Feast of Saint Lawrence, Deacon & Martyr: This Side is Well Done, Turn Me Over!

Today, August 10, we celebrate Saint Lawrence, also known as Saint Lawrence of Rome, one of the seven deacons of the city of Rome and a victim of the persecution of the Christians that the Roman Emperor Valerian ordered in 258, like Pope Sixtus II and many other members of the Roman ckergy who were martyred.

At the beginning of the month of August, 258, the emperor issued an edict, commanding that all bishops, priests, and deacons should immediately be put to death ("episcopi et presbyteriet diacones incontinenti animadvertantur" -- Cyprian, Epist. lxxx, 1). This imperial command was immediately carried out in Rome. On 6 August Pope Sixtus II was apprehended in one of the catacombs, and executed forthwith ("Xistum in cimiterio animadversum sciatis VIII id. Augusti et cum eo diacones quattuor." Cyprian, ep. lxxx, 1). Two other deacons, Felicissimus and Agapitus, were put to death the same day. Four days later, on the 10th of August of that same year, Lawrence, the last of the seven deacons, also suffered a martyr's death.

St. Lawrence is among the saints mentioned in the First Eucharistic Prayer at Mass. He is the patron saint of school children, poor people, cooks and comedians.

Together with the saints we have honored year-to-date and the ones we shall be honoring the rest of the year not only give further credence to the fruitfulness of faith in the face of persecution, but as Tertulian said: "We spring up in greater numbers the more we are mown down by you: the blood of the Christians is the seed of a new oil

As they took the under Pope Sixtus II

away for execution (to chop off his head), Lawrence followed him weeping. "Father, where are you going without your deacon?" The Pope answered, "I am not leaving you, my son, in three days you will follow me." As a deacon in Rome, Lawrence was responsible for the material goods of the Church and the distribution of alms to the poor.  Full of joy, Lawrence gave to the poor the rest of the money he had with him. He even sold expensive church vessels so he would have more money to give away. The prefect of Rome, a greedy man, thought the Church had a great fortune hidden away. He ordered Lawrence to bring the Church's treasure to him. The saint said he would, in three days.

Ambrose of Milan related that when the treasures of the Church were demanded of Lawrence by the prefect of Rome, he brought forward the poor, to whom he had distributed the treasure as alms. "Behold in these poor persons the treasures which I promised to show you; to which I will add pearls and precious stones, those widows and consecrated virgins, which are the Church's crown." According to legend, the prefect was so angry that he had a great gridiron prepared with hot coals beneath it and had Lawrence placed on it. After the martyr had suffered pain for a long time, the legend concludes, he cheerfully declared: "I'm well done on this side. Turn me over!"

According to the Catholic Encyclopædia, the meeting between St. Lawrence and Pope Sixtus II, when the latter was being led to execution, related by St. Ambrose, is not compatible with the contemporaneous reports about the persecution of Valerian, concluding that "in spite of this criticism of the later accounts of the martyrdom, there can be no question that St. Lawrence was a real historical personage, nor any doubt as to the martyrdom of that venerated Roman deacon, the place of its occurrence, and the date of his burial. Pope Damasus built a basilica in Rome which he dedicated to St. Lawrence; this is the church now known as that of San Lorenzo in Damaso."

Prayer to Saint Lawrence 

O Generous patron of the Church’s poor, St. Lawrence, pray to the One God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit that all the poor of the Church in need in every corner of the world may feel the effect of the love of their brothers and sisters who seek to help them.

 

Deliver the Church from the greed and envy of the powerful and protect her rights and property so that she may serve the needy in freedom, giving them good things for soul and body.

May we come some day with all those whom we helped on earth to the bright mansions of heaven where we will enjoy the riches of God’s house and the company of the Saviour who lives and reigns forever and ever.

Amen.