St. Lawrence (F), Deacon, Martyr
Dates: August 10 d.258
Place: born in Huesca, Spain; died in Rome
Importance: died in persecution of Valerian (beheaded), tortured by roasting , presented the poor as the treasures of the Church, mentioned in 1st Eucharistic prayer
Food/Symbol: barbecued or cold foods, snowballs on fire, cherries jubilee, glow wine
Patron: Poor, cooks, against fire, seminarians
Prayer: “Father, you called St. Lawrence to serve you by love and crowned his life with glorious martyrdom. Help us to be like him in loving you and doing your work. Grant this...Amen.”
Quotes: (Legend) “Here are the true treasures of the church; they convert our alms into imperishable treasure for us.” Readings: 2 Cor. 9:6-10, Ps. 112, Jn. 12:24-26
The Roman
Church commends to us today the anniversary of the triumph of Saint Lawrence.
For on this day he trod the furious pagan
world underfoot and flung aside its allurements, and so gained victory over
Satan's attack on his faith.
As you have often heard,
Lawrence was a deacon of
the Church at Rome. There he ministered the sacred blood of Christ; there for
the sake of Christ's name he poured out his own blood. Saint John the apostle was evidently teaching
us about the mystery of the Lord's supper when he wrote: "Just as Christ
laid down his life for us, so we ought to lay down our lives for the
brethren." My brethren, Lawrence understood this and, understanding, he
acted on it. In his life he loved Christ; in his death he followed in his
footsteps.
Brethren, we too must
imitate Christ if we truly love him. We shall not be able to render better
return on that love than by modeling our lives on his. "Christ suffered
for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow in his steps." The
holy martyrs
followed Christ even to shedding their life's blood, even to reproducing the
very likeness of his passion. They followed him, but not they alone. It is not
true that the bridge was broken after the martyrs
crossed; nor is it true that after they had drunk from it, the fountain of
eternal life dried up.
On no account may any class
of people despair, thinking that God has not called them. Christ suffered for
all. What the Scriptures say of him is true: "He desires all men to be
saved and to come to knowledge of the truth."
I tell you again and
again, my brethren, that on no account may any class of people despair,
thinking that God has not called them. Christ suffered for all. What the
Scriptures say of him is true: "He desires all men to be saved and to come
to knowledge of the truth." --from
a sermon by Saint Augustine
Source of picture: https://www.lukedingman.com/
