San Lorenzo Ruiz is the first Filipino Saint and
martyr. He was a layman, married, and had 3
children. He was born circa 1600 in Binondo,
Manila, and he was educated in Dominican
schools. In his younger years, San Lorenzo
served at the convent of Binondo church as a
sacristan. Not only did he learn Spanish there
but also catechism. After several years, San
Lorenzo Ruiz earned the title of "escribano" or
notary. He became an active member of the
Confraternity of the Holy Rosary, an
organization devoted to the Blessed Virgin.
In 1636, he was falsely accused of murder and
sought asylum on board a ship with three
Dominican priests, Saint Antonio Gonzalez, Saint
Guillermo Courtet, and Saint Miguel de Aozaraza,
a Japanese priest, Saint Vicente Shiwozuka de la
Cruz, and a layman named Saint Lazaro of Kyoto,
a leper. The boat landed at Okinawa and the
group was arrested on basis of their Christian
religion.
At that time, there was a wide scale persecution
of Christians. All those who professed faith in
God and served as missionaries were jailed and
even put to death. Their lives were to be
spared if they would renounce their Christians
faith. But thousands of those Christians chose
death rather than renouncing their belief in
God. And San Lorenzo Ruiz was among those who
underwent excruciating forms of persecution. On
September 27, 1637, he was hung upside down from
the gallows with his body falling into a pit.
After two days of agony, he died of bleeding and
suffocation. His body along with other martyrs
were set on fire and the ashes carried out of
the Nagasaki Bay and thrown into the sea near
the little island of Io-Juma, to prevent their
veneration by the Christians.
When the San Lorenzo was being interrogated and
asked whether to grant him life if he renounced
his faith, he replied with these noble words: "I
am a Christian, and this I profess until the
hour of my death and for God I shall give my
life…and had I many thousands of lives, I shall
offer them for Him. And so, do with me as you
please."
San Lorenzo Ruiz was proclaimed "Blessed" in
February 1981 at Luneta, together with 16 other
companions, in connection with Pope John Paul
II's papal visit to the Philippines. He was
canonized and declared a "Saint" on
October 18, 1987 in Rome.
Their feast day is September 28.
Please go to the following link for more
details: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorenzo_Ruiz
By Tim Pedrosa
"If
anyone declares himself for me in the presence of men, I will declare
myself for him in the presence of my Father in heaven" (Mt 10: 32). |
Tim
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