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 devotion to him has developed amo
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Homilies and Reflections: June 15, 2020. Monday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time (Filipino)

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15 Hunyo, 2020. Lunes sa ika-11 Linggo sa Karaniwang Panahon

Pagninilay sa Mubuting Balita ayon kay San Mateo 5: 38-42

Minimum, Maximum 

Sa ating araw-araw na pamumuhay, pag naririnig natin ang salitang minimum, ibig sabihin, yun ang pamantayan o benchmark. Pag mayroon halimbawa ng ganoong halaga, kunwari, minimum wage, ibig sabihin makatarungan ang sahod na iyon, kung minimum fare naman, iyon ang makatarungang pamasahe para sa ganoong distansya. Pero pag sinabing minimum effort, parang hindi magandang pakinggan, para namang kulang. May maibibigay pa, may pwede pang gawin. 

Sa ating Mabuting Balita, tayo ay inaanyayahan at hinahamon na lampasan ang minimum. May pagbanggit sa batas ng mata sa mata, ngipin sa ngipin o Lex Talionis. Sa unang tingin, para bang masama ang batas na ito dahil ito ay nangangahulugan ng gantihan. Dahil may inutang kang buhay, buhay din ang kapalit halimbawa. Pero sa mas malalim na pagunawa sa batas, hindi ganoon ang ibig sabihin nito. Ito ay sumisiguro na matitigil na ang walang habas at sobra-sobrang paghihiganti. Kung nagnakaw ka ng isang daan, isang daan lamang ang kapalit, pumatay ka ng isa, isa lamang din ang buhay na kapalit, hindi ubusan ng lahi. May katarungan o justice. But justice is just the minimum of love. 

Hinahamon tayo na lumampas sa minimum lalo na sa usapin ng pagmamahal. Sapagkat ang Diyos kung magpala, kung magbigay, kung magmahal, kung magpatawad palaging maximum. Sinasabi ni Hesus, hindi sapat na ibigay natin ang narararapat. We should not limit ourselves to the minimum, we should always go for the maximum. Sa halip na gumanti, mas magbigay ka pa, umunawa ka, magpatawad ka. Sapagkat sa ganitong paraan, naipapakita mo ang tunay na pagiging tagasunod ni Kristo. Amen.

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