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Today the Church celebrates the Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary. This feast invites us not simply to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary but also to rediscover one of the simplest and most profound forms of Christian prayer: the Holy Rosary.

At first glance, the Rosary may seem like a repetition of the same prayers: “Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be. But the Rosary is much more than repetition. It is a prayer in which we contemplate Jesus with Mary.

Mary always leads us to her Son.

At the wedding feast at Cana, she said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” These words summarize Mary’s mission. She does not draw attention to herself. She points to Christ and teaches us to listen to Him.

The Rosary is a Gospel prayer.
When we pray the Rosary, we walk through the Gospel.

In the Joyful Mysteries, we contemplate the Annunciation, the Visitation, the birth of Jesus, His presentation in the Temple, and His being found among the teachers.

In the Luminous Mysteries, we follow Jesus in His public ministry.

In the Sorrowful Mysteries, we accompany Him through His suffering and death.

And in the Glorious Mysteries, we rejoice in His Resurrection and victory over death.

Therefore, the Rosary is not primarily about repeating words. It is about remembering the wondrous works of God and allowing the mysteries of Christ to enter our hearts.

Mary accompanies us on this journey because no human being contemplated the life of Jesus more deeply than she did.

She carried Him beneath her heart. She watched Him grow. She listened to His words. She stood beneath His Cross. And she rejoiced in His Resurrection.

When we pray the Rosary, we ask Mary to teach us to look at Jesus with the same faith and love.

The Rosary in difficult moments
The Rosary is also a prayer for difficult times.

Many people discover the Rosary especially when they suffer. Occasionally we do not know what to say to God. Our thoughts are confused. Perhaps we are worried about our family, our health, our future, or someone we love.

In those moments, we can simply take the Rosary in our hands.

We may not be able to formulate beautiful prayers. But we can say:

“Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.”

And then another Hail Mary.

And another.

Gradually our restless heart becomes quieter. We place our worries into the hands of God.

The Rosary does not magically remove all our problems. But it changes the way we carry them. It reminds us that we are not alone. Christ walks with us, and Mary accompanies us with her maternal intercession.

Mary teaches us trust
The first mystery of the Rosary already teaches us one of the most important attitudes of Christian life.

At the Annunciation Mary hears something she cannot completely understand. God asks something extraordinary of her. Yet she answers:

“Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”

This is the heart of faith.

Faith does not mean that we understand everything God permits in our lives. Faith means that even when we do not understand, we can still say:

“Lord, I trust You.”

Perhaps this is something we need to learn from Mary.

When our plans fail — trust God.

When illness comes — trust God.

When we worry about our children and families — trust God.

When the future seems uncertain—trust God.

Mary teaches us that God remains faithful even when His ways are mysterious to us.

A prayer for peace
The Rosary is also a powerful prayer for peace.

Our world desperately needs peace: peace between nations, peace within families, peace in society, and peace within the human heart.

But peace begins much closer than we sometimes imagine.

It begins when I forgive someone.

It begins when I refuse to return hatred with hatred.

It begins when I control an angry word.

It begins when I pray for someone who has hurt me.

It begins when I allow Christ to bring peace into my own heart.

Therefore, when we pray the Rosary for peace, we should also ask:

“Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.”

Take the Rosary into your hands
Dear brothers and sisters,

perhaps some of us pray the Rosary every day. Others pray it occasionally. Perhaps some have not prayed for it for a long time.

Today’s feast is an invitation to begin again.

We do not always have to pray all five decades. We can begin with one decade. We can pray while walking, while traveling, before going to sleep, or together with our family.

What matters is not merely the number of prayers we say, but whether through them our hearts are turned toward Christ.

Every Hail Mary contains the holy name of Jesus.

And Jesus is the center of the Rosary.

Therefore, when we take the Rosary into our hands, let us ask Mary:

Mary, teach us to know your Son.
Teach us to listen to Him.
Teach us to trust Him.
Teach us to remain faithful when life becomes difficult.
And lead us always closer to Jesus.

Our Lady of the Rosary, pray for us.

