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 16, 2020. Tuesday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time (Filipino)

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16 Hunyo 2020, Martes sa ika-11 Linggo sa Karaniwang Panahon

Pagninilay sa Mabuting Balita ng Panginoon ayon kay San Mateo 5: 43-48

Kapag tayo ay may kaaway, dala ng ating galit o tampo, palagi agad tayong may judgment sa taong ating nakasamaan ng loob. Siya ang may kasalanan, bakit nya nagawa sa akin ito, napakasama niya. Ilan lamang iyan sa mga salitang maaring masabi natin tungkol sa taong ating nakaaway. Dahil diyan, isinasara natin ang puso natin sa taong iyon. Marahil masasabi rin natin, hindi natin siya mapapatawad.

Pero ang Diyos, hindi isinasara ang puso Niya sa kahit na kanino. Sabi nga sa Mabuting Balita, pinasisikat Niya ang araw sa mabuti at masama, at nagpapaulan sa makatarungan at di makatarungan. Walang panghuhusga sa paningin ng Diyos. Mga anak ang tingin Niya sa bawat Isa sa atin.

Kung gayon, kabilang tayo sa mga pinaghaharian ng Diyos kung tayo ay marunong ding tumingin ng kagaya ng pagtingin Niya - may pagmamahal at pang-unawa sa ating kapwa, walang halong panghuhusga.

Mas magiging madali sa ating maging mapagmahal at matatanggap natin ang pagkakamali ng ating kaaway kung una, may pagtanggap na nagkakamali rin tayo. May mga kahinaan din tayo. Hindi tayo perpekto.

Pangalawa, lahat tayo ay pinatawad at hindi hinusgahan ng Diyos. Binibigyan tayo ng pagkakataon na magbago ng Diyos.

Kapag maliwanag ang dalawang katotohang ito sa atin, mas madali nating matatanggap at mamahalin ang mga kaaway natin at mga umuusig sa atin. Masisimulan natin silang patawarin. Sapagkat hinding hindi tayo makapagsisimulang magmahal kung hindi muna tayo magpapatawad.

Huwag din natin sana pagdudahan ang awa at grasya ng Diyos. Hindi natin alam kung saan maaring makarating ang ating ginawang pagpapatawad at pagunawa sa mga nakasakit sa atin.

Kapag tayo ay nakapagpapatawad at nagmamahal sa ating kaaway, dinadakila natin ang Diyos dahil natutularan natin Siya. Sapagkat ang pagiging ganap ng Diyos ay wala sa hindi Niya pagkakamali bagkus, siya ay ganap sa kanyang pagmamahal at pagpapatawad sa lahat ng Kanyang mga anak. Amen.

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