August 10
Laurence of Rome
Deacon and Martyr, 258
art by Rev. Kirsten Kohr of Geneva, Ohio
Almighty God, by whose grace and power your servant Laurence triumphed over suffering and despised death: Grant that we may be steadfast in service to the poor and outcast, and may share with him in the joys of your everlasting kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Laurence the Deacon was martyred at Rome during a persecution initiated in 257 by the Emperor Valerian, aimed primarily at clergy and laity of the upper classes. Both of his parents, Orencio and Patientia, had been martyred earlier, but he had been spared in the first wave of persecution and was subsequently ordained to the diaconate.
On August 4, 258, Pope Sixtus II and his seven deacons were apprehended in the Roman catacombs and summarily executed, except for the archdeacon, Laurence, who was martyred on August 10.
Ambrose relates a tradition that the prefect demanded information from Laurence about the church’s treasures, since as archdeacon he had the primary responsibility for distributing alms to the poor and needy. Laurence asked for several days to gather all of the wealth together, during which time he worked quickly to give everything away to those in need. When the prefect again demanded the church’s treasures, Laurence pointed to the sick and the poor and said, “These are the treasures of the church.”
Laurence is believed to have been roasted alive on a gridiron. According to legend, while being roasted he cheerfully exclaimed, “I am done on this side; turn me over!”
Excerpted directly from “Lesser Feasts and Fasts 2022,” p. 352-353.