San Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila Parish at Pleasant Hill Subdivision, City of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan, Bulacan 3023 PH - One Body, One Soul, One People, Journeying Towards God

The new Bell Tower of San Lorenzo Ruiz Church.

As I gazed in awesome admiration at the 7 foot-tall silvery cross on the summit of our new church dome and belfry, I couldn’t help but express my gratitude to God for this wondrous gift of architecture, a genuine work of art. Because of its magnificent pinnacle, the San Lorenzo Ruiz Church can now be viewed from the nearby sub-parishes; marking its presence and seemingly bidding each one of us: “Come, this is your Home! This is where you shall belong!”

The New Church Edifice gradually rising and slowly being transformed from a simple subdivision chapel into a gorgeous, sacred edifice is a symbol of the faith of God’s people and a manifestation of the Father’s ever loving and healing goodness and generosity. No doubt, the Good Lord has been with us all the way since we began building this Sanctuary. However, have we on our part done the same thing? Have we contributed our time, talent and treasure – all for God’s greater glory? OR have we remained isolated in our own ivory towers and smug complacency? Have we unlocked ourselves and gone out from our comfort zones and selfish existence? Do we truly serve the Master out of genuine love for HIM and His commandments or are we just fulfilling a psycho-social need to be affirmed and acknowledged? Worst yet, are we brewing hidden political agenda under the banner of spiritual service?

The re-stated and re-thought out VISION of the PARISH declares: “We, the people of God of the Parish of San Lorenzo Ruiz, called to the fullness of life in God envision building a living, loving, praying and serving Christian community with the guidance and patronage of San Lorenzo Ruiz.” The emphasis of this statement is in the process and continuity of our commitment. We may have finished building the House of God in a year or two, but it is definitely worth contemplating and asking ourselves if we have truthfully begun building the genuine Church among us which ought to remain ALIVE, and must be a source of LOVE, SANCTITY and a vehicle of SERVICE to our fellow parishioners. Christ is the Head of this Church and we are members of His Body. Let the peace of Christ control our hearts, the peace in which we are called as ONE BODY. Each one is important and indispensable and must be treated with heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. If we could only make each one of us feel that he or she belongs and offer ourselves as wounded healers to those who are in pain, then, we could all hold hands together and journey triumphantly towards our ultimate destiny – GOD and His Kingdom of Love.

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