July 21 | Saint Lawrence of Brindisi

Welcome, young history buffs and curious minds, to My Daily Saint, the podcast that digs deep into the incredible lives of the saints, those remarkable people who shaped history and continue to inspire us today. Forget dusty old portraits and boring stories. Today, imagine standing on a chaotic, terrifying battlefield. The air is thick with smoke. You can hear the roar of cannons and the shouts of soldiers preparing to face a massive, overwhelming army. Who would you want leading your charge? A heavily armored knight?

A seasoned, battle-hardened general? What about a barefoot monk in a simple brown robe? Armed with absolutely nothing but a crucifix. Today, we are unpacking the incredible story of St. Lawrence of Brindisi. Our story starts in Italy on July 22, 1559, when a boy named Caesar de Rossi was born.

As a young kid, Caesar studied with the conventual Franciscans. By the time he was a teenager, specifically at the age of 16, he figured out what he was meant to do with his life. He felt a strong call to join the Capuchin Franciscans, and when he did, he took on a brand new name, Lawrence.

Lawrence's superpower was his brain. Specifically, his unbelievable talent for languages. Lawrence was a brilliant linguist. Think about taking Spanish, French, or Latin in middle or high school. It takes most of us years just to ask where the bathroom is. But Lawrence could speak and read fluently in Italian, Latin, Hebrew, Greek, German, Bohemian, Spanish, and French. That is... Eight different languages. He didn't just learn these languages as a neat party trick, either. He spent a huge amount of his time studying the Bible in its original texts, reading the raw, unfiltered words of scripture.

Because of his amazing grasp of the Hebrew language, he even spent time preaching directly to the Jewish communities in Italy. Even though he was a talented scholar, he was also incredibly sensitive to the needs of the people around him. He really cared about others, and people noticed. At just 31 years old, he was elected the Major Superior of the Capuchin Franciscan Province of Tuscany. He was so good at leading with compassion that he was eventually elected Minister General of the entire Capuchin Order.

Overseeing a massive geographical expansion of the Friars. And remember that crazy battlefield from the intro? Because Lawrence was so respected for his brain and his peacemaking skills, the Pope chose him to be a special emissary. He was sent out to act as a peacemaker for the secular Qing's and powerful leaders all across Europe. He was stepping into the middle of massive international conflicts, bringing his faith, his languages, and his courage to the front lines. Lawrence traveled constantly, working tirelessly to bring peace to a fractured world, until he died of a serious illness on his 60th birthday, July 22, 1619.

Pope Leo XIII officially canonized him as a saint on December 8th, 1881, and in 1959, Pope John XXIII declared him a doctor of the church. He is honored as the patron saint of his hometown, Brindisi. St. Lawrence learned all those languages not to show off, but to understand others, speak to them heart to heart, and bring peace to a divided Europe. This week, be a peacemaker by trying to truly understand someone else. Pay attention to the people around you, especially someone who might come from a different background, speak a different language, or just hang out in a different crowd. Thank you for joining us on My Daily Saint. We look forward to sharing another incredible story of faith and courage with you tomorrow.