St. Expeditus: Patron Saint of Speedy Causes

-
Image
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...
Post a Comment

Episode 16. Sino'ng may Sabi na Wala si Kristo?

-
Miyerkules Santo na ngayon at halos nasa kalagitnaan na tayo ng mga Mahal na Araw.  At masasabi ko, iba talaga ngayon ang ginaganap nating paggunita sa Semana Santa.  Ibang iba sa ating nakasanayan at nakaugalian.  Kakaiba ito sapagkat hindi ito 'yung usual, hindi ito yung normal.
Marahil kung walang community quarantine lalo na ang lock down, busing-busy ka na sa pagbibisita Iglesia ngayon, kapatid. Pero sabi nga dun sa  video na prinoduce ng Diocese of Kalookan na "Sinong May Sabing Walang Semana Santa?" Tuloy na tuloy pa rin ito sabihin man natin na abnormal ang sitwasyon ngayon.  Mas damang-dama nga  natin ngayon ang Semana Santa ngayong tayo'y nahihirapan, nagtitis at nagsasakripisyo. Totoong totoo ngayon ang pagsasakripisyo ni Hesus para sa atin.  Ngayon, tunay na alam na natin ang bigat ng Krus na pinasan ni Hesus para sa iyo at para sa akin.  Madali daw ma-appreciate ang pinagdaanan ng isang tao kung tayo mismo ay dadanas nito.  Totoong-too ang bigat ng krus ni Hesus, ang sakit ng kalbaryo.  Totoong totoo din ang bigat ng epekto ng VIRUS.  Pero gaano man ito kabigat, hindi nito mapapantayan ang bigat ng sakripisyo at pagmamahal ni Kristo para sa iyo.  Kapatid, naniniwala ka ba dito?

At totoo rin na hindi "nawala sa lansangan si Kristo" dahil walang mga prusisyon. Nandyan pa rin siya, nag-iba lang ang kanyang anyo.  Naroon siya sa mga taong nagsasakripisyo at naglalaan ng oras para maglingkod sa punto na ilagay rin ang buhay nila sa peligro at alanganin.  Buhay na buhay si Kristo!  Baka ito na nga ang pinakamakahulugang mahal na araw sa buhay mo?  Kasi hindi na sa prusisyon mo namamalas at pinapanood si Kristo, si Kristo ay kasalamuha mo at nakikipag-usap sa iyo, kinakamusta ka, inaalagaan ka, at inaaliw ka.  Naroon siya sa ospital, palengke, lansangan.  Tinitiyak ang kaligtasan mo ngayong mga panahon na natatakot ka at pinanghihinaan ng loob dahil sa krisis na ito.  At oo, marahil, isa ka ring "Kristo" sa kapwa mo na na-afford mo ring tulungan sa kabila ng sarili mong kakulangan at kasalatan at sa mga taong mahal mo at umaasa sa iyo.

Dalhin nawa tayo ng krisis na ito sa mas mataas at malalim na antas ng pagkilala sa Diyos sa ating kapwa.   Huwag nating hanapin si Kristo, si Kristo'y nasa puso ng bawat isa sa atin at doon nananahan.

Kaya kapatid, wag tayong manlumo at malugmok sa ating mga takot at agam-agam.  May pangako ng pag-asa ang pagpasok natin, ngayong taong ito sa mga mahal na araw.  Bagama't nagpakasakit, nagpakahirap at namatay si Hesus, may pangako rin naman ng muling pagkabuhay.  

Napagtagumpayan ni Hesus ang kamatayan at siya ay muing mabububay.  Sama-sama nating yayakapin ang mga mahal na araw na ito, lalo na ang pinakamabigat at mahirap na Biyernes Santo sapagkat sa pagyakap dito, sama-sama tayong babangon sa muling pagkabuhay na mas matatag.  Mas malakas.  Sapagkat hindi tayo pinabayaan ng Diyos.  Sinamahan tayo ng Diyos.

Sino'ng may sabi na wala si Kristo?


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Laureana "Ka Luring" Franco: The Holy Catechist of Manila

-
Image
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 ...
Read more

Lipa City: The Little Rome of the Philippines

-
Image
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...
Read more

Popular Religiosity and Festivals: And They Danced with Joy before the Lord: The Subli Festival of Bauan, Batangas

-
Image
More than a dance form, Subli is a religous ritual that venerates the Holy Cross Dance has always been an essential component of worship of people of various religious and cultural traditions. Man of times past up to the present, uses a variety of movements of his body – hands, hips, arms, legs and head in rhythmic successions and  combinations as a form of prayer, to express worship and reverence to God. In the historic town of Bauan, Batangas exists a traditional religious dance form called the “subli” which people perform to venerate the santo patron – the Mahal na Poong Santa Cruz . The ceremonial worship dance is usually presented during the town’s fiesta which is traditionally held every May 3.  It has also been tradionally practiced that every May 1 and 2 each year, the towns of Alitagtag and Bauan celebrate the Anubing Sublian Festival to pay homage and reverence to the Mahal na Poong Sta. Cruz .  The festival highlights the dancing of the Subli.  Short ...
Read more