Dominicus Humus: San Lorenzo Ruiz

PRAYER TO SAN LORENZO RUIZ de MANILA

(Thanks to: http://www.chapelofsanlorenzoruiz.org/prayer.html)

Beloved SAN LORENZO RUIZ DE MANILA, confronted with death, you proclaimed your readiness to die a thousand times for your Christian faith. Today the whole world admires your courage. We feel particularly proud of you as our brother. And we pray: You, a family man, protect our families. Keep them united in love. You, who bore your sufferings with patience and resignation, intercede for the sick of mind and body; help them to receive the grace of God’s miraculous healing. You, who died in a foreign country, take care of Filipinos living and working in this country and in other parts of the world. You, an example of Christian fortitude, sustain our faith and make it spread and grow strong all around us. You, the Philippines’ first saint, be the country’s special protector. Unite us as one people; help us to work in harmony for development and progress; and give us peace. AMEN.

(State your intentions). San Lorenzo Ruiz, pray for us.

PRAYER IN TIMES OF ADVERSITY

Beloved SAN LORENZO RUIZ DE MANILA and Companion Martyrs: You, who experienced the supreme sacrifice of martyrdom for the proclamation of the Christian faith, inspire us with your strength and firmness of conviction to withstand the adversities of our lives and the difficulties of our existence. Teach us with your marvelous example and saintly wisdom to turn trials into blessings, by showing us the glory that comes from discovering the redemptive power of God's love. When times are full of grief, when moments are suffused with worry, let us feel your presence in our midst, so that we will be aware that you are by our side, strengthening us and interceding for us before Almighty God that we may have patience in our sufferings and consolation in our hardships. Help us realize that only in knowing our weakness can we be strong, only in undergoing sadness can we find real happiness, and only in passing through trials and distress can we find peace, encouragement and spiritual joy.AMEN. (State your intentions). San Lorenzo Ruiz, pray for us.

PRAYER FOR THE SICK

Beloved SAN LORENZO RUIZ DE MANILA and Martyr Companions, to you do we come for help.Help us to have the same faith and love that you had for God. We call upon you today on behalf of our ailing beloved ones. By your prayers and intercession obtain for them, not only comfort and peace for their souls, but also vigor, strength and health for their bodies. We place our entire confidence in you because we know that God loves you and that you care for us. We earnestly pray that our sick ones be purified and revitalized in every cell, tissue, nerve and organ, so that the bodily limbs may function effectively again. Through your powerful intercession help our sick to receive the grace of God's miraculous compassion, so that they will be completely whole again, and thereby be able to continue serving God faithfully in this life to the best of their strength and to attain the salvation to which you arrived. AMEN.

LFC's Central Park has the statue of San Lorenzo holding the rosary.

Vocation and Mission of LFC

Christifidelis Laici, the 1985 Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation of Pope John Paul II on the Vocation and Mission of the Lay Faithful in the Church and in the World, speaks very eloquently about the formation of the lay faithful. According to this document, the laity should receive a complete and integrated formation, one which bears its fruit in every sphere of their existence and activity.

1) The spiritual formation of the laity – their continual growth in communion with Christ is nourished by the help to holiness offered by the Church.

2) Doctrinal formation – which will enable them to explain to the world the reason for their hope. Systematic catechesis is also necessary.

3) A proper formation of a social conscience, especially in the Church’s social teaching.

4) An integrated program of formation that cultivates the human values and skills necessary for the lay faithful’s apostolic activities.

God is the first formator of the laity. The Church for her part also takes part in forming the lay faithful through the ministry of teaching and celebration of the sacraments. The Lay Formation Center exists for this purpose.