St. Lucia's Cathedral - a light set on a hill

The metropolitan Cathedral of Sri Lanka, St. Lucia's Cathedral, Kotahena will be the cynosure of all eyes, when the feast of its Patroness, St. Lucy will be celebrated today Sunday, the 13th of December.

St. Lucia’s Cathedral, Kotahena

When you enter this magnificent Cathedral, what catches your eyes first is the statue of St. Lucy behind the main alter, holding a dish with her eyes on the palm of her hands.

Let us delve into the history of this Queen of Lights. Lucy or Lusia as she was called was born in Syracuse in Sicily about 283 AD. Her parents were Roman Citizens who embraced Christianity. Lucy lost her father when she was an infant and the responsibility of bringing her up was her mother's. From her very early years Lucy consecrated herself to God without mentioning it to anyone, not even her mother.

Her name Lucy means 'light' and so she became the patron saint for the "Light of the eyes". Today this virgin and martyr is universally acclaimed as the saint of the blind, those afflicted with eye ailments and weak eyesight.

Many stories have been handed down from generation to generation concerning St. Lucy. She vowed to live a single life of blessedness serving only God and the poor.

She followed in the footsteps of her favourite saint, St. Agatha. Lucy's mother, however, went against her daughter's wishes and plans. She arranged a marriage for her with a non-Christian. But Lucy stood her ground and resorted even more, to a life of prayer and sacrifice, realizing that there was a much more powerful partner in life for her - Jesus Christ.

Legend however, has it that the rejected bridegroom betrayed Lucy to Diocletian, the Governor of Sicily, who ordered her to be brainwashed, tortured and persecuted. She was finally condemned to death in AD 304.

It is said, Lucy's eyes were plucked out by Diocletian as part of his inhuman treatment of her. The legend concludes, however with God's restoring this martyr's eyes.

Whatever the fact to the legends surrounding St. Lucy are, the truth is that her courage to stand up fearlessly and be counted a Christian inspite of torture and death, is the light that should lead us on our own journey through life.

Prayer to Saint Lucy

Saint Lucy, your beautiful name signifies light. By the light of faith which God bestowed upon you, increase and preserve this light in my soul so that I may avoid evil, be zealous in the performance of good works, and abhor nothing so much as the blindness and the darkness of evil and of sin.

By your intercession with God, obtain for me perfect vision for my bodily eyes and the grace to use them for God's greater honour and glory and the salvation of all men.

Saint Lucy, virgin and martyr, hear my prayers and obtain my petitions.

Amen.

Daphne Lord