Today we remember and give thanks for Lawrence, Deacon and
Martyr. Early in the third century A.D.,
Lawrence, most likely born in Spain, made his way to Rome. There he was
appointed chief of the seven deacons and was given the responsibility to manage
church property and finances. The emperor at the time, who thought that the
church had valuable things worth confiscating, ordered Laurence to produce the
“treasures of the church.” Laurence brought before the emperor the poor whose
lives had been touched by Christian charity. He was then jailed and eventually
executed in the year 258 by being roasted on a gridiron. His martyrdom left a
deep impression on the young church. Almost immediately, the date of His death,
August 10, became a permanent fixture on the early commemorative calendar of
the Church.
Collect of
the Day:
Almighty God, You called
Lawrence to be a deacon in Your Church to serve your saints with deeds of love,
and You gave him the crown of martyrdom.
Give us the same charity of heart that we may fulfill Your love by
defending and supporting the poor, that by loving them we may love You with all
our hearts; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and
the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
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