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READINGS FROM HOLY SCRIPTURE:
2 Corinthians 10:17-18, 11:1-2
St Matthew 13:44-52
Grace to you all and Peace from God our Father and the LORD
Jesus, the Christ.
Who speaks to us from our Epistle heard this evening saying:
“For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.”
ST. LUCY, Virgin and Martyr, radiating light, readies us for the Light of Christmas
The very name Lucy pulsates with light, a living symbol amid the season's darkness (the days are now the shortest of the year). As a wise virgin Lucy advances with a burning lamp to meet the Bridegroom, just as we light our own candles to meet Him here. She typifies the Church and the soul now preparing their bridal robes for a Christmas marriage.
St. Lucy’s. Day of death is December 13, about 304 and is usually pictured in church art with a sword and with two eyes on a plate. Now, that the famous Sicilian martyr really lived may be deduced from the great popular veneration accorded her since most ancient times. The Acts detailing her sufferings, however, merit little credence.
This is usual for the Church legendarium for a reason. One of those reasons, I believe, is because the saints rarely wish their deeds and name known more than their Savior. A real saint couldn’t care less if people knew they had a spiritual gift from God. If it took the spotlight off Christ, it was regarded as satanic.
But back to our hero:
In one such St. Lucy legend, she was so beautiful that a local lord demanded her hand in marriage. Unfortunately, St. Lucy had already pledged her virginity to Christ and would not have it. The local lord was enraged, but to stymie any further acts of violence against her or her family, St. Lucy put her own eyes out, that she might be ugly. Ugly to the world, pure to Christ.
Another legend has her sneaking food and comfort to persecuted Christians in Rome, with lighted candles on her head that she might have both arms free for carrying food. Scandinavian countries still honor her this way and parade their young girls around Church, wearing wreaths of candles.
According to another, she made a pilgrimage to Catonia with her mother, who suffered from hemorrhage, to venerate the body of St. Agatha. After praying devoutly at the tomb, Agatha appeared to her in a dream and consoled her: "O virgin Lucy, why do you ask of me what you yourself can procure for your mother? For your faith too has come to her aid and therefore she has been cured. By your virginity you have indeed prepared for God a lovely dwelling." And her mother was actually healed.
Immediately Lucy asked permission to remain a virgin and to distribute her future dowry among Christ's poor. Child and mother returned to their native city Syracuse, and Lucy proceeded to distribute the full proceeds from the sale of her property among the poor.
When a young man to whom Lucy's parents had promised the virgin's hand against her will had heard of the development, he reported her to the city prefect as a Christian.
"Your words will be silenced," the prefect said to her, "when the storm of blows falls upon you!"
The virgin: "To God's servants the right words will not be wanting, for the Holy Spirit speaks in us." "Yes," she continued, "all who live piously and chastely are temples of the Holy Spirit."
"Then," he replied, "I shall order you put with prostitutes and the Holy Spirit will depart from you."
Lucy: "If I am dishonored against my will, my chastity will secure for me a double crown of victory.”
Aflame with anger, the judge imposed the threatened order. But God made the virgin solidly firm in her place and no force could move her. "With such might did the Holy Spirit hold her firm that the virgin of Christ remained immovable." Thereupon they poured heated pitch and resin over her: "I have begged my Lord Jesus Christ that this fire have no power over me. And in testimony of Him I have asked a postponement of my death" (Resp.). When she had endured all this without the least injury, they pierced her throat with a sword. Thus she victoriously ended her martyrdom.
"If I am dishonored against my will, my chastity will secure for me a double crown of victory.”
These are the words I want our focus on tonight and these are the words you should be able to look back into the sermon from Sunday and find their truth there. The sin that is forced upon us is not ours, but double for the one enforcing.
Thus we can face the mark of the beast and have confidence
in our Savior. Thus we can own up to known and unknown sin. Thus we can double
down on the Lord’s Way, knowing full well that it will not be the world’s way.
Christ returns our virginity, our chastity, our purity in the forgiveness of
sins. St. Lucy points to her Savior.
In St. Mary’s famous last words recorded in the Bible, in
John 2(:3-5), she sets this example for us, down the line. “When the wine
ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said
to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.”
His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
And Jesus tells us to be holy. Not “find holiness for yourself”, but “You will be holy, because I AM is holy.”(Lev. 11:45), said Jesus in Leviticus.
To whatever saint we may turn for example or advice, they will always repeat St. Mary’s words to us, “There. That is the Man for you.” We take all our gifts; our beauty, our charity, our piety and count it all rubbish, count it all but loss that we may gain Christ (Phil 3:8).
And what do we gain when we gain Christ? Beauty. Charity. Piety. Family. A hundred times more and a hundred times better than we could ever hope to accomplish here on our own. Just as an acolyte, St. Lucy’s be-lighted wreath leads us to the Divine Service of our God. We enter in, behind the veil (Heb 6:19) where Jesus has gone.
