About Lawrence: Early in the third century AD, Lawrence, most likely from Spain, made his way to Rome. There he was appointed chief of the seven deacons and was given the responsibility to manage Church property and finances. The emperor at the time, who thought that the Church had valuable things worth confiscating, ordered Lawrence to produce the ‘treasures of the Church.’ According to tradition, Lawrence brought before the emperor the poor whose lives had been touched by Christian charity. He was then jailed and eventually executed in the year AD 258 by being roasted on a gridiron. His martyrdom left a deep impression on the young Church because he was a Roman citizen tortured and executed by Roman authorities. Almost immediately, the date of this death, August 10, became a permanent fixture on the early commemorative calendar of the Church. (adapted from The Treasury of Daily Prayer, CPH).
Reflection: I would think Lawrence knew the location of the Church’s treasure! He knew exactly where it was as in the old pirate maps: when X marks the spot, that is the Cross of Jesus Christ. He knew that the treasures of Christ’s grace is for the poor, the lame, the orphans and the widows, for all who hunger and thirst for righteousness, that is, the poor in spirit. In the midst of Watergate in the 70s, Bob Woodward was told by his informant, “to follow the money”. All of the world follows the money. Lawrence did not “follow the money”: he followed His Lord and yours. As a steward of Jesus Christ, His deacon, Lawrence maintained earthly treasure probably well but gold does not make the Church, only the blood of Christ.
When the Church and her Christians think the true treasures of the church are in the offering plates/big budgets or our “creative ministries” or our programs, and not the Cross and Sacraments, Scripture and Service in His love, then, “…we are in danger of losing the things that make the Church in favor of those who claim to make the Church. Church leaders only gain legitimacy when they are the delivery point of the divine gifts.” (Pr. Murray, A Year with the Church Fathers, CPH) Lawrence and many others so delivered the divine gifts and were delivered up as martyrs and their witness heartens us.
The Commemoration of St. Lawrence is our time quite timely, to say the least, given the martyrdoms that have occurred and are happening in Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Nigeria. It is hard to contemplate Lawrence being killed by being roasted live on fire. It is hard to believe a 5 year old boy being cut in half by ISIS. We hear that ISIS is full of anger and hatred…but are they?
Were the Nazis full of hatred and anger when they murdered 6 million Jews and 5 milion Gypsies, Communists, homosexuals and Christians? Probably at one time. In a seminary seminar course on the Holocaust we studied the fact that initially the Nazis took Jews in train cars to isolated areas and then gunned them down burying them in mass graves. The Nazi State soon realized this was using too much ammunition, time and effort, too many vital war assets. Eventually they improved the ‘extermination’ of Jews and others with the invention of Zykon-B gas and high tech ovens to burn the bodies efficiently into ashes. There was no more anger and hatred, just cold-blooded technological efficiency.
ISIS can cut a boy in half with disinterested efficiency and many other brutalities. We exterminate some 2 million infants a year in abortion with medical technology that is suppose to save lives and then ‘harvest’ the organs and sell them. Dr. Mengeles are active in our country daily. The Roman Emperor probably executed many others by grilling them alive without batting an eye. Just think of the depth of depravity of sin! Animals do not kill each other for ideology or sport or enjoyment, but man does. When the Church is driven out by a government, eventually the State becomes god and will not tolerate the one true God, but Lawrence served the poor in Jesus Christ. We remember Lawrence but not the tyrant who had him murdered. I have known Lawrences but I have never met anyone named Valerian or Nero, maybe someone would name their dog ‘Nero”. We remember what the Lord said to Saul on the road to Damascus: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” 5 And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. (Acts 9: 4-5) As Pr. Fiene ended an excellent article,
“”May God turn the hearts of all who are abusing, raping, terrorizing, and killing our brothers and sisters throughout the world. May God bring them to faith in Christ, who has put away their murderous sins and won every gemstone of His Father’s love for them. May God fill our enemies with the Holy Spirit, that they may put down their swords and share the treasure of Christ’s kingdom with those whom they once sought to destroy.”
Concordia and Koinonia 
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