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Memorial of St. Lucy
Isaiah 48:17-19
Psalm 1:1-2,3,4,
Matthew 11:16-19
Summary
The Isaiah reading tells of the love and protection God promises to
his faithful people. The psalm response to that reading is 'Those who
follow you, Lord, will have the light of life,¯ and the psalm also speaks
of those who 'delight in the law of the Lord.¯ In the gospel, Jesus
reminds us that both John?s and his and messages were rejected by
naysayers, but also tells us that 'wisdom is vindicated by her works.¯
Reflection
It is the feast of St. Lucy, much loved saint in Scandinavia and in Italy
? and honored by Catholic, Anglican, Orthodox and Lutheran
churches throughout the world. Trying to discover a bit more about
her, I was reminded of a comment I once heard from the theologian
Megan McKenna, 'All the story is true and some of it actually hap-
pened.¯ Very little seems to be known about St. Lucy but the legends
are beautiful, particularly during Advent when we prepare for the
coming of the Lord Jesus, the Light of the World ? 'the Light shining
in the darkness.¯ St. Lucy, whose name means 'light,¯ lived at the
turn of the 3
rd
-4
th
centuries and most likely was born in Syracuse in
Sicily. One legend says that she was martyred by having her eyes
plucked out, and that her offense of
feeding Christians hiding in caves neces-
sitated her to wear a wreath of candles
on her head so that both hands were free
for her task. She is the patron saint of the
blind. In the Julian calendar, December
