Iacobus de Voragine: LEGENDA AUREA

Lucia dicitur a luce. Lux enim habet pulchritudinem in aspectione, quia, ut dicit Ambrosius, lucis natura haec est, ut omnis in aspectu eius gratia sit. Habet etiam diffusionem sine coinquinatione, quia per quaecumque immunda diffusa non coinquinatur.

Lucia is said to be from light. For light has pulchritude in aspection, because, as Ambrose says, this is the nature of light: that all grace be in its aspect. It also has diffusion without contamination, because, spread through whatever unclean things, it is not contaminated.

Rectum incessum sine curvitate, longissimam lineam pertransit sine morosa dilatione. Per hoc ostenditur, quod beata virgo Lucia habuit decorem virginitatis sine aliqua corruptione, diffusionem caritatis sine aliquo immundo amore, rectum incessum intensionis in Deum sine aliqua obliquitate, longissimam lineam divinae operationis sine neglegentiae tarditate. Vel Lucia dicitur quasi lucis via.

It has a straight advance without curvature; it traverses the longest line without a lingering delay. By this it is shown that the blessed virgin Lucia had the comeliness of virginity without any corruption, the diffusion of charity without any unclean love, the straight progress of intention into God without any obliquity, the longest line of divine operation without the tardity of negligence. Or Lucia is said as if “the way of light.”

Lucia virgo Syracusana nobilis genere audiens famam sanctae Agathae per totam Siciliam divulgari sepulcrum eius adiit cum matre sua Euthicia annis quattuor fluxum sanguinis incurabiliter patiente. Inter ipsa igitur missarum sollemnia contigit, ut illud evangelium legeretur, in quo Dominus mulierem ab hac passione sanasse narratur. Tunc Lucia matri dixit: "Si credis his, quae leguntur, crede Agatham illum semper habere praesentem, pro cuius nomine sustinuit passionem.

Lucia, a Syracusan virgin, noble by birth, hearing the fame of Saint Agatha spread through all Sicily, went to her sepulcher with her mother Euthicia, who for four years was suffering incurably a flux of blood. During the very solemnities of the Masses, it befell that that Gospel was read in which the Lord is narrated to have healed a woman from this passion. Then Lucia said to her mother: "If you believe these things which are read, believe that Agatha has Him always present, for whose name she endured passion.

Si ergo eius sepulcrum credens contigeris, perfecta continuo sanitate gaudebis. "Igitur recedentibus cunctis et matre et filia iuxta sepulcrum in oratione exsistentibus Luciam somnus arripuit viditque Agatham in medio angelorum gemmis ornatam stantem et dicentem sibi: "Soror mea Lucia, virgo Deo devota, quid a me petis, quod ipsa poteris praestare continuo matri tuae. Nam ecce per fidem tuam sanata est." Evigilans autem Lucia matri suae dixit: "Mater mea, ecce sanata es. Per ipsam ergo te deprecor, quae suis orationibus te sanavit, ne mihi de cetero nomines sponsum, sed quidquid mihi datura eras pro dote, pauperibus elargire." Cui mater ait: "Tege prius oculos meos et, quidquid volueris, de facultatibus facito." Ad quam Lucia: "Quod moriens das, ideo das, quia ferre tecum non potes.

If therefore, believing, you touch her sepulchre, you will rejoice in perfect health immediately." Accordingly, with all departing and with mother and daughter by the sepulchre being in prayer, sleep seized Lucia, and she saw Agatha standing in the midst of angels, adorned with gems, and saying to her: "My sister Lucia, a virgin devoted to God, what do you ask of me, which you yourself will be able to grant immediately to your mother? For behold, through your faith she has been healed." Waking, however, Lucia said to her mother: "My mother, behold, you are healed. Through her therefore I beseech you, she who by her prayers has healed you, that you no longer name to me a bridegroom, but whatever you were going to give me for a dowry, lavish upon the poor." To whom the mother said: "First close my eyes, and whatever you will, do from the resources." To whom Lucia: "What you give while dying, for that reason you give it, because you cannot carry it with you.

Da mihi, dum vivis, et mercedem habebis."

Give to me, while you live, and you will have recompense."

Cum ergo rediissent, fit quotidie distractio rerum et dantur in necessatibus pauperum. Interea dum patrimonium distribuitur, ad sponsum notitia pervenit. Requirit sponsus a nutrice de his.

When therefore they had returned, there is daily a sale of the goods, and they are given for the necessities of the poor. Meanwhile, while the patrimony is being distributed, notice reaches the bridegroom. The bridegroom inquires from the nurse about these things.

