Had I a Thousand Lives...- St. Lorenzo Ruiz

Saint Lorenzo Ruiz is near and dear to me and to many Filipinos. Canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1987, he is the first of only two canonized saints (the other is San Pedro Calungsod) from my homeland, one of the most Christian nations in the world, the Philippines. He’s the patron saint of Filipinos, particularly of those working and living overseas because he himself served as a missionary in a foreign country. He was a missionary who, somewhat rather accidentally, ended up in Japan, leaving his wife and three children. The time was 1600s, when Christians in Japan suffered horrendous persecution. Watch Martin Scorsese’s 2016 drama film, “Silence,” starring Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, and Liam Neeson as Portuguese Catholic missionaries, for a compelling cinematographic feel for what it was like during that historical period in Japan.

It was on September 27, 1637 when Lorenzo Ruiz and his companions were taken up to Nishizaka Hill, tortured, and told to recant and renounce their Christian faith. Some of his fellow missionaries were forced to recant, which eventually led to their release. Lorenzo Ruiz refused to recant, which ultimately led to his death. His last words were: “I am a Catholic and wholeheartedly do accept death for God. Had I a thousand lives, all these to Him shall I offer.”

His religious conviction resonates with many Filipinos today, particularly with those in foreign lands. Such conviction and fervor are evident in Filipinos’ enthusiasm and desire to share their faith and traditions. And because of their deep faith and the vibrant ways they carry it with them, plus their sheer number, overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are considered to be the modern-day missionaries of the world. Archbishop Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle once said that, “Our overseas Filipino migrant workers have become the big missionary presence.” They bring their faith, their practices, and their fervor with them wherever they are in the diaspora.

Besides the other well-known and well-established Filipino celebrations that have made their way in parishes worldwide such as Simbang Gabi and Santacruzan, parishes with a vibrant Filipino population are now beginning to add yet another reason to celebrate Filipino faith and heritage--the feast day of San Lorenzo Ruiz in late September.

Filipinos are known to be a people of deep faith; they live it and they share it. But in a world where Christians are facing hostility, ridicule, and disdain, it is so much more convenient to just renounce the faith. In San Lorenzo Ruiz, Filipinos have a heroic and saintly model that they can all look to for inspiration with a sense of honor and pride. Just like San Lorenzo Ruiz, they also refuse to recant and renounce their faith. Instead, they continue to give witness to their faith with fervor, sharing not only their cultural heritage but also the gift and inspiration of their very own, San Lorenzo Ruiz.

Read the full article as it first appeared on Positively Filipino Magazine: http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/san-lorenzo-ruiz-in-america