A blog about Filipino Catholicism, the Virgin Mary, Filipino holy men and women, vocation discernment, priesthood, religious life, homilies and reflection. Welcome to The Wise Friar's world.
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 devotion to him has developed amo
Get link
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps
Episode 13. Sino si Wise Friar?
Get link
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps
-
Sabi ni Wise Friar... Ang Buhay ay isang paglalakbay. Kailangan mo ng kasabay.
Ako si Wise Friar... bagong pari. Papasok pa lamang ako sa ika-7 buwan ng aking pagiging pari habang tina-type ko ito. Mahilig ako magkwento lalo na kung tungkol sa aking vocation journey.
Naniwala ako na walang kwentong walang kwenta sa mata ng Diyos. Mahalaga ang bawat isa sa Kanya.
Gusto ko rin na sa pagkukuwento ko ay maki-journey sa mga taong nasa proseso ng vocation discernment - pagtuklas sa totoong bokasyon nila sa buhay - mapa buhay pag-aasawa man ito, buhay single, ngunit lalo't higit sa buhay pag-papari o buhay relihiyoso gaya ng pagiging religious brother o religious sister. The posts that you will see in this blog, were actually written real-time, noong mismong point at oras na iyon na talagang nag-iisip ako at nagdadasal if I will pursue a vocation to the priesthood. At dahil they were written in real time, talagang yon ang naramdaman ko nuong mga oras na iyon. Totoong totoo ito. Kumbaga, they were "very raw" what really comes out from my heart, kung ano talaga ang nararamdaman ko at iniisip ko that time. Parang nagsusulat ako sa journal, narrating and recounting my experiences as they happen. And it was such a good exercise. Ang maganda nito, palagi akong may mababalikan - every time I would struggle and face difficulties, I could always retrospect on that time of my life, when I felt God was so close to me. Guiding me every step of the way. And since retrospection na lang yung Episodes 1 - 10, kung minsan I still find inspiration annotating the old posts, and refreshing them with new post-seminary and thank God, post-ordination insights. It really is still an evolving story up to this moment.
At masasabi ko na ang vocation story ko ay work in progress pa rin. Kaya nga nahahati ang mga posts ko sa Episodes. I could only hope and pray na maging faithful ako sa aking mga pangako nung ako'y inordinahan bilang Pari ni Kristo. Continuing process ang pagpili at pananatili sa isang bokasyon o way of life, ano pa man ang mapipili mo. Dahil mag-rerequire ito ng araw araw mong commitment to be faithful - priest, religious brother or sister, husband, wife, Christian. At talagang challenging ito. Dadaan ka talaga sa mga struggles, failures, disappointments and frustrations. You will be tested to your limits. Pero these struggles should not hamper, but strengthen us in pursuing the best that we could be - that which God wants and wills us to be. Kailangan ang kooperasyon natin kapatid! Maarami ring little joys and triumphs to celebrate on a day to day basis, and these successes are reasons enough to celebrate and be grateful. We always need to count our blessings, for our God is truly a God of surprises.
And what's good about this Enhanced Community Quarantine, it provided me the time to write again and continue the still unfolding episodes of my vocation journey; of my priesthood. These episodes are truly moments of grace and encounter with the Lord who has called me and has made sure that I will reach that day, November 21, 2019, a Thursday, feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, my priestly ordination. I am truly blessed.
At dahil mas marami nga akong oras, I decided to expand the scope of my blog to not just about my vocation discernment journey but to include also interesting topics about Filipino Catholicism, Filipino holy men and women. Ano mang tungkol sa Simbahan Katoliko at Pinoy, pasok dito sa blog na ito.
Aaminin ko sa iyo, hindi talaga ako perpekto, marami akong kakulangan, issues and struggles that i grapple with every day. Pero mayroon akong Diyos na perpekto - perpekto sa kanyang pagmamahal at pagpapatawad. Ito ang dasal ko at nais kong isabuhay at bigyang buhay sa aking pagpapari. Baka maari mo rin akong ipagdasal?
Kinaawaan at kinahabagan lamang ako ng Diyos. Ang lahat ay tanging biyaya.
Totoo talaga kapatid, sa bawat paglalakbay, mas mabuti ang may kasabay para alam mo na may mga tao na pareho ang iniisip mo, pareho ang pinagdadaanan mo, pareho ang narararamdaman mo. Hindi ka nag-iisa kapatid.
Halika! Huwag mo nang ipagpabukas pa. Subukan mo na!
P.S. Maari mong i-click yung image para mapanood mo yung trailer, at kung may oras ka, buuin mo na ang buong pelikula. Maging Akin Muli featuring Marvin Agustin. Ma-i-inspire ka, walang stir!
Lipa Cathedral interior I was born and grew up in a city where it is not uncommon to see nuns garbed in habits of various shades of blue, grey, brown and white and seminarians and religious brothers garbed in their cassocks, clerical shirts or religious habit, in any given day, attending church services in the different churches, shrines and monasteries in the city and its outskirts. On Sundays, all churches are full to capacity of people coming from all walks of life fulfilling their Sunday obligation. On a typical Wednesday, the Redemptorist shrine of Divino Amor welcomes throngs of devotees of Our Lady of Perpetual Help coming from different places. Every 12th of the month, there is a penitential procession from the Cathedral going to Carmel and there are also liturgical activities in Carmel every first Saturday of the month dedicated to the Blessed Mother. Welcome to the city of my birth, Lipa City, the "Little Rome of the Philippines." With its elevation of 1,025 feet ab
Laureana "Ka Luring" Franco: The Holy Catechist of Manila Ka Luring Franco (1936 - 2011) God indeed reveals Himself to the humble in the lowliest of disguises. And Ka Luring was sensitive to that fact - she found God and recognized Him revealing Himself in the faces of the the little children she so loved catechizing and the poor she so selflessly helped and served; that she herself became a reflection of that God she found among God's poor, which she so perfectly radiated with stunning simplicity and overflowing joy. Laureana Franco gave up her job in a government office in order to pursue her true calling and first love, the teaching of catechism to children. From then on, Ka Luring spent the rest of her years pursuing in what for her, was her real vocation and mission in life – that of being a catechist. She has earned the title, "The Legendary Catechist of the Archdiocese of Manila” because of her commitment to the ministry of catechizing children. She knew so
Lipa: A Historical Sketch I wrote this short history of the city for a primer prepared by the City Government of Lipa City years ago. It also appeared in the website of Wow Batangas. Portions of this article were also extracted from the book I wrote "Take and Receive: The Life and Legacy of Madre Laura Mendoza"... Photographs appearing in this article are not the author's, credit is given to their respective owners. Early Beginnings The wonderful, almost epical saga of a people in search of a permanent settlement where they could live secure and peaceful lives began in the panoramic lake shores that surround the stunningly beautiful yet dangerous Taal Volcano. Aerial view of the Cathedral and the poblacion Tradition has it that the early settlements of Tagbakin in the southeastern region of Bombon Lake were inhabited by the war-like descendants of the two Bornean Datus Dumangsil and Balkasusa. From these pre-colonial settlements evolved the ancestry of Lipa. It is said
Comments
Post a Comment