St. Lawrence, Deacon, Saturday – 10th August 2023 – 2 Cor 9,6-10; Jn 12,24-26
Generosity and Sacrifice
When Sixtus became Bishop of Rome and Pope in 257, Lawrence was ordained a deacon. He spent his diaconal ministry in taking care of the poor and sick believers in Rome. He was also in charge of administering church goods. As a deacon, he was known for his generosity and service. To him, the outcast and lowly were the riches of the church. He was willing to give his life in order that the faith of the church may grow. He was martyred by being “roasted” to death over hot fire and coals. St.Lawrence remains a model for generosity and sacrifice.
The first reading speaks about being generous when giving. We are generous to others not because we want God to reward us, but because we have already received so much from God. We should share with others from the richness the Lord Jesus has lavished on us so that they, in turn, might experience God’s generosity. In the Gospel, we find the comparison of the death of a grain of wheat to the lives of the disciples. It is only when a grain of wheat gives up its own life that further grains can grow. Jesus equates service of others with a dying of self, just as he himself performed service, including the ultimate service of his dying on the cross.
