Sankta Lucia

Propers: Memorial of St Lucy, A.D. 2016 A

Homily:

St Lucy was born to a Greek family living in Syracuse during the late third century. The story goes that her mother suffered from a life-threatening hemorrhage, but was miraculously cured at the shrine of St Agatha, who appeared to Lucy in a vision. Following this powerful religious experience, Lucy vowed to remain unmarried and to give away her wealth to the poor—an early form of monasticism.

This didn’t go over so well with her fiancé, who had been rather looking forward to that dowry, so he outed Lucy as a Christian and turned her over to the city prefect for punishment. Christianity, an illegal and subversive religion, was a capital offense. Legend has it that the prefect first sentenced her to be thrown into a brothel, but she stood miraculously rooted to the spot. Then they tried to pile wood up around her and burn her, but the flames refused to touch her. Finally they resorted to death by the sword, the supposedly honorable punishment reserved for Roman citizens, and Lucy gave up the ghost.

She was all of 21 years old when she died, and we find her venerated in Christian liturgy and tradition from the earliest centuries of the Church. Her name means “light,” and Lucy has always been associated with the Light of Christ shining amidst the darkness of this world. It is said that when she brought food to persecuted Christians hiding in the catacombs, she wore candles upon her head so that her arms could bear more bread. Later legends speak of her being blinded, only to miraculously regain her sight.

Interestingly, she is known not only as Santa Lucia in southern Europe, but as Sankta Lucia in the north, where she remains particularly popular in Scandinavian memory. How did a Greek girl from Sicily become something of a patron saint in Sweden? Well, thereby hangs a tale. Certainly the celebration of a well-lit saint so close to the winter solstice in the frozen north has something to do with it. Who doesn’t want to celebrate the return of light amidst the darkest nights of the year? But there’s more to it than that.

A severe famine hit the Swedish province of Varmland during the Middle Ages. The entire population found themselves poised upon the brink of starvation. But then, on the Feast of St Lucy, a brilliant white ship suddenly appeared sailing across Lake Vanern, helmed by a beautiful young woman in a white gown wearing a crown of lights. Three guesses as to who that happened to be. As soon as it unloaded its cargo of foodstuffs for the relief of the people, both ship and saint vanished into the night.

To this day, the Swedish people remember the story of their forebears’ miraculous deliverance, and on the morning of St Lucy’s Day, the eldest daughter rises early, bedecked in white with a crown of lights, to serve Lucia buns to the rest of the family still abed.

Our middle child in particular enjoys the stories and traditions associated with Sankta Lucia. She may not be the eldest, and she may not be the youngest, but by thunder one day a year she gets to be St Lucy.

I confess that I still harbor visions of preparing plates of homemade cookies and sending our children to deliver them to our neighbors, just as my Mother used to send me, each December 13th. When we first moved to town we knew everyone on the block, but one by one, they’ve moved away. Now we only really know one family on our cul-de-sac, and every Sankta Lucia I hope to help remedy that. But every year, at least thus far, Advent has found us harried and overwhelmed. The cookies will have to wait for another day: the Twelve Days of Christmas, perhaps.

Hope springs eternal, I suppose. And that’s really the point. The tales of St Lucy are filled with wonders and miracles, generosity and bravery, light amidst the darkness and hope for those in need. Who is to say where the history ends and legend begins? For at the heart of it all stands a brave young woman who had faith in Jesus Christ, who loved God and loved her neighbor, who fed the hungry and prayed with the sick, who stayed true to her mother and told truth to power.

It is the story of a woman who dared to be Christian amidst a dark and hostile world still very much in need. Behold the difference one faithful soul can make. Behold the Risen Christ still at work in those who love Him.

May the glorious intercession of the Virgin and Martyr Saint Lucy give us new heart, we pray, O Lord, so that we may celebrate her heavenly birthday in this present age and so behold things eternal. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.