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 28, 2020, Martes sa ika-3 Linggo sa Karaniwang Panahon

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Enero 28, 2020, Martes sa Ika-3 Linggo sa Karaniwang Panahon / Paggunita Kay Sto. Tomas de Aquino, Pari at Pantas ng Simbahan

Pagninilay sa Mabuting Balita ng Panginoon ayon kay SanMarcos 3:31-35

Ang pagiging kabilang sa isang pamilya o grupo ay masasabing mahalaga sapagkat maaari itong magtakda ng direksyon ng buhay ng isang indibidwal. Halimbawa kung nagmula ka sa isang angkan ng mga doktor, malaki ang expectation na magiging doktor ka rin. Kung ikaw naman ay galing sa angkan ng pulitiko, malamang lamang, magiging pulitiko ka rin.

Sa lalawigan na aking kinalakhan, napakahalaga ng ugnayan ng magkakamag-anak. May kasabihan kami duon "iisang pisa". Ibig sabihin, iisa ang aming pinagmulan, magkakamag-anak halos ang buong nayon, ang lahat ay magkaka-ugnay, may relasyong namamagitan. Dapat pahalagahan at igalang ang ugnayang ito.  Kapag ikaw ay hindi taal na taga-doon, sasabihin ikaw ay dating o dapo.  Kakaiba ka sa kanila. 

Sa ating mabuting balita, binigyang pansin ni Hesus ang isa pang uri ng pakikipagugnayan na mas mahalaga pa sa dugo na siyang magtatakda ng ating kasasapitan. Sinabi ni Hesus na ang kanyang ina at mga kapatid ay yaong mga tumutupad sa kalooban ng Diyos.  Ito ay ugnayang nakaugat sa malalim na pagkakilala sa Diyos.  

Madalas na ginagamit ang verse na ito ng mga hindi naniniwala sa Mahal na Birheng Maria.  Itinuturing nila ito na pagbabale-wala ni Hesus kay Maria, ang kanyang ina.   Ngunit kung lilimiin at sa mas malalamin na pagninilay, ito ay hindi isang insulto bagkus ay pagpupuri at pagtataas kay Maria.  Bakit? Sapagkat ang Mahal na Birheng Maria, hindi lamang siya konektado kay Hesus sa dugo bilang kanyang ina na nagluwal sa kanya, bagkus, si Maria, siya rin ang kauna-unahan sa pagsunod at sa pagsuko ng sarili sa kalooban ng Ama na labis na nalulugod sa kanya.

Tunay nga na tayo ay magkaka-ugnay sa iisang mas malaking pamilya na hindi binubuklod ng dugo bagkus ng ating pag-ibig at pananampalataya, at pagsunod sa kalooban ng Diyos na nagpakilala bilang Ama natin. Tayo ay kapatid ni Hesus sa ating karangalan bilang mga anak ng Diyos.

Magandang itanong, itinuturing ko bang kapatid kay Kristo ang kapwa ko?


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