SAINT LAWRENCE. (Homily for August 10, 2016. Wednesday of the 19th week in Ordinary Time.)


Bible Study: 2 Corinthians 9, 6 to 10. John 12, 24 to 26.


The lives of the Saints are like torchlights that help us navigate our ways through the dark corners of life. The saints were not extra-ordinary over-talented people, they were not celebrities or idols like our movie stars or musicians; they were simply ordinary people laden with weaknesses and limitations like we have. Yet, the small choices they made, the things they stood by and their refusal to compromise or give in to sin when it seemed plausible make them stand out as role models for us.

Saint Lawrence was one of seven deacons who were in charge of giving help to the poor and the needy. In the midst of a certain persecution, Lawrence, seeing that the Pope had been condemned to death decided to gave to the poor the rest of the money he had on hand and even sold expensive vessels to have more to give away.

The Prefect of Rome, a greedy pagan, thought the Church had a great fortune hidden away. So he ordered Lawrence to bring the Church's treasure to him. The Saint said he would, in three days. Then he went through the city and gathered together all the poor and sick people supported by the Church. When he showed them to the Prefect, he said: "This is the Church's treasure!"

In great anger, the Prefect condemned Lawrence to a slow, cruel death. The Saint was tied on top of an iron grill over a slow fire that roasted his flesh little by little, but Lawrence was burning with so much love of God that he almost did not feel the flames. In fact, God gave him so much strength and joy that he even joked. "Turn me over," he said to the judge. "I'm done on this side!" And just before he died, he said, "It's cooked enough now." Then he prayed that the city of Rome might be converted to Jesus and that the Catholic Faith might spread all over the world.

One of man’s greatest fears is the fear of dying. When threatened with death, we are so easily moved to compromise even our strongly held beliefs, our true nature so to say, comes out. But Jesus is saying to us today, “Unless a grain of wheat falls down and die, it remains only a single grain but when it dies, it bears much fruit.” In other words, our greatest fear should not be death itself but falling into sin. We shouldn’t see death as something bad but as a gateway, a ticket so to say to greater glory. Once we overcome the fear of dying and are prepared to die for our beliefs that is only when we begin to live as Christians.

We need to change our attitude to death. The worst thing that can happen to me is not that I die but that I give in to sin because I am trying to preserve my life. What is there in this painful world that is never free of problems for which I should compromise my faith? St. Paul says to us this morning thin sowing yields thin reaping but he who sows in abundance will also reap in abundance. One gift I can offer to God is the gift of my death.

Let us pray:
Lord Jesus, may the fear of dying not prevent me from walking in your light. Amen.


Good morning. Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you.

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