Feast of St. Lawrence of Brindisi, Confessor and Doctor of the Church (III Classis)
Commemoration at Lauds only: St. Praxedes, Virgin
In the venerable light of St. Lawrence of Brindisi, Capuchin preacher and Doctor of the Church, whose profound erudition in Sacred Scripture and the Fathers bore fruit in the defense of the Faith and the salvation of souls, we turn today to two readings most apt for his feast: 2 Timothy 4:1–8 and Matthew 5:13–19. These texts resound with the burning zeal that characterized the life and labors of this great servant of God.
“Preach the word: be instant in season, out of season” (2 Tim 4:2)
St. Paul exhorts his disciple Timothy with urgency and paternal gravity, “I charge thee, before God and Jesus Christ, who shall judge the living and the dead… preach the word.” This apostolic command is not merely for Timothy but for all those who, in apostolic succession, are entrusted with the care of souls. St. Lawrence of Brindisi, inflamed with this very spirit, saw in preaching not a mere occupation but a divine obligation. His own words bear witness: “Preaching is the apostolic office par excellence; it is the means of conveying the light of the Gospel to every creature.”
St. John Chrysostom, commenting on this passage, observes:
“To preach the word is the greatest of all works; for it is the salvation of souls. No matter the opposition, no matter the persecution: the truth must be proclaimed, in season or out.”
(Hom. in Timotheum, VII)
In the decadence and doctrinal confusion of his time—no less pressing than our own—St. Lawrence carried the torch of orthodoxy, fearlessly denouncing heresy, especially that of the Protestants, and defending the Immaculate Virgin, the Real Presence, and the primacy of the Roman Pontiff.
St. Gregory the Great notes that the preacher “ought to be both humble and courageous: humble that he may not glory in himself, courageous that he may not fear to speak the truth.” These were hallmarks of St. Lawrence’s ministry, spoken in twelve languages, before kings, in the courts of emperors, and on the battlefield.
“You are the salt of the earth… You are the light of the world” (Matt 5:13–14)
Our Lord’s words in the Sermon on the Mount find their perfect embodiment in His faithful preachers. Salt preserves from corruption; light drives away darkness. Christ warns that salt which has lost its savor is “good for nothing”—an image which Origen interprets as the lukewarm or silent Christian who refuses to witness to the truth:
“When the Christian fails to preserve others by his example and doctrine, he is trodden underfoot—that is, despised by the world and even by God.”
(Hom. in Mattheum, XIII)
St. Lawrence was salt and light to a decaying and darkened Europe. In his combat against heresy, his fidelity to the Deposit of Faith, and his deep Marian devotion, he flavored the earth with the truth of Christ and illuminated minds with the splendor of the Gospel. He stands as a beacon to modern Catholics, who are likewise called to preserve the Faith unsullied and bear its light in an age of confusion.
St. Augustine writes:
“You are not the light of yourselves but of the world; the light that you have is not yours but God’s, and it is given to you to share, not to hide.”
(Tract. in Joannem, XXXIV)
Likewise, St. Lawrence, though towering in intellect and holiness, attributed all to divine grace. His very motto seemed to echo the Psalmist: “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Thy name give glory.”
The Fulfillment of the Law: Matthew 5:17–19
In the Gospel, Christ affirms that He came not to abolish the Law but to fulfill it. St. Jerome comments that this fulfillment is seen in the perfection of the law through charity and the spirit of the Beatitudes. St. Lawrence, in his exegesis, noted that every precept of the Old Law finds its summit in Christ, who is both the Legislator and the Law fulfilled in love.
This same reverence for the unchanging law of God marked St. Lawrence’s fidelity to Tradition. As the Council of Trent’s preacher, he expounded doctrine not as an innovator, but as one deeply rooted in the unbroken teaching of the Church.
Commemoration of St. Praxedes, Virgin
We briefly remember St. Praxedes, whose chaste life and hidden charity shone brightly in the early Church. Like the wise virgins, she kept oil in her lamp, illumined by faith and love. Her mention at Lauds, though brief, is fitting on this day, as she complements St. Lawrence’s active apostolate with her contemplative purity. Together, they remind us that the Church is adorned by both heroic preachers and holy virgins.
Conclusion: A Word to the Faithful
Dear soul, let this feast rekindle in you the fire of apostolic zeal. Whether in the pulpit, the home, the classroom, or the cloister, you are called to be salt and light—to preach the Word in word and deed, in season and out. Let the example of St. Lawrence of Brindisi animate your study of the Sacred Page and embolden your witness in a world that has grown weary of truth. And let the virgin purity of St. Praxedes inspire in you a heart set apart for God.
“Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of justice…” (2 Tim 4:8)—may this same crown await all who, like these saints, love His appearing.
Liturgical Collect of St. Lawrence of Brindisi
O God, Who didst bestow upon Thy Confessor and Doctor, St. Lawrence, a wondrous gift of preaching and great zeal for the salvation of souls: grant, we beseech Thee, that through his merits and intercession, we may worthily accomplish what he taught both in word and deed. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.