Saint Laurence, Deacon, Martyr - Feast
Gospel: John 12:24-26In today’s Gospel, Jesus reveals the law of every authentic disciple:“Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains only a single grain; but if it dies, it yields a rich harvest.” Discipleship is not about preserving ourselves but about giving ourselves away in love. Like the grain of wheat, we are called to surrender our lives to God, trusting that every sacrifice made for Christ will bear fruit beyond what we can see. This”dying” takes many forms: letting go of selfishness, forgiving those who hurt us, serving without seeking recognition, remaining faithful in suffering, and placing God’s will before our own. What appears to the world as loss becomes, in God’s plan, the source of abundant life. Saint Lawrence lived this Gospel to the end. As a deacon, he devoted himself to serving the poor, and as a martyr, he offered his life with unwavering faith, knowing that nothing given to Christ is ever lost. His witness reminds us that fruitfulness in the Kingdom is measured not by what we keep but by what we lovingly surrender. The disciple who falls like the grain of wheat into God’s hands does not disappear; by the power of Christ, he becomes a harvest of grace for many. Let’s reflect: Am I willing to fall like the grain of wheat into God’s hands, trusting that every sacrifice made for Christ will bear lasting fruit in my life and in the lives of others?
Don Giorgio