Over 1700 years ago, intense persecution of believers was taking place in the Roman Empire under the rule of Emperor Diocletian. Churches were destroyed, Scripture burned, church leaders were arrested, and men, women, and children were executed or enslaved. It was a horrific time. Christians who refused to make sacrifices to the Roman gods were tortured and often burned alive. It was amidst this Great Persecution that a young Greek woman stood out like a light in a dark time.
Lucia—whose name means “bringer of light”—was born in the year 283 A.D. to a rich family who lived in the Roman city of Syracuse. Her parents were nobility—her father a Roman and her mother a Greek. While her family was rich, Lucia gave her life to God and spent her time and resources helping the poor and persecuted.
Tradition shares how Lucia often brought food to Christians fleeing persecution to hide in catacombs—underground tombs built by ancient Romans. It is said that she wore a wreath of candles on her head so that her hands were freed up to carry as much food as she could.
Lucia’s life also traditionally contains stories of healing and miracles. While some elements of these stories may seem fantastical or over-exaggerated, it is important to understand that often hagiographies—or biographies of saints and church leaders—usually provided information about someone’s life by emphasizing the person’s character.
Although Lucia was a Christian, Lucia’s mother arranged for her to be married to a pagan man from a wealthy family. She had hoped that this would protect Lucia, but when Lucia’s betrothed heard about her faith and how she was giving her dowry away to the poor, he reported her as a Christian to a Roman governor.
Lucia refused to renounce her faith and to make a sacrifice to the Roman gods. So on December 13, 304 A.D., Lucia of Syracuse was executed by being stabbed in the throat with a dagger. She was only twenty-one years old at the time.
As we reflect on how Lucia reflected the light of Christ in a dark time, we can be spurred on to consider how we can be witnesses and imitators of Christ in our communities today.
Although the Roman empire had hoped to stamp out Christianity, stories of martyrs like Lucia helped spread the witness of Christ. In many ways, as Tertullian writes, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” Hearing the testimonies of those who were persecuted for their faith in Jesus caused Christianity to grow tremendously in the first few centuries. In fact, Lucia’s service and martyrdom were remembered by many around the Christian world—including Pope Gregory I in 6th century A.D. and the Venerable Bede in the late 7th century A.D. As early as the 4th century A.D., feasts were held by believers to remember her. In the late 7th century A.D., these feasts spread to England, and today these feasts are still celebrated—especially in Sweden and Italy.
This year on Saint Lucy’s Day, girls around the world will dress in white and wear a wreath of candles on their heads as they bring baked goods to those in their families. While we may not do the same, we can still remember Lucia’s faithful testimony. As we reflect on how Lucia reflected the light of Christ in a dark time, we can be spurred on to consider how we can be witnesses and imitators of Christ in our communities today.
St. Lucy’s Day is celebrated annually on December 13th
