While at Canisius College for a
wedding a few weeks ago, I noticed a statue of the Jesuit Martyr Isaac Jogues
on the main quad just outside the Chapel.
On the wall behind this statue is a quote from the early Church Father
Tertullian, which reads “The Blood of the Martyrs is the Seed of the Church.”
Our own patroness Kateri’s story
came immediately to mind, as Kateri’s faith was fostered in a place where only
ten years before her birth, Father Isaac Jogues and his companions were martyred.
And this quote came to mind as I was
reading about St. Lawrence, whose feast we celebrate today, and as I read and
meditated on today’s Gospel. For just as
the wheat seed must die for the plant to grow and produce much fruit, our
Church has grown and flourished in large part because of the contribution its
holy martyrs have made, giving their all out of devotion to Our Lord.
Lawrence was a third-century Roman
Deacon. Soon after the martyrdom of Pope
Sixtus II (whose feast we celebrated Tuesday) at the hands of the Romans,
tradition tells us that Lawrence was ordered to immediately surrender the
riches of the Church to the Emperor. In
defiance, he gave away the earthly goods of the Church to the poor and three
days later returned to the authorities accompanied by the destitute, blind,
crippled and suffering, proclaiming “here are the riches of the
Church.” He was promptly sentenced to
die and according to tradition was burned on the gridiron.
Now Lawrence is called the “proto-deacon,”
meaning the prime example for all ordained deacons, because of his great faith,
compassion for the poor, and devotion
and obedience to his bishop, the Pope. And
just as he is a marvelous example for those of us called to serve the Lord as
deacons, Lawrence is a marvelous example for all the Faithful. But as great as was the example of his life, the
reason our vestments today are red is to recall that Lawrence earned the crown
of martyrdom - we recall that his faith was stronger than his love for life.
Which brings us back to the quote at
Canisius College – “the Blood of Martyrs is the Seed of the Church.” There can be no doubt that the Church thrives
on the wonderful example of the good and holy women and men, like St. Lawrence,
whose faith is so strong that they are not deterred by death. And as our Church continues to face
persecution today in many parts of the world, and as there seems to be ever
increasing hostility toward Christians here in our own country, we can rejoice and
take comfort from the example of saints like Lawrence. For in times of adversity our Church conforms
itself ever more faithfully to the Cross of the Lord Himself, and grows and thrives!
And even if we are not called to
face death for the Faith, we are called to give our lives to the Lord, in
whatever vocation we are to follow – married or single, ordained priest, deacon
or religious. May God give us grace and
increased faith to conform our lives ever more closely to the example of the
servant Lawrence and the Lord Jesus Himself, who with the Father lives and
reigns forever. Amen.
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