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: June 24, 2020. Wednesday. Solemnity of the Birth of St. John the Baptist (Cycle A)

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Hunyo 24, 2020. Miyerkules. Dakilang Kapistahan ng Kapanganakan ni San Juan Bautista

Pagninilay sa Mabuting Balita ng Panginoon ayon kay San Lukas 1: 57-66, 80

Mahalaga ang pagdiriwang natin ng Dakilang Kapistahan ng Kapanganakan ni San Juan Bautista ngayong araw na ito sapagkat sa buong Simbahan, 3 lamang ang mga taong ipinagdiriwang natin ang kapanganakan sapagkat  kadalasan ang ating pinagdiriwang ay ang kanilang kamatayan (o kapanganakan sa buhay na walang hanggan). Si Hesus, ang kanyang Ina, ang Mahal na Birheng Maria at si San Juan Bautista, pinsan ng ating Panginoon at siyang naghanda ng Kanyang daraanan. 

May tatlong nangingibabaw na salita sa ating mga pagbasa ngayong araw na ito ng Miyerkules: Pagtawag, pagpili at pagpapapala.

At lahat ng mga salitang iyan, tumutukoy sa buhay ni San Juan na ngayon ay ginugunita natin sa kanyang kapistahan. Siya’y tinawag, pinili at pinagpala at kinalugdan ng Diyos. Pinili na siya’t tinawag ng Diyos duon pa lamang sa sinapupunan ng kanyang inang si Elisabet, bago pa man siya isilang upang ihanda ang daraanan ni Hesus. Siya ay nagdala ng pagpapala una sa kanyang mga magulang, sa kanyang pagsilang sa kabila ng kanilang katandaan at nagbigay kagalakan sa kanila at ikalawa, sa mga taong kanyang bininyagan at pinangaralan ng pagbabagong puso at pagbabalik-loob sa Diyos. Tunay na pinagpala si Juan sa kanyang pagtupad sa kalooban ng Diyos. 

Ano ngayon ang kaugnayan ng buhay ni San Juan Bautista sa ating lahat? Kagaya ni Juan, pinili rin tayo at tinawag ng Diyos sa sinapupunan pa lamang ng ating ina – pinuno niya tayo ng pagpapala upang sa ganoon, tayo ay maging saksi sa Mabuting Balita at paghandaan ang pagdating ng Kanyang paghahari sa ating buhay at sa buhay ng ating kapwa. Nais ng Diyos na tayo ay magdala rin ng Kanyang pagpapala sa iba. 

Tunay na tayo ay bayang pinagpala sapagkat tayo ay nilikha, minahal at iningatan ng Diyos. Pinili niya tayo bilang kanyang mga Anak na tinubos sa kasalanan at kamatayan. At tayo’y patuloy na pinagpapala ng Diyos. 

Indeed, Our God is a God of surprises. Do not hesitate to anticipate so much as to receiving His many gifts and blessings. Hindi niya ipinagkait ang pagkakaroon ng anak kay Elizabeth at Zaccharias bagama’t sila’y matanda na. Hindi rin niya ipagkakait ang hinahangad ng iyong puso. 

Maganda rin ang disposisyon ng mga kapit-bahay nina Elisabet at Zaccharias – nakigalak sila sa biyayang tinaggap ng kanilang kapit-bahay. Marahil isa rin yan sa imbitasyon ng Panginoon sa atin sa araw na ito, ang matutong makigalak sa kagalakan ng iba. 

Huwag nating kainggitan ang mga biyayang tinatanggap ng ating kapwa. Maging Masaya tayo para sa kanila. Darating din ang para sa atin kaya huwag sana tayong kainin ng inggit at paghahangad sa kung anong mayroon ang iba. Matuto tayong maghintay ng may kagalakan sa Panginoon. 

Magtiwala tayo, maging matiyaga at maging handang laging tumanggap ng malilit at malalaking surpresa mula sa Diyos, araw-araw. Amen.

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