Dear brothers and sisters,

Today we remember St. Adalbero of Lambach, a man whose life is closely connected with the Christian history of Upper Austria. His story reminds us that holiness does not consist merely in great words or extraordinary deeds. Holiness grows when a person allows faith to shape his decisions, his responsibilities, and his service to others.

Adalbero lived in the eleventh century. He came from a noble family and eventually became Bishop of Würzburg. He was also closely connected with Lambach, where his family had its roots and where he founded the Benedictine monastery that became an important spiritual center.

But what makes Adalbero a saint is not primarily the offices he held or the monastery he founded. It is his faithfulness to God in difficult circumstances.

Serious conflict between political and ecclesiastical powers marked his time. During the Investiture Controversy, Adalbero remained faithful to the Church and to Pope Gregory VII. This fidelity cost him dearly. He lost his episcopal see and had to endure exile and opposition.

He could have chosen an easier path. He could have compromised to preserve his position, his influence, and his security. Instead, he chose to lose earthly power rather than betray what he believed was right before God.

Here we discover the first lesson of his life: Christian faith sometimes demands courage.

It is relatively easy to believe when faith costs us nothing. But the real test comes when following Christ requires sacrifice: when we must defend the truth, forgive someone who has hurt us, remain honest when dishonesty would benefit us, or remain faithful to Christian principles when people around us think differently.

Jesus never promised His disciples an uncomplicated road. He said:

“If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

St. Adalbero experienced this cross. Yet he did not abandon Christ because circumstances became difficult.

His life also had another beautiful dimension. Adalbero not only defended the faith; he built something for future generations. The monastery of Lambach became a place where people prayed, studied, worked, and sought God. Centuries have passed, political systems have disappeared, and rulers have been forgotten, but the prayer and Christian witness connected with Lambach have continued.

This raises an important question for each of us:

What are we building with our lives?

We may never build a monastery. We may never become famous. But every Christian is building something.

Parents build the spiritual foundation of their children. Priests build communities of faith. Teachers shape young minds. Those who care for the sick build a civilization of compassion. A person who forgives builds peace. Someone who prays faithfully builds an invisible bridge between this world and God.

And every small act of goodness can become a stone in the spiritual building that remains after us.

St. Adalbero therefore teaches us that the most important monument we leave behind is not made of stone. It is the faith, goodness, and love that we awaken in other people.

His life also reminds us that the Church needs people who remain faithful even when they do not see the fruits of their fidelity immediately. Adalbero suffered setbacks and opposition. From a purely human perspective, some periods of his life could have looked like failure.

But God sees differently.

Occasionally we too become discouraged. We pray and do not immediately see an answer. We try to help someone and see little change. We try to live according to the Gospel and wonder whether our efforts make any difference.

The example of St. Adalbero tells us: Remain faithful. God can bring fruit from seeds whose harvest we may never see ourselves.

Dear brothers and sisters, the life of St. Adalbero asks us today three simple questions:

What am I willing to sacrifice to remain faithful to Christ?
What am I building with the years God has given me?
What spiritual inheritance will remain after me?

We cannot determine how long our life will be, nor can we control all the circumstances around us. But we can decide on what foundation we will build.

Let that foundation be Jesus Christ.

Through the intercession of St. Adalbero, may God give us courage when faith is difficult, perseverance when we become discouraged, and wisdom to use our lives for things that have eternal value.

And when our earthly work is finished, may we find that every prayer, every sacrifice, every act of forgiveness, and every deed of love has become part of that eternal dwelling God prepares for those who love Him.

St. Adalbero of Lambach, pray for us. Amen.

Today we remember St. Faustina Kowalska, a simple Polish religious sister whom Jesus chose for an extraordinary mission: to remind the world of the infinite mercy of God.

St. Faustina was born in Poland in 1905 into a poor and deeply religious family. She entered the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy and lived a hidden life of prayer, work, sacrifice, and service. From the outside, there seemed to be nothing extraordinary about her. Yet God entrusted this humble woman with a message that would reach millions of people around the world.

The heart of this message can be expressed in three simple words:

“Jesus, I trust in You.”

