Image: Saint Lawrence | Bernardo CavallinoImage: Saint Lawrence | Bernardo CavallinoPosted on 08/10/2018 4:48:39 PM PDT by Salvation
Image: Saint Lawrence | Bernardo Cavallino
The esteem in which the Church holds Lawrence is seen in the fact that today’s celebration ranks as a feast. We know very little about his life. He is one of those whose martyrdom made a deep and lasting impression on the early Church. Celebration of his feast day spread rapidly.
He was a Roman deacon under Pope Saint Sixtus II. Four days after this pope was put to death, Lawrence and four clerics suffered martyrdom, probably during the persecution of the Emperor Valerian.
Legendary details of Lawrence’s death were known to Damasus, Prudentius, Ambrose, and Augustine. The church built over his tomb became one of the seven principal churches in Rome and a favorite place for Roman pilgrimages.
A well-known legend has persisted from earliest times. As deacon in Rome, Lawrence was charged with the responsibility for the material goods of the Church, and the distribution of alms to the poor. When Lawrence knew he would be arrested like the pope, he sought out the poor, widows, and orphans of Rome and gave them all the money he had on hand, selling even the sacred vessels of the altar to increase the sum. When the prefect of Rome heard of this, he imagined that the Christians must have considerable treasure. He sent for Lawrence and said, “You Christians say we are cruel to you, but that is not what I have in mind. I am told that your priests offer in gold, that the sacred blood is received in silver cups, that you have golden candlesticks at your evening services. Now, your doctrine says you must render to Caesar what is his. Bring these treasures—the emperor needs them to maintain his forces. God does not cause money to be counted: He brought none of it into the world with him—only words. Give me the money, therefore, and be rich in words.”
Lawrence replied that the Church was indeed rich. “I will show you a valuable part. But give me time to set everything in order and make an inventory.” After three days he gathered a great number of blind, lame, maimed, leprous, orphaned, and widowed persons and put them in rows. When the prefect arrived, Lawrence simply said, “These are the treasure of the Church.”
The prefect was so angry he told Lawrence that he would indeed have his wish to die—but it would be by inches. He had a great gridiron prepared with coals beneath it, and had Lawrence’s body placed on it. After the martyr had suffered the pain for a long time, the legend concludes, he made his famous cheerful remark, “It is well done. Turn me over!”
Once again we have a saint about whom almost nothing is known, yet one who has received extraordinary honor in the Church since the fourth century. Almost nothing—yet the greatest fact of his life is certain: He died for Christ. We who are hungry for details about the lives of the saints are again reminded that their holiness was after all, a total response to Christ, expressed perfectly by a death like this.
Cooks
Poor
Saint of the Day Ping!
Two cultural references regarding St. Lawrence:
- According to some, the grid-like floor plan of the Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial in Spain was conceived as an iconic reference to the instrument of St. Lawrence’s martyrdom, though this remains a matter of debate.
- St. Lawrence’s legendary quip, “It is well done, turn me over,” is cited by Sean Connery’s character, William of Baskerville, in the film, “Name of the Rose,” in a debate over the propriety of the use of humor in conducting God’s service.
Thanks for your notes!
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, 08-09-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Dominic, 08-08-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Cajetan, 08-07-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Transfiguration of the Lord, 08-06-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Dedication of Saint Mary Major Basilica, 08-05-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint John Vianney, 08-04-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Peter Julian Eymard, 08-03-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Eusebius of Vercelli, 08-02-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Alphonsus Liguori, 08-01-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, 07-31-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Blessed Solanus Casey, 07-30-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Martha, 07-29-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Blessed Stanley Rother, 07-28-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Blessed Antonio Lucci, 07-27-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saints Joachim and Anne, 07-26-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint James the Apostle, 07-25-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Sharbel Makhluf, 07-24-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Bridget of Sweden, 07-23-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Mary Magdalene, 07-22-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Lawrence of Brindisi, 07-21-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Apollinaris, 07-20-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Mary MacKillop, 07-19-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Camillus de Lellis, 07-18-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Francis Solano, 07-17-18
Day by Day -- Saint for All, 07-16-18, Our Lady of Mount Carmel [Catholic Caucus]
Day by Day -- Saints for All, 07-15-17, Saint Bonaventure
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, 07-14-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, 07-13-17, Saint Henry
Day by Day -- Saints for All, 07-12-17, Saints John Jones and John Wall
Day by Day -- Saints for All, 07-11-17, Saint Benedict
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Veronica Giuliani, 07-10-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Augustine Zhao Rong and Companions, 07-09-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Gregory Grassi and Companions, 07-08-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Blessed Emmanuel Ruiz and Companions, 07-07-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Maria Goretti, 07-06-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Anthony Zaccaria, 07-05-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Elizabeth of Portugal, 07-04-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, 07-03-17, Saint Thomas the Apostle
Day by Day -- Saints for All, 07-02-17, Saint Oliver Plunkett
Day by Day -- Saints for All, 07-01-17, Saint Junipero Serra
Day by Day -- Saints for All, 06-30-17, First Martyrs of the Church of Rome
Day by Day -- Saints for All, 06-29-17, Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Irenaeus, 06-28-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, 06-27-17, Saint Cyril of Alexandria
Day by Day -- Saints for All, 06-26-17, Saint Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer
Day by Day -- Saints for All, 06-25-17, Blessed Jutta of Thuringia
Day by Day -- Saints for All, 06-24-17, The Nativity of Saint John the Baptist
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint John Fisher, 06-23-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Thomas More, 06-22-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, 06-21-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Paulinus of Nola, 06-20-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Romuald, 06-19-17
