St. Lucy lived so long ago that many details of her life are unknown to us. We do know that she came from the island of Sicily and that she died in the year 304. We have proof that she was beloved by the early Christians because her name is prayed in the first Eucharistic Prayer at Mass.
Tradition tells us that she decided to never marry. Instead, she made up her mind to devote her life entirely to prayer and service to the Lord. Her mother tied to arrange for Lucy to marry a pagan man, but Lucy refused. The man suspected that Lucy had refused him because she was a Christian.
Being a follower of Christ in Sicily was a crime. Someone—perhaps the man she would not marry—reported Lucy to the governor. Lucy was arrested. Even though she was tortured, she refused to give up her belief in Christ. She was sentenced to death and martyred for her love of the Lord.
The Church honors Lucy as a saint. Her name means “light.” When we think of Lucy, we can remember that she teaches us to follow Jesus, the light of the world. She lived these words of Christ, “Your light must shine before others, so that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father” (Matthew 5:16).
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