These words summarize the spirituality of St. Faustina. They tell us what our relationship with God should be like. We are invited not merely to believe that God exists, but to entrust our whole life to Him.

God is rich in mercy

One of the profound temptations in the spiritual life is to think that our sins make us unworthy of God’s love. We may remember our failures, weaknesses, poor decisions, and missed opportunities. Occasionally we carry guilt from the past for many years.

St. Faustina reminds us that God’s mercy is greater than our sins.

Jesus did not come into the world because humanity was perfect. He came precisely because humanity needed salvation. He sought sinners, forgave them, healed them, and gave them a new beginning.

This is why no one should say: “God cannot forgive me.”

No darkness is greater than the light of Christ. God’s grace can touch every wound. There is no sin greater than God’s mercy when a person sincerely turns back to Him.

The problem is often that God forgives us. The problem is that we find it difficult to believe that we can really be forgiven.

St. Faustina teaches us to trust.

Jesus, I trust in You.

Trust does not mean that life will be easy.

Trusting Jesus does not mean that everything will happen according to our wishes.

St. Faustina herself experienced illness, misunderstanding, suffering, spiritual darkness, and many difficulties. Yet she continued to trust God.

Christian trust means saying:

“Lord, I do not understand everything that is happening in my life, but I believe that You are with me.”

Occasionally we understand God’s ways only much later. Sometimes we may not completely understand them in this life.

But faith tells us that we are not walking alone.

When we are afraid of the future, we can say:

Jesus, I trust in You.

When illness comes:

Jesus, I trust in You.

When our prayers seem unanswered:

Jesus, I trust in You.

When we are worried about our family:

Jesus, I trust in You.

And when the hour of death eventually comes:

Jesus, I trust in You.

These words can become a prayer for our entire life.

Those who receive mercy must show mercy.

But St. Faustina’s message has another important dimension.

It is not enough to ask God for mercy. We must also become merciful toward others.

Jesus says in the Gospel:

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.”

If God forgives us, how can we refuse forgiveness to others?

If God is patient with us, how can we constantly condemn the weaknesses of our neighbor?

If God gives us another chance, should we not sometimes give another chance to someone who has hurt us?

Mercy can take very practical forms.

We show mercy when we forgive instead of taking revenge. We show mercy when we visit someone who is lonely. We show mercy when we listen patiently to someone who is suffering. We show mercy when we help the poor. We show mercy when we refrain from judging another person. Sometimes even a kind word, a telephone call, a visit, or a sincere prayer can become an act of mercy.

St. Faustina understood that mercy is not simply a beautiful devotion. Mercy must become a way of life.

The image of the Divine Mercy

Jesus asked St. Faustina to have an image painted showing Him with two rays coming from His heart. Beneath the image were to be written the words:

“Jesus, I trust in You.”

The image points us toward the mystery of Christ’s pierced heart. On the Cross, Jesus opens His heart for humanity. His sacrifice tells us that God’s final word toward the repentant sinner is not condemnation but mercy.

The Cross therefore becomes the greatest sign of Divine Mercy.

Whenever we look at the Cross, we can remember: I am loved with a love greater than my sins.” ” Christ gave His life for me.

A message for our time

The message entrusted to St. Faustina is particularly important in our world.

Our society knows how to judge quickly. We see people’s mistakes and sometimes define them entirely by those mistakes. Social media can make condemnation even easier. Thousands of people can judge a person within minutes.

God looks differently.

He sees the sin, but He also sees the person.

He sees our past, but He also sees what we can become through His grace.

Christianity says sin matters. It says something much greater: sin does not have the final say.

God can create a new beginning.

This is the hope St. Faustina proclaimed.

Jesus, I trust in You.

Dear brothers and sisters, perhaps the best way to honor St. Faustina today is not simply to admire her life but to accept her message.

Let us place before Jesus everything that burdens us: our sins, fears, illnesses, disappointments, families, future, and even those things that we cannot change.

And let us say from the heart:

Jesus, I trust in You.

When we have sinned, Jesus, I trust in You.

When we are afraid—Jesus, I trust in You.

