COLLECT: “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, GOD, FOR EVER AND EVER. AMEN”.
Sir 48:1-4,9-11; Ps 79:2-3,15-16,18-19 and Mt 17:10-13.
St. Lucy, whom we commemorate today, hailed from a wealthy family in Syracuse, Italy. She consecrated her virginity to God at a very early age. However, when her father died, Lucy’s widowed mother insisted upon her betrothal to a young noble. It happened that Lucy’s mother was suffering from haemorrhages, and Lucy suggested that she bring her to a miracle-working tomb of St. Agatha at Catania. There she was instantly and completely cured.
With a heart overflowing with gratitude, she gave in to Lucy’s repeated pleadings and permitted her to distribute her inheritance among the poor. This, however, aroused the covetousness of her worldly-minded pagan fiancé to such a degree that he denounced Lucy to the governor of Sicily as a Christian, who at that time championed what was known as the “Diocletian Persecution of Christians”.
Lucy was then subjected to horrible and shameful tortures and finally expired from a sword thrust through her throat. She is invoked against sore eyes and throats, haemorrhages and epidemic diseases. “Those whose hearts are pure are the temples of the Holy Spirit” (St. Lucy). We have a lot to learn from St. Lucy.
In the Book of Wisdom 3:1-9, we are told that ‘The souls of the faithful, the righteous, or the upright are in the hands of God and no torment can touch them. They are at peace with God’. It means they are resting with God their Creator. They are not, and will never be forgotten for what they have done. They will always remain in the fresh memories of the living.
This is all about ‘Life-after-death’. Both African Traditional Religion and Christianity (and of course, other world Religions) believe in life after death, in the Resurrection. This belief has it that, people who have been faithful, righteous and upright in this life, and have patiently carried out good deeds during their earthly lifetime, shall be rewarded in heaven with eternal life by the Creator.
Elijah and John the Baptist are considered righteous, faithful and upright, because they faithfully and patiently endured in carrying out their work. They carried out good deeds when they were on earth. Elijah worked and brought about reconciliation in families: “…To turn back the hearts of fathers toward their sons, and to re-establish the tribes of Jacob….” (Cf. Sir 48:1-11). He also worked to reconcile sinful humanity to God and with fellow human beings.
John the Baptist, whom Jesus, in a sense, states was Elijah returned (Cf. Mt 17:10-13), his ministry was to prepare sinful humanity to meet the Messiah. He was in a sense, reconciling sinful humanity to God and with fellow human beings.
Today’s scriptures are therefore like tributes to both Elijah and John the Baptist. The good things they did on earth, especially working to reconcile sinful humanity to God and with fellow human beings, shall never be forgotten. Let us emulate the examples of these two great spiritual figures as we still have the chance to live in the world. Reconciliation is still needed in our individual hearts, homes/families, work places, communities, parties, in our countries and in the world at large.
As faithful people of God, who now take the place of Elijah, John the Baptist and Jesus, we all have the duty of reconciling ourselves to God and with others, as well as working to bring reconciliation to the world. Let us pray for the strength and the grace to do that. May Saint Lucy intercede for us. Stay blessed and happy feast to all who bear the name Lucy.
WE MEDITATE TODAY, SATURDAY, ON THE JOYFUL MYSTERIES: ‘THE ANNUNCIATION, THE VISITATION, THE BIRTH OF JESUS, THE PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE AND THE FINDING OF THE CHILD JESUS IN THE TEMPLE’. (LET US PRAY FOR HUMILITY, LOVE OF NEIGHBOUR, POVERTY IN SPIRIT, OBEDIENCE AND JOY IN FINDING JESUS) “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus: Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen”.
PRAYER: “O GOD, WHO BESTOWED ON BLESSED LUCY A CROWN AMONG THE SAINTS FOR HER TWOFOLD TRIUMPH OF VIRGINITY AND MARTYRDOM, GRANT, WE PRAY, THROUGH THE POWER OF THIS SACRAMENT, THAT, BRAVELY OVERCOMING EVERY EVIL, WE MAY ATTAIN THE GLORY OF HEAVEN. THROUGH CHRIST OUR LORD. AMEN”.
Rev. Fr. Aloysius Kpiebaya, Catholic Diocese of Wa, UW/R, Ghana. (00233) 0207867239/0545462863. Email: aloybaya20@ya@yahoo.com
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