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: July 13, 2020. Monday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time

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Hulyo 13, 2020. Lunes sa Ika-15 Linggo sa Karaniwang Panahon

Pagninilay sa Mabuting Balita ayon kay San Mateo 10: 34 - 11: 11

Ngayong araw na ito, tila iba ang dating ni Hesus sa kanyang pangangaral sa kanyang mga alagad. Kung noon ang napapakinggan natin ay si Hesus ay nagdadala ng kapayapaan at tinagubilinan ang Kanyang mga alagad na dalhin ang kaparehong kapayapaan sa lahat ng kanilang pupuntahan, ngayon iba ang tono ng ating Panginoon. Wika Niya: “Ang dala ko’y tabak at hindi kapayapaan”. Siya ay magiging dahilan ng pagkakawatak-watak ng pamilya at mag-anak dahil sa pagsunod sa kanyang mga pangaral.

Nangangahulugan lamang ito na ang pagsunod kay Kristo ay hindi lamang kung kalian mo gusto, o kung kalian lamang madali o paborable sa iyo. Ang pagsunod kay Hesus ay isang panghabang buhay na commitment, araw-araw, oras-oras ng ating buhay. Ito ay ang pagtatakda na uunahin mo at pahahalagahan ang kalooban ng Diyos higit sa anu pa man sa buhay mo. Mahirap, oo. Ngunit kakayanin. Si Hesus mismo ang nagbigay ng halimbawa.

Naalala ko ang napanood ko noong stage play na may pamagat na “Enemy of the People”. May isang doctor na nakatuklas na ang pinaggagalingan ng kumakalat na karamdaman sa kanilang lugar ay ang kontaminadong tubig na nanggagaling sa pangunahing pinagkukunan ng tubig ng bayan. Kaya’t ipinaalam niya ito sa kanyang kapatid na siyang Mayor ng bayan. Ngunit dahil malaki ang gastusin at matitigil ng matagal ang operasyon ng pinagkukunan ng tubig kung ito ay ipagagawa, binigyan siya ng babala ng kanyang kapatid na huwag ipaalam sa madla ang tungkol dito. Ngunit dahil sa konsensya, ipinaalam pa rin niya sa mga taong bayan ang sitwasyon. Ngunit sa huli, siya ang lumabas na kontrabida – kalaban ng kanyang kapatid at ng buong bayan sapagkat tutol di umano siya sa pinagkukunan ng kabuhayan ng buong bayan.

Sa mas maliit na pagtingin, meron kayong maliit na tindahan. Ayaw kang pagtindahin ng asawa mo kasi palagi kang nagpapautang sa mga kapit-bahay dahil masyado kang maawain at mabait sa kapwa. Kaya nagagalit siya sa iyo. Ayaw ka kausapin ng iyong kapatid sapagkat tinulungan mo yaong taong may ginawang hindi maganda sa pamilya ninyo nuong araw, at marami pang iba. Kung minsan, ang mga tao pang malalapit sa atin ang kauna-unahang tututol kapag bumigay tayo sa panawagan ng Diyos na maging mas mapagmahal, maawain at mapagbigay sa ating kapwa.

Ganyan kung minsan ang pagsunod sa kalooban ng Diyos. Dinadala tayo sa mga bagay na mahirap, sa pagsasakripisyo, kung minsan sa kahihiyan at sa lamat sa relasyon sa pagitan ng ating mga kaibigan at mahal sa buhay dahil minamasama at tinututulan nila ang kabuting ating ginagawa. Hindi nga ba’t kasama ang pagpapasaan ng krus sa kondisyon ng pagiging disipulo?

Ang tunay na pagsunod sa kalooban ng Diyos ay ang ating katapatan. Pipilitin nating maging mabuti araw-araw, magiging tapat sa harap man ng pagsubok at tagumpay. Palakasin nawa tayo ng ating pagasa na ang taong tumutupad sa kalooban ng Diyos, hinding-hindi Niya pababayaan. Amen.

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