When we do not understand God’s plans—Jesus, I trust in You.

When our strength begins to fail, Jesus, I trust in You.

And then let us ask for one more grace:

Lord, as You have been merciful to me, teach me to be merciful to others.

St. Faustina Kowalska, Apostle of Divine Mercy, pray for us.

Amen.

In Luke 10:17–24, the seventy-two disciples return from their mission full of joy. Jesus had sent them out to proclaim the Kingdom of God, heal the sick, and prepare people to receive him. Now they return, excited by what they have experienced: “Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name.”

Their enthusiasm is understandable. They have discovered that Jesus’ name has power. They were ordinary people, yet through them extraordinary things happened. But Jesus wants to lead them from the joy of success to a deeper and more lasting joy.

1. The power comes from Jesus

The disciples say that the demons are subject to them “because of your name”. These words are important. Their success did not come from their own abilities, but from Christ. The power came from Christ.

Jesus confirms that something profound is taking place: “I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky.” The mission of the disciples is part of the victory of God’s Kingdom over the power of evil.

This is also an important lesson for us. Whatever good we accomplish as Christians is ultimately a gift of God. We may preach, teach, help others, comfort the suffering, care for the poor, or bring someone closer to God. We should certainly use our abilities and work faithfully, but we must never forget the source of the fruit: God works through us.

Christian discipleship therefore requires humility. We are instruments in God’s hands.

2. Success is not the greatest reason for joy.

Jesus then corrects the disciples’ understanding of joy:

“Nevertheless, do not rejoice that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

This is perhaps the central message of the passage.

Jesus does not condemn their joy. Instead, he redirects it. Their greatest happiness should not depend on what they have accomplished but on who they are before God.

This distinction is important because success is temporary. Sometimes our work produces visible results; sometimes it does not. Sometimes people appreciate us; sometimes they criticise or ignore us. Occasionally our prayers seem to be answered quickly; at other times we wait for years.

If our happiness depends entirely on success, recognition, or visible results, our joy will always be fragile.

Jesus offers something deeper: “Your names are written in heaven.”

Our deepest joy comes from belonging to God. We are known by him, loved by him, and called to eternal communion with him. Earthly achievements eventually disappear, but our relationship with God reaches beyond death.

3. Jesus rejoices in the Holy Spirit. The Gospel then gives us a beautiful glimpse into the interior life of Jesus:

“At that very moment he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit.”

Jesus himself rejoices.

And what causes his joy?

He praises the Father because the mysteries of the Kingdom have been revealed not to those who consider themselves wise and powerful, but to the “childlike”.

Jesus is not criticising knowledge or intelligence. Rather, he warns against pride—the attitude that believes it has no need of God.

To become childlike means to approach God with trust, humility, openness, and willingness to receive. A child knows that he depends upon others. In a similar way, the disciple recognises, ‘I cannot save myself. I need God.

Faith begins when we stop approaching God as people who already possess all the answers and instead allow ourselves to be taught by him.

4. Knowing Jesus means knowing the Father

Jesus then says:

“No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”

Christian faith is not simply a collection of moral rules. At its heart stands a relationship.

Jesus came to reveal the Father.

When we look at Jesus—his mercy toward sinners, his compassion for the suffering, his patience, his forgiveness, his sacrifice on the Cross—we discover what God’s heart is like.

Therefore, if we want to know God more deeply, we must draw closer to Christ.

We meet him in Scripture.
We meet him in prayer.
We meet him in the Eucharist.
We meet him in the sacraments.
We meet him in our brothers and sisters, especially those who need our love.

The more deeply we know Christ, the more deeply we come to know the Father.

5. “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.”

Finally, Jesus turns privately to his disciples and says:

“Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.”

The disciples were witnessing something generations of prophets and kings had longed for: the fulfilment of God’s promises in Jesus Christ.

We too have received an extraordinary gift. We know the Gospel. We know the name of Jesus. We know that God has entered human history, that Christ died and rose again, and that eternal life has been offered to us.

But every gift brings responsibility.

