Saint Lawrence

When a grain of wheat is planted and dies, it doesn’t stop being wheat. It becomes something greater through fulfilling the purpose for which it was created. When the grain is not planted, it remains small and insignificant, and it doesn’t achieve all its potential. Our Lord in today’s Gospel uses this example when he is told that some Greeks would like to meet him. His Passion is close, and even those beyond the confines of Israel would benefit from it, like the Greeks, but it would require that he be planted on the Cross and die in order to achieve salvation.

If a grain of wheat could feel it’s destruction in order to provide new growth and purpose, it would be an agony. Our Lord also chooses this process to describe what spiritual growth is like, not just in the case of martyrdom. Mortification is a process of “deadening” yourself to the things of this world in order to become detached from them and able to focus and use them for greater spiritual goods. However, everyone knows that this process of deadening, especially at the beginning, feels like dying: detachment means un-attaching yourself to something you’ve been stuck on for a long time, and that’s not easy. In the very moment you try to pull away you achieve a greater insight into how enslaved you really are and how much you are in need of liberation.

This process is not necessarily always done for spiritual reasons: many people sacrifice themselves for a higher purpose, even a noble one. St. Lawrence and Our Lord remind us that martyrdom is a supreme sacrifice for love of God and of souls. It is not just death; it is service and transformation. Even if we’re not called to martyrdom, let’s resolve to live less for the world and more for God and for others.

Readings: 2 Corinthians 9:6–10; Psalm 112:1–9; John 12:24–26. See also St. Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr and 11th Week in Ordinary Time, Wednesday.

Deacons are characterized by service, and the heroic witness of St. Lawrence reminds us that service cannot just be skin deep. There is a difference between the 9-5 attitude of a customer service representative, as noble a work as that may be, and seeing service as a mission that has no limits. Deacons serve in imitation of Christ, who became the servant of all through his sacrifice on the Cross. In the case of St. Lawrence his ministry as deacon reflected Christ’s service perfectly and reminded us that we are all called to service, even to the point of dedicating our lives and, if necessary, surrendering them for the sake of the Gospel.

As Paul reminds us in the First Reading we must be joyful in giving, and not stingy. The example of martyrdom summarizes that principle to a tee: in the Gospel Our Lord reminds us that, like a grain of wheat, we must die to ourselves in order to become something better, something fruitful. St. Lawrence gave witness to a service and concern for others and the Gospel that was not just skin deep: he didn’t see his mission of administering the material goods of the Church for the sake of the poor as just a job. The poor were his treasure and material goods were just a means of serving them.

Let’s pray for all deacons today, and let’s pray that Our Lord help us to serve generously and profoundly, not shy about being that grain of wheat that dies in order to bear fruit for others.

Readings: 2 Corinthians 9:6–10; Psalm 112:1–9; John 12:24–26.