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St. Lawrence

10 Saturday Aug 2019

Posted by thesophiacenterforspirituality in Uncategorized

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alms, courage, martyr, poor, selflessness, St. Lawrence, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, treasure

When I went to high school, my first homeroom teacher was Sister Lawrence Joseph. I was used to the masculine names of religious Sisters; in those days most of the more prestigious saints were men. Sister Lawrence wasn’t the best math teacher I ever had but I always remembered that her feast day was August 10th – the feast on the liturgical calendar of Saint Lawrence, Martyr – because of the way legend says he lived and died.

Lawrence was a deacon in the Church at Rome during the third century, the time when Christians were still being persecuted for their faith. As such, he was in the inner circle of the Pope so that when the Pope was assassinated, he knew it was likely that he would be next. As deacon of the Roman church, Lawrence had the responsibility for the material goods of the Church and the distribution of alms to the poor. He had been giving all the money on hand to the poor and even selling sacred vessels of the altar to increase the sum. When the prefect of Rome heard of this, he demanded that Lawrence bring all the treasure of the Church to him, “rendering to Caesar what was due.” Lawrence was given three days to assemble all the riches of the Church. When the prefect arrived, Lawrence had gathered all the poor, blind, lame maimed, leprous, orphaned and widowed people and said to the prefect, “These are the treasure of the Church.”

The fury of the prefect was known by the cruelty of the kind of death Lawrence was to die and the heroism of the saint was sealed by his response. The prefect had a large gridiron prepared with hot coals beneath it and Lawrence’s body placed on it. After he had suffered the pain for a long time, legend says, the saint made his famous cheerful remark, “It is well-done. Turn me over.” (http://www.franciscanmedia.com) Lawrence was said to be 33 years old at the time of his death.

In a moment of such violence in our own country and such courage seen in the lives of many young people speaking out and caring for their elders, St. Lawrence shines as an example of selflessness and ingenuity. Let our prayer today be for the end of senseless cruelty and a willingness to stand for those most in need of our courage and care.

A Cheerful Giver

10 Friday Aug 2018

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generosity, poor, St. Lawrence, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, treasures

agiftsAs one who is not overly enamored of the workings of internet technology, I must admit that I appreciate my findings more and more when I go surfing in the morning. Today I typed in the word generosity and found a lovely short paragraph from the University of Notre Dame that expresses what I think is inherent in all the lectionary readings for this date, celebrating the feast of St. Lawrence.

Generosity also involves giving to others not simply anything in abundance but rather giving those things that are good for others. Generosity always intends to enhance the true well-being of those to whom it gives.

The legends surrounding the life and death of St. Lawrence bear witness to this truth. Lawrence was a deacon in Rome in the third century serving Pope Sixtus II in a time of great persecution. Knowing he was likely to be arrested and martyred for his faith – as was the Pope – Lawrence, who was charged with responsibility for the material goods of the Church, began distributing all the money and selling even the sacred vessels to give to the poor. When the Roman official heard of this, he ordered Lawrence to bring him all the treasures of the Church saying that the emperor needed them to maintain the military forces. Lawrence agreed and gathered all the poor and infirm, orphans and widows…all the poor in any way, and lined them up. When the government official arrived to claim the riches, Lawrence said, “These are the treasures of the Church.”

That story calls me to consider what I see as “treasure” and how generous I am in my living. Whether we are materially rich or poor we all have gifts to give. Where do your gifts lie? Are you willing to open your hands and your heart to others in need? Are you willing to receive the generosity of others? The readings suggest, as does a song of long ago, that “God loves a cheerful giver.” May we all know the joys of generosity!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Giving Is Receiving

10 Thursday Aug 2017

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alms, Corinthians, generosity, psalm 112, share wealth, St. Lawrence, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

acastingwheatAll of the lectionary readings today are about generosity. On this feast of St. Lawrence, we hear about this young deacon in Rome the very early days of Christianity (c. 225 – 258). Legend tells us that Lawrence was charged with giving alms to the poor and when the pope was put to death and Lawrence knew that he would suffer the same fate for his faith, he gave all the money on hand to the poor and then sold the sacred vessels of the Church to add to what was available. In the first reading from 2 Corinthians 9, Paul says that whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully…for God loves a cheerful giver. Psalm 112 reminds us that those who are gracious and lend to those in need shall be blessed. Finally, in the gospel Jesus says, Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.

With the image of St. Lawrence hurrying around to all the poor, distributing funds from the Church to all those he could reach, and a farmer lavishly flinging seed to assure a great crop, I can feel the desire rising in me for a world wherein we share all of the wealth that is stored “just in case” instead of building bigger barns to house it all. And with that thought comes a wondering about what it is of myself that I only share when I am confident of a return or when it is easy to give of my time or talent for someone who might need a lift. Do I allow myself the recognition of the paradox that has always proven to be true: that in giving we know a freedom never available to one whose fists are closed tight against a possible loss?

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Cheerful Giver

10 Wednesday Aug 2016

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charity, cheerful giver, Corinthians, feed the poor, justice, martyr, St. Lawrence, St. Paul, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, treasures, valuable

afoodbankThe 2,000 years of Christianity have been punctuated with reminders of our duty toward “the poor among us.” The verse that begins today’s readings is clear. Paul says: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will reap bountifully. Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 COR 9:6) We would do well to meditate on the actions of St. Lawrence, whose feast is today, as we consider this Scripture text. He was a deacon in Rome during the early days of Christian persecution about whom almost all of the little that is known is legend. There is no birth date and a question mark follows the printed date of his death (d. 258?). He is remembered, however, as the story goes, for his actions when he was commanded to bring all the holy vessels that comprised the riches of the Church to the prefect (governor). He agreed but asked for three days to put together an inventory of what was valuable. When the prefect returned, Lawrence had gathered “a great number of blind, lame, maimed, leprous, orphaned and widowed persons and put them in rows…[and] simply said, ‘These are the treasures of the Church.'” (http://www.americancatholic.org) As you might imagine, St. Lawrence became a martyr shortly thereafter.

I am left after those readings with the same questions that come to me each time I am reminded of this issue of justice in the world. What can I do to help the people in my own community to be fed? Where are the children in our area who go to bed hungry? Why, in one of the riches countries in the world are there so many people who have to make a choice between rent and food or medicine and food or any other need and food? There are many questions about issues both individual and systemic. I find myself most often in the population that is charitable but not so involved in justice work. Today, when rain and mundane tasks will keep me inside, is a good day to take one more step across that line toward the difficult work of justice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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