Feast of Saint
lucy
Proverbs, Chapter 8,
Verse 13
[The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil;]
Pride, arrogance, the evil way, and the perverse mouth I hate.
The U.S. bishops have long emphasized that the tax
system should be continually evaluated in terms of its impact on the
poor,'" Bishop Dewane wrote. Quoting Pope Francis concerning the family,
Bishop Dewane stressed that "[t]hose services which society offers its
citizens are not a type of alms, but rather a genuine 'social debt' with
respect to the institution of the family, which is foundational and which
contributes to the common good." Bishop Dewane's letter articulated six
moral principles that should guide lawmakers' decisions:
- Care for the
poor;
- Strengthening
families;
- Maintaining
progressivity of the tax code;
- Raising
adequate revenue for the common good;
- Avoiding cuts
to poverty programs to finance tax reform; and
- Incentivizing
charitable giving and development.
Bishop
Dewane calls on legislators to remember the poor and the common good when
considering taxes, writing that "you are urged to recognize the critical
obligation of creating a just framework aimed
at the economic security of all people, especially the least of these."
·
See
Charity is a
duty
The
traditional story of St. Lucy tells us that she was of noble Greek parentage,
born in Syracuse, Sicily, and brought up as a Christian by her mother,
Eutychia. Although Lucy, like Cecilia, wished to dedicate herself to God,
Eutychia arranged for her a marriage with a young pagan. The mother, who
suffered from hemorrhage, was persuaded to make a pilgrimage to Catania, to
offer prayers at the tomb of St. Agatha. Lucy accompanied her mother, and their
prayers for a cure were answered. Then Lucy made known to Eutychia her desire
to give her own share of their fortune to the poor and devote herself to God's
service. Eutychia, in gratitude for her cure, gave permission. This so angered
the young man to whom Lucy had been unwillingly betrothed that he denounced her
as a Christian to the governor, Paschius. The persecutions instituted by the
Emperor Diocletian were then at their height, and when Lucy steadfastly clung
to her faith, she was sentenced to prostitution in a brothel. God rendered her
immovable and the officers were not able to carry her off to the place of evil.
An attempt was then made to burn her, but boiling oil and pitch had no power to
hurt her or break her strong spirit. At last she was put to death by the sword.
At Rome in the sixth century Lucy was honored among the other virgin martyrs,
and her name was inserted in the Canon of the Mass. A reference to her sanctity
occurs in a letter written by Pope Gregory the Great. In the Middle Ages, she
was invoked by persons suffering from eye trouble, perhaps because Lucy (in
Italian, Lucia) derives from , the Latin word for light. The first
church writer to give an account of St. Lucy from her was the
English bishop St. Aldhelm of Sherborne at the end of the seventh century. This
saint's relics are venerated at Venice and at Bourges, in France. She is
patroness of Syracuse; her emblems are a cord and eyes.
Father Kenelm Digby Best knew her example of fearlessness when he
penned in his book “A Priest’s Poems”[4] on St. Lucy:
Flames might not harm her: Saint
Lucy stood fearless,
still as a statue's the neck which they smote: Scarcely another save, Lucy, was
tearless. When the sharp dagger was plunged in her throat.
The customs surrounding the Feast of St. Lucy also illuminate
the themes of Advent and Christmas. Lucy, whose name means light and whose
association with light has made her the patron saint of the "light of the
body" (the eyes), once had her feast fall on the shortest day of the year.
(Before the Gregorian calendar was reformed in the Middle Ages, December 13 was
the day of the winter solstice.) For all of these reasons, St. Lucy is honored
with a number of customs involving fire. Lucy candles were once lit in the home and Lucy fires burned outside.
In Sweden and Norway, a girl dressed in white and wearing an evergreen wreath
on her head with lit candles would awaken the family and offer them coffee and
cakes. She was called the Lussibrud
(Lucy bride) and her pastry the Lussekattor.
