[Officium]
Fifth Day Within the Octave of St. Lawrence

[Lectio4]
From the Sermons of St. Maximus, Bishop (of Turin.)
!1st on St. Lawrence.
It is an holy thing, brethren, and a thing well-pleasing in the sight of God, to venerate with special earnestness the Birth-day of blessed Lawrence, in the radiance of whose flames the victorious Church of Christ doth, even unto this day, shine splendidly throughout all the world. He discharged the office of a Deacon at the seat of the most glorious of the Patriarchates, and by the purity of his stainless life, and the brilliant victory of his noble death, hath gained himself a place in the fellowship of the Apostles. It is not an exaggeration to claim something in common with the Apostles for one whose purity of soul gave him the ministry of a Levite, and whose fulness of faith hath crowned him with the dignity of Martyrdom.

[Lectio5]
When the worshipful Sixtus, Bishop of the city of Rome, was overcoming through suffering the wickedness of a frantic world, and was now drawing very nigh to the kingdom of heaven, he saw Lawrence very sorrowful at the death of his ghostly father, and he is said to have addressed to him, in the spirit of prophecy, these words Be not sorrowful, my son yet three days, and thou shalt follow me. Hence it appeareth, dearly beloved brethren, that the blessed Lawrence was not sorrowful because of his Bishop's victory, but because he was not going to equal his Bishop in conquering the world. Be not sorrowful, my son, said Sixtus, yet three days, and thou shalt follow me, that is to say Be not sorrowful, as though thou wert left alone in the world thy faith and thy life will not suffer thee to go without such a death as thou wouldest.

[Lectio6]
When, therefore, Lawrence learned from the mouth of the Priest and Martyr that he also was to be taken away, he called together the multitudes of the needy, and dispersed among them with godly bounty the treasures of the Church. This was a deep and heavenly thought of this spiritual-minded man, that he might care for the poor, and also that, at the same time, by the multitude consuming what he had given them, the persecutor might not be able to find anything to plunder. Herein he followed that which is written He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor his righteousness endureth for ever. (Ps. cxi. 8.)

[Lectio7]
The Lesson is taken From the Holy Gospel according to John 
!John 12:24-27
At that time Jesus said unto His disciples Amen, Amen, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone. And so on.
_
Homily by St. John Chrysostom, Patriarch (of Constantinople.)
!65th on John.
Paul also, when disputing about the resurrection, hath used the same figure. What excuse then have they who believe not in the resurrection, when we see it take place every day in the case of seeds and plants, and even in (the procreative functions of) our own kind For the seed from which generation taketh place must first itself corrupt. But at the same time, when God doth anything, there is no need to look for any reason. How made He us out of nothing This I speak to Christians, who say that they believe the Scriptures.

[Lectio8]
But I will also bring forward another argument from human reason. Some live bad lives, and others live good lives. But many of the evil-doers attain to an happy old age, and the well-doers do not. How then is each to be rewarded according to his works and when They will certainly be rewarded, say (my opponents,) but still their bodies will not rise again. Do they not hear how Paul saith This corruptible must put on incorruption ( Cor. xv. 53.) And this cannot be understood of the soul, which is incapable of corruption. And it is called the rising again from the dead. Now, it is the body which falleth.