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 8. Mga Alaala ng Paglisan: Kwentong OFW

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Repost (2012)

Sa di na rin naman iilang pagbibiyahe ko, marami-rami na akong mga tao, pangyayari, bagay at eksenang nasaksihan sa mga nasabing paglalakbay. Nariyan ang makakita ng mga giant pandas sa Hong Kong na tunay ko namang ikinasiya (dahil sa parang tuwang tuwa din sila sa akin - nakakita siguro sila ng kagaya nila dahil mukha akong panda? sa isip-isip ko. haha), ang parang tinatamad na buddha (dahil nakahiga sya) sa Thailand, ang guho ng simbahan sa Macau, ang dambuhalang Ferris wheel sa Singapore (di ako sumakay at baka ako maliyo haha), ang pino at puting-puting buhangin ng Boracay; ang panoorin mga ka-tropa ko mag-zip line sa Dahilayan (panood lang, di daw ako kaya ng kable eh. haha), makakain ng masarap na bagnet (eto pinakagusto ko - putok-batok, pampabata at pampahaba ng buhay - haha) at empanada sa Vigan, sundot kulangot sa Baguio, piayaya sa Bacolod, tupig sa Pangasinan, bumili ng tubao at malong sa Davao, at marami pang iba.

Pero ang di ko talaga malimutan ay noong ako ay nagtungo sa Singapore taong 2009. Anim na araw rin ako, kasama ng aking mga estudyanteng namalagi sa maliit na bansang yaon para mag-attend ng mga kumperensya sa mass communication doon at para na rin mag-libang-libang. (Hindi po Cebuano yung libang, Tagalog po ako. haha) Napakaganda at napakalinis ng Singapore. Salamat sa maayos na pamamalakad ng kanilang gobyerno (calling P-noy) at sa disiplina ng mga Singaporeans - calling all PINOYS! haha). Pero di tungkol dyan ang kwento ko haha.

Eto na ang tunay na kwento. haha. Nung papauwi na kami sakay sa eruplano, sa pagkakatanda ko, halos dalawang oras siguro ang biyahe mula Singapore patungo sa Manila. Wala namang masyadong kakaiba sa halos kulang-kulang na dalawang oras na pananatili sa eruplano maliban sa paminsan-minsang paghihilik ng katabi ko. Pero nung malapit nang maglanding ang eruplano sa NAIA, isang bagay ang nakagulat sa akin, nakapagdulot ng kilabot sa buo kong kalamnan at nakapagpatulo ng aking luha (hindi ako masyadong iyakin, pero ako talaga'y napaiyak!). Isang grupo ng mga OFW, malapit sa aking kinauupuan ang biglang nagsitayuan at nagpalakpakan at ang iba pa nga ay maluha-luha. Kitang kita ko talaga at damang dama ang nag-uumapaw na kasiyahan sa kanilang mga mukha. Marami siguro sa kanila ang magbabalik-bayan matapos ang matagal-tagal ding pagkawalay sa kanilang mga mahal sa buhay - mga anak, asawa, at magulang na iniwan sa paghahangad nilang makapagbigay ng maayos-ayos na buhay sa kanilang mga minamahal.

Nakadama ako ng magkahalong saya at lungkot. Lungkot, dahil nakakaiyak talaga ang eksenang iyon (daig pa ang teleserye ih) at saya (bilang pakikiisa sa kanilang kasiyahan). Pero di pa dyan natapos ang lahat. Dahil una kong pagbibiyahe palabas ng bansa, nuong unang tuntong ko sa arrival area, kung saan naghihintay ang mga kamag-anak na sasalubong sa kanilang mga mahal sa buhay na galing sa abroad, nakadama na naman ako ng kakaibang kilabot nang makita ang mga mukha ng mga sasalubong na kitang-kita mong sabik na sabik na makita ang kanilang mga mahal sa buhay na OFW, meron pang may mga dalang placards para madali silang makikita ng kanilang mga hinihintay. Napaiyak na naman ako eh... Iniisip ko, kung ako nga, masyadong affected sa mga pangyayaring yon,  hindi naman ako OFW, yun pa kayang mga OFW na kasabay ko? Grabe talaga ang feeling... Di ko maipaliwanag at talaga namang tumimo ang mga eksenang yuon sa isip ko at lagi kong nakukuwento tuwing mapapag-usapan ang mga OFW.

Ako rin, gaya ng mga OFW na yon, maraming mga mahal na iiwan, kung saka-sakaling matutuloy sa aking pagpasok sa seminaryo. Kailangan ko ring magsakripisyo. 6 na taon akong mawawalay sa pamilyang mahal na mahal ko. Sana'y kayanin ko!


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