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 21, 2020, 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle A) - Filipino

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Hunyo 21, 2020, Ika-12 Linggo sa Karaniwang Panahon (Cycle A)

Pagninilay sa Mabuting Balita ng Panginoon ayon kay San Mateo 10: 26:33


Lahat tayo ay may mga takot at pangamba. Kung minsan natatakot tayo sa pagsapit ng hinaharap dahil wala itong kasiguruhan. Natatakot din tayong mawalan ng mahal sa buhay. Kung minsan naman ang ating kinatatakutan ay karamdaman, problema, o kung minsan natatakot tayong mabale wala.  Natatakot tayo sa madidlim na lugar, sa matataas na lugar, sa ilang mga hayop.  Napakahaba ng listahan ng ating kinatatakutan.

Ang pagkatakot ay normal na reaksyon ng isang tao. Walang taong hindi nakararanas ng natatakot. Ang hindi normal ay kapag pinipigilan na tayo ng ating takot na gawin ang nararapat at naaapektuhan na ang ating kalusugan at pakikipag-ugnay sa ating kapwa. Ayaw na nating kumilos dahil tayo ay pinanghihinaan ng loob, pinangungunahan tayo ng ating takot.

Sa Mabuting Balita sa araw na ito, tatlong beses na inulit ni Hesus ang “Huwag kang Matakot” at sa buong Banal na Kasulatan, ang salitang “Huwag kang Matakot” ay mababasa ng 365 na beses. Ibig sabihin, araw-araw kang pinapaalalahanan ng Diyos na pawiin ang iyong mga pangamba sapagkat hindi ka niya pababayaan. Nariyan Siya para tulungan kang malampasan ang iyong mga pagkatakot at pangamba.

Bakit nga ba tayo dapat hindi matakot? Hindi tayo dapat matakot dahil may Diyos na mas malaki sa ating mga kinatatakutan. At ang kapayapaan at kapanatagang ibinibigay ng pagmamahal ni Hesus, kayang pawiin ang lahat ng ating takot. Pinalalakas ng Panginoon ang ating loob upang harapin ang ating mga pangamba. Kung ang Panginoon ay para sa atin, sino ang magiging laban sa atin?

Pangalawa, ang ating pagkatakot, sa halip na i-paralisa tayo para kumilos at gawin ang tama, maari rin naman pagsimulan ng mas malalim na pagtitiwala at pag-asa sa Diyos. Kapag tayo ay nangangamba at tila wala nang control sa mga pangyayari sa ating paligid, sana ang una nating maalala ay magtiwala at kumapit sa Diyos na laging nakahandang dumamay at sumama sa atin. Matuto tayong ipaubaya sa Diyos ang mga bagay na hindi natin kaya. Let go and let God ika nga.

Sa Mabuting Balita, sinasabi rin na isa lamang ang ating dapat katakutan – ang pag-gawa ng kasalanan. Sapagkat ang kasalanan ang naglalayo sa atin sa grasya ng Diyos. Sinisira at pinuputol nito ang ating pakikipag-ugnayan sa DIyos. Ang paggawa lamang ng kasalanan at ang epekto nitong paglayo sa DIyos ang dapat nating katakutan.

Sa panahong ito ng pandemya, marahil ay marami kang kinatatakutan kapatid - ang magkaroon ka ng karamdaman, ang mawalan ka ng hanap buhay, papaano na ang kinabukasan ng iyong mga anak at pamilya? Marahil nagtatanong ka, “Kailan matatapos ang lahat ng ito?” Harinawa ang iyong takot ay magdala sa iyo sa pagtuklas at pagdanas sa nag-uumapaw na pag-ibig at awa ng Diyos para sa iyo.

Lumalapit si Hesus sa iyo at sinasabi “Pawiin mo ang iyong pangamba, may basehan man ito o wala. Gawin mo ang iyong makakaya sa ngayon, at itagubilin mo sa Akin ang mga araw na darating. Hindi kita pababayan.”

Kapatid, ngayong araw na ito, pinalalaya ka ni Hesus sa iyong mga takot at pangamba. Tanggapin mo at damhin mo ang kapayapaang hatid Niya. Hindi ka nag-iisa. Sinasamahan ka Niya. Amen.

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