medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (13. December) is the feast day of:
Lucy (Lucia) (d. c. 304) Lucy was a native of Syracuse, brought up
as a Christian in her noble family. During the Great Persecution (so
says the legend) a soldier tried to rape her; when she resisted, he
denounced her as a Christian. One legend tells that she tore her own
eyes out rather than surrender to her attacker.
Judoc (d. 668) Judoc was a member of the royal family of Brittany.
In c. 636 he was offered the crown (when his brother abdicated and
became a monk), but after several months Judoc quit too. He set out
with 11 companions on an extensive round of pilgrimages, then became
a hermit in Ponthieu. A rather nice story tells that J. never
refused to help those who came to him. Once four hungry men came to
his door, one after another. For the first three, J. divided his
bread, giving each visitor half; by the time the fourth came along,
the remaining piece of bread was so small that J. just passed it
over. And then four ships arrived, bearing supplies. Legend tells
that the four visitors were all Jesus, testing J's charity.
Aubert of Arras-Cambrai (d. 668 or 669) Aubert became bishop of
Arras/Cambrai in c. 633. He was noted for pastoral care and support
of the hermit/monastery founder Ghislain.
Odilia (d. c. 720) The Frankish noblewoman Odilia was born blind.
Her father couldn't cope and wanted to kill the kid, but finally
relented and just sent her away. She received a convent education,
but was not baptized. Fortunately, the bishop of Regensburg had a
dream, telling him to go to a convent near Besancon and baptize a
blind girl there---he did, and O. received her sight. Dad finally
accepted O. after an unfortunate incident in which he killed one of
his own sons for trying to help O. But when he arranged for O to
marry a duke she fled, only returning when dad founded a convent for
her. O. is venerated as patron saint of Alsace.
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