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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