St. Expeditus: Patron Saint of Speedy Causes

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St. Expeditus:  Patron Saint of Speedy Causes The venerated image of St. Expeditus in  the Lipa Cathedral In the Metropolitan Cathedral of St. Sebastian in Lipa City is a venerated image of a young Roman Centurion saint named Expeditus. Every month of April, a nine day novena in his honor is held in the cathedral that culminates in the celebration of his feast day on the 19th of the month. Who is this saint whose intercession was also invoked in the Oratio Imperata  to avert a catastrophic eruption of Taal Volcano prepared by the Archdiocese of Lipa when the volcano exhibited extra-ordinary activity early  in January, 2020?  St. Expeditus could have found affinity with the Lipenos since the martyr shares a lot of commonality with St. Sebastian, the city’s patron. St. Expeditus, like St. Sebastian was also a young Roman soldier who converted to Christianity and was also martyred as a consequence, during the period of Diocletian persecution.  Hence, a devo...
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Homilies and Reflections: Enero 27, 2020, Lunes sa ika-3 Linggo sa Karaniwang Panahon

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Enero 27, 2020, Lunes sa Ika 3 Linggo sa Karaniwang Panahon

Pagninilay sa Mabuting Balita ayon kay San Marcos 3:22-30

Sa ating mabuting balita, si Hesus ay inaakusahan ng mga guro ng batas na nagpapalayas ng masasamang espiritu sa pamamagitan ni Beelzebul.

Sounds familiar? Sa ating sitwasyon ngayon, nakalulungkot na ang mga taong gumagawa ng tama, ang mga taong gumagawa ng kabutihan ay siya pang inaakusahan na masasama kadalasan.  Ang nagiging norm sa kasalukuyan ay "voice of the majority" kung anong sinasabi at ginagawa ng karamihan, siyang nagiging normal, at ang gumagawa ng tama ay abnormal.  Marahil iyan din ang sitwasyon na hinarap ni Hesus sa harap ng mga Pariseo at mga lider na Hudyo. Kahit tama at totoo ang kanyan mga ginagawa at sinasabi, siya pa rin ang masama, siya pa rin ang "Beelzebul" sapagkat sila ang mas nakararami.  Alam nila na tama si Hesus pero hindi nila ito matanggap.

Magandang tingnan kung paanong si Hesus ay makagagawa ng mga dakila at mabubuting bagay sa pamamagitan ng kapangyarihan ng hari ng kadiliman kung ang bawat pakikipagtagpo kay Hesus ay nagdudulot ng buhay, kapayapaan, kapanatagan ng kalooban, kagalingan, paghilom at pagbalik loob sa Diyos?

Tunay na hindi ito maisasagawa ng isang Beelzebul. Sapagkat si Beelzebul, ang daladala ay takot, pagaalinlangan, pangamba, sakit, pagkakawatak-watak, kamatayan, kasalanan at pagtalikod sa Diyos.  Makikilala ang puno sa kanyang bunga - hindi ito maikakaila.  Tunay na hindi mananatili ang isang kahirang nahahati sa kanyang sarili.  

Ang dulot ng galing sa Diyos, kapayapaan at pagkakaisa at iyan ang gawain ng  Espiritu Santo na ipinangako ni Hesus na ipadadala ng Ama na siyang mag-aakay sa atin tungo sa katotohanan. At kung saan manahan ang Espiritu ng Diyos, naroon ang pagkakaisa, pagtutulungan at pagkakaunawaan.

Magandang tingnan, sa aking buhay, ano kaya Ang espiritung namamayani? Ang akin bang mga ginagawa at sinasabi ay nagbibigay buhay, at nagiging daan sa pagkakaisa at pagkakaunawaan o ako ang nagiging sanhi ng pagkakawatak-watak at pagkakanya-kanya ng mga tao sa aking kumunidad?  

Idalangin natin sa Diyos, na sa tulong ng Espiritu Santo, tayo nawa ay maakay at mamulat sa katotohanan na tanging sa pagsunod lamang sa kalooban ng Diyos masusumpungan ang kaganapan ng buhay at tunay na kapayapaan. Amen.

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