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 26, 2020, Friday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time

-

Hunyo 26, 2020. Biyernes sa ika-12 Linggo sa Karaniwang Panahon

Pagninilay sa Mabuting Balita ng Panginoon San Mateo 8: 1-4

True faith is not entitlement, it is the humility to accept that we are just beggars before the Lord.

Naalala ko pa noong high school ako pag hihingi ako ng extra na baon o pera at masyado akong nagpupumilit sasabihin sa akin ng nanay ko “Aba, kung makahingi ka, parang may ipinatago ka, ah.”

Kung minsan, dahil sa sa tingin natin mabait naman tayo, sumusunod tayo sa utos ng Diyos, entitled na tayo sa mga biyaya na hinihingi at hihingin natin. Dahil mayroon tayong feeling of entitlement, nagagalit tayo at nagtatampo sa Diyos pag hindi natupad ang ating gusto o hinihingi. Wala tayong kabukasan na tanggapin ang sagot na “Hindi” mula sa Diyos.

Ang lagi nating gusto ay “Oo”. Hindi dahil sa malaki ang pagtitiwala natin sa Diyos kaya’t puro “Oo” na lamang ang kanyang sagot, ngunit dahil, tayo ang humihingi, entitled nga tayo. Mabit tayo. Ginagawa natin ang kanyang kalooban. Hindi makaka-hindi ang Diyos sa atin.

Ang taong tunay na nananampalataya, may kabukasan ng loob. Mananalangin ng buong pag-asa at pagtitiwala ngunit hindi nag-dedemand. Umaasa siyiang sasagutin ng Diyos ng “Oo” ang kanyang kahilingan ngunit nakahanda rin naman siyang tumanggap ng “Hindi” o “Hindi pa panahon”. Ganyan ang pusong tunay na nagmamahal sa Diyos. May kababaang-loob na tinatanggap ang kung ano ang nais ng Diyos, hindi igigiit ang kanyang nais.

Magandang tularan ang disposisyon ng Ketongin sa kanyang pag-hiling, “Panginoon, kung ibig po Ninyo….” Kung ibig po Ninyo. Punong puno ng pananampalataya, para bang isang proposal na inilalahad niya sa Panginoon, walang pag-dedemand – hindi niya sinabi “Pagalingin po Ninyo ako”.

Magandang tingnan, papaano ka humihiling sa Diyos. Ikaw ba ay katulad din ng ketongin na nagbubuhat sa iyong pagtitiwala sa Diyos ang iyong paghiling “Panginoon kung ibig mo….” O humihiling ka sa Diyos dahil alam mong karapatdapat kang bigyan? “Pagalingin mo po ako Panginoon…”

Magandang paala-ala yaong sabi sa akin ng nanay ko pag humihingi ako sa kanya ng dagdag na baon noong araw “Aba, kung makahingi ka, parang may pinatago kang pera sa akin, ah” We are just beggars before the Lord and we have to humbly acknowledge and accept that fact. We are not entitled to anything.

It is only through God’s goodness and generosity that we come to receive all the blessings we enjoy. No more no less. 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