Saint Talk: St. Lawrence, Patron of Comedians

"The Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence,"
 by Masters of the Acts of Mercy

Little is known about St. Lawrence, but most accounts indicate he was martyred in 258AD and celebration of his feast day spread rapidly. St. Lawrence "has been one of the most honoured martyrs of the Roman Church" since the 4th Century (Catholic Encyclopedia).

Lawrence was a Roman deacon who served under Pope Sixtus II. According to New Advent's Catholic Encyclopedia, Sixtus and later Lawrence were victims of the persecution of Valerian. St. Ambrose of Milan wrote an account of St. Lawrence's martyrdom and described him being burned on a gridiron.

What I found most interesting about St. Lawrence is that he is considered the patron of comedians. According to St. Ambrose's account, Lawrence was executed by being placed on a gridiron over coals of fire. While he was literally being cooked alive, he called to his persecutors, "I'm done on that side. Flip me over." One other funny note - St. Lawrence is also the patron of cooks.

St. Lawrence teaches us a valuable lesson that in times of adversity we too should trust so much in the power of God that we can face anything with cheerfulness.