It is possible to become so accustomed to Christianity that we no longer recognise how precious it is. We can hear the Gospel repeatedly without allowing it to change us. We can receive the sacraments without appreciating their depth.

Jesus therefore invites us to rediscover the wonder of faith.

Conclusion

Luke 10:17–24 teaches us where true Christian joy is found.

Our deepest joy is not that we are successful. It is not that people admire us. We do not even accomplish remarkable things in God’s service.

Our greatest joy is much simpler and much greater than that:

We belong to God.

Jesus tells his disciples, “Rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”

That truth can sustain us even when life becomes difficult. When our plans fail, when our strength diminishes, when others forget us, and even when we approach the end of earthly life, one thing remains: God knows our name.

Therefore, the Christian can say:

Lord, I thank you not primarily for what I have achieved, but because you have called me. I thank you because you know me, love me, and invite me to eternal life. Help me to remain humble, to trust you like a child, and to find my deepest joy in belonging to you.

And that is a joy that no earthly failure, suffering, or disappointment can take away.

Today the Church celebrates the Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels. This feast reminds us of a beautiful truth of our faith: God does not leave us alone on our journey through life. His providence surrounds us, and one way He cares for us is through His holy angels.

Jesus says in today’s Gospel:

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.”
(Matthew 18:10)

These words reveal something profound. The angels are turned toward God, yet they are also sent to serve His children. They contemplate the Father’s face and carry out His loving will.

1. God cares for each of us personally.

Occasionally we may think that God cares about humanity in general but does not concern Himself with the small details of our individual lives. The teaching about the guardian angels tells us something different.

For God, we are not simply part of a crowd. He knows each of us personally. He knows our joys and disappointments, our temptations and fears, our good intentions and weaknesses.

Psalm 91 says:

“For he commands his angels with regard to you, to guard you wherever you go.”

Our guardian angel is therefore a sign of God’s personal providence. The angel does not replace God. Rather, the angel serves God and reminds us that God’s care accompanies us even when we do not notice it.

We usually do not see our guardian angel. We may not feel his presence. But much of God’s work in our lives is hidden.

2. The guardian angel leads us toward God.

We sometimes imagine guardian angels mainly as protectors from accidents and physical dangers. Certainly we may ask God for such protection. But the mission of the guardian angel is much greater.

The greatest danger is not that something unpleasant happens to us. The greatest danger is losing our way to God.

Our guardian angel therefore desires above all that we remain close to the Lord.

When we are tempted, the angel encourages us toward what is truly good When our conscience tells us, “Do not do this,” or “Choose what is right,” we should listen carefully. We should not identify every thought with the voice of an angel, but we can trust that God uses His angels to help us choose the path of goodness.

The angel never leads us toward himself. He leads us toward Christ.

3. We are surrounded by a spiritual reality.

Modern people often believe only in what can be measured, photographed or scientifically examined. Yet Christian faith reminds us that creation is larger than the visible world.

In the Creed we profess that God is the Creator of “heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.”

The angels belong to this invisible creation.

Their existence reminds us that reality does not end with what our eyes can see. A spiritual world exists, and our earthly life has an eternal destination.

These truths should give us courage. There may be moments when we feel completely alone. Perhaps nobody understands our suffering. Perhaps we face a difficult decision. Perhaps the future frightens us.

But the Christian can say:

I am not alone. God is with me.

And because God loves me, He has given me heavenly assistance on my journey.

4. Become like the angels for others

Today’s feast also gives us a practical challenge.

If angels are messengers of God’s goodness, then Christians should, in a certain sense, become messengers of God’s goodness to one another.

Perhaps someone near us needs encouragement.
Perhaps someone is lonely.
Perhaps someone needs forgiveness.
Perhaps someone needs to hear a kind word.
Perhaps someone has lost hope and needs another person to help him find his way back to God.

We cannot become angels, because angels and human beings are different creatures. But we can imitate their service.

A mother who watches over her child, a person who visits someone who is lonely, a priest who brings the sacraments to the sick, a friend who prevents another person from making a serious mistake—all these can become instruments of God’s providence.

5. Listen to where God is leading you.

There is another beautiful characteristic of the angels: obedience.

