The esteem in which the Church holds Lawrence is seen in the fact
that today’s celebration ranks as a feast. We know very little about his life.
He is one of those whose martyrdom made a deep and lasting impression on the
early Church. Celebration of his feast day spread rapidly.
He was a Roman deacon under Pope St. Sixtus
II. Four days after this pope was put to death, Lawrence and four clerics
suffered martyrdom, probably during the persecution of the Emperor Valerian.
Legendary details of his death were known to Damasus (Dec
11), Prudentius, Ambrose (December 7) and Augustine (August 28). The
church built over his tomb became one of the seven principal churches
in Rome and a favorite place for Roman pilgrimages.
A well-known legend has persisted from earliest times. As deacon
in Rome, Lawrence was charged with the responsibility for the material goods of
the Church, and the distribution of alms to the poor. When Lawrence knew he
would be arrested like the pope, he sought out the poor, widows and orphans of
Rome and gave them all the money he had on hand, selling even the sacred
vessels to increase the sum. When the prefect of Rome heard of this, he
imagined that the Christians must have considerable treasure. He sent for
Lawrence and said, “You Christians say we are cruel to you, but that is not
what I have in mind. I am told that your priests offer in gold, that the sacred
blood is received in silver cups, that you have golden candlesticks at your
evening services. Now, your doctrine says you must render to Caesar what is
his. Bring these treasures—the emperor needs them to maintain his forces. God
does not cause money to be counted: He brought none of it into the world with
him—only words. Give me the money, therefore, and be rich in words.”
Lawrence replied that the Church was indeed rich. “I will show you
a valuable part. But give me time to set everything in order and make an
inventory.” After three days he gathered a great number of blind, lame, maimed, leprous,
orphaned and widowed persons and put them in rows. When the prefect
arrived, Lawrence simply said, “These are the treasure of the Church.”
The prefect was so angry he told Lawrence that he would indeed
have his wish to die—but it would be by inches. He had a great gridiron
prepared, with coals beneath it, and had Lawrence’s body placed on it. After
the martyr had suffered the pain for a long time, the legend concludes, he made
his famous cheerful remark, “It is well done. Turn me over!”
Comment:
Once again we have a saint about whom almost nothing is known, yet one who has received extraordinary honor in the Church since the fourth century. Almost nothing—yet the greatest fact of his life is certain: He died for Christ. We who are hungry for details about the lives of the saints are again reminded that their holiness was, after all, a total response to Christ, expressed perfectly by a death like this.
Once again we have a saint about whom almost nothing is known, yet one who has received extraordinary honor in the Church since the fourth century. Almost nothing—yet the greatest fact of his life is certain: He died for Christ. We who are hungry for details about the lives of the saints are again reminded that their holiness was, after all, a total response to Christ, expressed perfectly by a death like this.
Patron Saint of:Cooks, Poor
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