Lorenzo Ruiz was hung upside-down over a pit. He was physically abused to coerce him into giving up his faith. If he would renounce Christianity, the Japanese would spare him and set him free.
His papacy was confronted by the need for internal reform of the church, the expansion of Protestantism, and the Ottoman advance in Europe spreading the faith of Islam.
Cyril can be considered one of those people Athanasius referred to as "brothers, who mean what we mean and differ only about the word consubstantial," notwithstanding his lack of amity with the most notable orthodoxy defender against the Arians.
St. Arnold Janssen made his entire life’s work about missioning, going beyond traditional boundaries and overcoming the political struggles of his time just to make the Good News known.
The cross used for him is an x-shaped one, commonly known as the decussate cross. Nowadays, Christians venerate it using the name Saint Andrew’s Cross.
Tradition also credits Luke as the first person who painted icons of the Blessed Virgin Mary, making him not just the patron saint of doctors and surgeons but also of artists and painters.
Reflection Date: October 16, 2021
The words of Jesus to His disciples in today's Gospel can be aptly applied to the various Saints who were very bold in their profession of faith.
