Today, we celebrate the feast of St. Lorenzo Ruiz & Companions. He was the first canonized Filipino Saint of the Catholic Church, and he was a religious man who died for his faith in Japan. Starting as a son of a Filipino mother, and Chinese father in 1600, he was an altar boy and devout Catholic from the start. He learned Tagalog (Filipino Language), Chinese, & Spanish growing up with parents and Spanish Dominicans. He became a husband and father, living a good life until he was accused of murder. He then sought asylum with Dominican priests who were traveling to Okinawa, Japan. There, they were caught by Japanese pagans, and arrested for the faith. They were then executed through torture and beheading, but died for the faith, inspiring more faith in that region of the world at the time. Blessed Pope John Paul II canonized St. Lorenzo Ruiz as the first Filipino saint, along with his companion priests Antonio Gonzalez, Guillermo Courtet, and Miguel de Aozarza, Vicente Shiwozuka de la Cruz, and another layman Lazaro. In this Sunday's Gospel, we read that Jesus teaches his disciples that in order to serve God in the correct manner, we must serve him wholeheartedly, and no other idols. We cannot be the servant who serves two masters, as we will come to hate one and devote ourselves to one in the end anyways. We have to try to devote ourselves to the true and correct master, the God Most High. He is the one who loves us for all of time, and will give us true happiness, life, and love. No other masters, both literally and figuratively can give us eternal happiness. Sure, we can receive temporary happiness from certain things, but God gives us true happiness through love.
Sunday, September 22, 2013
St. Lorenzo Ruiz & Companions Feast Day: 25th Sunday In Ordinary Time
Today, we celebrate the feast of St. Lorenzo Ruiz & Companions. He was the first canonized Filipino Saint of the Catholic Church, and he was a religious man who died for his faith in Japan. Starting as a son of a Filipino mother, and Chinese father in 1600, he was an altar boy and devout Catholic from the start. He learned Tagalog (Filipino Language), Chinese, & Spanish growing up with parents and Spanish Dominicans. He became a husband and father, living a good life until he was accused of murder. He then sought asylum with Dominican priests who were traveling to Okinawa, Japan. There, they were caught by Japanese pagans, and arrested for the faith. They were then executed through torture and beheading, but died for the faith, inspiring more faith in that region of the world at the time. Blessed Pope John Paul II canonized St. Lorenzo Ruiz as the first Filipino saint, along with his companion priests Antonio Gonzalez, Guillermo Courtet, and Miguel de Aozarza, Vicente Shiwozuka de la Cruz, and another layman Lazaro. In this Sunday's Gospel, we read that Jesus teaches his disciples that in order to serve God in the correct manner, we must serve him wholeheartedly, and no other idols. We cannot be the servant who serves two masters, as we will come to hate one and devote ourselves to one in the end anyways. We have to try to devote ourselves to the true and correct master, the God Most High. He is the one who loves us for all of time, and will give us true happiness, life, and love. No other masters, both literally and figuratively can give us eternal happiness. Sure, we can receive temporary happiness from certain things, but God gives us true happiness through love.
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