There is much more to Saint Lawrence than a witty mind and a sense of humor. He is a model for all the servants of the servants of the servants of God.
Saint Lawrence is well known for having called out to his executioners, as he was being roasted alive, “I’m done on this side, you can turn me over.” And for this he has been named the patron saint of comedians, chefs, and football (because he died on the gridiron.) And while we may contemplate the grace that allowed Lawrence to respond to his horrific execution with such good humor, it can overshadow other aspects of his story that are worth mediating on, particularly as Lawrence is also the patron saint of deacons.
Servant to the Bishop
The deacon is a servant. The word “deacon” comes from the Greek word “diakonia,” meaning “to serve.” When he is ordained, the deacon swears an oath of obedience to the bishop and his successors. The deacon is sometimes referred to as the eyes and ears of the bishop, because the deacon is in a position to better assess the needs of the faithful and confer with the bishop in addressing those needs.
The dalmatic, the liturgical vestment of the deacon is also a symbol of the closeness of the deacon to his bishop. Before it became associated with deacons the dalmatic was only worn by the bishop, under the chasuble. As a sign of his closeness to the deacon, the bishop “lends” his dalmatic to his deacon.
During the liturgy, unlike a priest who celebrates “with” the bishop, the deacon assists the bishop with the sacrifice of Mass.
The relationship between bishop and deacon is very much like the relationship between a father and his son and the story of Saint Lawrence shows this beautifully.
Father and Son
In A.D. 257 Emperor Valerian issued an edict requiring all Christian clergy to renounce their faith and offer sacrifice to Roman Gods. Valerian did not live in Rome at the time, he was off fighting the Persians. And so it fell to the Prefect of Rome, Cornelius Secondus, to enforce the law. Cornelius sent soldiers to arrest the bishop of Rome (Pope Saint Sixtus II) and any clergy that were with him. They found Pope Sixtus and six of his deacons celebrating Mass, Lawrence was not there at the time.
The Pope and his deacons were arrested. As they were being taken away Lawrence came upon the scene and started to follow his bishop:
“Where do you go without your son, father? Where, holy priest, do you hurry without your deacon? Never have you offered sacrifice without your minister. What then has displeased you in me, father? Have you found me ignoble? Make proof surely whether you did choose a worthy minister. Do you deny a share in your blood to one to whom you did entrust the consecration of the Lord’s blood, and a share in the celebration of the sacraments?… Abraham offered his son, Peter sent Stephen before him…”
But Sixtus answered:
“I do not leave or abandon you, son, but greater contests await you. We, as elder men, receive the way of an easier combat; a more glorious triumph against the tyrant awaits you as a younger man. Soon shall you come after, cease weeping; after three days shall you follow me, as levite follows priest.”
Sixtus and his deacons would not renounce their faith or sacrifice to the Roman Gods. And for this they were executed. Cornelius then turned his attention towards Lawrence.
Keeper of the Treasure
Lawrence was not arrested immediately because Cornelius discovered that Lawrence was the keeper of the treasure of the Church. The Prefect had Lawrence brought before him and declared that as Christians were members of an outlawed sect, all their goods and possessions were forfeit to the state. Lawrence was given three days to gather the treasure of the Church and bring it to Cornelius.
Three days later Lawrence presented himself to Cornelius and informed the Roman that all the treasure of the Church had been gathered into the courtyard. But when then the Prefect went to inspect the treasure he did not see the gold and silver and jewels he was expecting, instead he found a courtyard full of widows, orphans, elderly, and handicapped people.
“This is the treasure of the Church,” declared Lawrence, “a greater treasure than you or your emperor will ever know.” It was at this point that Lawrence was arrested, tried, found guilty of being a Christian, and sentenced to death. After severe torture, he was tied to a grillwork of iron and roasted over an open fire.
Servant of the People
As a guardian of the wealth of the Church, it was the job of deacon Lawrence to take the material contributions, the Sunday collection if you will, and distribute it to the poor and needy, those who relied on the Church for their sustenance.
The true treasure of the Church is the people who make up the Church, and the deacon is called to serve the people of God. He does this in works of charity, by preaching the Gospel, and by serving in the liturgy which is the public prayer of the people.
Saint Lawrence demonstrates to us the work of the deacon. He is a servant to the bishop, a son to a father. He helps the bishop to understand the needs of the people.
The deacon is also a servant of the people, administering to their spiritual and sometimes physical needs.
And the deacon is sometimes called to serve the Church in an administrative way, seeing that the needs of the people are truly met.
There is much more to Saint Lawrence than a witty mind and a sense of humor. He is a model for all the servants of the servants of the servants of God.
“Father,
you called Saint Lawrence to serve you by love
and crowned his life with glorious martyrdom.
Help us to be like him
in loving you and doing your work.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
– Amen.” –Liturgy of the Hours, Feast of Saint Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr
all artwork is by the author ©Lawrence Klimecki, please do not reuse without permission