Rebuilding Catholic Culture. Restoring Catholic Tradition.
Republication by Lawrence Morra III
Zero Lift-Off Only The Beginning
For informational and sharing purposes on this on this platform only.
August 10, 2022
The following excerpt points out the humility, dedication and sacrifice to our Lord Jesus Christ by Saint Lawrence. The link for the entire article is provided.
St. Lawrence, under the command of the pope, began to give all of the Church’s goods to the poor. While he was doing this task, a blind man named Crescentius asked him to heal his blindness by laying hands on him. St. Lawrence made the Sign of the Cross over him, and his vision was restored. Lawrence was soon arrested and in prison still healed many blind men. The guard, named Hippolytus, was so impressed by the Faith that he accepted it and also died as a martyr.
On August 10, 258, Lawrence was told to bring along the treasure entrusted by the pope to his execution. After being given two days’ time to collect the goods, St. Lawrence arrived with a multitude of Rome’s crippled, blind, and sick. St. Lawrence announced to the judge: “Here are the treasures of the Church!” Before he was arrested, though, he had dispersed the material wealth of the Church including many documents, which saved years of early Church history.
He was tortured, scourged, and scorched with glowing plates. In the midst of it, he prayed: “Lord Jesus Christ, God from God, have mercy on Your servant!” A solider named Romanus exclaimed: “I see before you an incomparably beautiful youth. Hasten and baptize me.” Romanus had observed during this torture how an angel dried the wounds of Lawrence with a linen cloth.
As he was taken back to the judge he said, “My God I honor and Him alone I serve. Therefore I do not fear your torments; this night shall become as brightest day and as light without any darkness.”
St. Lawrence was grilled to death on August 10, 258. As he died, he prayed for the conversion of Rome so that from it the Faith of Christ would spread. Following his death, idolatry began to decline throughout Rome. He also said, “Now you may turn me over, my body is roasted enough on this side.” Then he said, “At last I am finished; you may now take from me and eat.” He turned to God and exclaimed: “I thank You, O Lord, that I am permitted to enter Your portals.” His body was buried in the cemetery of Saint Cyriaca on the road to Tivoli. The gridiron that is believed to have been his deathbed is in San Lorenzo in Lucina.
Conclusion
Besides fasting and abstaining on August 9th, and hearing Holy Mass on August 10th, we should reflect on our own charity for the poor at this time. St. Lawrence gave his life for Christ, preached, brought about conversions, and cared for the spiritual and physical demands of the poor. We should pray often for the poor when we see them. And at the same time, we should find concrete ways the help alleviate their physical suffering. Since giving outright money to the homeless is not always the best answer, finding Catholic homeless shelters, soup kitchens, and outreach programs grounded in authentic Catholicism is the best we can be help them. See how you can impact both the physical and spiritual lives of the poor in your own area in honor of St. Lawrence who remarked, in reference to the sick and poor, before his death: “Here are the treasures of the Church!”
St. Lawrence, ora pro nobis!
The following link is the full audio presentation.
© 2021 OnePeterFive, Inc. All rights reserved.
God bless you.
Brother in Christ Jesus,
Lawrence Morra III
Fair Use
This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more info go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
Zero Lift-Off 
Pray for us, Saint Lawrence!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Amen!
LikeLike