Saints: St. Lawrence! It's also my brother's birthday. I can't believe how fast this year has flown. It seems like yesterday we were all at Aunt Perky's house waiting for news of our new sibling. David didn't get named after his day Saint but I'm sure St. Lawrence will be saying some extra prayers for him anyway. You can't get away from you patron Saints you know. They're looking out for you whether you like it or not.I love to tell the story of St. Lawrence. So most of you who read this blog have probably heard me tell it at least in part. I retold it based on the account in our Saint book a few years ago for an e-mail so here it is.
St. Lawrence is the patron of comedians and cooks and this is why.
Once upon a time in Rome (in 258 A.D.) there lived a cheerful and devoted deacon named Lawrence. Also in that time the Emperor Valerian published an edict against Christians and sent soldiers to apprehend the Pope (St. Sixtus II) and put him to death. As they dragged St. Sixtus to his death his faithful deacon, Lawrence, followed after him saying, “Farther, where are you going with out your deacon?” The Pope answered, “I do not leave you, my son. You shall follow me in three days.”
Lawrence saw this time as an opportunity to disperse the material wealth of the church before the Roman authorities could lay their hands on it. On 10 August Lawrence was commanded to appear for his execution, and to bring along the treasure with which he had been entrusted by the pope. When he arrived, the archdeacon was accompanied by a multitude of Rome's crippled, blind, sick, and generally very dirty, stinky and poor people. Lawrence stood and and smiled. The prefect was at first bewildered and then thinking that some joke had been played on him by the good natured deacon he turned to Lawrence and demanded to see the treasures of the church as he had been promised. Lawrence speared his hands out to the assembled people. “what are you displeased at?” he said, “These are the treasures of the Church!” The prefect, who had no sense of humor, was furious! He prepared a great gridiron with hot coals beneath it. They bound Lawrence to this hot iron bed and he lay slowly roasting. After a long time of this torment Lawrence looked up at his the men in charge of the execution and smiled. “Turn me over,” He said to them, “I think I’m done on this side.”
Lawrence met his beloved Lord Jesus but a few moments later and lives happily with him and Pope St. Sixtus for all eternity.
Here on earth Lawrence is honored every year on the 10th of August. On that day, catholics all over the world celebrate Lawrence's life by having a barbecue with their families.
3 comments:
That's a wonderful story, but, a barbecue?? That's downright mah-cay-bree. lol. And he's the patron saint of cooks? Gosh. Well I s'pose he'd know a thing or two about it...that's terrible.
Okay, well, the other tradition is not to cook anything all day, but I think a barbecue is more fun.
It's also more morbid. :P
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