Saint Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr

SAINT LAWRENCE, deacon and martyr

FEAST DAY: August 10th

CANONIZED A SAINT: By Pope Saint Dionysius, date unknown

PATRONAGE: Patron of Rome and of Cooks

PRAYER Father, you called Saint 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 through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

SCRIPTURE READING A reading from the Gospel of John “I am the Good Shepherd. I know my sheep and my sheep know me in the same that the Father knows me and I now the Father: For these sheep I will give my life.” ~John 10: 14 – 15

OUTLINE OF TEACHING Saint Lawrence was a deacon of the Church of Rome. He became a martyr during the persecution of Valerian three days after the martyrdom of Pope Sixtus II and his four companions. Lawrence’s tomb is located near the Via Tiburtina where Constantine the Great built a basilica, known as the Basilica of Saint Lawrence Outside the Walls. Devotion to Saint Lawrence was widespread by the fourth century. SAINT LAWRENCE, DEACON AND MARTYR FEAST DAY: AUGUST 10TH

Introduction Over the main altar of Rome’s fifth patriarchal basilica lie the remains of the basilica’s namesake, Saint Lawrence, an early deacon and martyr of the church. Although very little is known of Saint Lawrence’s life, what is known has inspired Christians from both the Eastern and Western churches since the middle of the third century. His is a story of faithfulness and courage in the face of danger; a danger that would ultimately lead to his death.

Roman ingenuity Within the first two hundred years of Christianity, and beyond, martyrdom was a very common outcome to the life of a pious and faithful follower of Jesus, with a few time periods of exception. The Romans, who were polytheistic (belief in many gods) pagans had devised many ways of persecuting the Christians beyond that of crucifixion and beheading. It was not uncommon for churches to be ransacked; ornaments, the Holy Scriptures and other holy writings were burned. Bishops, priests and deacons along with those who assisted them were singled out for persecution. Many Christians would have their eyes gouged out, tongues cut out, their feet and hands sawed off. Other Christians would be put to death through starvation as well as burning at the stake as well as be the subject of a new form of torture; being bound to what became known as the “red-hot” chair. The “red-hot” chair was simply an iron frame in which a person would be placed and tied down to. A small portion of the chair would be lit with fire and the chair would slowly heat up until the person’s flesh literally melted into the chair. Yet, as the great apologist, Tertullian once observed, “The blood of martyrs is the seed of Christians.” Christianity, by all accounts was growing by leaps and bounds. By the year 300, it was estimated that the number of Christians in the Roman Empire had swelled to around five million.

Emperor Valerian The Emperor Valerian, one in a long line of persecutors of Christians had issued an edict in the year 257. The edict issued to the Roman Senate stated that bishops, presbyters (priests) and deacons shall suffer the death penalty without delay. Senators, distinguished men and members of the equestrian class who were found to be Christian were to be deprived of their rank and property, and if, after forfeiting their privileges, they still professed their faith as Christians, then they too were to be sentenced to death. Women of the upper class also either had to denounce their faith or be sentenced to death. Valerian also ordered all Roman citizens to participate in public Roman ceremonies as well as ordered all Christians to stop meeting in cemeteries, a common gathering place for the celebration of Mass, especially if churches were not available. Saint Pope Sixtus II Pope Sixtus II, a Greek Christian, was elected to the papacy in August of 257, which was about the time that Valerian issued his edict. Sixtus was a beloved pope even though he served in that capacity for one year. As bishop of Rome, Sixtus had seven deacons assist him in the administration of the Church of Rome, our own Saint Lawrence being one of them. Through Pope Sixtus, the poor and crippled of Rome were cared for by the deacons. In August of 258, while celebrating Mass in the cemetery of Saint Callistus, Pope Sixtus and four of the seven deacons were put to death. Saint Cyprian, another bishop and martyr had this to say on the news of the death of Pope Sixtus and four of his deacons: “Every day we are hoping that this letter will arrive, for we are standing firm in faith and ready to endure suffering, in expectation of winning the crown of eternal life through the help and mercy of the Lord. I must also inform you that Sixtus was put to death in a catacomb on the sixth of August, and four deacons with him. Moreover, the prefects in Rome are pressing this persecution zealously and without intermission to such a point that anyone brought before them is punished and his property is claimed by the treasury.”

“ Father, where are you going?” According to Saint Ambrose, Deacon Lawrence wept when Pope Sixtus was arrested and asked the apprehended pontiff: “Father, where are you going without your deacon?” Pope Sixtus answered, “I do not leave you my son. You shall follow me in three days.”

“ The wealth of the church” Initially, Lawrence would have been arrested and executed right along with Sixtus and the other deacons. Deacon Lawrence was in charge of all the monies for the Church of Rome, as he was responsible to help provide for the needs of the poor. Emperor Valerian was well aware of this and demanded that Lawrence hand over the wealth of the church. Deacon Lawrence asked that he have three days time to gather the wealth of the church. His request was certainly granted. It was believed that the Christians had hid considerable amounts of wealth and treasures and the Emperor certainly knew Lawrence had access to them all. Lawrence immediately gave away all of the money and anything else that he could sell to provide for the needs of the poor. By the time the third day had arrived, Deacon Lawrence had gathered around him many of the poor, the blind and the crippled who had been supported by the church and were brought together to the Emperor Valerian. When brought before Valerian, Lawrence, accompanied by the poor of Rome proclaimed; “These are the treasure of the Church.” The Emperor was furious as he accused Lawrence of “mocking him.”

“ You shall die by inches” Valerian was not going to allow Lawrence to die quickly by beheading as he did Pope Sixtus and the deacons. Lawrence was told that he was going to “die by inches.” The holy deacon was stripped of his clothing and bound to a gridiron bed over a slow fire. His flesh was roasted very slowly. Many people, both believers and non-believers had gathered to witness this event that was unfolding before them. For the Christians that were present, they noticed that Lawrence’s face appeared to be surrounded by a beautiful, bright light while his roasted body gave off a sweet smelling odor. Those non-believers who were present experienced neither of these events. Legend has it that at one point, he ordered his tormentors to “let my body be turned; one side is broiled enough.” It is said that just before he died, he prayed for the conversion of the city of Rome, which was on the slow path of self-destruction as an empire. Prudentius, a Roman poet and witness of the martyrdom of Saint Lawrence claimed that God must have granted Lawrence his request for the conversion of Rome, almost immediately, for several Roman Senators who were present at his death were so moved by his heroism and fortitude that they converted to Christianity on the spot. These same senators took up the body of the new martyr and provided an honorable burial on the Via Tiburtina, where the patriarchal basilica in honor of Saint Lawrence stands today in Rome.

READING

A reading from a sermon by Saint Augustine, bishop

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 it 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 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.”

QUESTIONS TO PONDER AND DISCUSS

1.) How would knowing that you could be put to death for being a Christian affect your faith?

2.) What do you think Saint Lawrence meant when he said that the poor and the blind and the crippled were the wealth of the Church?

3.) How does the world of today view the poor, the blind and the crippled in terms of their worth?

4.) Who do you see as the wealth of the Church today?