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 23, 2020, Tuesday, 12th Week in Ordinary Time (Filipino)

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Hunyo 23, 2020, Martes sa ika-12 Linggo sa Karaniwang Panahon

Pagninilay sa Mabuting Balita ng Panginoon ayon kay San Mateo 7: 6, 12-14

Iniimbita tayo ng Mabuting Balita na patuloy nating sundan ang landas ni Hesus kahit pa ilayo nito tayo sa landas na tinatahak ng karamihan. 

Napakagandang imahe dito yaong mga rumerespondeng bumbero kapag may sunog. Habang ang mga tao ay papaaalis at papalayo sa nasusunog na gusali, sinusuong naman ng mga bumbero ang gusali upang magsalba ng mga buhay at ari-arian. Hindi alintana ang sarili nilang kaligtasan, makatulong lamang. Ngayong may pandemya, ang mga medical frontliners ay sinusuong din ang landas ng panganib at pangamba, kabaligtaran sa lahat, para makapagbigay ng serbisyong medikal sa mga labis na nangangailangan nito. Iniwan nila ang kaligtasan ng kanilang mga tahanan upang harapin ang banta sa kanilang kalusugan, ganoon rin sa kalusugan ng kanilang mga mahal sa buhay, makatulong lamang at makapaglingkod sa kapwang may karamdaman. 

Gawin mo sa iba ang nais mong gawin nila sa iyo. Napakagandang pamantayan sa pamumuhay ng isang Kristiyano. Ang ayaw mong gawin ng iba sa iyo, hindi mo rin gagawin sa kapwa mo. Very self-reflexive, ibig sabihin may pagtingin muna sa sarili bago lumabas sa kapwa. Bago ako gumawa ng isang aksyon, itatanong ko muna sa aking sarili, “Kung sa akin kaya gagawin o hindi gagawin ang bagay na ito, ano ang aking mararamdaman?” “Magiging mas mabuti ba akong kapatid sa aking kapwa kung ito ang gagawin ko?” 

Ngunit ang taong nagtitiwala at tunay na sumusunod kay Hesus, may mas kaya pang gawin. Gawin mo sa iba, ang hindi nila kayang gawin sa iyo. Pag nasimulan mong gawin iyan, dahan-dahan, hanggang sa masabi mo, tunay ngang natularan mo si Hesus sa kanyang pagmamahal – Ang pagmamahal na walang sukat at kundisyon. Yan ang pagtahak sa “makipot na daan” patungo kay Hesus. 

Ang makipot na daan ay ang daan sa pagkamatay sa sarili – pagpapatawad sa nagkamali, pamumuhay ng simple, pagbubukas ng sarili sa kapwa, pagiwas sa pagkabighani sa mga materyal na bagay at sa kung ano ang maginhawa at madali. 

Harinawa, makasumpong tayo ng tunay na seguridad sa pagsunod sa kalooban ng Diyos at hindi sa mga kayang ibigay ng Daigdig na ito. Tanging sa pangako lamang ng Panginoon tayo manangan. Sapagkat tunay ngang sinabi Niya, “Ang aking kaisipa’y hindi ninyo kaisipan, ang inyong kaparaan ay hindi Ko kaparaanan.” 

Nakahanda ka bang pasukin ang makipot na daraanan at lumihis sa dinaraanan ng nakararami?

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