Evil is never very far away.

Not far from where you sit right now, domestic violence and child abuse in all their forms are raging. Not far from where you sit right now, drugs are being sold to children and changing the direction of their lives forever. Not far from where you sit at this moment, there are too many people who have nothing to lose. Not far from where you sit right now, people are so hungry they cannot sleep.

Saint Lawrence knew there was evil all around him, and was prepared to defy it by doing good. 

Lawrence was a deacon in Rome under Pope Sixtus II, who we covered just a few days ago on August 7. In the year 258, Emperor Valerian issued an edict demanding the execution of all bishops, priests, and deacons. Pope Sixtus II was captured and executed, but before his arrest, he prophesied that Lawrence would follow him in martyrdom three days later. As the Roman Prefect targeted the wealth of the church, he summoned Lawrence and commanded him to surrender the church's treasures. In response, Lawrence requested three days to gather them. 

Lawrence, knowing that evil would show no mercy, had other ideas than what the Roman authorities asked of him. He used these three days to distribute the Church’s wealth to the poor. He then presented these poor, sick, and disabled people before the prefect, boldly proclaiming, "These are the true treasures of the Church."

Infuriated by this defiance, the Prefect condemned Lawrence to a brutal death: he was to be roasted alive on a gridiron. Remarkably, Lawrence endured his tortures with such faith and courage that he is famously remembered for jesting with his executioners, "Turn me over; I'm done on this side!" He died on August 10, 258, just as Sixtus had prophesied.

Almost all of us have witnessed evil. But witnessing evil in the lives of others is not the same as being touched by evil yourself. The touch of evil is something you never forget. It chills you to the bone, and leaves you in a white-hot rage.

It’s up to you to let that experience make you a better person. There is no precise formula for how to do it, and no one can tell you how exactly to get to the other side when evil comes to visit. But one thing is for certain: you are in control of yourself. You can let yourself be defeated, or you can take a cue from Saint Lawrence, and defy evil with good. It is not an easy path, but one thing is sure: you will never lose your soul.



Feast Day: August 10

Patron Saint of: Comedians, Archivists, Librarians, Students, Miners, Tanners, Chefs, The Poor, and Firefighters

Symbols: A Palm Frond and A Gridiron