On August 10, we honor St. Laurence, a cave dweller and recluse from the the Kiev Far Caves. He lived a life of prayer and fasting to overcome the temptations of this life. Not much is noted of his early life other than he came from Spain. His office included caring for the sacred vessels of the church and distributing money to the needy. St. Laurence (or St. Lawrence) was Archdeacon when the Emperor Valerian ordered many Christians and specifically clergy to be executed. He was one of the last seven deacons to be executed in what was referred to as the persecution of Valerian. His remains lie to this day in the Catacomb of Cyriaca in the Far Caves of the Kiev Caves Lavra.
Before Pope Sixtus of Athens was executed, he gave all of the church's sacred vessels to the care of St. Laurence. After the Pope was beheaded, the vessels were demanded of St. Laurence. He then asked for three days' time to prepare then before giving them up. At the end of his three days, he presented a collection of poor and needy souls to the Prefect instead claiming they were the Church's treasure. This act angered the Prefect so that he had him racked and scourged with scorpions. He was then placed on a red-hot gridiron and burned to death. St. Laurence was said to have no complaints or groans, but told his persecutors when he had been burned on one side to turn him over. When they had done so and he was near death, he told them, "My flesh is now well done, you may taste of it." He then prayed for his persecutors and gave up his spirit on August 10, 258.
In later years, Constantine the Great and several popes honored him so that the eventual result was the erection of the basilica of San Lorenzo which still exists over his burial place. Prudentius wrote of his death in poetic fashion in a hymn called "Peristephanon" (Hymnus II). Some believe this execution to be a legend rather than a factual account of events; however, the Roman Catholic Church has kept an accounting of all those who were martyred over the centuries that included the manner, place and date of their deaths. There is a basilica in Rome dedicated to St. Lawrence that was built in his honor by Pope Damasus called San Lorenzo in Damaso. Another church of San Lorenzo was erected in Lucina which still stands today. Many icons show the saint with a gridiron in the background representing his martyrdom.