30. Hot and Hairy.
When Saint Laurence was grilled by the authorities regarding the whereabouts of the "treasures of the church" he asked for 3 days time to prepare them. Of course, those authorities were drooling over the idea of confiscating gold and silver while sticking it to the Christian church. Laurence arrived 3 days later before the Prefect with a crowd he had gathered of poor and needy people and declared: "Behold the treasures of the church!" The Prefect was really mad. The Prefect was so mad that he first had Laurence stretched out on a rack, then he had him scourged with "scorpions" - a whip furnished with sharp iron points - then had him stretched out on a red-hot iron grill. After his body was badly burned Laurence said, "My body is done on one side, turn me over on the other." When that had been completed he declared "My flesh is now well done, you may taste of it." As he gave up his spirit, he prayed for his slayers. The date was Aug...