St. Lucy brings hope to the persecuted martyrs, but knows
that she will also become as they are, under the cross. Our hope is that though
we can be replaced by anyone and will be forgotten by the world, our Lord and
God does not forget. Even the dimmest light of faith is fanned into flame at
His Word.
We turn our eyes, then, to where St. Lucy turned her eyes.
For Jesus has risen again from the dead and will restore loss to those who
remain faithful. Hear and believe then, that “it is not the one who commends
himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends”.
“each one will receive his commendation from God” (1
Corinthians 4:5).
And our commendation is Christ, Who has mercifully given
such examples of the Faith, that we, who are living in the Last Days, would not
lose hope, but find strength in Word and Sacrament and courage in those men and
women who have made it to the end successfully, facing the same sin and trials
we do. Lord, have mercy upon us.
Who speaks to us from our Epistle heard this evening saying:
“For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.”
ST. LUCY, Virgin and Martyr, radiating light, readies us for the Light of Christmas
The very name Lucy pulsates with light, a living symbol amid the season's darkness (the days are now the shortest of the year). As a wise virgin Lucy advances with a burning lamp to meet the Bridegroom, just as we light our own candles to meet Him here. She typifies the Church and the soul now preparing their bridal robes for a Christmas marriage.
St. Lucy’s. Day of death is December 13, about 304 and is usually pictured in church art with a sword and with two eyes on a plate. Now, that the famous Sicilian martyr really lived may be deduced from the great popular veneration accorded her since most ancient times. The Acts detailing her sufferings, however, merit little credence.
This is usual for the Church legendarium for a reason. One of those reasons, I believe, is because the saints rarely wish their deeds and name known more than their Savior. A real saint couldn’t care less if people knew they had a spiritual gift from God. If it took the spotlight off Christ, it was regarded as satanic.
In one such St. Lucy legend, she was so beautiful that a local lord demanded her hand in marriage. Unfortunately, St. Lucy had already pledged her virginity to Christ and would not have it. The local lord was enraged, but to stymie any further acts of violence against her or her family, St. Lucy put her own eyes out, that she might be ugly. Ugly to the world, pure to Christ.
Another legend has her sneaking food and comfort to persecuted Christians in Rome, with lighted candles on her head that she might have both arms free for carrying food. Scandinavian countries still honor her this way and parade their young girls around Church, wearing wreaths of candles.
According to another, she made a pilgrimage to Catonia with her mother, who suffered from hemorrhage, to venerate the body of St. Agatha. After praying devoutly at the tomb, Agatha appeared to her in a dream and consoled her: "O virgin Lucy, why do you ask of me what you yourself can procure for your mother? For your faith too has come to her aid and therefore she has been cured. By your virginity you have indeed prepared for God a lovely dwelling." And her mother was actually healed.
Immediately Lucy asked permission to remain a virgin and to distribute her future dowry among Christ's poor. Child and mother returned to their native city Syracuse, and Lucy proceeded to distribute the full proceeds from the sale of her property among the poor.
When a young man to whom Lucy's parents had promised the virgin's hand against her will had heard of the development, he reported her to the city prefect as a Christian.
"Your words will be silenced," the prefect said to her, "when the storm of blows falls upon you!"
The virgin: "To God's servants the right words will not be wanting, for the Holy Spirit speaks in us." "Yes," she continued, "all who live piously and chastely are temples of the Holy Spirit."
"Then," he replied, "I shall order you put with prostitutes and the Holy Spirit will depart from you."
Lucy: "If I am dishonored against my will, my chastity will secure for me a double crown of victory.”
Aflame with anger, the judge imposed the threatened order. But God made the virgin solidly firm in her place and no force could move her. "With such might did the Holy Spirit hold her firm that the virgin of Christ remained immovable." Thereupon they poured heated pitch and resin over her: "I have begged my Lord Jesus Christ that this fire have no power over me. And in testimony of Him I have asked a postponement of my death" (Resp.). When she had endured all this without the least injury, they pierced her throat with a sword. Thus she victoriously ended her martyrdom.
"If I am dishonored against my will, my chastity will secure for me a double crown of victory.”
These are the words I want our focus on tonight and these are the words you should be able to look back into the sermon from Sunday and find their truth there. The sin that is forced upon us is not ours, but double for the one enforcing.
And Jesus tells us to be holy. Not “find holiness for yourself”, but “You will be holy, because I AM is holy.”(Lev. 11:45), said Jesus in Leviticus.
To whatever saint we may turn for example or advice, they will always repeat St. Mary’s words to us, “There. That is the Man for you.” We take all our gifts; our beauty, our charity, our piety and count it all rubbish, count it all but loss that we may gain Christ (Phil 3:8).
And what do we gain when we gain Christ? Beauty. Charity. Piety. Family. A hundred times more and a hundred times better than we could ever hope to accomplish here on our own. Just as an acolyte, St. Lucy’s be-lighted wreath leads us to the Divine Service of our God. We enter in, behind the veil (Heb 6:19) where Jesus has gone.
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