Last week, on the Feast of Pope St. Sixtus, we recalled how
in the mid-3rd century, the Roman Emperor Valerian issued the cold imperial
decree that all bishops, priests, and deacons be arrested and put to
death. The Pope himself, Pope Sixtus II,
was arrested and killed on August 7th 258 AD. Saint Lawrence, whom we honor
today, a deacon of Rome, was arrested and killed four days later.
Upon his arrest, Deacon Lawrence was ordered by the Roman
Prefect to bring him the treasures of the Church. Now, the Roman Authority no
doubt envisioned Lawrence gathering up the silver and gold chalices and
candlesticks. But, the holy Deacon did something surprising. Rather than gold
and silver, Deacon Lawrence gathered a great number of the blind and the lame, the
orphans and widows of Rome. When the prefect arrived, Lawrence declared, “These
are the treasures of the Church.”
In great anger, the Prefect condemned Lawrence to a slow,
cruel death. The Saint was to be slowly roasted alive upon an iron grill. Lawrence however was burning with so much
love of God that he almost did not feel the flame. He even joked. “I'm done on this side! Turn me over” Among
many other things, St. Lawrence is a patron saint of Comedians.
We tell these stories about St. Lawrence century after
century because they reveal profound truths. Firstly, St. Lawrence pointing to
the poor and lame and calling them treasures, is completely accurate. The poor
and lame are valued by God and are to be treated as such by us. We are taught
by the Lord himself, what we do for the least of these, you did for me. So, if
we claim to value and love Christ, that means we must value and love the poor
and do what we can to care for them.
Secondly, St. Lawrence’s comedy, his holy humor in the face
of suffering and death, flip me over, I’m done on this side, reveals our
attitude to these things. The world says that suffering and death are the worst
things you could possibly experience and should be avoided at all costs. The
world says, “Fear the cross, Flee from the cross. Nothing is worth the cross.” But
the Christian attitude is very different, isn’t it? St. Paul writes “Death
where is thy sting?”
Those are words of a soul who has found freedom from fear, freedom
of a soul belonging entirely to Christ. Lawrence could laugh in the face of
imperial cruelty because he knew that Rome did not have the final word. The
prefect could take Lawrence’s life, but he could not take his treasure, which
he had stored up in heaven. He could burn his body, but he could not extinguish
his charity. He could threaten Lawrence with death, but Lawrence already shared
in the eternal victory of the risen Christ.
May Saint Lawrence help us to treasure what Christ
treasures, to serve with joy, to suffer with courage, and to face every trial
with the confidence of those who know that Christ is risen, Christ is
victorious, and Christ will never abandon his friends, for the glory of God and
salvation of souls.
That Christians persecuted for the
faith may be courageous in their witness to the saving Truth of Christ.
For the conversion of all those who hate
Christ and his Church.
That all Christians may grow in charitable
attentiveness to the needs of the poor in our midst.
For all the
needs of the sick and the suffering, the homebound, those in nursing homes and
hospitals, the underemployed and unemployed, victims of natural disaster, war,
and terrorism, for all those who grieve the loss of a loved one, and those who
will die today, for their comfort, and the consolation of their families.
For the
repose of the souls of our beloved dead, for all of the poor souls in
purgatory, for the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, for
the deceased priests, deacons and religious of the diocese of Cleveland, and
for those who have fought and died for our freedom.
Incline your merciful ear to our
prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those
who call on you. Through Christ our Lord.
