St Laurence the Deacon and Martyr

Laurence is as illustrious to Rome as Stephen is to Jerusalem, the brilliance of his martyrdom and bold confession shining in unexcelled light. He gave the treasures of the church to the poor rather than to the wicked Romans who demanded them, and he gave his life in faithfulness rather than succumb to the great pain of his torture and martyrdom. Let us pray for like constancy of faith, for the fire of his love for his Lord made the fires destroying his flesh seem cold by comparison. Sermon for St. Laurence Day. The video is here.