13th December St Lucy
There is no doubt that we have been overburdened during the difficult experiences of lives: from economic meltdown to a global pandemic: we have been scared, frightened, challenged, and reflective. It has brought out the best in us, but, if you are like me, there have been some teary wobbles too. In Matthew’s Gospel today, Jesus urges his followers to ‘come to me all you who labour and over-burdened, and I will give you rest...I am gentle...you will find rest’ (Mt 11: 28-29). Even in the best of times, we will find ourselves doing too much; we are all guilty of being ‘too active’ following the ‘Martha school’ rather than the ‘Mary school’! Jesus wants us to be involved as fully as we can in apostolic ministry, but not at the expense of our well-being. The danger is that we feel that we must be so ‘committed’ to the Gospel that it leads to burnout and health breakdown. We all need to place our troubles and worries with the Lord and adopt the attitude and prayer of ‘we can do this together, Lord.’ In his recent encyclical letter, Pope Francis urges us all to support each other: the pandemic has proved that we can only get through difficult situations by working TOGETHER. We all need a sense of ‘shalom’ or inner peace and today we are reminded to find that quiet space (even if it is in our mind) and look for your needed rest time today.
Today: find time for YOURSELF, even if it is just five minutes and treat yourself to a favourite drink or treat-you deserve it.
We can pray:
Lord, Jesus we thank you for your gift of rest and support.
May we take advantage of quality time spent with you
May we offer that support and care to those who are struggling today
May we be gentle and humble of heart. AMEN
Lucy's history has been lost and all we really know for certain is that this brave woman who lived in Syracuse lost her life during the persecution of Christians in the early fourth century. Her veneration spread to Rome so that by the sixth century the whole Church recognized her courage in defence of the faith. Lucy, whose name can mean "light" or "lucid," is the patron saint of the blind. She is often seen with the emblem of eyes on a cup or plate. In paintings, she is often depicted with a golden plate holding her eyes and often holds a palm branch, which is a symbol of victory over evil. It is traditional in the Nordic countries for young girls to carry candles, even on the heads, in memory of this martyr.