The Comical Story of St Lawrence and the Church’s Treasure

Today is the Feast of St Lawrence. When ordered to turn over all the Church's treasure, he sold all valuables and presented the Prefect with all the poor people of Rome, saying THEY were the Church's treasures.

From Aleteia

By Philip Kosloski

When Emperor Decius forced St. Lawrence to give him all the Church's treasure, the saint comically presented to him all the poor people of Rome.

The Church has often been misunderstood as a hoarder of money, accused of possessing a massive amount of treasure under lock and key.

However, a popular legend from the life of St. Lawrence reveals the true "treasure" of the Church.

The Catholic Church's treasure

St. Lawrence was a deacon in Rome during the 3rd century and was entrusted with dispensing the Church's money to the poor. At the time it was believed that the Roman emperor's money (Emperor Philip) was intermingled with this money.

This made him a target for Emperor Decius who usurped Emperor Philip and began persecuting Christians. He also wanted to track down this treasure he knew existed.

The Golden Legend explains how St. Lawrence went "to the tribunal and again [was] asked about the treasure, and Lawrence requested a delay of three days, which [prefect] Valerian granted."

St. Lawrence then, "brought together the poor, the lame, and the blind, and then presented them before Decius in the Sallustian palace, saying: "See here the eternal treasure, which never diminishes but increases. It is divided among these people and is found in all of them, for their hands have carried the treasure off to heaven!"

This enraged Emperor Decius who demanded St. Lawrence to sacrifice to the Roman gods.

Refusing to do so, St. Lawrence was sentenced to death and is popularly known to have been "cooked" alive on a grill.

St. Lawrence is commonly thought to be the patron saint of comedians.