St. Lawrence
"He scatters abroad, he
gives to the poor; his righteousness endures forever!"
Over the centuries, the city of Rome has been
sanctified by the blood of many martyrs, and countless other saints have spent
time there as well. So, it speaks
volumes that, among all those saints, a particular devotion to St. Lawrence is
still quite evident even among the citizens of that city today.
Lawrence was martyred in 258 AD, and reliable
historical records prove that he was actually put to death on this very day,
the 10th of August. One of his primary
duties as a deacon was to care for the poor and oversee the distribution of
alms. The first reading and psalm remind
us of how zealous Lawrence was in this regard: "He scatters abroad, he
gives to the poor; his righteousness endures forever!" "Lavishly he gives to the poor, his
generosity shall endure forever; his horn shall be exalted in glory!" Such a personal commitment to charitable
works is an essential component of the Christian faith, and we all need
inspirational examples like Lawrence to prod us to greater giving of
ourselves....
For not only did Lawrence generously exercise
his care of the poor, he also literally gave himself in his martyr's witness to
his unshakeable faith. Sentenced to be
roasted alive on a giant gridiron, midway through his tortures, he reportedly
quipped to his executioners, "You can turn me over now - I'm done on that
side!" Such humor, especially in
the midst of torments, demonstrated the saint's confidence that his dying to
self would bear much fruit, for his own suffering was united to the redemptive
sufferings of Christ, thereby securing his share in the Savior's promise,
"Whoever serves Me must follow Me, and where I am, there also will My
servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves Me."