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Commentary on the Gospel of Saturday, August 10, 2024
Two lessons
Few saints are celebrated in the universal Church as feast days if they are not apostles. One of them is St. Lawrence, a deacon of the community of Rome. His feast was already very popular in the fourth century. In the persecution of Valerian, he was martyred by being roasted alive on a grill, according to the Acts.
The Gospel reading underlines another aspect of St. Lawrence: his availability to sacrifice, even unto death. Jesus’ comparison is expressive: a grain of wheat dies in the earth’s bosom, but it is to bear fruit. Knowing how to renounce oneself is necessary to gain the most important values. The best model is Jesus, who sacrificed his life to save humanity. Lawrence, a lucid and generous martyr, knew how to follow the ways of Jesus. These are the two lessons that St. Lawrence can give us today: great charity towards the poor and total availability to bear witness to Christ, even to the point of martyrdom, if necessary.