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 Reflections: July 1, 2020. Wednesday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time

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Hulyo 1, 2020. Miyerkules sa ika-13 Linggo sa Karaniwang Panahon

Pagninilay sa Mabuting Balita ng Panginoon ayon kay San Mateo 8: 24-34

Ano ang nangyayari kapag ang lipunan ay patuloy na nakalilimot at hindi kumikilala sa kapangyarihan ng Diyos? Nanlalamang tayo sa kapwa, kumukuha tayo ng hindi sa atin, pumapatay at umaabuso tayo sa kapangyarihan. Namamayani ang kasamaan.


Iyan ang nakakatakot kapag nakakalimutan ng tao ang kanyang kalikasan - na siya ay nilikhang kawangis ng Diyos at siya'y may angking likas na kabutihan.

Sa Mabuting Balita, pinagaling ni Hesus ang dalawang inaalihan ng demonyo. Kaagad nakilala at naramdaman ng masasamang espiritu ang kapangyarihang nagmumula kay Hesus at kaagad-agad Siyang nakilala at kinilala ng mga ito kung kaya't nakiusap sila na sila'y itaboy na lamang sa mga baboy.

Kung minsan nakakalungkot isipin na tayong mga anak ng Diyos, hindi natin kinikilala ang ating dignidad ng pagiging anak. Madalas sa kilala (we know) natin si Hesus ngunit Hindi natin Siya kinikilala (we don't acknowledge) sa ating buhay kung kaya't nagiging Kristiyano lamang tayo sa turing. Nahuhulog tayo sa kasalanan, sa pagiging makasarili. Lumalayo tayo sa Diyos.

At ang pinakanakakatakot at malungkot na pangyayari ay ang saniban tayo ng espiritu ng kawalang pakialam. Tila ba hindi na tayo naaapektuhan ng mga nakikita natin sa kapaligiran. Dahil masyado tayong nakatututok sa pansariling interes at kagalingan, nagiging manhid at bulag tayo sa mga nangangailangan. Eh anong naghihirap sila basta okay ako? Ang mahalaga ay ligtas at kumportable ako. Wala akong pakialam sa kanila. Buntot ko, hila ko.

Sa Diyos dumadaloy at nagmumula ang lahat ng kabutihan. Harinawa ay matutunan nating kilalanin ang kanyang pagkilos sa ating buhay. Nagsasalita ang Diyos sa pamamagitan ng ating konsensya na siyang nagpapaalaala sa ating mga kakulangan at mga kalabisan. Kapag kinikilala natin ang Diyos at ipinagkakatiwala sa kanya ang ating buhay, dumadaloy ang kabutihan Niya sa atin at sa pamamagitan natin.

Sa ganitong pàraan lamang natin masusupil at mapagtatagumpayan ang pagiral ng kasamaan at kasalanan. Amen.

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