March Week 5

March 31, 2023 Virginia Estes

Virtue: Courage
Resolution: I choose to live boldly with a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind, in spite of fear.

Human Story: Lawrence of Rome (225 - 258)

When we read of the early church, certainly courage is a primary characteristic of many of our older brothers and sisters, and Saint Lawrence exemplifies courage in the utmost.

Roman Emperor Valerian was a persecutor of the church. On August 6, 258, Valerian continued this persecution by having the Bishop of Rome, Sixtus, captured while he was celebrating Mass and had him beheaded. Afterwards, he sent word to the young deacon Lawrence demanding he turn over all the riches of the Church, and he gave Lawrence three days to round it up.

Lawrence worked swiftly. He sold the Church’s vessels and gave the money to widows and the sick. He distributed all the Church’s property to the poor. On the third day, the Emperor summoned Lawrence to his palace and asked for the treasure. With great aplomb, Lawrence entered the palace, stopped, and then gestured back to the door where, streaming in behind him, poured crowds of poor, crippled, blind, and suffering people. “These are the true treasures of the Church,” he boldly proclaimed. One early account even has him adding, “The Church is truly rich, far richer than the Emperor.” (Author, Brandon Vogt)

This, of course, angered the Emperor and Lawrence was scourged, tortured, and imprisoned.

In his prison, however, he took no rest but wounded and bleeding as he was, he baptised the converts won to Christ by the sight of his courageous suffering. He confirmed their faith and fired their souls with a martyr’s intrepidity. When the evening hour summoned Rome to its pleasures, the prefect recalled the executioners to their work, for a few hours’ rest had sufficiently restored their energy to enable them to satisfy his cruelty.

Surrounded by this ill-favored company, the prefect thus addressed the valiant deacon: ‘Sacrifice to the gods, or else the whole night long shall be witness of your torments.’ ‘My night has no darkness,’ answered Laurence, ‘and all things are full of light to me.’ They struck him on the mouth with stone, but he smiled and said, ‘I give Thee thanks, O Christ.’

Then an iron bed or gridiron with three bars was brought in and the saint was stripped of his garments and extended upon it while burning coals were placed beneath it. As they were holding him down with iron fork, Lawrence said ‘I offer myself as a sacrifice to God for an odour of sweetness.’ The executioners continually stirred up the fire and brought fresh coals, while they still held him down with their forks. Then the saint said: ‘Learn, unhappy man, how great is the power of my God; for your burning coals give me refreshment but they will be your eternal punishment. I call Thee, O Lord, to witness: when I was accused, I did not deny Thee; when I was questioned, I confessed Thee, O Christ; on the red-hot coals I gave Thee thanks.’ And with his countenance radiant with heavenly beauty, … He then raised his eyes to his judge and said: ‘See, this side is well roasted; turn me on the other and eat.’ Then, continuing his canticle of praise to God [he said]: ‘I give Thee thanks, O Lord, that I have merited to enter into Thy dwelling place.’

Reference: https://anastpaul.com/2017/08/10/saint-of-the-day-feast-of-st-lawrence-of-rome-martyr/

Lesson: James 1:12

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

There’s a lot at stake when we are faced with a trial. Romans 5:3-4 tells us that when we persevere under suffering it produces character and character produces hope. But what if we don’t persevere? Some antonyms of character are evil, crookedness, viciousness, depravity, and the list goes on and on. And what do these things produce? Despair, distrust, discouragement, disbelief, and hopelessness. Second Corinthians 2:17 says that “our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”

Think of a child who needs an immunization because her grandfather has Hepatitis B. She is terrified of getting a shot, but this “light and momentary” pain is worth it so that she can have a face to face relationship with her grandfather. As adults, we often look at our situations the same way as this girl – with kicking and screaming and squirming when we come across trials in our lives. We need to remind ourselves what’s at stake (character and hope) and what awaits us in the end (the crown of life).

Remembrance

Henry Suso (1290-1365)

Remember that you will derive strength
by reflecting that the saints,
yearn for you
to join their ranks,
desire to see you fight bravely,
and behave like a true knight
in your encounters
with the same adversities
which they had to conquer
and that breathtaking joy
is the eternal reward,
for having endured a few years,
of temporal pain.
Every drop of earthly bitterness,
will be changed into
an ocean of heavenly sweetness.

Challenge

The girl who needs shots doesn’t want a nurse holding her as the injections are done. She wants her mom holding her, comforting her. Why? Because she knows her mom, she trusts her mom. In the same way, we can only lean into God when facing trials if we have already learned to trust His love for us.

Spend time meditating on these (or other) scriptures and/or listening to some of these songs. Develop a habit that regularly draws you into God’s presence so you can learn to trust Him always but especially in trials.

Scriptures
Deuteronomy 31:6,8
Joshua 1:5
Isaiah 41:10
Hebrews 13:5-6
Matthew 28:20

Songs
I will never leave you by Ben Glover
Never Once by Matt Redmond
A Mighty Fortress
Find You on My Knees by Kari Jobe
Eyes Fixed by Phil Wickham

Reflection

Ponder the trust it required for Lawrence to praise God while his flesh roasted over a fire. Can you trust God with your current trials?

Further Growth: 5th Sunday in Lent

2023: No 5th Week in March

Virtue: CourageResolution: I choose to live boldly with a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind, in spite of fear.