer to him myself, let him do with his offering as it pleases him. Paschasius said: You might say these words unto christian people, semblable to you, but to me which keep the commandments of the emperors, you say them in vain. S. Lucy said: If you will keep the law of your lords, I shall keep the law of God; you doubt to anger them, and I shall keep me that I anger not my God; you will please them, and I covet only to please our Lord Jesu Christ. Paschasius said: You have dispended your patrimony with the ribalds, and therefore you speak as a ribald. She said. I have set my patrimony in a sure place; unto the corruption of my heart ne body, I never agreed ne suffered it. Paschasius said: Who be they that corrupt the heart and the body? She said: You be that corrupt the hearts, of whom the apostle said: The evil words corrupt the good manners. You counsel the souls to forsake their creator and to ensue the devil in making sacrifice to the idols; the corrupters of the body be they that love the short delectations corporal, and despite delights spiritual that endure for ever. Paschasius said: These words that you say shall finish when you shall come to your pains. She said: The words of God may not end ne finish. Paschasius said: How then! are you God? She said: I am the handmaid of God, and for so much as I say, they be the words of God, for he says: You be not they that speak tofore the princes and judges, but the Holy Ghost speaks in you. Paschasius said: And therefore the Holy Ghost is in you? She said: The apostle says that they be the temple of God that live chastely, and the Holy Ghost dwells in them. Paschasius said: I shall do bring you to the bordel, where you shall lose your chastity, and then the Holy Ghost shall depart from you. She said: The body may take no corruption but if the heart and will give thereto assenting: for if you made me to do sacrifice by my hands, by force, to the idols, against my will, God shall take it only but as a derision, for he judges only of the will and consenting. And therefore, if you make my body to be defouled without mine assent, and against my will, my chastity shall increase double to the merit of the crown of glory. What thing that you do to the body, which is in your power, that bears no prejudice to the handmaid of Jesu Christ. Then commanded Paschasius that the ribalds of the town should come, to whom he delivered S. Lucy, saying: Call other to you for to defoul her, and labour her so much till she be dead. Anon the ribalds would have drawn her from thence where she was, and have brought her to the bordel, but the Holy Ghost made her so pesant and heavy that in no wise might they move her from the place. Wherefore many of the servants of the judge put hand to, for to draw with the other, and she abode still. Then they bound cords to her hands and feet, and all drew, but she abode alway still as a mountain, without moving. Whereof Paschasius was all anguishous and angry, and did do call his enchanters, which might never move her for all enchantery. Then Paschasius did do yoke for her oxen many, for to draw her, and yet they might not move her from the place. Then Paschasius demanded her for what reason might it be that a frail maid might not be drawn ne moved by a thousand men. She said: It is the work of God, and if you set thereto yet ten thousand they should not move me. Of these words the judge was sore tormented And S. Lucy said to him: Wherefore tormentest thou yourself thus? If you have proved and assayed that I am the temple of God, believe it. If you have not assayed, learn to assay. And hereof was the judge more tormented, for he saw that she made but her mockery with him. Wherefore he did do make about S. Lucy a right great fire, and made to be cast on her pitch, resin, and boiling oil, and she abode all still tofore the fire, and said: I have prayed to Jesu Christ that this fire have no domination in me to the end that the christian men that believe in God make of you their derision. And I have prayed for respite of my martyrdom for to take away from the christian men the fear and dread to die for the faith of Jesu Christ, and to take away from the miscreants the avaunting of my martyrdom. The friends of the judge saw that he was confused by the words of S. Lucy, and of the drawing much greatly tormented, and therefore they roof a sword through her throat, and yet for all that she died not anon, but spake to the people, saying: I announce and show to you that holy church shall have peace, for Diocletian the emperor, which was enemy to holy church is this day put out of his seignory, and Maximian, his fellow, is this day dead. And in likewise as S. Agatha is patroness and keeper of Catania, in the same wise shall I be committed to be patroness of Syracuse, this city. And as she spake thus to the people, the sergeants and ministers of Rome came for to take Paschasius and bring him to Rome, because he was accused tofore the senators of Rome of that he had robbed the province; wherefore he received his sentence of the senate, and had his head smitten off. S. Lucy never removed from the place where she was hurt with the sword, ne died not till the priest came and brought the blessed body of our Lord Jesu Christ. And as soon as she had received the blessed sacrament she rendered and gave up her soul to God, thanking and praising him of all his goodness. In that same place is a church edified in the name of her, whereas many benefits have been given to the honour of our Lord Jesu Christ, which is blessed world without end. Amen.
Almighty God, you gave your servant Lucy of Syracuse boldness to confess the Name of our Savior Jesus Christ before the rulers of this world, and courage to die for this faith: Grant that we may always be ready to give a reason for the hope that is in us, and to suffer gladly for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
British (Received Pronunciation): Apollinaris /əˌpɒlɪˈnɛərɪs/
Readings for a Martyr
Jeremiah 15:15–21Psalm 34Revelation 7:9–17Luke 12:4–12