Dear Agathians:

The statues and pictures of Saint Agatha and Saint Lucy are so similar that many people have mistaken one for the other.  Most often, they are depicted with the same face, same posture, same clothes, same palm in one hand.  The only difference is what they hold in their other hand: breasts for Saint Agatha and eyes for Saint Lucy.

Interestingly enough, there was a real connection between these two saints.  Lucy was born in Syracuse, Sicily – about 32 miles from Agatha’s town of Catania, in the year 283 A.D. – 32 years after Agatha’s martyrdom.  Like Agatha, Lucy was born into a rich and noble family.  Many suitors coveted both her beauty and her large dowry.  But, like Agatha, Lucy consecrated her virginity to God at an early age and planned to distribute her dowry to the poor.

Lucy’s father died when she was only five years old.  Her mother suffered from a bleeding disorder.  So, out of fear for the future and unaware of Lucy’s vow of virginity, her mother promised her in marriage to a wealthy and pagan young man.  It was Saint Agatha that rescued Lucy.

By that time, Saint Agatha’s shrine in Catania already attracted many pilgrims, due to the many miracles attributed to her intercession.  Lucy persuaded her mother to pray to Saint Agatha for a cure of her disease.  While they were at the shrine, Saint Agatha told Lucy in a dream that her mother would be cured, and Lucy would be the glory of Syracuse.

After her miraculous healing, Lucy’s mother reluctantly allowed Lucy to distribute most of her wealth to the poor.  When Lucy’s betrothed heard of this, he angrily denounced her to the governor of Syracuse, who ordered her to sacrifice to the emperor’s image.  Lucy instead warned that the governor would be punished, and the emperor would reign no more.  In anger, the governor ordered Lucy’s eyes to be gouged out.  When this didn’t seem to deter Lucy, he sentenced her to be defiled in a brothel.

But when the guards came to take Lucy away, they found her immovable, even after hitching her to a team of oxen.  When they tried to set her on fire, the wood wouldn’t burn.  They finally killed her by thrusting a sword down her throat.

Is it providential that this year, Saint Lucy’s feast day, December 13th, falls on Guadete Sunday, the day when the priests wear rose vestment to signify that the Lord is near?  Through the intercession of Saint Lucy, Bearer of Light, may the rosy light of Christ also dispel any darkness in our hearts this Christmas.

— Fr. Vincentius Do, Pastor