St. Lucy (Feast Day December 13)

283 – 304

We do not know much about the life of St. Lucy as it has been lost to history. However, from the earliest time of the Church, her name has been held in high regard. She, like St. Cecilia, dedicated her entire life to God from an early age. She lived during a time of great persecution and was eventually killed for her faith. We know she was tortured during her execution by having her eyes plucked out. When she is depicted in art, she is shown holding her eyes on a platter as a sign of what she suffered for Christ. Martyrs are often depicted showing some aspect of the death they endured as a reminder that what was painful in this life, when endured for the love of Jesus, is transformed into victory and God’s glory in heaven.

·      How is John the Baptist preparing people for the coming of Jesus?

·      Share a time when you’ve prepared to welcome a special guest in your home. What things did you do to prepare? What things can you do to prepare for the coming of Jesus this Christmas?

·      What is the difference between John’s baptism and Jesus’ baptism?

·      St. Lucy was brave. Share a time when you had to be brave.

Movie Night!

Watch “Guadalupe: The Miracle and the Message,” by the Knights of Columbus. It is available on Amazon Prime. If unavailable, find another movie about Mary the Mother of God or the nativity story.

St. Lucy Soup

This is a traditional soup made on St. Lucy’s feast day.

 ½ cup rice, uncooked

8 cups water

1 tsp salt

½ cup (1 stick) butter

¼ cup onion, minced

1 cup fully-cooked ham, chopped

½ cup flour

Boil the rice in salted water until soft, about 30 minutes. Drain the rice-flavored water into a large bowl. Mince the onions and chop the ham into tiny pieces. In a large pot, melt the butter over low heat. Sauté the onions and ham until shiny. Mix in the flour until smooth. Pour in the rice-flavored water and simmer to thicken. Stir and ladle into soup bowls. Garnish with parsley flakes (optional). Serve hot with bread or crackers.

Our Lady of Guadalupe

December 12th is the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. To prepare for this awesome day, read this account of her apparition to St. Juan Diego.

Read the story found at https://www.archbalt.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/gTHE-STORY-OF-OUR-LADY-OF-GUADALUPE.pdf. After reading the story, pray one decade of the rosary together.

Purple is the liturgical color in the Advent season. Where do you see purple in your church today? 

Say a Hail Mary prayer each day this week to honor Mary.

There are many miraculous properties of the tilma of Our Lady of Guadalupe that cannot be explained by modern science. For example, several images can be seen reflected in the eyes of the Virgin. It is believed to be the images of Juan Diego, Bishop Juan de Zummaraga, Juan Gonzales-the interpreter and others.