Thou hast crowned him with glory and honor, O Lord. And hast set him over the works of Thy hands.
Lawrence the Deacon performed a pious act by giving sight to the blind through the sign of the Cross, and bestowed upon the poor the riches of the Church. (Vigil Magnificat Antiphon)
We beseech Thee, almighty God, grant us to quench the flames of our vices, even as Thou gavest blessed Lawrence grace to overcome his fiery torments.
The saintly deacon was asked by the Roman Prefect to hand over the Church’s wealth. needing three days to do so, he gathered thousands of lepers, blind and sick people, the poor, the widows and orphans and the elderly and presented them to the Prefect. Angry, the Prefect killed Lawrence slowly by roasting him on a gridiron. Saying to his torturers, “I am done on that side, turn me over,” died with a prayer for Rome’s conversion to Christ on his lips. The has honored Lawrence with texts for Mass and the Divine Office thinking very highly of his witness to Christ and service to the Church.