Holy Grail, Holy Girls, and Holy Grill

August 12, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Lawrence before the Roman prefect Valerius

On August 10, the Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of St. Lawrence of Rome.

I remember his story from my childhood:  His name is evocative of romance, of danger, of grit and guts and grace.  Among the hundreds of saints who have been formally canonized by the Church, St. Lawrence stood out in my youthful mind as a sort of Robin Hood figure—loving the poor, jovial in his daring example before the King.

In particular, I was entranced by three stories from his life:  the legend of the sacred chalice, the treasures of the Church, and his brave good humor during his martyrdom.  In essence, the Holy Grail, the holy girls, and the holy grill.

THE HOLY GRAIL

The Holy Grail, enshrined in Valencia

As a deacon, Lawrence was entrusted with the Church’s treasures—including, according to lore, the cup from which Jesus and his Apostles drank at the Last Supper.  When it seemed that this most precious of relics might be taken from him, Lawrence found a way to send the cup to his parents in Huesca (in present-dayAragon) for safekeeping, along with a letter explaining its significance.  In Huesca, the Holy Chalice was believed to have been given by Lawrence’s parents to the nearby monastery of San Juan de la Peña for preservation and veneration; and there, it remained hidden for centuries. 

Through the ages, the cup, which has been called the Holy Grail, has been protected and venerated by monks and monasteries in Aragon.  Today, the Holy Grail is enshrined in a special chapel in the Catholic Cathedral of Valencia, Spain.

THE HOLY GIRLS

Well, actually, the holy old people, too.  And men.  And the sick.  And the homeless and disenfranchised. St.Lawrence recognized their importance in the eyes of God. 

St. Ambrose told the story of how Pope Sixtus II and six deacons were beheaded during the persecution by Valerian in 258 A.D.  Following Sixtus’ death, Lawrence realized that the prefect of Rome would attempt to confiscate the riches of the Church; and he began to distribute the valuable and costly items among the Church’s poor—even selling the sacred vessels.  Three days later, he was commanded to appear before the prefect of Romeand to turn over the “riches of the Church.”  St. Lawrence brought with him a small group of people:  the poor, the homeless, the crippled, the blind and the suffering.  “These,” he said to the prefect, “are the true treasures of the Church.” 

As a result he was sentenced to be executed.

THE HOLY GRILL

According to tradition, St. Lawrence was “grilled” to death—he was bound and his body thrown onto a grill over a hot fire, and he was slowly roasted.  The story is told by Aurelius Prudentius Clemens in his Peristephanon, Hymn II:  Even while burning on the gridiron, Lawrence joked about their cooking him enough to eat.  “Turn me over,” he said, “I’m done on this side.” 

Lawrence was buried in the Catacomb of Cyriaca on the Via Tiburtina by Hippolytus and Justinus, faithful Christians.  He is the patron of cooks and chefs.

Filed Under: Character, Charity, Martyrs, Saints Tagged With: , , Leave a Comment

Big News for Archeology and for Christendom: Tomb of Apostle Philip Uncovered in Turkey

July 30, 2011 By 1 Comment

He’s kind of like the “Come and See” Saint.

– Philip brought to Jesus his friend Nathaniel who, along with Philip, dropped what he was doing and became a follower of Christ.

– He brought to Jesus the boy with a basket of food, and so witnessed the miracle of the loaves and fishes.

– And Philip wanted to see for himself—so he asked Jesus, at the Last Supper, to show him the Father.

*     *     *     *     *

The archeological world has been abuzz this week with the news that the tomb of the apostle Philip has been discovered inTurkey’s southwestern province of Denizki.

For years, archeologists have been searching for the burial site of the man who is always listed in Scripture as the fifth Apostle.  According to tradition, Philip—who preached in Greece, Syria and Phrygia—had died in the ancient town of Hierapolis, famed since the second century for its hot springs, in about 80 A.D.  It was believed that Philip had died either by crucifixion or by beheading.

An excavation team was working on the ruins of a newly-unearthed church in that city, when they uncovered the tomb.  Although the tomb’s not yet been opened, both its structure (it’s an octagonal tomb named “The Martryium”) and the writings on it prove that it is Philip’s final resting place.

