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Show Why St. Lawrence Was Martyred THE DAILY life of a Catholic priest inludes the reading of the divine office, which consists of Matins, Lauds, the little hours, vespress and complen. Matins consist of three nocturns. The first nocturn is made up from the Psalms and lessons from chapters of the Old Testament; sometimes some-times the lessons are from epistles of the Xew Testament. The second nocturn noc-turn is also made up of the Psalms but the lessons give some event in the life of the Savior, his blessed muther or the saints who are canonized. In the third nocturn are recited three psalms and a portion of one of the four gosples with a homily on Eame by some doctor of the churcli. The , Little Hours are named Prime Terce Sext and None, which consist of certain cer-tain psalms and a prayer at the end of each. Vespers and Complin are said after the noon-hour and complete his daily duty. The obligation of saying the office, from which no priest can dispense' himself, binds under pain of mortal sin. Last Wednesday the office recited commemorated the transfiguration of Christ. On that day, too, the tragic death of Pope Sixtus II, which occurred oc-curred in Rome on the 6th' of August, 258, was celebrated. He reigned during the persecution of A'alerian, and was by order of the ruling powers arrested, brought in chains into the temple of Mars and asked to offer sacrifice to the pagan deities. This he refused to do, and for his refusal he was condemned to death. On his way from the temple to the place of execution the pope was met by the Levite, who waited daily upon him. The deacon, whose name was Lawrence, seeing the Holy Father in chains and knowing nothing of the sudden and summary judgment dealt out said, "Whither gpest thou, father, without thy son? whither do you hasten, hast-en, holy priest, without your minister?" minis-ter?" The Holy Father answered: VI do not abandon you, my child. Greater Great-er contests await you for the faith o Christ. After three days you shall follow fol-low me. After encouraging St. Lawrence Law-rence to persevere, the holy pontiff said to him: "In the meantime, if there is anything valuable in the treasury treas-ury of the church, distribute t to the poor." Here was the parting advice of . the bead of the church, w hich was strictly in accordance with the evangelical counsels. Had the children of the church, who purpose to model their lives on that advice, been faithful to that divine counsel, it would have averted many unpleasant criticisms and saved the church from many apparent ap-parent persecutions. St. Lawrence, who was the treasurer of the church, was arrested that same day, and his greedy persecutors promised him liberty lib-erty if he would disclose its hidden treasures. He promised to do so, and on the following day when the Roman soldiers arrived, he had gathered around the poor, maimed and blind of Rome. To these he had already given the entire treasures of the church, and pointing to them, he said, "Behold, the church's treasures." His pagan persecutors, indignant, condemned him to the most cruel of all deaths, namely, to be burned on . a slow fire. It occurred within three days of the martyrdom of Pope Sixtus Six-tus II. The event will be celebrated on Sunday. St. Lawrence is the patron saint of the Ordinary of Salt Lake, and on that day the Catholics extend greetings greet-ings and good' wishes to their worthy and beloved bishop. |