10 August, Thursday — Unlearn

Aug 10 – Feast of St. Lawrence, deacon and martyr

St. Lawrence was a third-century archdeacon of Rome, a distributor of alms, and “keeper of the treasures of the Church” in a time when Christianity was outlawed. On 6 August 258, by decree of Emperor Valerian, Pope St. Sixtus II and six deacons were beheaded, leaving Lawrence as the ranking Church official in Rome.

While in prison awaiting execution, Sixtus reassured Lawrence that he was not being left behind; they would be reunited in four days. Lawrence saw this time as an opportunity to disperse the material wealth of the church before the Roman authorities could lay their hands on it.

On Aug 10, Lawrence was commanded to appear for his execution, and to bring along the treasure with which he had been entrusted by the pope. When he arrived, the archdeacon was accompanied by a multitude of Rome’s crippled, blind, sick, and indigent. He announced that these were the true treasures of the Church. He died a martyr for the faith.

Lawrence’s care for the poor, the ill, and the neglected have led to his patronage of them. His work to save the material wealth of the Church, including the documents, brought librarians and those in related fields to see him as a patron, and to ask for his intercession. And his incredible strength and courage when being grilled to death led to his patronage of cooks and those who work in, or supply things to, the kitchen. The meteor shower that follows the passage of the Swift-Tuttle comet was known in the middle ages as the ‘burning tears of St. Lawrence’ because they appear at the same time as Lawrence’s feast.

• Patron Saint Index

2 Cor 9:6-10
Jn 12:24-26

“If a man serves me, he must follow me…”

In this life, most of us have been conditioned for a few things since we had the ability to understand words. Listen to your parents, respect your elders, don’t follow strangers, go to school, don’t do drugs, get good grades, get into a good school, secure your finances, provide for your children, invest & earn passive income, retire young etc…. The list goes on; some more important than others, depending on our family background.

Later in life, some of us meet Jesus and we realise that all the comfort, security and planning isn’t quite the way of God. We read it, we hear it in homilies, but do we really let go of this need for security and control?

How many of us, or how many people do we know, have amassed enough for a few generations and yet are still unfulfilled and still accumulating wealth and status and power? How many people do we know, have over insured their lives and families lives, so their future generations are secured many times over? How many of us cannot depend on God when the chips are down, but will indeed use all our gifts and talents to make right our situations by our own strength?

No one is saying to not be a responsible spouse, parent, child, co-worker and all that, but do we really need all that we have? And could we live a simpler life, listening to God’s call and to give a little more, look out for our neighbour a little more and depend on ourselves a little less.

I tend to tell myself, “but he was God after all”, He could take the path to Calvary, spend time with the sick and downtrodden and love till it hurts. I have not tried till it hurts as much as he hurt during his Passion, but when I can, I choose the path of comfort, the path that makes more logical sense for my family’s well-being.

But what if we just decided to let go a little more? Maybe a little bit more every month or quarter and allow God’s hand to work a little more. As a worker, a Christian should give their 100% and glorify God where they are planted, but it doesn’t mean we need to put in more hours than a certain co-worker to justify a promotion. What is our intention? To give 100% or to get a promotion. In giving 100%, God promises that we will produce much fruit.

Jesus didn’t come with the intention of starting a political revolution, or even to build a movement that would last till today. He came to do His Father’s will and in that, depended on His Father and it bore fruit.  Maybe it’s time we paid a little less lip service and a bit more intentional action, to do our Father’s will.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Daryl De Payva)

Prayer: Lord, when I say, give me this day our daily bread, let me not take it for granted but truly experience your providence in my life.

Thanksgiving: You have given me much, Father, and I can never be thankful enough for your blessings in my life.