St. Lawrence
Feast day: August 10
Lawrence is believed to have been born in Huesca, Spain. He was one of seven deacons of the city of Rome under Pope Sixtus II. The deacons and the pope were arrested Aug. 6, 258, during the persecution of Valerian. All but Lawrence were martyred by the next day. When Rome’s prefect demanded church funds from Lawrence, the deacon assembled the poor, the disabled and the misfortunate, and said, “This is the treasury of the church.” On Aug. 10, the prefect began roasting Lawrence on a gridiron, thinking it would break him. But, according to legend, he asked to be turned and roasted on the other side. He is the patron of the poor, comedians and firefighters, just to name a few.
Collect
O God, giver of that ardor of love for you
by which Saint Lawrence was outstandingly faithful in service
and glorious in martyrdom,
grant that we may love what he loved
and put into practice what he taught.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
