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, wherever I am, my servant will be there too. If anyone serves me, my Father will honour him.”
Today’s readings talk a lot about God’s abundance and how as Christians, we should be generous in our giving.
For some, the most convenient way to give to others is by donating money. Especially so in more prosperous countries. While money can help to make the lives of the less fortunate easier, quality time and the donation of our skills and abilities can also make a huge difference to the church, charities, and people in distress.
We should also reflect on our giving habits, and what motivates us to do so. Do we do it grudgingly as an obligation? Or do we give so that we have a ‘get out of jail’ card with God that will offset some of the other wrongs in our life? If we are stingy, or only give to certain organisations but not others, what does that say about our biases and mental models?
Sometimes, the unwillingness to be generous stems from a scarcity mindset. If we have experienced hard times before, or have a very complex issue with money, we will want to hoard it for ourselves. Or if we have trusted others before only to have been betrayed, we may become sceptical and cynical of others’ intentions.
However, the saints and many great Christians before us continued to give selflessly — even in the face of great betrayal and difficulties. If we pray for wisdom to guide our actions, and trust that God will use our offerings in the best possible way, we will become more inclined to give.
To be in a position to be generous, is a wonderful blessing. May we be generous to others because a time may come when all we can depend on is their generosity to pull us out of hard times.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Gregory Mathew)
Prayer: We ask you Lord, to fill us with gratitude for all your blessings so that we can be generous to others.
Thanksgiving: We thank you Lord for the security and peace in our lives. May we never mistake stability for dullness, and calmness for your absence.
OXYGEN 
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