#645A –
Memorial of Saint Lawrence Ruiz and Companions, Martyrs
 |
| “St. Lawrence Ruiz” artist and date are unknown |
Readings
and Commentary [3]
Reading
1:
2 Maccabees 7:1-2,
9-14
It
happened that seven brothers with their mother were arrested
and
tortured with whips and scourges by the king,
to
force them to eat pork in violation of God's law.
One of
the brothers, speaking for the others, said:
"What
do you expect to achieve by questioning us?
We are
ready to die rather than transgress the laws of our ancestors."
At the
point of death, the second brother said:
"You
accursed fiend, you are depriving us of this present life,
but
the King of the world will raise us up to live again forever.
It is
for his laws that we are dying."
After
him the third suffered their cruel sport.
He put
out his tongue at once when told to do so,
and
bravely held out his hands, as he spoke these noble words:
"It
was from Heaven that I received these;
for
the sake of his laws I disdain them;
from
him I hope to receive them again."
Even the
king and his attendants marveled at the young man's courage,
because
he regarded his sufferings as nothing.
After
he had died,
they
tortured and maltreated the fourth brother in the same way.
When
he was near death, he said,
"It
is my choice to die at the hands of men
with
the hope God gives of being raised up by him;
but
for you, there will be no resurrection to life."
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Commentary on 2 Mc 7:1-2, 9-14
This
selection from the Second Book of Maccabees provides examples of courage in the
face of extreme cruelty based upon belief in the resurrection on the last day.
This is one of the important theological ideas expounded upon in the book, and
provides a framework for our later understanding of the importance of Christ’s
sacrifice and promise.
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Responsorial
Psalm: Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
R. (5) The
Lord delivered me from all my fears.
I will
bless the LORD at all times;
his
praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my
soul glory in the LORD;
the
lowly will hear me and be glad.
R. The
Lord delivered me from all my fears.
Glorify
the LORD with me,
let us
together extol his name.
I
sought the LORD, and he answered me
and
delivered me from all my fears.
R. The
Lord delivered me from all my fears.
Look
to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and
your faces may not blush with shame.
When
the afflicted man called out, the LORD heard,
and
from all his distress he saved him.
R. The
Lord delivered me from all my fears.
The
angel of the LORD encamps
around
those who fear him, and delivers them.
Taste
and see how good the LORD is;
blessed
the man who takes refuge in him.
R. The
Lord delivered me from all my fears.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps
34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9, 10-11
Psalm
34 is a song of thanksgiving and a favorite for celebrating the heroic virtue
of the saints. The psalmist, fresh from the experience of being rescued (Psalm
34:5, 7), can teach the "poor," those who are defenseless, to trust
in God alone. This psalm, in the words of one being unjustly persecuted, echoes
hope for deliverance and freedom. The promise of salvation for those who follow
the Lord gives hope to the poor and downtrodden.
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Gospel: John
15:18-21
Jesus
said to his disciples:
"If
the world hates you, realize that it hated me first.
If you
belonged to the world, the world would love its own;
but
because you do not belong to the world,
and I
have chosen you out of the world,
the
world hates you.
Remember
the word I spoke to you,
'No
slave is greater than his master.'
If
they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.
If
they kept my word, they will also keep yours.
And they
will do all these things to you on account of my name,
because
they do not know the one who sent me."
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Commentary on Jn 15:18-21
Jesus
gives the disciples a paradox in telling them that, while they are part of the
world, they do not belong to the world. John gives us three different meanings
of "the world." In this instance it probably refers to fallen
Israel - the spear of the devil that opposes God and hates the truth. In
other instances it refers to the universe created by God (John 1:10) and the fallen family of
mankind in need of redemption. (John 3:17 ). [4] The disciples are
separated from that society through their association with Christ. He then
reminds them that because they are his, they too will suffer persecution by
those he came to save.
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Reflection:
St.
Lawrence Ruiz and his companions were the first saints from the Philippines and
he was the first saint to be beatified outside of Rome (St. John Paul II was
amazing). His journey to martyrdom
certainly captures the spirit of St. John’s Gospel. St. Lawrence fled persecution in his own
country, traveling to Japan with other Christian companions (Dominican priests:
Antonio Gonzalez, Guillermo Courtet, and Miguel de Aozaraza, a Japanese priest,
Vicente Shiwozuka de la Cruz; and a layman named Lazaro, a leper) to Japan,
which at that time was vigorously persecuting Christians. (“If the world
hates you, realize that it hated me first.”) Ultimately they all joined the
Nagasaki Martyrs, dying heroically for their faith.
We see
their example and marvel at their ability to remain steadfast in the face of
torture and death, fearless, knowing that God’s salvation, forged by Christ’s
blood, was waiting for them. We all ask
ourselves the same question when we contemplate the martyr’s fidelity, “If I am
faced with the option of torture and death or giving up my belief in Jesus
Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, could I make that choice?” Could I look my torturer in the face and say
as these martyrs did – “I am Christian and remain so.”
We ask
this question today. In our daily walk
through life, we are challenged to be counter-cultural. We are faced with a secular morality that
says: human life has no value and it’s all right to kill unwanted babies; and
if we or our relatives get very sick, it’s fine to opt for doctor-assisted
suicide. We are told by law that gender confusion is normal and that people
should be allowed to ignore human physiology and choose the gender they want to
identify as, or choose sexual partners randomly with no consideration for traditional
morality. These evolving cultural norms are eroding the fabric of our
families. Do we, as Christians, resist
these changing social values? Do we, in
school, socially, or at work, defend life, marriage, and Christian families as
the standard we live by? Or do we remain
silent for fear of being called “hater” or “bigot”?
We
have been warned that accepting the great gift of eternal life with God would
come at a price. We were shown by
Christ’s own passion what would happen if we were heralds of God’s
Kingdom. We are reminded of that today
in the persons of St. Lawrence Ruiz and his companions who showed us, by their
example, what faithfulness can mean. We
ask for their intercession, may we be strong in the face of persecution and courageous
in our fight to preserve Christian values in a world that rejects them.
[1] These readings are suggested by the
USCCB. No formal Proper has been
approved. Readings for the Memorial may
also be taken from the Common of Martyrs (#713-718).
[2] The picture is “St. Lawrence Ruiz,”
artist and date are unknown.
[3] The readings are taken from the New
American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed
by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This
republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[4] Ignatius Catholic Study
Bible, © 2010, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA. p. 161
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