Respondit illa caute, quod utiliorem possessionem sponsa sua invenisset, quam suo volebat nomine comparare, et ideo videbatur aliquanta distrahere. Credidit stultus carnale commercium et coepit auctor esse vendentium. Venditis autem omnibus et pauperibus erogatis, sponsus trahit eam coram Paschasio consulari dicens eam Christianam esse et contra leges agere Augustorum.

She replied cautiously that his betrothed had found a more advantageous property, which she wished to acquire in her own name, and therefore she seemed to be selling certain items. The foolish man believed it was a carnal commerce and began to be a promoter of the sellers. But when all had been sold and distributed to the poor, the bridegroom drags her before Paschasius the consular, saying that she is a Christian and acts against the laws of the Emperors.

Invitante igitur Paschasio ad sacrificia idolorum respondit: "Sacrificium placens Deo est visitare pauperes et eis in necessitatibus subvenire, et quia amplius non habeo, quid offeram, me ipsam sibi tribuo offerendam." Cui Paschasius: "Ista verba tibi simili stulto narrare poteris, mihi autem, qui principum decreta custodio, ista frustra persequeris." Ad quem Lucia: "Tu principum tuorum decreta custodis et ego Dei mei legem custodiam. Tu principes times et ego Deum timeo. Tu illos offendere non vis et ego Deum offendere caveo.

Therefore, with Paschasius inviting her to the sacrifices of idols she replied: "A sacrifice pleasing to God is to visit the poor and to succor them in their necessities, and since I no longer have more, what shall I offer? I give myself to Him to be offered." To her Paschasius: "You will be able to tell those words to a fool like yourself; but me, who keep the decrees of the princes, you pursue with these things in vain." To whom Lucia: "You keep the decrees of your princes and I will keep the law of my God. You fear the princes and I fear God. You do not wish to offend them and I beware to offend God.

Tu illis placere desideras et ego, ut Christo placeam, concupisco. Tu ergo fac, quod tibi utile esse cognosces, et ego faciam, quod utile mihi esse perspexero.

You desire to please them, and I, in order that I may please Christ, long for it. Therefore do you what you will recognize to be useful to you, and I will do what I shall have perceived to be useful to me.

Cui Paschasius: "Patrimonium tuum cum corruptoribus expendisti et ideo quasi meretrix loqueris." Cui Lucia: "Patrimonium meum in tuto loco constitui, corruptores autem mentis et corporis numquam scivi." Respondit Paschasius: "Qui sunt corruptores corporis et mentis!" Lucia dixit: "Corruptores mentis vos estis, qui suadetis, ut animae suum deserant creatorem. Corruptores vero corporis sunt, qui corporalem delectationem praeponunt epulis sempiternis."

To this Paschasius: "You have expended your patrimony with corrupters, and therefore you speak like a meretrix." To whom Lucia: "I have established my patrimony in a safe place, but corrupters of mind and body I have never known." Paschasius replied: "Who are the corrupters of body and mind!" Lucia said: "The corrupters of mind are you, who urge that souls desert their own creator. But the corrupters of the body are those who prefer bodily delectation to sempiternal banquets."

Paschasius dixit: "Cessabunt verba, cum perventum fuerit ad verbera." Cui Lucia dixit: "Verba Dei cessare non possunt." Cui Paschasius: "Tu ergo Deus es!" Respondit Lucia: "Ancilla Dei sum, qui dixit: Cum steteritis ante reges et praesides, nolite praecogitare, quid loquamini ... Non enim vos estis loquentes, sed Spiritus sanctus." Paschasius dixit: "In te ergo spiritus sanctus est!" Cui Lucia: "Qui caste vivunt, templum spiritus sancti sunt." Cui Paschasius: "Ego faciam te duci ad lupanar, ut ibi violationem accipias et spiritum sanctum perdas." Cui Lucia: "Non inquinatur corpus nisi de consensu mentis, nam si me invitam violari feceris, castitas mihi duplicabitur ad coronam. Numquam autem voluntatem meam ad consensum poteris provocare. Ecce corpus meum ad omne supplicium est paratum.

Paschasius said: "Words will cease, when it shall have come to blows." To which Lucia said: "The words of God cannot cease." To which Paschasius: "So you are God!" Lucia replied: "I am a handmaid of God, who said: When you shall stand before kings and governors, do not premeditate what you will say ... For it is not you who are speaking, but the Holy Spirit." Paschasius said: "So the Holy Spirit is in you!" To which Lucia: "Those who live chastely are a temple of the Holy Spirit." To which Paschasius: "I will have you led to a brothel, so that there you may suffer violation and lose the Holy Spirit." To which Lucia: "The body is not defiled except by the consent of the mind; for if you cause me, unwilling, to be violated, chastity will be doubled to me for a crown. Never, moreover, will you be able to provoke my will to consent. Behold, my body is prepared for every punishment.

