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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Homilies and Reflection: June 17 2020. Wednesday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time (Filipino)

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17 Hunyo 2020, Miyerkules sa ika - 11 Linggo sa Karaniwang Panahon

Pagninilay sa Mabuting Balita ayon kay San Mateo 6: 1-6, 16-18

Sa Mabuting Balita, tila nagbibigay ng guidelines si Hesus kung paano tutulong sa kapwa, magdadasal at mag-aayuno - mga gawain ng isang mabuting Kristiyano.

Magandang tingnan, ano ang motibo natin kung bakit natin ginagawa ang mga bagay na ito? Ginagawa ba natin ito dahil ito ang idinidikta ng ating puso at siyang nararapat gawin ng isang taong nagmamahal at sumusunod sa kalooban ng Diyos o ginagawa natin ang mga ito para tayo ay makapagpasikat, mapuri at mapansin ng ibang tao?

Kung minsan, we do the right thing for the wrong reason. Tama ang ginagawa natin ngunit may hindi tama sa dahilan o motibo natin. At yan ang nais itama ni Hesus sa ating Mabuting Balita.

Harinawa ang tangi nating dahilan sa pagtulong sa kapwa ay upang sundin ang kalooban ng Diyos. Wala nang iba pa. Sapagkat kung ang ating paggawa ng mabuti ay nakasandig lamang upang tayo ay mapuri, mapasalamatan o masabihan ng banal, ipagpapatuloy pa rin ba natin ang ating ginagawa kung wala nang makapapansin o pupuri sa atin?

Ang tunay na gawang kabanalan ay hindi naghahanap ng pagkilala mula sa iba bagkus ng pagkilalang tanging mula sa Diyos na siyang nakakaalam ng laman ng ating puso.

Hinahamon tayo ng Mabuting Balita tungo sa tunay na pagiging Kristiyano at pagpapakatotoo. Amen.

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