Today is the calendar feast day remembering the story of Lawrence. He was keeper of sacred books in 258AD. The greedy emperor commanded, "According to your doctrine, 'Render unto Caeser what belongs to him...' give me the Church's treasures". Lawrence asked for three days to do so. In three days, gathered before the palace, were lepers, orphans, the blind, lame, and widows. "Here are the Church's treasures!"
The emperor was not impressed. He had Lawrence tortured and then roasted to death on a gridiron. Rumor has it that after a while Lawrence had said, "Turn me over, I'm done on this side."
He is the patron saint of barbecuers.
It's a great story I think of every August 10 (his death day, thus born into heaven) to remember what's of most value. So often in scripture God is sad because of the neglect of people in need. "Whatever you do unto the least of these, you do unto Me."
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