Category Archives: St. Lucy

Sts Lucy and Odilia: patronesses of eye health

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Today is December 13th, and it is a day shared by two saints who are patronesses of the same health condition: eye health. These are St. Lucy and Odilia. I am posting this as an ‘ex voto,’ which is a ‘votive offering’ to saints for favors received. I had cataract surgery nearly 3 years ago and need prescription reading glasses and frequent application of lubricating eyedrops; once I began a devotion to both saintly ladies my eye health has improved tremendously. I only need the reading glasses under certain conditions (more so prior to my devotion) and while I’ll eventually need cataract surgery in my other eye, that one’s health hasn’t deteriorated much and it may be many years before surgery is needed. 

First up is St. Lucy.

St. Lucy was born circa 283 in Syracuse, on the island of Sicily, but she was of mixed Roman (via her father) and Greek (mother) ancestry. She was born into a wealthy, pious family. She vowed her life to Christ at an early age. When her father died while Lucy was still very young, her mother arranged a marriage for her. For three years she managed to keep the marriage at bay. Lucy prayed at the tomb of St. Agatha for her marriage to never happen, and from this her mother‘s long illness was cured. Her mother consented to terminate the marriage plans. However, the drama wasn’t over as the rejected groom objected.

He denounced Lucy as a Christian to the governor of Sicily. Bear in mind this was still when being a Christian was illegal. The governor sentenced her to a life of prostitution, and when the guards went to get her, they could not move her. She was hitched her to a team of oxen and they were unable to move her. She was ordered to be executed. Lucy was tortured during which her eyes were gouged out. She was then to be executed by being burned to death, but the bundles of wood refused to be lit. She ended up being stabbed to death with a dagger. She died circa 304, making her around 20 years old (birth and death years being uncertain.)

Legend says her eyesight was restored before her death. This and the meaning of her name led to her connection with eyes, the blind, eye trouble, etc. Lucy is mentioned in the Canon of the Mass along with numerous other martyrs of the early centuries.

Bio of St. Lucy adapted from CatholicSaints.info.

Next up is St. Odilia. You can read about her here: St. Odilia, patroness of the blind and those with eye problems. That post has a biography of her as well as some gratitude from me, so please read it! 

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St. Odilia, patroness of the blind and those with eye problems

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Not too long ago I chanced upon a prayer card for St. Odilia, and this card indicated that she is a patron saint for those with eye problems and diseases. Since I had cataract surgery two years ago and am still troubled by floaters, flashes and require the need for frequent periodic visits to my retina specialist (who’s worried about me,) I added the prayer on this card to my daily routine.

Odilia Aquisition.

This is it:

Prayer to Saint Odilia 

O God, Who in Your Kindness

Did give us St. Odilia

Virgin and Martyr, as the

Protectress of the Order

Of the Holy Cross and

The Patroness of the eyes

And afflicted, grant us

We humbly beseech You

To be protected, through her

Intercession, from the darkness

Of ignorance and sin and to

Be cured from the blindness

of the eyes and other bodily

Infirmities.

Through Him,

Who is the Light and Life

Of the World, Jesus Christ,

Your Son, Our Lord

Amen.

And then, not too long after that, I chanced upon a novena booklet to her. The novena is said twice monthly on the 5th and 17th, with the national annual one on July 10th, ending the feast day of July 18 (see note at the end of this post). You can find it online here: Novena to St. Odilia

About St. Odilia :

Patron saint of the blind, Saint Odilia of Alsace was born blind at Oberheim in the Vosges Mountains around the year 660 to a noble family. She was given to a peasant family to raise due to her disability. She regained sight when touched by St. Erhard of Regensburg during her baptism at age 12. Note by Paulcoholic: St. Erhard’s Feast day is today, January 8.)

Her brother wanted her back to place in a strategic marriage. Angered by this, her father killed the brother who was miraculously brought back to life by Odilia. Her father pursued her, but abandoned his quest when she disappeared in a cave that opened suddenly in the mountains.

Odilia founded Hohenburg Abbey. She died of natural causes on Dec. 13, 720 at Niedermunster, Mount Sainte Odile and was buried near the Odilienberg convent church chapel. She often is depicted as an abbess praying at an alter or as a woman with two books for eyes.

The article on her on Wikipedia mentioned:

As the patroness of ocular afflictions and ear diseases, St. Odile is often depicted with a pair of eyes on a book…

I had originally read that as saying she “is ofen depicted with a pair of books on her eyes,” which made her cooler beyond belief for me! 

NOTE ON HER FEAST DAY: I found that she has two feasts, one on December 13th, which is usually celebrated as the feast of St. Lucy, the saint primarily regarded as being the patron saint of those with eye problems; and the other, noted above, on July 18. I asked the AI search thingy on my browser “Why is that?” and it replied:

St. Odilia is traditionally celebrated on December 13th because this is the date of her death, but some regions or liturgical calendars may also commemorate her on July 18th, which is often linked to the transfer of her relics or a local tradition of celebrating her feast day on that date; essentially, the discrepancy arises from different historical events associated with her veneration. 

Key points about St. Odilia’s feast days:

December 13th:

This is the most widely recognized feast day for St. Odilia as it marks the anniversary of her death. 

July 18th:

Some regions, particularly in areas where her relics are venerated, may celebrate her feast day on this date due to the transfer of her relics or local tradition. 

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

Ember Days of Lent 2021

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Tomorrow, Friday and Saturday constitute the Ember Days of Lent. I mentioned them last year or the one before, as a weapon in the spiritual warfare for these times. Ember Days are like mini-Lents situated four times throughout the year. The first one begins right after Ash Wednesday, perhaps as a means of ‘strengthening’ the penitent for the Lenten journey. You know how it is, Lent begins, we’re all pious and devout and intent on having the ‘best Lent ever’ and dont’cha know it, one week in and we’ve already given up what we’re giving up!

From the Catholic Encyclopedia on New Advent:

“Ember days (corruption from Lat. Quatuor Tempora, four times) are the days at the beginning of the seasons ordered by the Church as days of fast and abstinence. They were definitely arranged and prescribed for the entire Church by Pope Gregory VII (1073-1085) for the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after 13 December (S. Lucia), after Ash Wednesday, after Whitsunday, and after 14 September (Exaltation of the Cross). The purpose of their introduction, besides the general one intended by all prayer and fasting, was to thank God for the gifts of nature, to teach men to make use of them in moderation, and to assist the needy.”

From the blog of the FSSP:

What are the dates of Ember Days? They have fluctuated throughout history. The upcoming Ember Days of Lent were not originally linked to the first week of Lent but to the first week in March. Francis Mershman in the Catholic Encyclopedia (1908) affirms: “They were definitely arranged and prescribed for the entire Church by Pope Gregory VII (1073-1085) for the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after 13 December (S. Lucia), after Ash Wednesday, after Whitsunday, and after 14 September (Exaltation of the Cross).” This was expressed in the old English rhyme: Fasting days and Emberings be Lent, Whitsun, Holyrood, and Lucie. Or even a shorter mnemonic: Lenty, Penty, Crucy, Lucy.

Courtesy: FSSP Missive: Ember Days of Lent

The next Ember Days are the Wednesday, Friday and Saturday after Pentecost.

I hope your Lent is going well; unlike some years, I will not be blogging daily. I do hope you are using a nice Catholic daily devotional to help you with Lent. If not, frequent meditations on the Passion of Christ are always fruitful. Stations of the Cross booklets are alway great to use, including mine! Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics.

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)