A blessed feast of Saint Lawrence to all our readers, the third century martyr whose quite literally legendary life echoes through the ages, his generosity, his sense of humour (bringing the ‘poor’ to the Magistrate when he demanded the Church’s ‘treasures’); his cheerfulness, even in the midst great agony. As the legend goes, while being roasted, he declared, ‘I think I’m done on this side, so you can turn me over.’ Correct me if wrong, but I think the Church continues this ironic humour by making him the patron saint of barbeques.
Speaking of which, after many of my own travails (if there were not an ocean in-between, I may well have turned around by now), I am finally, finally in Rome, the end point of this long pilgrimage, and am soon to finish up by walking to the Vatican, Saint Lawrence, Saint John Paul II, and many others, from this lovely grace-filled hostel, run by Carmelite Sisters of the Precious Blood, which is like a little slice of heaven. A large chapel with the Blessed Sacrament is right below my room.
I will post a couple of articles soon, after revision, upon my visits to Canterbury and, briefly, to Paris. And, of course, Rome.
Be assured of my prayers for you all, known and unknown, in the God Who knows and sees all things.