The following is an excerpt from a recent article I wrote for Aleteia.org. I am grateful to Aleteia for publishing my work!

It’s that time of year when we gather family and friends into the back yard, pull out the cornhole set, and grill our food for dinner. It is a glorious season!

We should do these things, and do them often. And while we are doing them, we should seek the intercession of St. Lawrence. He was a 2nd-century deacon who was martyred by being roasted over a flame. While being tortured, he joyfully called out to his executors, “I’m done on this side, turn me over!” That’s why he’s the patron saint of chefs and backyard grilling.

Click here to read the rest of the article on Aleteia.org.