Italian professor Francesco D’Andria, head of the excavation team, called the discovery a major development, both for archeology and for the Christian world.

*     *     *     *     *

Just who was Philip, anyway?

He was born in Bethsaida, along with Peter and Andrew.  That’s where Jesus found him and said “Follow me.”  John’s gospel tells us that Philip dropped everything to follow Jesus; but he also ran to his friend Nathanael, exclaiming, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 

Nathanael, though, was more skeptical.  “How can anything good come from Nazareth?” he wanted to know.

But Philip persisted:  “Come and see.”

Philip shows up later in the Gospel of John, when Jesus spots a large crowd coming toward him (John 6:5-7) and knows that they have nothing to eat.  Philip exclaims, “It would take two hundred denarii (more than half a year’s wages) to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”  Along with Andrew, his old friend from Bethsaida, Philip brings to Jesus a young boy who has a basket of loaves and fishes.  You remember the rest of the story:  Jesus works a miracle, the throngs of people are fed, and there are twelve baskets of leftovers.

Philip is seen in the Gospel one more time, at the Last Supper, again armed with a question for Jesus.  In John 14:8-13, once again Jesus is talking with his apostles, teaching them about His Father in heaven.  Philip again yearns to know more, to understand more fully.  “Lord, show us the Father,” says Philip, “and that will be enough for us.”   Jesus explains that He and the Father are one, and that anyone who has seen Him has seen the Father.

A Prayer to St. Philip

O Glorious Saint Philip, at the Last Supper you said to Jesus, “Lord, show us the Father and it will be enough for us.”  Help us to make this our prayer also and to seek God in all things.  Obtain for us the grace to know the Father and Jesus Christ whom he has sent – for in this does eternal life consist.

Filed Under: Apostles, Archeology, History, Martyrdom Tagged With: , , , , 1 Comment

GOT FAITH? In Death as In Life, Miguel Pro Is an Inspiration

November 22, 2010 By Leave a Comment

GOT FAITH?  And what’s it worth to you?

 On this day, people of faith remember 20th century martyr Miguel Pro, a Jesuit priest who died by firing squad on November 23, 1927.  His joy and courage in the face of execution are an example to all of us.  While we will most likely never be asked to defend to the death our deepest held beliefs, we do face “little” persecutions—the scorn of nonbelieving co-workers, or the disdain and disregard of liberal media—on a daily basis.  Miguel Pro shows us how to persist in faith, even when the cost of discipleship may be great.

 Miguel Agustin Pro was born in Guadalupe, Zacatecas, in central Mexico, in 1891.  He entered the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) in 1911—just as the Mexican Revolution got under way—and was ordained to the priesthood in 1925.

 When Father Pro returned to Mexico in 1926 to serve at Veracruz, he was forced to go “underground.”  The Mexican president at that time, Elias Calles, vigorously enforced the anti-Catholic provisions of the constitution—imprisoning priests who criticized the government, and fining any who wore clerical garb outside their churches.

 Authorities took advantage of an attempted assassination plot to arrest and charge Miguel Pro—ostensibly for the assassination attempt, but in reality for continuing to defend and spread the Catholic faith.  Although Pro was innocent of any charges, President Calles gave orders that he should be executed by firing squad. 

 To the end, Father Pro embraced his faith.  On November 23, 1927, as Father Pro was led from his prison cell to the courtyard where the firing squad would take his life, he stopped and blessed the soldiers.  He paused for a minute, knelt on the ground and prayed quietly.  Father Pro refused a blindfold, instead facing his executioners with a crucifix in one hand and a rosary in the other.  He held out his arms in imitation of the crucified Christ and shouted out, “May God have mercy on you!  May God bless you!  Lord, Thou knowest I am innocent!  With all my heart I forgive my enemies.”

 His last words before the firing squad were “Viva Cristo Rey” (“Long live Christ the King!”) 

 Perhaps the first Christian martyr of the contemporary era, Fr. Pro was photographed before the firing squad.  Photos of his execution were widely circulated in the newspapers of the day; but the government’s plan to instill fear backfired, and instead others were inspired to remain staunch in their belief.

Filed Under: Faith, Holiness, Martyrdom Tagged With: , , Leave a Comment