Her Death Freed Christianity From the Catacombs - Saint Lucy's ...

and able to discern their hearts and
souls, retorted unafraid and said; “No,
thou art impurity, since thou dost endeavor
to corrupt Christian souls,
alienating them from God, to serve the
devil – preferring the goods of this
world to those of heaven.”
Infuriated Paschasius replied “Torments
shall stop thy mouth.” Lucy
came back with “Words shall never be
wanting to the servants of God, since
the Lord hath promised that the Holy
Ghost shall speak through them. “He
then said “the Holy Ghost is within
thee?” and Lucy said “those that live
chastely and piously are the temples of
the Holy Ghost.” The tyrant replied” I
will send thee to a dishonorable place
of immorality in order that the Holy
Ghost may leave thee.” The saint
replied: “The body receiveth no stain
when the will is opposed to sin; on the
contrary, the violence you consider
would double my crown.”
The governor then threatened the most
gruesome tortures in the event she was
obstinate and closed-minded in her beliefs.
Lucy listened quietly in prayer
and then responded: “Behold my body
is ready to suffer every torture-why do
you delay? Begin the execution of that
to which the devil, thy father, prompts
thee.”
Paschasius, furious with hatred for her
dogmatic responses, ordered that she
should instantly be brought to the place
of infamy, a brothel, in order that she
might first lose the honour of virginity
and then be deprived of life. Lucy,
courageous and fearless of the pagan
tyrant and his soldiers, looked up to
heaven with those magnificent eyes and
chanted the psalms of joyful suffering
(How many are my foes O Lord – how
many are rising up against me.)
Temple of the Holy Spirit
The guards endeavored to execute this
command; however they found out
that God had rendered Lucy so immovable
that all their exertions were insufficient
to drag her from the spot.
Paschasius confounded and shocked at
what he saw and heard said “What
witchcraft and magic is this?” For a
moment Lucy was quiet, and silence
prevailed over the gathering, then in
union with the angels and saints Lucy
replied: “This is not magic-but the
power of almighty God. Why do you
fatigue yourself? Do you not understand
and comprehend that –
I AM THE TEMPLE OF THE LORD!
The Governor more dumfounded and
infuriated than ever, called for hot
burning oil to be poured over her head
to damage her beautiful hair and eyes.
He then ordered a great fire to burn the
body of the temple that contains the
Holy Ghost. However, Lucy not frightened
or intimidated said to the tyrant:
“ I will pray to the Lord Jesus that the
fire may not injure me, in order that the
faithful may witness the divine power,
and that the infidels may be astounded
and converted.” The hot oil did not
burn her, and the flames of the fire did
not touch her.
The friends of Paschasius unwilling
that the people should witness any further
miracle advised him to have her
beheaded. First they dragged her to
prison where she was beaten and tortured
again. Then before the Governor,
and a crowd, her throat was pierced
with the point of a sword. Lucy did not
die immediately; she offered her death
to God, on her knees, and predicted
that peace would soon be restored to
the Church, and Diocletian’s reign
would end. Lucy died in the year 304.
Within a year, Diocletian resigned and
in less than a decade Christianity was
freed by the Edict of Milan.
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