Matthew 13:44-52; 2 Corinthians 10:17 – 11:2; Song of
Songs 6:1-3
In the Name of the Father and of the
+ Son and of the Holy Spirit.
St. Lucia was born in Sicily in the year
283 A.D. to rich parents, members of the nobility. Lucia’s father died
when she was still very young, so she and her mother Eutychia were left
alone. Eutychia taught and raised Lucia in the Christian faith, and Lucia
became a very devout and pious young woman. In fact, even though they had great
wealth, Lucia desired to devote all her worldly goods to the service of the
poor. Her mother, however, did not permit her to do this.
But, then something occurred that
changed her mother's mind. Eutychia had been suffering for several years
from a hemorrhage, a chronic flow of blood. Lucia prayed for her mother's
healing and, evidently, her prayer was answered. Her mother was restored
to health; the hemorrhage stopped. In response to this wonderful gift of
healing from God, Eutychia permitted Lucia to have her wish and to distribute
the vast majority of her share of the families’ wealth to the poor.
There was just one problem. Lucia
had been unwillingly betrothed to a deceitful young man who was not a Christian. He
loved Lucia's riches more than her. When she gave away her wealth, he was
furious with her. His greediness moved him to get revenge. He went to
the governor of Sicily and exposed the fact to him that Lucia was a
Christian. This was during the year 303 when Christianity was still
illegal and Emperor Diocletian's persecution of the church was taking
place. All that someone had to do was denounce a person publicly to the
authorities, and that person would be arrested. If they didn't deny or
recant their faith by cursing Christ and offering incense to Caesar, they could
be killed.
Lucia did not recant or deny her faith
in Christ even under this threat. As a result she was tortured, her eyes
were put out, and she was executed, perhaps having been burned at the
stake. Her martyr's death immediately made her famous in Sicily, and the
story of her life and death, with some embellishments, lives on to this day.
Particularly in Sweden, Lucia is
remembered on December 13th by having one of the daughters of the
house dress in a white robe with a crown of lighted candles and go singing from
room to room early in the morning while it is still dark to awaken the other
family members and to offer them cakes of bread. There are several reasons
for this tradition. First of all, Lucia is said to have once brought bread
to needy people who were living in a cave. This gift reminds us of Lucia's
faith that Jesus is the Bread of Life.
The other aspects of this tradition are
also important. The white robe is a reminder of the holiness of the saints
who have died in Christ, and indeed of all those buried with Christ in
baptism. It is written of Christians in the book of Revelation, “These
are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes
and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” Jesus Christ. St.
Lucia's holiness arose not from her own goodness or her virginity but from the
cleansing forgiveness of Christ.
The crown of candles is also significant
for a couple of reasons. First of all, it indicates that even when Lucia no
longer had her eyes, she still had the light of Christ to walk by. She
could yet “see” by faith, far better than any of her persecutors could ever
see. Though physically blind, she had better vision than any unbeliever, for
she was enlightened with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, as we confess in the
catechism. Furthermore, the fact that these candles are worn as a crown is
a reminder of the crown of glory that all believers shall inherit through
Christ in heaven. Though her life in this world ended in darkness and
death, her eternal existence is one of light and life, even as it is for all
the faithful. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. He who
follows me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life.”
Jesus entered our world of darkness by
literally becoming one of us. He was born in meekness and humility that He
might embrace us with the light of His presence. December 25th
was chosen as the date to celebrate Jesus' birth, not so much because that is
the likely date of His actual birth, but because that is the time of year, near
the winter solstice, when the days are shortest and the world is darkest. In
pagan religion this day would be observed as Sol Invictus, the day of the “unconquerable sun,” s-u-n, because
from that point forward, the days would get longer and the light would win over
the darkness. Christians took that pagan festival and made it Christian,
applying it to the Unconquerable Son, S-o-n. For even as the days from
December 25th onward get longer and lighter, so with the coming of
Jesus, Light wins out over the powers of darkness. Though Jesus suffered
on the cross under a dark shroud as the sacrifice for our sin, on the third day
He came forth from the gloom of death in resurrection light. He is indeed the
Unconquerable Son, and through faith in Him we too are conquerors, victors over
sin, death and the devil.
St. Lucia bore witness to that fact in
her life and in her death. In fact the word “martyr” literally means
“witness.” In giving away much of her goods and wealth to help the poor,
she bore witness to the love of Christ, who, though He was rich, yet for our
sakes He became poor, that we through His poverty might become rich. She
bore witness to a belief in God as the Creator who can and will provide for all
of our daily needs. And in death she bore witness to God as the Re-creator,
who is more powerful than death. She testified that she loved the Lord and
His salvation even more than life itself in this world. Like Abraham, she
was looking for a better country, a heavenly one. She knew that the only
way to have life in the world to come is to lay down your life in the world
that is.
So it is also for you, especially in
this Adventide as you set your hearts on the coming of the Lord. You may
not be called to be a martyr, but you are given to bear witness to Christ in
word and deed and to take up your cross and follow Him. Jesus said, “He
who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will
keep it for eternal life.” Baptized into Christ, you are given to live the
pattern of His life – humility before glory, death before resurrection,
crucifying your old Adam that Christ may be pre-eminent and that His life may
show forth in and through you.
This life of repentance and faith is not
easy. It is truly a narrow road on which you are called to run. But
along this road, Hebrews says, you are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses:
Abraham and Joseph and Moses, Gideon and David and Samuel, prophets and apostles,
saints and martyrs. And above all, you are upheld by Him who laid this path
and ran it for you, Jesus. Consider Him, Hebrews says, so that you will
not grow weary and lose heart. “Let us run with endurance the race that
is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who
for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame,
and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Your road will
end up where Christ's ended up, for you are in Him. What is now only a
candle in the darkness will soon be the dawning of the everlasting Day of
resurrection at Jesus’ return. Let that joy set before you give you endurance
in the faith.
In the + Name of Jesus. Amen.
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