10th August – Feast of St Lawrence, Deacon.
If you had planned a barbecue recently, perhaps to celebrate the summer with your family and friends, but the weather was against you – again, you might say a prayer to the patron of cooks (and roasters, and perhaps barbecuers) – St Lawrence!
St Lawrence, was a deacon of Rome, who on 10th August 258, was sentenced to death by being slow-roasted on a grid-iron over an open fire. His last words were, ‘Turn me over, I’m done on this side!’ (St Lawrence is also a patron of comedians).
St Lawrence or Laurence, was one of the seven deacons of Rome under Pope Sixtus II, who were martyred during the persecution of Christans by Emperor Valerian. Lawrence was in charge of the church funds, and when asked by the authorities to hand over the church’s treasures, he told the authorities to return in three days and he would hand them over. Lawrence then secretly distributed all the funds to the poor (he is also patron of the poor). Three days later when the authorities came to demand the treasure, Lawrence brought forward the poor whom he had gathered from the city streets, and proclaimed, ‘Here are the treasures of the Church!’ They were not amused, and ordered his death.
St Lawrence is also the Patron Saint for Deacons. Pope Francis, in addressing the present day deacons of Rome, in June 2021, recalled that deacons are ordained as men of service: ‘hands are imposed not for the priesthood, but for a ministry of service’. Pope Francis emphasises that ‘to love is to serve’ and that true power comes in service. Deacons whose ministry of word, altar and charity, – ‘from the sanctuary to the fringes of society’, remind the Church that it ‘has a heart enflamed by love’; we are Church of Service, a Diaconal Church. Through baptism, were are all called to serve – to all be deacons, and so be true disciples of our Lord Jesus, ‘who came not to be served, but to serve’. – Deacon Adrian
St Lawrence – see link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Lawrence
What is a deacon? – see link: https://rcdow.org.uk/vocations/permanent-diaconate/
