Aug. 10th - St. Lawrence the Deacon

 Today is the Feast of St. Lawrence, the deacon of Rome, who was one of the greatest saints in the third century. His name is in Eucharistic Prayer 1 of the Roman Canon. He was in charge of distributing alms to the poor. Two stories show his holiness and sense of humor.

The first story is about the treasures of Rome. After the government executed Pope Sixtus II, it wanted to confiscate all the treasures of the Church. The government told Lawrence to hand over the treasures. He said it would take a couple of days. When it was time to bring the “treasures” of the Church—he had many of the poor, the downtrodden and the outcasts of Rome, whom he considered the “treasures” of the Church, stand before the government officials. The government was not amused and ordered Lawrence to be executed.

The second story involves his sense of humor during his martyrdom. He was roasted alive on the gridiron. While enduring torture, as the flames were beginning to consume his body, he said to his tortures, “Turn me over. I’m done on this side.”

Lawrence is the patron of catechumens and comedians. As we prepare to receive Jesus in the Eucharist, let us ask the Blessed Virgin Mary together with St. Lawrence to help many non-Catholics to become Catholic. And may we also have a sense of humor in times of pain and suffering.