August 23 / August 10

The Holy Martyrs Archdeacon Lawrence; Sixtus, Pope of Rome; and others with them

When Pope Stephen was slain (August 2),  Sixtus, who was an Athenian by birth, was appointed in his place. Sixtus was at one time a philosopher and then became a Christian. This was a time in which the bishops of Rome were slain one after the other: to become Bishop of Rome meant to be consigned to martyrdom. Emperor Decius was determined to destroy Christianity. Pope Sixtus was quickly brought to trial, with two of his deacons—Felicissimus and Agapitus. As the three were led to prison, Archdeacon Lawrence said to the pope: “Where are you going, Father, without your son? Where, O bishop, without your archdeacon?” The pope consoled him, prophesying to Lawrence that he would undergo even greater tortures for Christ, and that he would shortly take this path. And indeed, as soon as they had beheaded Sixtus and his two deacons, Lawrence was apprehended. Lawrence had presciently placed all of his affairs, and the affairs of the Church, in order. As treasurer and steward of the Church, he removed all of the Church’s valuables to the home of the widower Cyriacus. (On that same occasion, he healed Cyriacus of terrible head pain by the touch of his hand and restored the sight of a blind man, Crescention.) After being thrown into prison, Lawrence healed Lucillus, a prisoner of many years, of blindness; and then he baptized him. Witnessing this, Hippolytus, their jailer, was also baptized. He later suffered for Christ (August 13). Since Lawrence did not want to deny Christ— but on the contrary, advised Emperor Decius to reject his false gods—his face was beaten with stones, and his body was beaten with a scorpion (a chain with sharp teeth, and a curved handle like a scorpion’s tail). Romanus, a soldier present at the torture, converted to the Christian Faith, and was immediately beheaded. In the end, they placed Lawrence on a gridiron, naked, and lit a fire under him. Roasting in the fire, St. Lawrence thanked God and mocked the emperor for his paganism. After Lawrence gave his pure and heroic soul to God, Hippolytus removed his body under cover of night to the home of Cyriacus, and then to a cave, where Hippolytus honorably buried him. St. Lawrence, with the others, suffered in the year 258.

2.  Saint Heron

Heron was a Christian philosopher. He is mentioned by St. Gregory the Theologian in his books. He died peacefully and took up his eternal habitation with the Lord.

• Blessed Lawrence, fool-for-Christ, of Kaluga (1515).
• Synaxis of New Martyrs and Confessors of Solovki.

HYMN OF PRAISE

The Holy Martyr, Saint Lawrence

The impious emperor asked Lawrence:
“Where are you from? What is your rank?”
To which Lawrence replied:
“From Spain, educated in Rome,
And I am a servant of the One God.”
“Are you the guardian of the treasury of the Church?”
“Of that good treasure, I am, O Emperor.”
“Give us the treasure, and save your life!”
“The treasure of the Church is in heaven—
If you too believe in the Lord Christ,
You will also inherit that treasure!”
“Lawrence, renounce Christ!”
“O Emperor, renounce the idols!”
The emperor, enraged, summoned his servants,
Who beat Lawrence and crushed him,
And laid him on a burning grid.
“To me, this fire is cool,
But the fire in hades is ready for you!”
“Lawrence, renounce Christ!
Do you not regret dying young?”
“Christ suffered for me on the Cross:
He died for me, and I will die for Him.”
With one side of his body consumed by the flames,
Lawrence said to his torturers:
“My body is just half cooked,
Turn me over—here is your food!
Turn me over, and cook the other side!”
He spoke and his soul departed
To the sweet heavenly mansions.

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