Saint of the Day – 18 August – Saints Florus and Laurus

Saints Florus and Laurus  were twin brothers who worked as stonemasons. They were originally from Byzantium but settled in Ulpiana, Dardania, south of modern Pristina, Kosovo. They were educated in masonry by two men named Maximus and Proculus, who were Christians, and who were later sentenced to death for being so.

Likaion, the prefect of the district, employed the brothers in the construction of a pagan temple. The brothers gave their salaries to the poor. When the son of a local pagan priest named Mamertin was blinded by a chip of stone from the saints’ temple, Florus and Laurus cured the boy after he converted to Christianity. Mamertin also converted to Christianity as a result of his son’s recovery.

After the temple was finished, the twins brought together many local Christians. The group smashed all of the statues of the pagan gods, and a cross was set up in the temple, then they spent the whole night in prayer within it. As a result of this action, the local authorities had 300 Christians, including Mamertin and Mamertin’s son, burned to death.

Florus and Laurus were executed differently; Likaion had them thrown down an empty well, which was then covered with earth. Many years later their relics were recovered and transferred to Constantinople.

See how you lie prostrate unto death, while John who was killed is alive. You have lost the purple that received its colour from dye, John is forever gloriously clothed with the radiant purple from his blood.

St Peter Chrysologus