…Linus, Cletus, Clement, Sixtus, Cornelius, Cyprian, Lawrence, Chrysogonus, John and Paul, Cosmas and Damian, and all your Saints… (from Eucharistic Prayer I)Lawrence lived and was martyred in the 3rd century and quickly became one of the most venerated saints of the early Church. He was born in the region of modern Spain, where he met the man who would become Pope Sixtus II. Together, they journeyed to Rome, where the new pope made him archdeacon – that is, head of the seven deacons of Rome, which made him responsible for looking after the Church’s treasury and distributing alms to those in need. In August 258, Emperor Valerian began a fresh persecution of Christians by ordering the death of all bishops, priests, and deacons. Pope Sixtus himself was captured and beheaded on August 6, and six of his seven deacons suffered the same fate. Tradition says that the official in charge demanded that Lawrence (the only deacon left) bring him all the riches of the Church. In one of the earliest surviving references to this story, the poet Prudentius puts these rather cheeky words in the official’s mouth:
“That which you know is Caesar’s render Unto him. That’s only right, For I believe your god has never Stooped to minting legal tender.” (Poem II of “Peristephanon”, translation by Len Krisak, 2020)Lawrence asked for three days to gather the Church’s vast wealth, and then at the appointed time, he revealed crowds of the poor, the crippled, the sick, and the lame. As St. Ambrose comments in his – the earliest – version of the story, “What better treasures has Jesus than those in which he loves to be seen?” (De officiis ministrorum 2.28.140). Needless to say, the greedy official was less than pleased and condemned Lawrence to a much slower and more painful death than his fellow deacons had endured. And it is Prudentius who tells us that he was roasted, joking with his captors to turn him over for proper cooking and to try if he was better raw or roasted. Although we don’t know how much of these stories is true, and though, in fact, Lawrence’s purported death-by-barbecue has been called into doubt, we do know that he did exist, that he was a deacon, that he was martyred for his faith, and that he was a hugely popular saint in the early Church and beyond. His feast day is the same day as his martyrdom: August 10.
In his Wednesday General Audience, Pope Francis continued this cycle of catechesis on "Jesus Christ our Hope," as part of the Jubilee 2025. This week he reflected on the Magnificat, the Virgin Mary's Song of Praise after she is greeted by her cousin Elizabeth.
Reflecting on the vision given to St. Joseph in the Gospel of Matthew, Pope Francis said that "He dreams of the miracle that God fulfils in Mary’s life, and also the miracle that he works in his own life: to take on a fatherhood capable of guarding, protecting, and passing on a material and spiritual inheritance."
Pope Francis continued this cycle of catechesis on "Jesus Christ our Hope." Reflecting on the Angel Gabriel's greeting to the Virgin Mary at the Annunciation, he said that "The 'Almighty,' the God of the 'impossible' is with Mary, together with and beside her; He is her companion, her principal ally, the eternal 'I-with-you.'"
In his weekly catechesis, Pope Francis reflected on the fruits of the Spirit. Beginning with Joy, he said that "not only is it not subject to the inevitable wear of time, but it multiplies when it is shared with others! A true joy is shared with others; it even spreads."
In his weekly catechesis, Pope Francis reflected on how the Holy Spirit empowered the Blessed Virgin Mary to become the Mother of God.