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 devotion to him has developed amo
Post a Comment

Homilies and Reflections: June 18, 2020. Thursday on the 11th Week in Ordinary Time (Filipino)

-

Hunyo 18, 2020, Huwebes sa ika-11 Linggo sa Karaniwang Panahon

Pagninilay sa Mabuting Balita ayon kay San Mateo 6: 7-15

Sa panahong ito ng ECQ, GCG, MGCG labis na napakahalaga ng connectivity. Dahil hindi tayo makalabas masyado, dinadaan natin ang pakikipag-ugnay sa iba sa pamamagitan ng iba't ibang social media platforms basta maayos ang ating internet connectivity. Mahalaga ang connectivity kasi ito ang nag-lilink sa atin sa mga taong mahal natin o mahalaga sa atin, sa ngayon kahit virtual lang.  

Sa buhay Kristiyano, mahalaga rin ang connectivity. We need to be constantly connected and communicating with the Lord through our prayer life.

Sa ating Mabuting Balita, itinuturo ni Hesus ang tamang disposisyon sa pananalangin – Ang pagtawag at pagkilala sa Diyos bilang Ama natin. Napakaganda ng panalangin na si Hesus mismo ang nagturo. Sapagkat ito ay nakaugat sa malalim na pagkakakilala at ugnayan sa pagitan ni Hesus at ng Kanyang Ama. At ito rin ang nais niya para sa atin, na tayo ay tumawag din ng Ama sa Diyos at maging mga anak Niya, 

Iisang pamilya tayo. Kung kaya’t sa pagdadasal ng Ama namin ang ginagamit natin ay "namin", "amin" at "kami". Hindi "akin", "ako" at "ko". Walang pagtukoy sa pansarili lamang, bagkus, panglahat. Ito ay isang panalangin ng isang kumunidad na pinagbuklod buklod ng pagiging mga anak ng Diyos Ama.
Ipinapakilala ni Hesus sa atin ang Ama, upang kagaya niya, ay magkaroon din tayo ng malalim na ugnayan sa Kanya na nakakaalam ng lahat nating pangangailangan bago pa man natin sabihin ang mga ito sa Kanya. 

Hindi base sa dami ng salita wika ng ating Panginoong Hesus bagkus sa lalim at tibay ng relasyon masusukat ang tunay at tamang pagdarasal.  Kapag alam mo na iyong Ama ang iyong nilalapitan, nagkakaroon ka ng ganoong lakas ng loob at pagtitiwala na talagang diringgin ang iyong panalangin at hindi ka pababayaan. Ganyan ang paglapit sa Ama, simple lamang, hindi kalingan ng maraming salita, hindi kailangan ng maraming paliwanag. Sapagkat puso ang nangugusap.

Bagama’t mukhang malayo ang Diyos sa atin dahil Siya ay nasa langit a tayo nama’y nasa lupa, nananatili pa rin siyang malapit, sapagkat siya ay nasa ating puso bilang Ama natin. At dahil Ama natin Siya, alam niya ang makabubuti at makasasama sa atin. 

Kaya ang hamon sa atin ay palaging hanapin ang kalooban ng Diyos at siyang hangaring mangyari sa ating mga buhay. May mga sarili man tayong gusto, kinakailangang isuko natin ito sa kung ano man ang gusto at kalooban ng Ama para sa atin. At pag iyan ay ating nagawa, tunay na tayo ay magiging maligaya at uunlad tayo sa ating buhay pananampalataya at ating matatamo ang pangakong kaharian ng langit ng Ama. Amen.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

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

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

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 History of the Pari
Read more