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 30, 2020. Tuesday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time

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Hunyo 30, 2020. Martes sa ika-13 Linggo sa Karaniwang Panahon 

Pagninilay sa Mabuting Balita ng Panginoon ayon kay San Mateo 8: 23-27 

Sa buhay na ito, tunay na napakarami nating mga kaabalahan. Si nanay na nagsasaing, nasunog ang kanin dahil sa abala ring sa panoood ng TV., si kuya sa kakalaro sa gadget, nakalimutan ang pinabibili ni nanay sa tindahan matapos magsabi ng “wait lang”. Si ate abalang-abala sa pag-aaral para ma-mentain ang scholarship, napabayaan ang kalusugan kaya lumabo ang mata at nagkasakit. Si nanay at si tatay abala sa paghahap-buhay nakalimutan ang mga anak. Napakahaba ng listahan ng ating mga kaabalahan. 

At kapag tayo ay abala, kinukuha ng ating kaabalahan ang ating lahat ng enerhiya, ang ating focus, ang ating atensyon. 

Magandang tingnan: ang ating mga kaabalahan kung minsan ang pumipigil sa atin upang makita at mas pagtuunan ng pansin ang tunay na mahalaga. Ang ating mga plano sa buhay, naisin, pagkatakot, at mga alalahanin ay pinupuno tayo ng mga isipin na kumukuha ng ating atensyon kaya nawawala tayo sa focus. 

Sa Mabuting Balita, naging abala ang mga alagad sa pagpaparamdam ng bagyo. Ang malakas na hangin, ang paghampas ng malalaking alon, maaring ang kulog at ang kadiliman na siyang bumalot sa paligid ang siyang kumuha ng kanilang atensyon kaya sila ay pinangunahan at nabalot ng takot. Nakalimutan nila kung ano ang mahalaga – Kasama nila sa Bangka si Hesus. 

Panginoon, sa panahon ng mga unos at bagyo na humahampas sa Bangka ng aming buhay, manatili nawa kaming nakakakapit sa aming tiwala at pananampalataya sa iyo. Bigyan mo kami ng pananampalatayang kayang magtiwala na hindi mo kami iniiwan sa Bangka. Bigyan mo rin kami ng lakas ng loob na huwag matakot harapin ang paglugbog ng Bangka kung iyon ang iyong nanaisin basta’t alam namin na kasama ka namin at hindi mo kami pababayaan. 

Panginoon, pawiin nawa ng aming pagtitiwala na ikaw ay aming kapiling ang aming mga takot, alinlangan at pangamba. Huwag nawa alisin ng mga ito ang aming mata sa walang hanggang awa at pagmamahal mo sa amin. Amen.

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