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

Homilies and Reflections: May 26, 2020. Tuesday. Memorial of St. Philip Neri, Priest (Filipino)

-

Ika- 26 ng Mayo, 2020, Martes, Paggunita kay San Felipe Neri, Pari

Pagninilay sa Mabuting Balita - Juan 17: 1-11a

"Be iba."

Sa Mabuting Balita ating natunghayan ang panalangin ni Hesus para sa lahat sa atin. Si Hesus ay nananalangin sa Ama para sa kanyang iniwang kawan. Mission accomplished na si Hesus at babalik na SIya sa Ama.

At ang hamon ng panalangin ni Hesus para sa atin; tayo ay maging naiiba sa mundo sa pagtulad sa Kanya at sa pagsunod sa kalooban ng Ama. Ang pagtulad kay Hesus ay pagiging naiiba, iyan ang katotohanan at kabalintunaan ng pagiging alagad.

Bagama't nasa mundo, hindi tayo para sa mundo. Kung kaya't kailangan nating magmahal, magpatawad, magbigay, magbahagi. Kabaligtaran sa idinidikta ng mundo na maging sakim, magkamkam, maging makasarili, isipin lamang ang sarili, bahala na ang iba. 

Sa pagiging iba sa pagsunod sa kalooban ng Diyos, nawawala ang kaibahan sapagkat ang tao na dati ang tingin mo ay iba, hindi mo kilala, malayo sa iyo, walang koneksyon sa iyo, nakikita mo na at nakakaharap ng malapitan, nakikilala mo, nagiging kapwa at kapatid mo kay Kristo.

Sa pagsunod kay Hesus, nagiging magkapareho ang magkaiba, may nabubuong ugnayan, nagiging kaisa ang bawat isa. Binubuklod ng pag-ibig ng nag-iisang Ama. 

Harinawa na matupad natin ang Panalangin ni Hesus na tayo ay maging isa. Iisang bayan na naglalakbay. Isang simbahan na ginagabayan ng Espiritu Santo sa ilalim ng iisang Diyos. Amen.

Ikaw kapatid, handa ka bang maging iba para sa iba?



photo: ctto


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