10 August 258 A.D. 1662 Book of
Common Prayer: Lawrence, 258 A.D., a Martyr.
While we occasionally complain
about a few note heres and there, we are ever-thankful for the historic
mindedness of old school Anglicans. We
surely are not Americans with anti-history and anti-intellectualism in our
doctrinal, worship or piety DNA.
Americans think the church started with R.C. Sproul, John Piper, Mark
Driscoll or some other oddball. Or, as
bad, that the church begin with the American rebellion from England. Or, the
church began with the Reformers or Puritans.
St. Lawrence, Martyr, the chief Deacon of
the Church of Rome under Sextus II., and martyred after him in A.D. 258, in the
persecution of Valerian. He was tortured for refusing to the up the Church
treasures, and broiled to death on an iron frame like a gridiron. His name is
commemorated in the Calendar of 354, and found in the Sacramentary of Gregory
the Great. No martyrdom seems to have made more impression in the Middle Ages,
or to have been more hallowed by festal celebration and dedication of churches,
both in the East and the West. -- August 10th.
No comments:
Post a Comment