Memorial of Saint Lawrence, deacon and martyr
(II Corinthians 9:6-10; John 12:24-26)
In today’s first reading Paul tells the Corinthians that
“God loves a cheerful giver.” He
probably did not have in mind that one needs to be cheerful when giving his life. But there is a well-known legend about
today’s patron saint that tells of his joking while being martyred at the fire stake.
Some scholars think that Lawrence was put to death by the
sword as befitted Roman citizens in Paul’s time. However, legend has Lawrence, the Roman
deacon, being roasted to death on a grill.
Having one side of his body burned, he told the judge that he could turn
him over and eat.
Premature death weighs heavily on our soul. We see it as a tragic outcome, a cruel fate
or, sometimes, the apex of nobility.
Soldiers dying in defense of their country leave us feeling enormous
gratitude. Martyrs remind us of the
unsurpassable importance of faith. Their willingness to die for faith in Christ
increases our desire to live for him.
