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St. Lucy - December 13 |
With the feast of the brave virgin-martyr, Lucy, we arrive at another increase of the light of Christ, which shines across the entire season of Advent. St. Lucy's name was privileged to be in the canon of Holy Mass, along with the other "winter" virgins, Cecilia, Agnes and Agatha. These four virginal lights illuminate the season of physical darkness.
Lucy succeeded in imitating Mary's purity in her own life, and her feast is in perfect harmony with the octave of the Immaculate Virgin. Lucy was a virgin of Syracuse in Sicily. She was noted for her love of the poor and for her virginity, and purity of soul. What a wonderful Child of Our Lady to remember during the octave of the Immaculate Conception.
The Gospel of the feast is filled with the spirit of Advent. It offers three parables of Jerusalem, the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom is like a hidden treasure or a priceless pearl, for which we sell all that we own; the Church is like a net which catches all sorts of fish, which, at the second coming of Christ, are separated - the good from the bad. Our Advent preparation for the coming of Christ by grace at Christmas is a reminder of that final coming, when we shall remain in eternal possession of Christ in His Kingdom.
The feast of St. Lucy is a beautiful one, especially for little girls. Somehow or other, despite his great kindness for the three girls, St. Nicholas seems to be of special interest to boys. Now the girls are not neglected in being offered such a wonderful model and patron as St. Lucy. On the Feast of St. Lucy, the oldest girl in the family is crowned with a garland studded with red candles.
If a party may be held on this day, a tableau can be presented with Our Lady as the center surrounded by the winter holy virgins, as well as many others, such as St. Catherine, St. Bibiana, St. Barbara, St. Anastasia, St. Prisca, St. Martina, and St. Scholastica. This is an excellent occasion for girls to learn about their own patron saints and the meaning of her name. After a prayer is said in honor of St. Lucy from the Mass of her feast, "St. Lucy", the queen of the feast, distributes the traditional buns called "St. Lucy's Cats". St. Cecilia sings a hymn to Our Lady, St. Catherine distributes taffy kisses as they do in French Canada. St. Agnes serves her little lamb cakes, and St. Agatha is the good hostess and helpmate of her sister virgin, St. Lucy. Lucy herself is the lady in waiting to whom Our Lady would have the children honor on her feast day.
St. Lucy is the patron of school girls, and on her feast day in Sweden, St. Lucy's Cats are a special treat. You bake the yellow buns in the form of cats. The following is a recipe for St. Lucy's Cats taken from "Cooking for Christ."
"St. Lucy's Cats"
1 cake yeast
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup milk
3/4 cup sugar
4 Tbsp. shortening
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup currants
2 Tbsp. saffron
3/4 cup hot water
1 Tbsp. chopped citron
6 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 beaten egg
Add yeast and sugar to warm water. Scald and cool milk. When yeast mixture bubbles add to milk. Beat in shortening, sugar and two cups flour, Cover and let rise. Put saffron in three-fourths cup hot water for one hour. Strain and add liquid to dough only for color. Combine fruits, flour and salt. Let rise again. Shape into oval buns with round heads. Add a tail if your wish. Use raisins as eyes. Brush with beaten egg and water and let rise again until it doubles its bulk. Bake in a moderate oven (350 degrees) for 30 minutes.
