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10th August 2022 

Homily for the Feast of St. Lawrence

READ: 2 Cor 9:6-10; Jn 12: 24-26;

REFLECT:  Give and serve cheerfully

Dear friends, today we celebrate along with the Holy Mother Church the feast of St. Lawrence. Saint Lawrence was one of the seven deacons of the city of Rome under Pope Sixtus II who were martyred in the persecution of the Christians that the Roman Emperor Valerian ordered in 258. The brave act and the passion of St Lawrence in facing death gained a high admiration and esteem for the Christian religion in Rome and after his death there was widespread conversion to Christianity. St. Lawrence is honored in the city of Rome.

He is considered the third patron after St. Peter and St. Paul. The church built over his tomb, the Papal Minor Basilica di San Lorenzo fuori le Mura (Papal Basilica of Saint Lawrence outside the Walls), is one of the seven principal churches of Rome and a favorite place of Roman pilgrimages. He is the Patron of librarians, archivists, comedians, cooks and tanners. He stands as a model after the heart of Christ to love Christ, the church and his people. So based on the feast day liturgy, I would like to share with you few points of reflection;  

1.     Give Cheerfully:

We are in the world of giving and receiving. Some of us are cheerful when we give and some others are cheerful when received. Taking cheers while giving to the other is the most delighful experience one can have.  The first reading from Second letter to Corinthians gives us clear cut indications of how we need to cheerfully give, because as much as we give so much shall we receive too. So the reading tells us, “As you sow so shall you reap. If sown sparingly reaping shall be sparingly but if you sow bountifully reaping will also be bountiful. So give without reluctance and compulsion. For God loves the cheerful giver.” Yes, God loves everyone who gives cheerfully. That’s what we see in the life of St. Lawrence.

 St. Ambrose of Milan relates that when the treasures of the Church were demanded of Lawrence by the prefect of Rome, he brought forward the poor, to whom he had distributed the treasure as alms. “Behold in these poor persons the treasures which I promised to show you; to which I will add pearls and precious stones, those widows and consecrated virgins, which are the Church's crown.” The prefect was so angry that he had a great gridiron prepared with hot coals beneath it and had Lawrence placed on it, hence Lawrence’s association with the gridiron. After the martyr had suffered pain for a long time, he cheerfully declared: “I'm well done on this side. Turn me over!”

Yes, even in the hour of pain and struggle, St. Lawrence had the cheer and courage to give up his life for faith in God and to manifest the faith in God to people. Today we are also called to give cheerfully for the love of God and express our faith in God. When we give cheerfully, God gives us the grace to bear the pains of life and makes us cheerful always.

2.     Serve cheerfully:

In a world where still exists master-servant attitude or boss-worker feel, where a servant attitude is considered as below one’s dignity, we are called to serve one another cheerfully for the love of Christ, because, Christ himself became a servant of all by serving the human family cheerfully. That’s what Jesus says, “I have not come to be served but to serve,” in Matt 20:28, Mk 10:45. That’s what we hear in the Gospel reading of the day as well where Jesus after speaking about the grain of wheat and its purpose of falling into the earth, dying and bearing much fruit, “If anyone serves me, he must follow me and where I am my servant will be and the Father will honor him as well.” 

In our service to the human family in the likeness of Christ, people may not recognize or value us at times, but we are assured that we will be where Jesus will be and the heavenly Father will honor us in due time.  The cheerful submission and service done by St. Lawrence to Christianity by his pain and death opened the way for many to profess faith in Christ and be deeply rooted in the faith. His death as a martyr in Rome was a source of seed that sprouted and took strong root of faith for Christians in Rome initially and then all over the world.  Let us continue to serve God and his people even at times we may have to endure pain, suffering and hardships.

3.     Receive cheerfully:

When the giving and the serving are done cheerfully we receive the grace of God in abundance as well cheerfully. St. Lawrence gave his life cheerfully and served the people of his times cheerfully, therefore he received the grace of God to obtain strength to bear the burning heat of the fire for love of God. So let us give and serve others cheerfully, God will give us the grace to receive cheerfully whether it is joy or suffering for that matter.

Most of us hesitate to give and serve God or others, because, we have a feel as what to give or how to serve. But if we can give to God or serve God with what we have, with hearts and minds pure and serve one another, God will help us to receive the favor in store for us. So let us not ask what I shall give or how shall I serve, but have the willingness and happiness to share what we have and serve God and one another joyfully. Surely, God will provide us the privileges in due time.

RESPOND:

Do we get satisfaction and happiness by receiving or giving? The giving may be our time or talents, material or spiritual or financial benefits.

Do we serve others cheerfully or with a grumpy face grumbling and holding on grudges?

Let our giving and serving be cheerful to receive the grace of God. For God loves the cheerful giver.

“Those who serve princes for their own interest usually do their duties with more eagerness and greader ardour and   outward show; but those who serve for love do so more nobly , more generously and hence more worthily.” (TLG, Book XI, Ch.10)

Happy Feast of St. Lawrence. God Bless you all.

Live Jesus