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 22, 2020, Monday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time (Filipino)

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Hunyo 22, 2020, Lunes sa Ika-12 Linggo sa Karaniwang Panahon

Pagninilay sa Mabuting Balita ayon kay San Mateo 7: 1-5

Kapag tayo ay nanghuhusga, para bagang nagpapataw tayo sa isang tao ng sukatan o standard at ang taong ito, dahil hindi umubra sa ating sukatan, hinuhusgahan natin – ganyan ang ugali nyan kasi di tinuruan ng magulang, Ano ba naman ang aasahan sa taong yan, napakatamad, walang pakialam, sinungaling, balasubas, burara, at napakarami pang iba.

Walang masamang pumuna sa kamaliang ginagawa ng iba kaya nga may tinatawag na fraternal correction. Ibig sabihin, itinatama natin ang ating kapwa sapagkat una, baka may mali siyang ginagawa, at ikalawa, nais natin siyang bumuti. Mahal natin siya.

Kung kaya’t kinakakailangan na sabihin natin ito sa maayos at mahinahon na pamamaraan. Isaisantabi muna natin ang ating konklusyon. Mahusay tayo sa ganyan. Marami tayong mga assumptions tungkol sa mga tao at mga pangyayari. Ang ating nais muna ay linawin kung bakit halimbawa ang isang tao ay kumilos o nagsalita ng ganoon sa isang sitwasyon. At ang focus, hindi sa tao, bagkus sa kanyang ginawa.

Kapag ganito ang ating approach, naisasaisantabi natin ang mga walang kabuluhang panghuhusga sa katauhan ng ating kapwa, bagkus, nakakapagfocus tayo sa isyung pinag-uusapan. Dahil maganda ang pagkasabi natin at nakafocus sa ginawa hindi sa gumawa, mas magiging maganda ang epekto nito sa nagbigay ng puna at sa binigyan ng puna. Nagiging kapatid tayo sa ating kapwa.

Bago sana lumabas ang kung ano-anong masasama at masasakit na salita sa ating bibig, unahin muna natin ang pakikinig nang sa gayon, malaman natin at maunawaan ang pinaggagalingan ng ating kapwa.

Ngayon, bakit hindii lalo tayo dapat manghusga? Sapagkat may mapait na katotohan na nakatago sa ating panghuhusga sa ating kapwa. Kadalasan, ang mga isyung ibinabato natin sa ating kapwa, babalik sa atin. Kung ano ang nakikita natin sa ating kapwa, siya rin nating ginagawa. Yan ang mahirap kapag tayo ay nanghuhusga.

Oo, hindi tayo perpekto, bawat isa ay may kamalian. Pero huwag nawa itong maging hadlang upang tayo ay makapagbigay ng kinakailangang puna para sa ikabubuti ng ating kapwa. Sapagkat kung literal nating tatanggapin ang sinasabi ng Mabuting Balita, parang wala nang may karapatang pumansin at pumuna. Hindi ganoon ang sinasabi ni Hesus. Bawal ang manghusga, pero pwedeng magbigay ng puna. Sapagkat ang pagbibigay at pagtanggap ng puna ay bahagi ng ating pakikilakbay sa ating kapwa.

Harinawa, ang gamitin nating sukatan ng ating pagtingin sa ating kapwa ay hindi panghuhusga bagkus ay ang sukatan lamang ng pag-ibig. Matuto tayong tumingin sa ating kapwa ng may pagmamahal at pagmamalasakit, gaya ng pagtingin ni Hesus sa mga nagkakasalang tulad natin – may habag, may pagmamahal wala nang iba pa. Amen.

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