This year we are celebrating the Jubilee of Mercy initiated by Pope Francis. In the Bull of Indiction of the extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy issued on 11th April 2015, Pope Francis stated: “It is my burning desire that during this Jubilee, Christians reflect on the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. It will be a way to reawaken our conscience, too often grown dull in the face of poverty. And let us enter more deeply into the heart of the Gospel where the poor have a special experience of God’s mercy. Jesus introduces us to these works of mercy in His preaching so that we can know whether or not we are living as His disciples. Let us rediscover these corporal works of mercy: to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger, heal the sick, visit the imprisoned, and bury the dead. And let us not forget the spiritual works of mercy: to counsel the doubtful, instruct the ignorant, admonish sinners, comfort the afflicted, forgive offences, bear patiently those who do us ill, and pray for the living and the dead.”
Saint Lawrence is without doubt one of the oldest saints of the Church whose ‘cult’ has flourished, a person known for his love and care for the poor and the weak.
According to tradition, St Lawrence was born in Huesca a city in the region of Aragona in Spain in ca.225 AD to Orentius and Patienta. At a point in his life, he had the opportunity to meet the future Pope Sixtus II, who was of Greek origin and one of the most famous and highly esteemed teachers in Zaragoza. Together they went to Rome, and when Sixtus later became Pope in 257, he ordained St Lawrence a deacon, and appointed him first among the seven deacons who served in the patriarchal church. He is often referred to as Archdeacon of Rome due to his position of great trust which included safeguarding the riches of the Church and the distribution of alms among the poor.
At that time, the Roman authorities under Emperor Valerian had established a rule whereby all Christians who had been denounced had to be executed and their goods confiscated. In August 258, the Emperor issued an edict that all bishops, priests, and deacons should immediately be put to death. Pope Sixtus II himself was captured on 6th August 258, at the cemetery of St Callixtus while celebrating the liturgy.
After the death of Pope Sixtus II, the prefect of Rome demanded St Lawrence to hand over all the riches of the Church, and according to Saint Ambrose, St Lawrence was given three days to collect all the Church’s wealth. On the third day, St Lawrence went to the prefect, and instead of presenting him with the Church’s riches, he presented the poor, the crippled, the blind and the suffering, who he considered to be the true treasures of the Church. After this act of defiance, the prefect sentenced him to a harsh martyrdom on 10th August 258.
Many saints have spoken and written about St Lawrence as did Saint Augustine. Today, we are also experiencing a time similar to that of St Lawrence where Christians are being killed for their faith. Only recently, Jacques Hamel, an 85-year-old French priest, was killed while celebrating Mass. Sadly, history keeps repeating itself.
We pray to St Lawrence who is honoured in the Vittoriosa and San Lawrenz (Gozo) parishes to intercede for the Church and give us the grace to love the weak and the outcast as well as not to fear being witnesses of Christ even if it demands suffering.
Fr Hermann Duncan O.Carm
Balluta