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308 BENEDICTVADAKKEKARA John had rested on the Lord's chest at the Supper and had chosen Mary, the best part which would not be taken away from him. Because of this extraordinary devotion of his, he was, after the ascension of Christ the Lord into heaven, forever absorbed in the contemplation of the divine. Still more ardently, however, did he devote himself to di– vine things in time oftribulation, for such is the custom ofsaints 11 • Lawrence's extraordinary familiarity with the Bible is amply clear from the pro– fuse scriptural references embedded like gems in his sermons. With astonishing ease he picks and chooses his citations from the various books of the Bible and inserts them into the right places as he dexterously develops a closely-knit sermon 12 • It is only to be expected that his symbolic and mystical interpretation of biblical texts very much reflect the then contemporary way of thinking. An instance of this may be seen in the way he concludes the homily on the feast ofSt Andrew. Commenting on the words "They left their nets", he observes: What a surprise! They are called to be fishermen, and they leave their nets behind, as Gideon went into battle and left his army behind, and as Davidwent out to engage Go– liath and laid aside his armour, and as Elijah when preparing to light the wood for his sacrifice first poured water over it. But that seems to be the way God works, for Christ gave sight to the blind man by covering his eyes with mud 1 3 • Lawrence not only delivered his sermons to various audiences but also took the pains to write them down in Latin with utmost care and attention. This goes to show that he was also very much aware of the immense power of the written word. The sermons also reveal the vast culture and boundless erudition of this Capuchin preacher. His homilies are colourfully embellished with lavish quotes from classical authors, Christian Scriptures and Fathers of the Church. In the homily for the Second Sunday of Lent, the preacher's acquaintance with the classical writers proves handy as he dwells upon the significance of Christ's Transfiguration: In Scripture the sun is a symbol of the glory of God. Euripides called it the lamp or lantern ofGod; Heraclitus called it the perennial fountain oflight; Plato termed it the image and likeness of God. Pythagoras used a similar expression and, for that reason, Pythagoreans pray at sunrise. This is probably also the reason why Pythagoras said one 11 Lawrence ofBrindisi, Opera omnia, Bk I, 18. 12 About Lawrence's preparedness in Scriptural studies, Arturo M. da Carmignano di Bren– ta, San Lorenzo da Brindisi. I, 161, says: "Lo studio della Scrittura fu veramente, per Lorenzo 'il lungo studio e il grande amore' di tutta la vita''. 13 Lawrence ofBrindisi, Opera omnia, Bk XII, 1S.