Lawrence was born in Huesca, Spain, but came to Rome and served as one of the seven Deacons under Pope Sixtus II. These Deacons were in charge of the temporal goods of the Church and the distribution of alms to the poor. As in the case of early martyrs, the life of Lawrence has been interlaced with golden legends. According to tradition, as Pope Sixtus II and his companions were being led to their execution under Emperor Valerian, Lawrence was overwhelmed with grief and cried out: “Beloved Father, where are you going without your Deacon?” The Supreme Pontiff is said to have replied: “I am not leaving you, my son. Within a few days, you will follow me.” Overjoyed at the prospect of martyrdom, Lawrence promptly disbursed among the poor all the money he had at hand; he even sold some sacred vessels of gold and silver to enhance the amount. When the Roman Prefect Cornelius Saecularis heard about it, he summoned the Deacon and ordered him to turn over to the Emperor everything of value for the upkeep of his armies. On the third day, Lawrence presented before the Prefect a large retinue of widows, orphans, aged, sick, blind, crippled etc. saying: “This is the treasure of the Church.” Enraged at this apparent insolence, Cornelius ordered that the Deacon be slowly roasted to death on a gridiron/griddle with burning coals beneath it. As he was being slowly burnt alive, Lawrence is said to have had the last laugh saying: “Turn me over so that the other side be evenly cooked.” After praying for Rome, he is said to have breathed his last on August 10, 258. His remains were buried in the cemetery of Cyriana on Via Tiburina. At that very site now stands the great Basilica titled St. Lawrence-outside-the-Walls. Irrespective of the veracity or otherwise of this tradition, Lawrence was undoubtedly a very popular saint of the early Church. Several Churches in Christendom perpetuate his memory. In fact, his name is mentioned in the First Canon of the Church along with that of his “beloved Father,” Pope Sixtus II.
Reflection: Apparently, the fire of divine love in St. Lawrence burnt so ardently that it extinguished the agonies caused by the earthly flame. When our hearts are intimately linked with Jesus and inflamed with his divine love, pain is transformed into joy, defeats into triumph, agonies into ecstasies and death into life. The lives of martyrs testify it.
Suddenly Nebuchadnezzar leapt to his feet in amazement. He asked his officials, “Didn’t we tie up three men and throw them into the blazing furnace?….. Then why I do see four men walking about in the fire…They are not tied up, and they show no sign of being hurt – and the fourth one looks like an angel.” (Daniel 3: 24-25)
