St. Lawrence (+258), deacon and martyr, is one of the greatest martyrs in the history of the Church.
After Sts. Peter and Paul, St. Lawrence is the third great patron saint of the city of Rome. He was Archdeacon of Rome under Pope St. Sixtus II and was martyred three days after the pope. St. Sixtus and St. Lawrence are both among the privileged saints who are honored every single day at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in the Roman Canon; their names coming soon after those of the Apostles themselves.
[column size="2-3" last="0"]A YOUNG ARCHDEACON
St Lawrence was born in the Roman province of Hispania Tarraconensis. Both of his parents, Orentius and Patientia, suffered martyrdom. Lawrence met the future Pope Sixtus II (a learned Greek) in Zaragosa, where he was an esteemed teacher. Together they traveled to Rome. When Sixtus was made pope (257), he ordained Lawrence as a deacon. Although Lawrence was still quite young, Sixtus appointed him archdeacon of Rome, a position of responsibility and authority, which included the care of the Church's treasury and the distribution of alms among the poor.
THE POPE IS MARTYRED
At the beginning of August 258, Emperor Valerian issued an edict that all Catholic clergy should be put to death. He also enforced a Roman norm by which all the goods of any Christian could be confiscated by the Imperial treasury. On 6 August 258, Roman soldiers surrounded and stormed the cemetery of St. Callixtus. There they found Pope Sixtus offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. They chained him and dragged him away for prompt execution. The young deacon attempted to cling to his spiritual father's feet and begged Sixtus not to abandon him. Having received a divine enlightenment, St. Sixtus calmly told his archdeacon not to fear and to hold fast to the faith. The pope promised to pray for him from Heaven and prophesied that in three days time they would be reunited before the throne of Almighty God.[/column]
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THE WEALTH OF THE CHURCH
The Roman prefect chose not to kill Lawrence immediately because he sought to exchange his life for the wealth of the Church. Standing before the tribunal, St. Lawrence confirmed that indeed he oversaw the Church's treasury. The prefect demanded it be turned over for imperial confiscation. Lawrence requested three days time to gather it together. The greedy prefect readily agreed. His soldiers shadowed Lawrence for three days and reported that the archdeacon was busy traversing the entire city and speaking with many Roman citizens. With each passing day the prefect's rapacious avarice grew. However, during these days, St. Lawrence was diligently working, not to amass the material wealth, but to distribute as much of it as he could to the poor, in order to prevent it from falling into pagan hands.
On the third day, Lawrence appeared before the tribunal. The prefect had expected a chest filled with gold but Lawrence appeared empty-handed. The archdeacon explained that he was unable to bring all the wealth with him and would need to have the prefect accompany him to a local church. The prefect could not believe his good fortune, thinking that he was about to seize a treasure so vast and of such great weight that it had to be housed in a building and could not easily be carried. He and his delegation eagerly followed the archdeacon, and the unlikely procession attracted quite a crowd. When they stood outside the church, Lawrence called forth -- and numerous Christians filed out of the Church. St. Lawrence presented to the prefect the poor, the crippled, the blind and the suffering, and said these were the true treasures of the Church. He said, "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. The Church is truly rich; far richer than your emperor."
TERRIBLE TORTURE
The prefect of Rome was enraged by this act of defiance. Worse, he was stung by what he perceived as a public insult. He determined that this haughty man who dared ridicule him would have to suffer like no other. Thus, he ordered the headsmen to strip Lawrence and beat him with clubs, and to press hot blades to his sides. Lawrence said, “Lord Jesus Christ, God from God, have mercy on me thy servant, because, being accused, I have not denied Thy holy Name, and being put to the question I have confessed Thee as my Lord!” The prefect said to him, “I know you have eluded these torments by means of your magic, but you’re not going to elude me any longer! I swear by the gods and goddesses that unless you offer sacrifice, you will die a slow and painful death.” He then commanded that Lawrence be beaten long and hard with lead-laden whips, and after that, whipped with scorpions. Lawrence smiled, gave thanks, and prayed for those who stood by.
FRUITS OF SUFFERING
At this time, a soldier named Romanus received the faith. He visited St. Lawrence in prison and said to him, “As you were beaten, I saw a beautiful young man standing in front of you and wiping your limbs with a towel! I adjure you by God, do not abandon me. Baptize me quickly!” Romanus brought a jar of water, knelt at Lawrence’s feet, and was baptized by him. The prefect learned of this and had Romanus beaten with short, heavy clubs; and when Romanus freely professed that he was a Christian, the prefect had him beheaded. (St. Romanus’ feast day is August 9th, the Vigil of St. Lawrence.)
TERRIBLE MARTYRDOM
Finally, the prefect had a great gridiron made ready, and put glowing, hot coals under it, that Lawrence might be slowly burnt. Lawrence was bound upon this iron bed over the slow fire, which roasted his flesh little by little. His face appeared to the Christians to be surrounded with a beautiful light, and his suffering body to give off a sweet smell; but the unbelievers neither saw this light nor perceived this smell. St. Augustine says that Lawrence was so passionate in his desire of possessing Christ that he felt not the torments of his persecutor.
Having suffered a long time, St. Lawrence turned to the judge and said with a cheerful smile, “Let my body be turned; one side is broiled enough.” [It is for this reason that St. Lawrence is the patron saint of cooks.] Then, having prayed for the conversion of the city of Rome that the faith of Christ might spread from there throughout the world, St. Lawrence gave up the ghost.
A SPIRITUAL FIRE
According to the Fathers, St. Lawrence had three internal fires, whose heat was greater than any external fire. The first of these three internal fires was [1] the greatness of his faith; the second, [2] his ardent love for God; and the third, [1] his true knowledge of God. With regard to the first one, his great faith, St. Ambrose says, “As much as the ardor of his faith burned, by so much the flame of torture was cooled.” Of the second inner fire, St. Ambrose says, “Lawrence the martyr was burned externally by the raging tyrant’s fires, but the greater flame of the love of Christ heated him inwardly.” And of the third internal fire, St. Ambrose says, “The persecutor’s fiercest fire could not defeat this mighty martyr, because his mind was heated far more warmly by the rays of truth. Being afire with hatred of treachery and with love of truth, he either did not feel or overcame the flames that burned him outwardly.”
SEEK HIS HEAVENLY INTERCESSION
When we pray, let us ask the intercession of St. Lawrence, that we may grow in: [1] knowledge of God, [2] love of God, and a [3] greater, purer faith.
“O glorious St. Lawrence, Martyr and Deacon, who, being subjected to the most bitter torments, didst not lose thy faith nor thy constancy in confessing Jesus Christ, obtain in like manner for us such an active and solid faith, that we shall never be ashamed to be true followers of Jesus Christ, and fervent Christians in word and in deed. Pray for us, O holy Lawrence, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.”
Let us pray. Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, the grace to quench the flames of our vices, Thou who didst enable blessed Lawrence to overcome his fiery torments. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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(Bernardo Strozzi, 1639-1640)
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(Filippo Lippi, 1451-1453)