Feast of Saint Lawrence, deacon and martyr
Today is the feast of St. Lawrence, deacon of Rome, who was roasted to death during the persecutions of Emperor Valerian in the fourth century. Martyrdom, this definite moment of witness and surrender to the Lord is a fate that so many yesterday and today have undergone. Their lives are the grain of wheat that falls to the ground and produces much fruit, as mentioned in today's gospel.
We may not experience this definite moment of ultimate witness in our own lives. But we may ask ourselves, how can I surrender more fully and more whole-heartedly my life to the Lord today? What am I holding on to with my own strength and my own sense of control? What if I were to let go? The fall may be painful at first, but we may be surprised by the beauty of the fruit that with a little bit of time begins to grow.