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St Lawrence - Martyr
Feast Day – August 10
Saint Lawrence was one of
seven deacons who were in charge of giving help to the poor and the needy. When a
persecution broke out, Pope St. Sixtus was condemned to death. As he was led to execution,
Lawrence followed him weeping, "Father, where are you going without your
deacon?" he said. "I am not leaving you, my son," answered the Pope.
"in three days you will follow me." Full of joy, Lawrence gave to the poor the
rest of the money he had on hand and even sold expensive vessels to have more to give
away.
The Prefect of Rome, a greedy
pagan, thought the Church had a great fortune hidden away. So he ordered Lawrence to bring
the Church's treasure to him. The Saint said he would, in three days. Then he went through
the city and gathered together all the poor and sick people supported by the Church. When
he showed them to the Prefect, he said: "This is the Church's treasure!"
In great anger, the Prefect
condemned Lawrence to a slow, cruel death. The Saint was tied on top of an iron grill over
a slow fire that roasted his flesh little by little, but Lawrence was burning with so much
love of God that he almost did not feel the flames. In fact, God gave him so much strength
and joy that he even joked. "Turn me over," he said to the judge. "I'm done
on this side!" And just before he died, he said, "It's cooked enough now."
Then he prayed that the city of Rome might be converted to Jesus and that the Catholic
Faith might spread all over the world. After that, he went to receive the martyr's reward.
Saint Lawrence's feast day is August 10th.
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