Knights of the Pain Table

The Earth is predicted to go through the Perseid stream around 2 a.m. Eastern Time on August 13^th and 11 p.m. Pacific Time on August 12^th in the United States and Canada. The interval when the meteors will be falling at their highest rates will be several hours around these times. 

 

The August Perseids are among the easiest observed meteor showers.  Look low in the Northeast near the constellation of Perseus.  These meteors are actually the dusty remains of the comet Swift-Tuttle, which was discovered in 1862.

 

The abundance of shooting stars ( name for the visible path of a meteoroid as it enters the atmosphere) seen in the month of August is known as St. Lawerence’s “Fiery Tears” and August is known as the month as “The Tears of the St. Lawerence”.   The origin of this name involves Laurentius, a Christian Deacon of the Roman Church, who was one of the victims of the persecution of the Roman emperor Valerian in 258AD.   On the 10^th of August, Lawrence suffered a martyr’s death by the Romans on an iron outdoor stove.  In the midst of his torture Laurentis cried out:

 

“I am already roasted on one side and, if thou wouldst have me well cooked, it is time to turn me on the other.”

 

Prudentius describes the martyrdom of the Roman Deacon in his hymn on St. Lawrence (“Peristephanon”, Hymnus II).  

 

Pope Damasus built a basilica in Rome, which he dedicated to St. Lawrence.  This church is now known as that of San Lorenzo in Damaso.   The church of San Lorenzo in Lucina, also dedicated to this saint, still exists.  King Phillip II of Spain built his monastery place, the “Escorial,” on the plan of the holy gridiron.

 

The feast day of St. Lawrence is kept on August 10^th and he is pictured with the gridiron on which he is supposed to have been roasted to death. 

 

So my dear Knights when thou look upon the sky, remember the Fiery Tears of a courageous Saint.

Merlin

Info on Perseid Meteor Shower

Info on St. Lawrence 

 

Tags: Catholic, Christian, Perseid Meteor Shower, St. Lawrence, Tears of St. Lawrence

This entry was posted by Lady Sharon on Sunday, August 12th, 2007 at 6:11 am and is filed under Christianity and Saints, Faith, Comfort and Blessings, History, Science and Alchemy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.