The angels do not ask, “What do I want?” Their question is, “What does God want?”

That is also our path of holiness.

Every morning we can ask:

Lord, what do You want from me today?
Whom should I help?
What should I avoid?
Where are you calling me?

And we can ask our guardian angel:

Holy Guardian Angel, help me to recognise God’s will and give me courage to follow it.

Dear brothers and sisters, the Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels is ultimately not simply a feast about angels. It is a feast about God’s loving care for us.

God created us.
God knows us.
God accompanies us.
God protects us.
And God wants to lead us safely to our eternal home.

So when life becomes difficult and we feel abandoned, let us remember: the road to heaven is not a road we walk alone.

May we entrust ourselves every day to God’s providence and ask our guardian angel to accompany us, protect us from evil, strengthen us in temptation, and, above all, lead us ever closer to Jesus Christ.

And at the end of our earthly journey, may the angels lead us into the presence of God, where, together with them, we may praise Him forever.

Amen.

Brothers and sisters, today’s Gospel is like something from today’s newspaper. It talks about the unfaithful management of property. And today it is quite strongly pronounced in society. This applies to both the private sector and, even more so, the public sector. Unfaithful managers. The Gospel talks about tenants in the vineyard and the management of property. The owner hired workers who were to act, work, and manage the property according to his will. They were only tenants. But they did not act as tenants. They thought that what they only managed belonged to them. And they were rejected. The Gospel states “…and lease the vineyard to other vinedressers.”

This parable also teaches us that we, too, should be responsible in managing our goods. Both earthly goods and material possessions, as well as spiritual talents, are included. It is true that although we have our property on the title deed, we are always only managers. Values and goods existed before we were born and will remain when we are gone. We have them only for a while, to provide us with life through work. This is the intention of the owner and master, and therefore we must act accordingly.

According to God’s plan. In what way? We must take into account three important phenomena. First of all: the development of the world itself, which was entrusted to man for use. This is what we already read in the Bible, in the account of the creation of the world in the Book of Genesis. “…Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air…” (Cf. Gen 1:28), and so man’s mission is the development of the earth itself and its goods. The development of property, the development of the gifts, or, in the words of the Gospel, the talents entrusted to man. We must develop them. That is why we were given them.

The second dimension is to use the entrusted gifts to build your livelihood for yourself and your family, and to build common goods for all. That is, for society as a whole, which is, in other words, every neighbor. “Love your neighbour as yourself.” And so we have the right to personal and social development and to benefit from the gifts and goods of this earth.

And the third dimension of the correct form of wealth management is to create spiritual values ​​from wealth, from material goods or from the gifts and values ​​that we have. And these are generosity, kindness, solidarity, love, service, vocation, help and finally merit that God will reward with eternity … “For whatever you did to another, you did to me.” These are the gifts God desires. This should be the result of the work and management of the goods and gifts entrusted to us.

Therefore, let us note that this is precisely the correct dimension of managing the things, property, values, and gifts God has entrusted to us. We are only stewards. Let us realise this so that we are not condemned as unjust stewards. But we will become stewards who fulfill our master’s will for our own benefit.

Today we celebrate the saint (1873-1897) known as St. Theresa of the Child Jesus. She stood out for her smallness, humility, profound trust, and love for God. It was not for nothing that she was declared a teacher of the Church – St Theresa can be a great encouragement on the path of faith for each of us.

Today, Jesus told us, “Unless you turn and become like little children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 18:3). Jesus invites us to turn to God. It leads us to embrace our identity as God’s children. He invites us to become children of God, totally dependent on God’s love and care. Occasionally we pretend to be self-sufficient adults. But even as professionals, we are totally dependent on God in life. Whether we admit it or not, we depend on God in life. Unfortunately, we sometimes only recognise our dependence on God in difficult life situations. When we are pressed by illness, when someone close to us dies, only then do we realize that our life and the lives of our loved ones do not depend on us, but on God. Then we can either close ourselves to God or adopt complete trust and surrender, believing we are in the arms of the loving Trinity.

