聖李樂倫(殉道)
聖李樂倫約1600年在菲律賓馬尼拉出生,父親是中國人,母親是菲律賓人。他已婚且育有三個孩子,過著幸福的天主教家庭生活。他為主當輔祭,協助當時牧養華人的道明會神父。
他於1636年任職堂區秘書時,被誣告殺人。在三位道明會神父幫助下,逃往日本長崎縣傳道。時值德川幕府厲行宗教迫害,他和同伴們的船一到長崎就立即被逮捕了。
他在長期遭受酷刑後,於1637年9月28日在日本殉道。聖人在殉道前,行刑者問他是否想活著,與家人一起。他答說:是的。行刑者開出條件,要他「拒絕承認你的信仰及踏毀聖母像」。他說:「我永遠不會否認自己的信仰。我如果可以活一千次,我都會為主奉獻我的生命。」
教宗若望保祿二世於1987年10月18日在梵蒂岡宣布他為聖人。
聖李樂倫是菲律賓第一位被宣聖的聖人,也是該國第一位殉道者。他是菲律賓人的主保聖人。
祈禱
全能仁慈的天主,你恩賜聖李樂倫信德的力量,不畏犧牲。求你藉他的轉求,幫助我們效法他的榜樣,克勝人生的考驗。求你增加我們的愛德和望德。因你的聖子、我們的主耶穌基督,他和你及聖神,是唯一天主,永生永王。亞孟。
Saint Lorenzo Ruiz, Marytr
St. Lorenzo Ruiz (ca. 1600-1637), was born in Binondo, Manila. He was nurtured by his Chinese father and Filipino mother, both Catholic. He grew in faith, and served as a sacristan at a local convent. Later, he developed his skill as a calligrapher, transcribing sacramental documents for the Binondo Dominican parish. He got married and had three children, two boys and a girl.
Suddenly, the life of this trustworthy religious man changed dramatically. Falsely accused of murder in 1636, Lorenzo escaped with the help of Dominican missionaries. They boarded a ship headed for Japan during a time of persecution of Christians.
Shortly after their arrival in Okinawa, they were all captured, taken to Nagasaki, and tortured for their beliefs. Rather than deny his faith, Lorenzo Ruiz suffered a grueling martyrdom.
“I am a Catholic and I will remain a Catholic even to the point of death. Only to God will I offer my life. Even if I had a thousand lives, I will still offer them to Him.”
St. Lorenzo Ruiz is the first Filipino venerated in the Roman Catholic Church. Of Chinese-Filipino parentage, he became the country’s protomartyr after his execution by the Tokugawa Shogunate during its persecution of Japanese Christians in the 17th century.
St. Lorenzo Ruiz was canonized on October 18, 1987, making him the first Filipino saint. His canonization took place in 1983.
Prayer
O most merciful and almighty God,
You bestowed as gift to Lorenzo Ruiz
The strength to withstand
The overpowering forces of death
For the sake of his faith in You.
Through his prayers,
Help us to follow his example
By overcoming all life’s trials
And eventually, increase
Our hope and love in You.
O St. Lorenzo Ruiz,
You brought honor to your country,
Having been a level-headed
And prudent father of the family,
A witness of Christ in your life
Until your death.
We present all our petitions
To God through your help
So that by our actions,
We may know more and love more
Jesus our Lord and Savior.
We humbly implore
Your intercession O dear St. Lorenzo,
For the infinite glory of God
And in honor of your triumph
As a martyr of Christ
And defender of Christianity.
Amen.
資料來源 References
圖: https://www.filcatholic.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Saint-Lorenzo-Ruiz-1.jpg
中文內容:https://china.ucanews.com/2022/10/06/
公教報3530期(https://www.kkp.org.hk/past/detail/25251/)
English text:
https://aci.archchicago.org/asian-icons/st-lorenzo-ruiz
https://www.dominusest.ph/devotionalprayer/Prayer-to-St.-Lorenzo-Ruiz