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: July 11, 2020. Saturday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time (Filipino)

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Hulyo 11, 2020. Sabado sa ika-14 na Linggo sa Karaniwang Panahon / Pag-aala-ala kay San Benito Abad

Pagninilay sa Mabuting Balita (Mt. 10: 24-33)

Parang pahirap nang pahirap ang mga challenges ng Mabuting Balita. Araw araw, nagbibigay ito ng hamon sa atin bilang mga taga-sunod ni Kristo. Ngunit hindi ba ganyan naman talaga ang buhay, punong puno ng hamon? At ang mga hamong ito ang nagpapapatatag sa atin at nagiging mahalagang sangkap sa pagbuo ng pagiging sino natin – ng ating pagkatao. Nasa atin ang kalayaang pumili – hamon nga, kung susubukan nating sundin at hayaan ang Diyos na siyang mamayani sa ating mga buhay.

At sinasabi sa atin ngayong araw na ito, hindi maaring mahigitan ng mag-aaral ang kanyang guro at ng alipin ang kanyang Panginoon. Ano ang ibig sabihin nito? Bilang mga taga-sunod ni Hesus, nakakapit sa ating buhay ang pagsasakripisyo sapagkat si Hesus ay nagsakripisyo para sa atin. At sinasabi sa atin na kasama sa pagsunod sa turo ni Hesus ay ang pagyakap din sa Kanyang krus – sa kanyang mga pinagdaanan. Sa ating pagsunod, makakaranas din tayo ng mga pagsubok at pagpapakasakit. Ang tanong, nakahanda ba tayo?

Kasali sa mga dapat nating sundan kay Hesus ay ang integridad ng Kanyang pagkatao at ang kanyang pagpapakatotoo. Sa daigdig na ito, tunay na napakarami nang “fake” – fake news kasama na rin ang fake na pagkatao. Kulang na kulang ng transparency, kailangan ang tunay na pagiging totoo o “authenticity.” Ano ang ibig sabihin nito? ibig sabihin, kung ano ang ating loob, siya ring kinakailangang maging labas. Walang duplicity. Hindi pwede na sa harap ng maraming tao, tayo ay mabait, mapagmahal, ginagawa natin ang tama ngunit pag wala nang nakakakita, pag wala nang pupuri sa atin, iba na. Bigla tayong nagtatransform mula sa maamong tupa tungo sa mabangis na lobo. Walang lihim na hindi mabubunyag ang babala nga ng Mabuting Balita.

Makukuha natin ang papuri ng lahat, sisikat tayo, maganda ang tingin ng tao sa atin. Maloloko natin sila pati ang ating mga sarili. Pero hindi natin maloloko ang Diyos.

Harinawa, tayo ay mabuhay ng may integridad katulad ng halimbawang ipinakita ni Hesus, ang ating dakilang guro – Ang Kanyang buong buhay ay inilaan niya sa pagtupad sa Kanyang misyon at sa kalooban ng Diyos. Ito ang kanyang naging kaabalahan sa buong 33 taon ng Kanyang buhay dito sa lupa. Sa buhay pagsunod at paglilingkod, kailangan ang tunay na kababaang loob. Bawal ang peke, kailangan ng pagpapakatotoo. Amen.

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