Theresa teaches us to adopt the attitude of a child of God amid the mundaneness of our lives. She walked the path of childhood and herself admits, “I am a very small soul who can offer very little to the Lord.” Because she was so “small,” she was open to meeting God in the ordinary. She did not wait for significant opportunities to love. But she did all the deeds with great love. She used to say: “Yes, it is prayer; it is sacrifice that provides me all my strength; these are the invincible weapons that Jesus gave me.” When she had to take care of an obnoxious elderly and sick co-sister, she found it an opportunity to show her love for Jesus. When something cost her a lot of struggle and sacrifice, she did not complain but found in it an opportunity to trust Jesus and grow in love. Her humility was manifested in her openness to spiritual guidance and her love of obedience to her superiors.

In today’s world, in the pursuit of career, power, success, or enjoyment, man experiences emptiness. This moment invites us to convert and adopt the attitude of a child of God. We pray: St. Theresa, help us discover and entrust ourselves completely to God’s loving care. Teach us to see by faith that God is close to us not only in joyful situations but also in everyday life or carrying our cross. Help us to become little children and let God embrace us.

Lorenzo Ruiz, also known as St. Laurentius Ruiz, was the first canonised saint from the Philippines. He and his companions were martyred in Japan in the 17th century. The Church celebrates St Lorenzo Ruiz and Companions on September 28.

His early life

Lorenzo Ruiz was born around 1594 in Binondo, Manila, in the Philippines. His father was Chinese and his mother Filipino. He was raised as a Catholic and served the Church from an early age. He became an altar server and later worked as a calligrapher and clerk for the Dominican friars.

Lorenzo married and had three children. This is an important aspect of his holiness: he was not a priest or religious, but a husband, father, and lay Christian.

In 1636, Lorenzo was accused of involvement in a killing. Fearing for his life, he left the Philippines aboard a ship with Dominican missionaries. He apparently thought they were going to another safe place, but the group eventually reached Japan, where Christians were being severely persecuted.

Martyrdom in Japan

The missionaries and Lorenzo were arrested. Japanese authorities attempted to force them to renounce Christianity. They were subjected to extremely severe torture.

Lorenzo experienced moments of fear and weakness, which makes his story especially human. Yet when confronted with the choice between abandoning Christ and dying, he remained faithful.

A statement traditionally attributed to him expresses his decision:

“I am a Christian, and wholeheartedly do accept death for God.”

He is also remembered for declaring that, if he had a thousand lives, he would offer them all to God.

Lorenzo and his companions were tortured and killed in Nagasaki in 1637. Among the group were Dominican priests, religious brothers, lay people, and missionaries of different nationalities. Their martyrdom therefore shows the universality of the Church: people of different countries and ways of life were united by the same faith in Christ.

Lorenzo Ruiz and his companions

The group commemorated by the Church consists of 16 martyrs who died in Japan between 1633 and 1637. They included Lorenzo Ruiz, missionaries from Spain and other countries, Japanese Christians, and other lay collaborators. Their mission took place during a period when the Japanese authorities were attempting to eradicate Christianity.

Pope John Paul II beatified them in Manila on February 18, 1981. This was historically significant because it was the first beatification ceremony held outside Rome. He later canonized them in Rome on October 18, 1987.

What St. Lorenzo Ruiz teaches us

Lorenzo’s life reminds us that holiness is not reserved for priests, monks, or religious sisters. He was an ordinary layman with a wife, children, work, responsibilities, and fears. Yet when the decisive moment came, he placed his trust in Christ.

His courage does not mean he felt fearless. Christian courage means remaining faithful despite fear. Lorenzo did not originally set out intending to become a martyr. Providence brought him into circumstances he had never expected. In those circumstances, his faith was tested to the extreme.

His witness therefore asks each Christian a simple but demanding question: How much does my faith mean to me when following Christ becomes difficult?

St. Lorenzo Ruiz and his companions remind us of Christ’s words:

“Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
— Matthew 10:39

Their example encourages us to remain faithful not only in extraordinary moments of persecution but also in the small trials of everyday Christian life—with courage, prayer, fidelity, and trust in God.