Quid morans? Incipe, fili diaboli, desideria poenarum tuarum exercere." Tunc Paschasius lenones fecit venire dicens iis: "Invitate ad eam omnen populum, et tamdiu illudatur, donec mortua nuntietur."

Why are you delaying? Begin, son of the devil, to exercise the desires of your punishments." Then Paschasius made the procurers come, saying to them: "Invite all the people to her, and let her be made sport of so long, until she is reported dead."

Volentes autem eam trahere, tanto pondere spiritus sanctus eam fixit, ut omnino eam movere nequirent. Fecitque Paschasius mille viros accedere et manus eius et pedes ligare, sed eam nullatenus poterant movere. Tunc et cum viris mille paria boum adhibuit.

But when they wished to drag her, with such a weight the Holy Spirit fixed her that they could not move her at all. And Paschasius caused a thousand men to come and to bind her hands and feet, but they were in no way able to move her. Then, together with the thousand men, he also brought in yokes of oxen.

Sed tamen virgo immobilis permansit. Vocatis autem magis, ut suis incantationibus moveretur, omnino moveri non potuit. Tunc dixit Paschasius: "Quae sunt illa maleficia, quod una puella a mille viris non moveretur!'

Yet the virgin remained immobile. But when the magi were called, that she might be moved by their incantations, she was altogether unable to be moved. Then Paschasius said: "What are those sorceries, that a single girl should not be moved by a thousand men!'

Lucia dixit: "Non sunt ista maleficia, sed beneficia Christi. Porro si adhuc decem milia adhibueris, aeque ut primum immobilem me videbis." Putans vero Paschasius secundum quorundam figmenta, quod lotio fugarentur maleficia, iussit eam lotio perfundi, cumque nec sic moveri posset, angustiatus nimis copiosum ignem circa eam accendi picemque et resinam et fervens oleum super eam fundi iussit. Dixitque Lucia: "Indutias impetravi martyrii mei, ut credentibus timorem auferam passionis et non credentibus vocem insultationis." Videntes autem amici Paschasii eum angustiari in gutture eius gladium immerserunt.

Lucia said: "These are not malefactions, but the benefactions of Christ. Moreover, if you should add yet ten thousand, you will see me immovable just as at first." But Paschasius, thinking according to the figments of certain people that by urine the malefactions would be driven away, ordered her to be drenched with urine; and when not even thus could she be moved, being greatly distressed he ordered a copious fire to be lit around her, and pitch and resin and boiling oil to be poured over her. And Lucia said: "I have obtained a truce of my martyrdom, that I may remove from believers the fear of suffering and from nonbelievers the voice of insultation." But the friends of Paschasius, seeing him distressed, plunged a sword into his throat.

Quae nequaquam loquelam amittens dixit: "Annuntio vobis pacem ecclesiae redditam Maximiano hodie mortuo et de regno suo Diocletiano expulso. Et sicut civitati Catanensi soror mea Agatha data est protectrix, sic et ego civitati Syracusanae concessa sum interventrix." Dum haec virgo loquitur, ecce ministri Romanorum veniunt, Paschasium apprehendunt, vinctum ad Caesarem secum ducunt. Audierat enim Caesar, quod universam provinciam fuerat depraedatus.

Who, by no means losing her speech, said: "I announce to you that the peace of the church has been restored, with Maximian dead today and Diocletian expelled from his rule. And just as my sister Agatha has been given as protectress to the city of Catania, so I too have been granted as intercessor to the city of Syracuse." While this virgin is speaking, behold, ministers of the Romans come, seize Paschasius, and, bound, lead him with them to the Caesar. For the Caesar had heard that he had plundered the whole province.

Veniens ergo Romam et senatui accusatus pariter et convictus capitali sententia est punitus. Virgo vero Lucia de loco, in quo percussa est, mota non est nec spiritum tradidit, quoadusque sacerdotes venirent et corpus Domini ei traderent, et omnes astantes "amen" Domino responderunt. In eodem loco autem est sepulta et ecclesia fabricata.

Coming therefore to Rome and, having been accused before the senate equally and convicted, he was punished with a capital sentence. But the virgin Lucia from the place in which she was struck was not moved, nor did she give up the spirit, until the priests came and handed over to her the Body of the Lord, and all who stood by answered “amen” to the Lord. In the same place moreover she was buried, and a church was constructed.

Passa autem est tempore Constantini et Maxentii circa annos Domini CCCX.

She suffered, moreover, in the time of Constantine and Maxentius, around the year of the Lord 310.