Day by Day -- Saints for all, Venerable Matt Talbot, 06-18-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Joseph Cafasso, 06-17-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint John Francis Regis, 06-16-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Marguerite d’Youville, 06-15-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Albert Chmielowski, 06-14-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Anthony of Padua, 06-13-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Blessed Jolenta (Yolanda) of Poland, 06-12-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Barnabas, 06-11-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Blessed Joachima, 06-10-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Ephrem, 06-09-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint William of York, 06-08-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Blessed Franz Jaegerstaetter, 06-07-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Norbert, 06-06-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Boniface, 06-05-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Blessed Angeline of Marsciano, 06-04-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Charles Lwanga and Companions, 06-03-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saints Marcellinus and Peter, 06-02-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Justin Martyr, 06-01-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 05-31-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Joan of Arc, 05-30-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat, 05-29-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Venerable Pierre Toussaint, 05-28-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Augustine of Canterbury, 05-27-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Philip Neri, 05-26-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Bede the Venerable, 05-25-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi, 05-24-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Gregory VII, 5-23-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All -- Saint Rita of Cascia, 05-22-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, 05-21-17, Saint Cristóbal Magallanes and Companions
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Bernardine of Siena, 05-20-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Theophilus of Corte, 05-19-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, St. John I, 05-18-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Paschal Baylon, 05-17-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, 05-16-17, Saint Margaret of Cortona
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Isidore the Farmer, 05-15-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Matthias, 05-14-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Our Lady of Fatima, 05-13-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saints Nereus and Achilleus, 05-12-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Ignatius of Laconi, 05-11-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Damien de Veuster of Moloka’i, 05-10-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint John of Avila, 05-09-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Peter of Tarentaise, 05-08-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Rose Venerini, 05-07-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saints Marian and James, 05-06-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Hilary of Arles, 05-05-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Blessed Michael Giedroyc, 05-04-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saints Philip and James, 05-03-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Athanasius, 05-02-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Joseph the Worker, 05-01-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Pius V, 04-30-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Catherine of Siena, 04-29-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Peter Chanel, 04-28-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Louis Mary Grignion de Montfort, 04-27-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Pedro de San José Betancur, 04-26-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Mark, 04-25-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint George, 04-23-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Adalbert of Prague, 04-22-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Anselm, 04-21-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Conrad of Parzham, 04-20-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Gianna Beretta Molla, 04-19-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Blessed James Oldo, 04-18-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Benedict Joseph Labre, 04-17-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Bernadette Soubirous, 04-16-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Blessed Caesar de Bus, 04-15-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Blessed Peter Gonzalez, 04-14-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Martin I, 04-13-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Teresa of Los Andes, 04-12-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Stanislaus, 04-11-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Magdalen of Canossa, 04-10-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Casilda, 04-09-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Julie Billiart, 04-08-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint John Baptist de la Salle, 04-07-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Crescentia Hoess, 04-06-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Vincent Ferrer, 04-05-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Isidore of Seville, 04-04-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Benedict the African, 04-03-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Francis of Paola, 04-02-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Hugh of Grenoble, 04-01-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Stephen of Mar Saba, 03-31-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Peter Regalado, 03-30-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Ludovico of Casoria, 03-29-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Catharine of Bologna, 03-28-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Lazarus, 03-27-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Catherine of Genoa, 03-26-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Annunciation of the Lord, 03-25-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Blessed Oscar Arnulfo Romero, 03-24-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Turibius of Mogrovejo, 03-23-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Nicholas Owen, 03-22-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Blessed John of Parma, 03-21-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Salvator of Horta, 03-20-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Joseph, Husband of Mary, 03-19-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, 03-18-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, St. Patrick, 03-17-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Clement Mary Hofbauer, 03-16-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Louise de Marillac, 03-15-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Maximilian, 03-14-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Leander of Seville, 03-13-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Blessed Angela Salawa, 03-12-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint John Ogilvie, 03-11-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Dominic Savio, 03-10-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Frances of Rome, 03-09-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, St. John of God, 03-08-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saints Perpetua and Felicity, 03-07-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Mary Ann of Jesus of Paredes, 03-06-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint John Joseph of the Cross, 03-05-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Casimir, 03-04-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Katharine Drexel, 03-03-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, St. Agnes of Bohemia, 03-02-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, St. David of Wales, 03-01-17
Code Is Free Speech
Code Is Free Speech
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.