SEM. IAN GABRIEL NUNEZ IS ORDAINED DEACON
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On September 19, 2026 Seminarian Ian Gabriel Nunez, LRMS was ordained as Deacon by His Eminence Jose Cardinal Advincula, D.D. at the San Carlos Seminary Chapel. He was ordinained with other three deacons namely Rev. Mart Ceazar Adarlo, Rev. Mark Jake Deseo, and Rev. Louis Montfort Ngo Van Huy, CRM. It was the first diaconal ordination in eleven years. In his homily, the Cardinal emphasized the contextual service that deacons should be mindful of in these contemporary times. He also gave three important points in his homily which should reflect the life and ministry of a deacon: first, to be known. A deacon should be convinced that God knows him before he is sent. Like Jeremiah, God knows the deacon before any mission has to be given. God said to Jeremiah: before i sent you, I knew you. God knows better about the deacon than any of us. Second, to be loved. Before Jesus sends his disciples, he reveals first to them how much he loves of them. The laying of hands symbolizes God's love and God claims that the deacon is the Lord's. The life of the deacon is no longer his, it is now owned by the Lord. The service that the deacon performs is based on how he loves Jesus. Third, it is to be given. St. Peter in the second reading in the mass reminds all of us that service is clear manifestation of the gift of the diaconate. The cardinal said: "ang bawat bendisyon ay may kaakibat na mission."
"MILLE ANIMAS": ITS FOUNDATIONS FOR AN EMERGING LRMS MISSIONARY SPIRITUALITY
"a thousand lives"
THE words of San Lorenzo Ruiz opens a new path and horizon for missionary undertaking in the Lorenzo Ruiz Mission Society. "A thousand lives" entails a deep sense of surrender, a love for humble obedience and profound desire for self-emptying. Thus, the lived experiences of all LRMS as they emulate San Lorenzo Ruiz gradually shaped their missionary spirituality. Let us look into the implications of remembering the words of San Lorenzo Ruiz: "Mille Animas"
1) Mille Animas asserts the universal call to holiness- John Paul II says that the "true missionary is the saint" because of the level of holiness that is reached by his faith and love for God. The devotion to San Lorenzo Ruiz shapes the universal call to holiness. Mission is not all about techniques, strategies and plans but it is primarily a commitment towards holiness and it is an irreplaceable condition for the salvation of all. He said: "The call to mission derives, of its nature, from the call to holiness. A missionary is really such only if he commits himself to the way of holiness. "Holiness must be called a fundamental presupposition and an irreplaceable condition for everyone in fulfilling the mission of salvation in the Church." (RM 90) The Lorenzo Ruiz Society's primary concern is the way towards holiness both ad intra and ad extra.
2) Mille Animas affirms the missionary as a man of the Beatitudes- The words of San Lorenzo Ruiz "mille animas" reminds the missionary that he is called to witness the nature and grace of the Beatitudes. John Paul II said: "Before sending out the Twelve to evangelize, Jesus, in his "missionary discourse" (cf. Mt. 10), teaches them the paths of mission: poverty, meekness, acceptance of suffering and persecution, the desire for justice and peace, charity- in other words, the Beatitudes, lived out in the apostolic life (cf. Mt 5:1-12). By living the Beatitudes, the missionary experiences and shows concretely that the Kingdom of God has already come, and that he has accepted it." (RM 91)
3) Mille Animas encourages self-emptying- The experience of self-emptying by San Lorenzo Ruiz is a great encouragement for one who follows Christ as a missionary. If only he would have a "thousand lives" he will offer all of them to God. This is a sign of ultimate generosity. It is to die to oneself in order for others to live. John Paul II says that: "the mystery of the Incarnation and Redemption is thus described as a total self-emptying which leads Christ to experience fully the human condition and to accept totally the Father's plan. This is an emptying of self which is permeated by love and expresses love." (RM 88)
4) Mille Animas inspires the love for the Church- At the very hour of his martyrdom, San Lorenzo Ruiz has to ultimately manifest his love for the Church as a result of his love for Christ. His martyrdom became his greatest gift to the Church. San Lorenzo Ruiz expressed the highest form of missionary witnessing and it is his martyrdom. John Paul II said: "those who have the missionary spirit feel Christ's burning love for souls, and love the Church as Christ did." (RM 89)
5) Mille Animas promotes the love for human cultures- The martyrdom of San Lorenzo Ruiz happened in Japanese soil. His "mille animas" was confessed not in a Catholic land but foreign and even hostile to the Catholic faith. However, he has shown the possibility of cultural integration through his martyrdom. He has to die in a foreign land to manifest that the Christian faith is universal and is beyond cultural settings and limitations. San Lorenzo Ruiz planted the seed of the Christian faith through his martyrdom. Missionaries have to show love for cultures if the proclamation of the Gospel should be a priority. John Paul II continues to say that the missionary "overcomes barriers and divisions of race, caste, or ideology. He is a sign of God's love in the world-a love without exclusion or partiality.
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