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Showing posts from February, 2020

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: Pebrero 23, 2020, Ika-7 Linggo sa Karaniwang Panahon (Cycle A)

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Pebrero 23, 2020, Ika-7 Linggo sa Karaniwang Panahon Pagninilay sa Mabuting Balita ng Panginoon ayon kay San Mateo 5: 38-48 Sa ating mga pagbasa, tayo ay inaanyayahan na maging banal sapagkat ang ating Panginoong Diyos ay banal. At bilang nilikhang kanyang kawangis, kailangang matularan natin Siya, iyan ang dignidad natin bilang mga anak ng Diyos, ang mahalin Siya, umunlad sa kabanalan at makapiling ang Diyos pagdating ng panahon. Ngunit paano ba ang umunlad sa kabanalan? Sa mabuting balita, nabanggit ang batas ukol sa mata sa mata at ngipin sa ngipin na base sa sinaunang batas ni Hamurabi. Nilikha ang batas na ito para masigurong sapat at patas lamang ang gagawing paghihiganti ng kabilang partido. Halimbawa ikaw ay pumatay, isang buhay lang din ang kapalit. Sa ganoong pamamaraan, ang katarungan ay napapangibabaw. Napapanatili ang kaaayusan at kapayapaan sa hindi makatarungan at sobra-sobrang galit at paghihiganti.  But Justice is just the minimum of love. Jesus tells us that we s...
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Homilies and Reflections: February 16, 2020. 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle A) - English

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February 16, 2020, Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Reflection on the Gospel according to St. Matthew 5: 17-37 Our gospel this Sunday challenges us to go beyond ourselves and to do more. "I tell you, if your sense of right and wrong is not keener than that of the lawyers and the Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven..."  We need to have the proper disposition in approaching and interpreting the law.  In the first place, why were laws made? They were there to guide the Jewish people in the practice of their faith, in how they are supposed to relate with God and neighbor.  Therefore, the laws should be able to facilitate an encounter with God and in encountering God in the laws, the Jews also come to encounter God in their neighbors.   As what Jesus has spoken - the two most supreme among the laws are two:  To love God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your soul, with all your being and, to love others as you love yourself.  An...
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