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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Episode 15. Mga Modelo ng Kabanalan

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    Mula sa kanan: Venerable Alfredo O. Obviar, Servants of God 
Alfredo F. Verzosa at Teofilo B. Camomot, mga Pilipinong Obispo
Magandang araw kapatid kong kabiyahe at kalakbay! Maliit pa akong bata ay labis na akong nabighani sa buhay ng mga Santo at Santa.  Pero nung mga panahong iyon, halos wala pang mga Pilipinong santo.  Tanging si San Lorenzo Ruiz na noo'y beato pa lamang ang kasama sa opisyal na listahan ng mga banal ng Simbahang Katoliko. Kung kaya't nagkainteres ako sa talambuhay ng mga Pilipino na maaring itanghal na santo/santa sa hinaharap. Sa ngayon kasi, dalawang Pilipino pa lamang ang opisyal na kinilala ng Simbahan bilang mga Santo - Si San Lorenzo Ruiz at si San Pedro Calungsod. Kaya naman, nung nasa Theology pa ako, nagsulat ako ng isang paper tungkol sa Filipino Holy Men and Women sa subject ko na Philippine Church History. 

Kapansin-pansin halos lahat ng mga Pilipinong banal na nakasama sa aking short-list ay pawang mga obispo, pari, madre, o hinuhubog sa pagkapari. Dalawa lang ang napasamang layko. Si Blessed Justo Takayama Ukon at ang Servant of God na si Darwin Ramos. Dalawa sa mga banal na Pinoy malamang ay kakontemporaryo o inabutan mo pa. Si Darwin Ramos (na namatay noong 2012), Fr. Joseph Aveni (namatay 2010), Bro. Richie Fernando (namatay 1996), Monsignor Aloysius Schwartz (namatay 1992) at Archbishop Teofilo Camomot (namatay 1988). Ilan naman ang maaring inabutan mo pa rin o ng nanay at tatay mo siguro. Sina Sr. Dalisay Lazaga (namatay 1970), Fr. Carlo Braga (namatay 1971), at Bishop Alfredo Obviar (namatay 1978).

Marahil itatanong mo, bakit ako nagka-interes sa subject na 'to? Simple lang. Kasi, lumaki ako na si San Lorenzo Ruiz lang ang kilala kong Pilipinong santo, samantalang lagi ko naririnig noong bata ako at magpasa hanggang ngayon eh tayo ang pinakamalaking bansang Kristiyano sa buong Asya at marahil, kasali rin tayo sa pinakamalalaki sa buong mundo. Pero bakit ganon? Walang masyadong Pilipino na kinikilala ng simbahan bilang santo at santa. Karamihan sa mga nakikita at nababasa kong santo ay kadalasan nanggagaling sa Europa - kundi man Pranses, Italyano o Espanol.

Kaya ayan, naging interesado ako. At dahil sa pagka-uso ng internet (hindi ko kasi alam kung kelan sya naimbento - 80s pa lang yata meron na nito) noong mid-1990s, madali na maghanap at magkalap ng mga impormasyon tungkol sa kahit na anong topic. Hindi mo na kinakailangang lumabas ng bahay, magtungo sa library, magbuklat ng napakaraming libro, at magnote-taking (old school - haha). Mas madali na ang mga bagay bagay ngayon di tulad ng dati. Objective ko rin sa pag-come up ng post na ito na ma-inspire ang mga bumabasa nito (wag ka na magtanong kung kasama ka, dahil oo, kasama ka talaga! Tatanong ka pa? haha.) sa pamamagitan ng pagbibigay ng mga modelo na pwedeng gayahin at tularan sa kanilang buhay kabanalan. Nakakalungkot kasi, parang ngayon, corny na pag-usapan para sa ilang kabataan ang holiness. Parang hindi cool pag sinabi mo na nagsisimba ka, pag gusto mong pag-usapan yung homily ng pari noong nakaraang Linggo o ang pagdadasal ng rosaryo. Mukhang nawawala na ito sa cool-stuff vocabulary ng mga kabataan. At ito ay malaking challenge Sa Simbahan in general at sa aming mga pari, in particular. Paano ba namin maibabalik ang interes ng mga kabataan sa simbahan? Marami na kaming kaagaw. Paano ba kami makikipag-compete sa atensyon kina ML, FB, Instagram at Twitter?

Mahirap din kasi pag-usapan ang kabanalan ng buhay kasi uso na nga ngayon ang instant- instant coffee, noodles, research, etc. Lahat nadadaan na sa madali at mabilisan. Hindi na marunong magtiyaga ang tao at maghintay. Gusto lahat ura-urada, inaapura. Pero may mga bagay talaga na hindi nadadaan sa ura-urada at apu-apura. Isa na ang pagpasok sa buhay pari o relihiyoso. Kailangan mo talaga munang magdasal, magtanong sa mga nakakaalam (tulad ng parish priest mo at vocation director sa diocese) at saka kumilos. Discernment is key 'tol!  Pero kapatid, hinding hindi mo malalaman kung talagang tinatawag ka sa buhay-pari o relihiyoso kung hindi ka kikilos at susubukan mo ito.

At dahil may interes ka na magpari di ba? Kailangan mo ng isang titingalain at gagawin mong inspirasyon sa iyong pagnanais na maging pari, at sympre pagdadasalan mo at hihingan ng tulong. At dito sa page na tinutukoy dito, makikilala mo ang ilan sa mga Pilipinong modelo ng pagiging banal. Yung tatlong pictures dito sa post na ito, mga banal na pari at obispo sila.  Mga paring Pilipinong pwedeng gawing modelo. Ang maganda dito, hindi sila nalalayo sa iyo. Pareho kayo ng mga lugar na pinuntahan, maaring pareho din ang kulay ng inyong balat, at maaring pareho din kayong pango ang ilong. Bakit? Kasi pareho kayong Pinoy. Mas dama mo ngayon na hindi ganoon kahirap maging banal - Santo o Santa pa kung gugustuhin mo. Kasi, marami nang nauna sa iyo na mga kababayan mo. Hindi iba sa iyo. Hindi rin malayo sa iyo. Kapwa mo Pilipino!


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