St. Lawrence, glorious deacon

As if I needed one more reminder as to how quickly time flies by, it took receiving a wonderful email from a brother deacon to remind me that today is the feast of that great Roman deacon, St. Lawrence, who was blessed to experience martyrdom. Yes, blessed, not deprived in any way.

St. Lawrence being given the martyr's crown by the infant Jesus, by Claude de Jonge, 1634

Lawrence was martyred in 258 during the persecution of the Roman emperor Valerian. he served as one of Rome's seven deacons under Pope Sixtus II, who also perished in this persecution. I think every deacon should aspire to serve his bishop by serving God's people in the same manner as Lawrence, that is, with his whole self, in imitation of Christ.