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Memorial of St. Lucy,Virgin and Martyr
Sirach 48:1-4, 9-11
Psalm 80:2AC & 3B, 15-16, 18-19
Matthew 17:9A, 10-13
Summary
Elijah the prophet appears at a time when the Hebrew people had turned from
God to worship other gods. Fire is used as the cleansing
metaphor and there is a belief that Elijah will return before
the end times to cleanse the people and reestablish the
tribes of Jacob.The theme of cleansing and healing is fur-
thered in the Psalm where we appeal to God to help us re-
turn to Him. In the Gospel, Jesus reaffirms Scripture about
Elijah and compares Elijah’s time to His when Jesus’ exhor-
tations to repent and return to God are largely ignored
and the Son of Man will suffer at the hands of the people.
Reflection
St. Lucy is the patroness of the blind as her name means
“light”. One legend of her martyrdom says that she was
blinded as part of her torture. Before the Gregorian calen-
dar, December 13
th
was the shortest day of the year, the darkest day, a day when
people celebrated light. St. Lucy (Lucia) feast day brings many different types of
celebrations in various countries.
When the caveman discovered fire, the world was irreversibly changed. Fire dis-
pelled the darkness of night.Through the millennium, man has used fire for
light and to cleanse. Fire can heal; fire can kill.We continue to be fascinated by
fire, its beauty, its power.We enjoy a cozy fire in the winter as the days get short-
er and colder. However; we are terrified by flames roaring through a forest.
It is hard to imagine Elijah’s fiery chariot and its meaning to people of the time.
But we can focus on our need to be cleansed
from our sins, to bring light to our “blindness”..
Advent gives us an opportunity to redirect our
attention inwardly and examine our lives. Do
we need to be cleansed and strengthened, per-
haps by the Sacrament of Reconciliation? Do