Today is the feast of St. Lawrence, deacon and martyr.
From A Year with the Saints:
After the martrydom of Pope Sixtus II and four deacons at the catacombs of St. Callistus, Lawrence sold the sacred vessels and distributed all the money in his hands to the poor. The Prefect of Rome, informed about this generous charities, ordered him to surrender to the emperor the treasures of the Church to be used to strengthen the army.Lawrence sent the Prefect a clear message - the things of this world are ordained for the genuine good of all, especially those most in need, and the real treasures are not things, but people.
Lawrence came back and presented all the poor of the Prefect, saying: These are the treasures of the Church. The Prefect was maddened by his words and decided to have him killed.
He sends us the same reminder.
(other links to St. Lawrence: 1; audio: 2)
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