The Feast of St. Lucy comes at a propitious time during the
observance of Advent. Reminding us of the importance of light, the light of St.
Lucy foreshadows the coming of the Light of the World at Christmas like a spark
foreshadows the sun.[5]
Things to Do[6]
·
Choose one of the customs for St. Lucy's feast
and try it with your family. See Celebrating for the Feast of St. Lucy, Swedish Lucia Feast, and St. Lucia Devotions.
·
Select one of the recipes for this feast to
prepare. Here is a recipe for cuccia, an Italian dish. This is another version.
·
Say a prayer to St. Lucy for those who are
physically and spiritually blind.
·
For St. Lucia Swedish resources, see Hemslöjd. Especially recommended are the St. Lucia's Crowns,
either plastic to wear or brass for display, the books and Lucia Morning in Sweden.
Perhaps
today would be a good day to put up some Christmas lights and drink Hot Cocoa
Spiritual Crib[7]
A special devotion that can be performed during Advent to
prepare for the coming of the Infant Savior. It can be adapted for adults
and/or children and applied as is appropriate to your state in life.
3rd day, December 13th: THE
WALLS—Charity Today we must erect the Walls of our little stable by showing
great love and kindness towards others, in spite of our feelings for them.
Always to excuse their faults, and if that is not possible, at least the
intention. Take no offence at anything and show great kindness to such as put
your patience to the test. Pray much for the Poor Souls and for poor sinners. Visit
the tabernacle.
” The superiority of chocolate (hot
chocolate), both for health and nourishment, will soon give it the same
preference over tea and coffee in America which it has in Spain.”
~ Thomas Jefferson
~ Thomas Jefferson
We’re
sad to say that President Jefferson didn’t quite hit the mark on this one, but
we can all agree that he should have. Perhaps he should have included it in the
American constitution to ensure that his good sense got passed on to the
country he formed. It’s not too late to make this statement become true! Hot
Cocoa Day reminds you that your options go far beyond “Tea or Coffee” when it
comes to your morning hot beverage. Chocolate’s history goes far back into
history, far longer than most people are aware. It first was found by European
explorers in South America, where it had been being enjoyed for hundreds of
years prior to their arrival. We have reason to believe that the reason the
America’s didn’t make contact with Europe sooner is they didn’t want to share
this delightful beverage with the rest of the world. The first origins of cocoa
can be traced back to 500BC, but many archaeologists believe that this is only
as early as we can trace it, and that coffee consumption predates even that
august culture. Of course, the chocolate of those days was much different than
that which we consume now, as sugar was not something that had found its way to
the America’s. Instead, the beverage was flavored with vanilla and often with
chili and was served at all temperatures dependent on the recipe being used.
The Spaniards first found the flavor unpleasant and one an individual had to
acquire. It would not be until it was introduced to Europe and had spent some
time there as a luxury drink of the wealthy that it would be sweetened, and
milk chocolate invented. It took until 1828 for a powdered chocolate to be
made, and in that glorious moment of culinary history, both the chocolate bar
and instant hot cocoa came into existence.
How to Celebrate Hot Cocoa Day
We
think the best way to celebrate Hot Cocoa Day is to try every variety you can
think of. Form a gathering of friends and have everyone bring their favorite
recipe and all their favorite varieties. White and Dark, Milk and Bittersweet,
there are as many different Hot Cocoa recipes as there are individuals! Our
personal favorite is to make Hot Cocoa with 50/50 Milk and Sweetened Condensed
milk and Dark Powdered Chocolate, followed by a sprinkling of cinnamon and
shavings of dark chocolate on top. Rich and flavorful, it’s not for the timid.
Recognizing that God the Father created man on Friday the 6th day
I propose in this blog to have an entry that shares on how to recreate and
renew yourself in strength; mind, soul and heart.
Daily
Devotions
·
Attend
Mass: During the Octave of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the
Blessed Virgin Mary.
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