27/09/2021
September 28
ST. LORENZO RUIZ AND COMPANIONS
"Kahit maging sanglibo man
Ang buhay n'yaring katawan
Pawa kong ipapapatay,
Kung inyong pagpipilitang
Si Kristo'y aking talikdan."
(Had I many thousands of lives I would offer them all for him. Never shall I apostatize. You may kill me if that is what you want. To die for God—such is my will.)
Lorenzo Ruiz, the first Filipino saint, was a simple layman who died as a martyr for the faith. His extraordinary fortitude in the face of sufferings is an example that Christians must imitate.
Lorenzo was born in Binondo, Manila on November 28, 1594. He was among the many Filipinos in whose veins blended the mixture of two oriental blood: Chinese from his father and Filipino from his mother. Being of mixed parentage, he had the advantage over many children of his age for he could speak both the language of his father and his mother. He studied Spanish from the Dominicans who were in charge of the parish of Binondo, and from then he also learned the fundamentals of faith.
Lorenzo became an errand boy of the friars and also a sacristan. When he grew older, he was employed as an “escribano”.
Lorenzo married a woman named Rosario and was blessed with three children. Having been brought up in a Christian atmosphere, he directed his family towards an abiding trust and love of God. Lorenzo himself was a devout Catholic: he was a faithful Mass-goer, was among the few who were encourage to receive Holy Communion every first Sunday of the month, and was a great lover of the Virgin Mary. He joined the Confraternity of the Holy Rosary and spent some of his precious time in spreading the devotion to Mary.
Lorenzo was a happy man. All he dreamed of was to fulfill his obligations as a husband and father. But the serenity and peace he enjoyed was not meant to endure. He accidentally quarrelled with a Spaniard and not long after he was accused of homicide. No one knew how true the accusation was but Lorenzo feared for his life so he sought to escape from Manila.
As if to answer to his desire, he learned that Dominicans were then preparing to embark on a mission in some place in the Orient. Lorenzo volunteered to join the group and with a heavy heart bade goodbye to his loved ones. The friars who must have known the trouble he was passing through did not hesitate to take him. Lorenzo’s intention, however, was to remain in Macao and there earn a livelihood for his family.
The expedition was a clandestine one because the missionaries were going to a forbidden place, and due to unknown political reason, they did not pass macao, but sailed directly to Japan. It must be recalled that in those days Christianity in Japan was under seige. Christians were hunted down, put to prison and executed.
Now Lorenzo was arrested by Japanese officials for the crime of being a Christian and ordered to recant his faith. When he refused he was imprisoned for two years. On September 27, 1637, Lorenzo and his companions were taken to Nagasaki to be tortured and killed if they would not recant their faith.
Lorenzo and his companions were tortured by water, which was forced into their mouths and down their throats and out their noses and ears. Despite the painful torture, the men refused to do so.
Following this, Lorenzo was hanged upside down, with a rope around his ankles. This method of torture was known as tsurushi, or "gallows and pit." The torture forces a person to be hanged upside down with a gash cut in their forehead to prevent too much blood from gathering in the head. The gash also causes the victim to bleed to death over an extended period of time.
Those who have survived the torture have said it is unbearable.
One hand is left free so the victim can offer an agreed symbol that will represent their desire to recant their faith. Those few who recant are spared and allowed to live. But few people ever recanted, choosing instead to die for their faith.
When Lorenzo’s turn came, he was asked the following question:
“If we grant you your life, are you willing to renounce your faith?”
Lorenzo gave them a quick answer:
“I am a Christian and this I profess, and although I did not come to Japan to become a martyr, wholeheartedly do accept death for God. Had I a thousand lives, all these to Him I shall offer. Do with me as you please."
St. Lorenzo Ruiz and his fifteen companions were all killed, steadfast until the end, in 1637, in Nagasaki, Japan. The group was made up of nine Dominican priests, two brothers, two single lay women, and three other lay persons. All were associated with the Dominican order and all died rather than give up their faith in Jesus.
The beatification ceremony was held in the Philippines on February 18, 1981 by Pope John Paul II, making it the first beatification ceremony ever held outside the Vatican.
This group of heroes was proclaimed saints by Pope John Paul II at the Vatican on October 18, 1987.
"The Lord gives us saints at the right time and God waited 350 years to give us this saint. It is the heroism which he demonstrated as a lay witness to the faith which is very important in today's world. The witness of San Lorenzo is the testimony we need of courage without measure to show us that it is possible. Faith and life for Lorenzo was synonymous and inseparable. Life without faith would have been without value. He proved that sanctity and heroism are there for anybody and the final victory is made to size for each one of us." - St. John Paul II
Saint Lorenzo Ruiz is the patron saint of Filipino youth, the Philippines, people working overseas, and altar servers.
PRAYER TO SAN LORENZO RUIZ
Beloved Lorenzo Ruiz, confronted with death, you proclaimed your readiness to die a thousand times for your Christian faith. Today the whole world admires your courage. We feel particularly proud of you as our brother.
And we pray: You, a family man, protect our families. Keep them united in love. You, who bore your sufferings with patience and resignation, intercede for the sick of mind and body; help them to receive the grace of God’s miraculous healing. You, who died in a foreign country, take care of Filipinos living and working in this country and in other parts of the world. You, an example of Christian fortitude, sustain our faith and make it spread and grow strong all around us. You, the Philippines’ first saint, be the country’s special protector. Unite us as one people; help us to work in harmony for development and progress; and give us peace. Amen.
SAN LORENZO RUIZ AND COMPANIONS, PRAY FOR US!
