St. Lucy

 


Today is the feast day of St. Lucy of Syracuse (in Italian, Lucia).

I've always regretted the fact that Catholic parents in recent times have fallen away from naming their children after saints, especially the saints and martyrs who were so instrumental in bringing the Catholic faith to our current generation.

One of those saints is Lucy.  It's a beautiful name, which means light.  She was an early martyr from the Church, mentioned in the Roman canon.  I can count on one hand with fingers left over the number of girls or women I know with that name.

There are fascinating legends about her purity and holiness.  Read about her here.

In Scandavian countries, there is a custom of girls having parties where they would wear crowns of light on their head in her honor.

 



Popular posts from this blog

New priests' ordination video

Image
The Archdiocese has recently published a very good 3-minute video of the ordination of three new priests for service to the Archdiocese. You will hear snippets from Archbishop's Schnurr homily and see a few scenes from that ordination Mass.  There are many powerful symbols in that ordination ceremony, including the men about to be ordained priests lying prostrate (on the ground, face down) before the altar, symbolizing that they are dying to themselves as they become "another Christ." In the photo above, after the bishop consecrates the men with prayer and laying on of hands, all of the other priests concelebrating the Mass also lay hands on them, showing that they now share in the one priesthood of Jesus Christ, the great High Priest. You may recognize Fr. Christopher Komoroski.  He was at our South Clermont parishes several weeks when he was still a deacon, to practice his preaching. I had the privilege of "vesting" Fr. Andrew Reckers (helping him put on his
Read more

Facing the Father together

Image
  For this Advent season only this year (Masses of November 28th through December 23rd), Fr. Reutter will be offering all of his parish Masses in the traditional posture of the Church, with the priest and people together symbolically facing the Father.  (This liturgical orientation is sometimes called by its Latin names, ad orientem or ad Deum  which mean "facing the East" or "facing God [the Father]" This way of celebrating the Mass has centuries-long and ancient roots.  In fact, it was mandatory for much of the Church's history.  After the Second Vatican Council, two options were introduced: the traditional posture or Mass facing the people ( versus populum , to use the Latin phrase).  This resource page has some information on the symbolism behind this option and how it helps to reveal what is happening in the mystery of the Mass. * Fr. Mike Schmitz video, " Pray the Mass like never before ."  This is a general video on the mystery of the Mass, with
Read more