Prayer To St. Lucy: Patron Saint Of The Blind And Visually Impaired

Legends and accounts, such as those recorded in the Acta, have sought to highlight Lucy’s bravery. Her story features motifs common to other early 4th-century female martyrs. Lucy’s Roman father died when she was young, leaving her and her mother, Eutychia, without a protector. Eutychia suffered from debilitating bleeding for four years. 

Inspired by the renown of Saint Agatha, the patroness of Catania, Lucy convinced her mother to pray at Saint Agatha’s tomb. After a night of prayer, Saint Agatha appeared to Lucy in a vision. She said, “Soon you shall be the glory of Syracuse, as I am of Catania.” Miraculously, Eutychia was cured at that moment.

Despite an arranged marriage to a pagan suitor, Lucy wished to devote her life and dowry to charity, maintaining her virginity. She persuaded her mother to give their wealth to the poor. She said, “Give now to the true Savior while you are healthy, whatever you intended to give away at your death.” 

Angered by the news of the distributed patrimony, her rejected suitor denounced her as a Christian to the magistrate Paschasius. When ordered to burn a sacrifice to the Emperor’s image, Lucy declared, “I offer to him myself, let him do with his offering as it pleaseth him.” Sentenced to be violated in a brothel, Lucy remained resolute, arguing that her soul could not be tainted against her will. 

In Christian tradition, when guards came to take her, they found her immovable, even with a team of oxen. Even after a dagger pierced her throat, she continued to prophesy. In her final torment, her eyes were gouged out. Miraculously, she could still see without them. St. Lucy is often depicted in art holding her eyes on a golden plate, signifying her enduring vision and faith.

St. Lucy is honored as the patron saint of eyes.

The Legend Of St. Lucy

Lucy, celebrated since the Middle Ages, is known for her vivid martyrdom stories, including one dramatic tale where she tears out her own eyes to deter an insistent admirer. Gothic art often depicts her holding her eyes on a dish, symbolizing her sacrifice and steadfast faith. Legends say that, miraculously, God restored her sight, reinforcing her sanctity and divine favor. 

Dante reveres her in his epic “The Divine Comedy,” where she plays a crucial role in guiding him on his spiritual journey. Her association with eyes made her the patron saint of the blind and those suffering from eye troubles, offering hope and healing to those in need. Additionally, she is the patroness of Syracuse, her hometown in Sicily, where her legacy is deeply cherished and celebrated with fervent devotion.

Prayers To St. Lucy

Prayers to Saint Lucy emphasize her role as a spiritual intercessor, especially for those with eye ailments. If you’re seeking a prayer to St. Lucy, consider these options:

Saint Lucy, you did not hide your light under a basket, but let it shine for the whole world, for all the centuries to see. We may not suffer torture in our lives the way you did, but we are still called to let the light of our Christianity illumine our daily lives. Please help us to have the courage to bring our Christianity into our work, our recreation, our relationships, our conversation — every corner of our day. 

Amen.

Relying on Your goodness, O God, we humbly ask You, through the intercession of Saint Lucy, Virgin and Martyr, to give perfect vision to our eyes, that they may serve for Your greater honor and glory.

Saint Lucy, hear our prayers and obtain our petitions. Amen.

Dear Sicilian Virgin and Martyr, whom the Church recalls in Eucharistic Prayer I, you valiantly rejected great promises and resisted several threats in remaining faithful to your beloved Lord. For centuries Christians have invoked you particularly when suffering from eye trouble.

So now we implore your assistance on behalf of {name of sufferer}. We also ask you to teach us to imitate you and to avoid spiritual blindness of any kind.

Amen.

Saint Lucy, your beautiful name signifies light. By the light of faith which God bestowed upon you, increase and preserve this light in my soul so that I may avoid evil, be zealous in the performance of good works, and abhor nothing so much as the blindness and the darkness of evil and of sin.

By your intercession with God, obtain for me perfect vision for my bodily eyes and the grace to use them for God’s greater honor and glory and the salvation of all men.

Saint Lucy, virgin and martyr, hear my prayers and obtain my petitions. Amen.

O God, our Creator and redeemer, mercifully hear our prayers that as we venerate Thy servant, Saint Lucy, for the light of faith thou didst bestow upon her, Thou wouldst vouchsafe to increase and to preserve this same light in our souls, that we may be able to avoid evil, to do good and to abhor nothing so much as the Blindness and the darkness of evil and of sin.

Relying on Thy goodness, O God, we humbly ask Thee, by the intercession of Thy servant, Saint Lucy that Thou wouldst give perfect vision to our eyes, that they may serve for Thy greater honor and glory, and for the salvation of our souls in this world, that we may come to the enjoyment of the unfailing light of the Lamb of God in paradise.

Saint Lucy, Virgin and martyr, hear our prayers and obtain our petitions. Amen.