St. Lawrence: Deacon and Martyr
Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR
On the Feast of St. Lawrence
The Redemptorist Chapel in St. Gerard Majella Parish
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA

August 10, 2011

The Church regards St. Lawrence so high that today’s celebration ranks as a feast and not a memorial or optional memorial. Deacon Lawrence was a Roman deacon under Pope St. Sixtus II. Four days after Pope Sixtus was put to death, Lawrence and four other priests suffered martyrdom. Deacon Lawrence’s martyrdom is one of those martyrdom that made a deep and lasting impression on the early Church. After his martyrdom, celebration of his feast spread widely.

As deacon in Rome, Lawrence was in charge of the material goods of the Church, and the distribution of alms to the poor. When he knew he would be arrested like the Pope Sixtus, he went in search of the poor, widows and orphans of Rome and gave them all the money he had on hand, selling even the sacred vessels to increase the sum. When the prefect of Rome heard about his action, he reasoned that the Catholic Church must have considerable treasure. So, he sent for Lawrence and said to him: You Christians say we are cruel to you, but that is not what I have in mind. I am told that your priests offer Mass 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 him 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 of Rome was so upset with Lawrence that he told him that he must die. Lawrence was arrested and burnt alive.