Saint of the day August 10: Saint Lawrence. Catholic Saints

Every August 10, the Church celebrates San Lorenzo of Rome, martyr, patron of deacons, immortalized by the way in which his martyrdom was carried out – one of the oldest documented -: he was placed, alive, on a grill incandescent.

San Lorenzo, in addition to being the patron of archivists (or archivists), is the patron of treasurers, patronages that he holds by virtue of his diaconal service. In the 5th century, deacons were entrusted with the task of registering and caring for the assets of the Church of Rome, as well as administering resources to help the poor.

Saint Augustine (354-430) highlighted his work as a deacon in one of his sermons: “The Church of Rome invites us today to celebrate the triumph of Saint Lawrence, who overcame the threats and seductions of the world, thus defeating diabolical persecution. He, as has already been explained to you more than once, was a deacon of that Church. In it he administered the sacred blood of Christ, in it, too, he shed his own blood for the name of Christ.” With these words, Saint Augustine places Saint Lawrence as an example of total surrender to the Lord, to the point of imitating him by giving his own blood.

Pope Saint Sixtus II, martyr

Saint Lorenzo was born in Huesca, Hispania (Spain), around the year 225. He was one of the seven “regionary” deacons of Rome, that is, he was in charge of one of the “regions” or “barracks” of the city. Deacons were tasked with assisting the Pope, bishop of Rome, in the pastoral care of the faithful.

Lorenzo, thanks to his service, enjoyed the closeness of the Pope of that time, Saint Sixtus II, who would also die martyred. According to tradition, Pope Sixtus II was executed three days before Lorenzo by the emperor’s soldiers.

The Pontiff had been arrested while celebrating the Eucharist in one of the cemeteries of the Eternal City – a practice specifically prohibited by the emperor under threat of death. The emperor Valerian (253-260) had begun one of the most disconcerting persecutions. He was concerned about the financing of Roman campaigns and it occurred to him that the property and possessions of Christians should cover a certain looming deficit. The first measure he took was the confiscation of their cemeteries.

Shortly after, the Senate backed Valerian with a set of additional measures: all public Christian demonstrations were prohibited and ecclesiastical authorities were to be executed without consideration.

Tradition says that Saint Lawrence, upon seeing that Sixtus II was going to be killed, said to him: “My father, are you leaving without taking your deacon?” and the Holy Father responded: “My son, in a few days you will follow me.”

These are the treasures of the Church

Then, Lorenzo, considering that he would die soon, gathered all the assets of the Church that he had at that time – as a deacon he had that power – and began to sell them and distribute the money among those in need.

The imperial authority in charge of the city knew very well that Lorenzo was the administrator of ecclesiastical assets and sent for him. Once Lorenzo was in his presence, the prefect demanded that he hand over the riches to his charge to finance the emperor’s next military campaign. The saint asked him for three days to complete the task, to which the prefect agreed.

With this, Lorenzo wanted to buy enough time to get rid of everything.

The young deacon meanwhile summoned the poor of Rome: cripples, beggars, orphans, widows, elderly, mutilated, blind and lepers – whom he usually helped with alms -, gathering a significant number of them. Once they were gathered, he appeared with them before the authority and said: “These are the most precious treasures of the Church of Christ.”

It is baked (it is roasted)

For this action, considered an affront, Lorenzo was sentenced to death on the spot by the prefect. The order was for him to die slowly and painfully. He would be placed on a burning iron grill until he died. He would be the payment for having defied the emperor’s authority.

The story of his martyrdom gives an account of the splendor of his face in the face of death, and the legend indicates that a pleasant aroma could be felt in the midst of the cruel scene. That same story adds the words that Lorenzo, strengthened by grace, managed to pronounce while he was burning, to the surprise of his executioners: “It is roasted, unheated, turned and eaten” (“It is roasted, it seems, turn it over and eat”).

Saint Lawrence died on August 10, 258. He was about 33 years old.

The blood of martyrs, seed of Christians

The martyrdom of Saint Lawrence produced a growth in the number of baptized people and a very strong blow to the enemies of the Church. Because of his testimony, many pagans embraced faith in Christ.

Devotion to this great saint has spread throughout the world and many towns and cities today bear his name. In Rome, the Basilica of San Lorenzo is considered the fifth most important in the city.

Saint Lawrence and Pope Francis

On August 10, 2019, Pope Francis dedicated a brief message on social networks dedicated to Saint Lawrence: “The Christian witness, deep down, announces only this: that Jesus lives and is the secret of life. #SanLorenzoMártir”.

As an anecdotal fact, Pope Francis’ favorite soccer club is named after the martyred deacon: Club Atlético San Lorenzo de Almagro. This name was given by one of the founders of the institution, the Salesian priest Fr. Lorenzo Massa.

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If you want to know more about San Lorenzo, we recommend this article from the Catholic Encyclopedia: https://ec.aciprensa.com/wiki/San_Lorenzo.

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