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 14, 2020. Tuesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time - Filipino

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Hulyo 14, 2020. Martes sa ika-15 Linggo sa Karaniwang Panahon

Pagninilay sa Mabuting Balita ayon kay San Mateo 11: 20-24

May kasabihang ang mundo ay isang entablado. The world Is a stage. Isang malaking pagtatanghal daw ang buhay at sa bawat pagtatanghal, may mga aktor na siyang gumagalaw at nagbibigay buhay sa entablado at mga spectators o yaong mga nanunuod lamang. Ang mga aktor ay siyang kumikilos at nagsasagawa ng mga eksena na siya namang pinanunuod ng mga tao.

Sa ating Mabuting Balita, tila nagalit na ang Panginoong Hesus sa mga bayan ng Corazin, Betsaida at Capernaum at sila ay binigyan ni Hesus ng babala sapagkat sa kabila ng Kanyang mga ipinamalas na mga himila, nananatili silang tila mga manonood lamang, ayaw nilang kumilos tungo sa pagbabagong puso at patuloy pa rin sa paggawa ng kasalanan.

Kung baga, kontento na lamang silang panoorin ang mga ginagawa ng Panginoon na tila isang pagtatanghal. Nasiyahan sila sa panonood. Nakalimutan nilang kasali sila sa tanghalan ng gawaing pagliligtas ng Diyos. Kailangan nilang gawin ang kanilang papel.

Sa maraming kwento sa Mabuting Balita, maraming mga karakter ang mula sa pagiging tagapanuod lamang, naging aktibong aktor at participant sa misyon at buhay ni Hesus. Halimbawa’y si Zaccheo na umakyat sa puno upang siya ay mapansin ni Hesus. Ang babaing dinurugo na hinawakan kahit man lang laylayan ng damit ni Hesus at siya ay gumaling. Ang Pinuno ng sinagoga na hiniling kay Hesus na muling buhayin ang namatay na niyang anak.

Naranasan nila marahil ang kapangyarihan, awa at pag-ibig na dumadaloy mula kay Hesus na nag-udyok sa kanila na si Hesus ay lapitan.

Ano kaya ang pumipigil sa mga tao upang tunay na marinig at makita ang pagpapahayag ng kadakilaan ng Diyos sa pamamagitan ng pangangaral ni Hesus, pagpapagaling sa mga may sakit at pagpapaalis sa masasamang espiritu. Marahil ang kanilang mata at taynga ay nakatutok sa ibang bagay – sa mga bagay ng daigdig, sa paggawa ng kasalanan.

Mga kapatid, sa ating buhay, kung minsan, ang ating atensyon ay abalang abala rin sa daigdig na ito. Marami tayong nais gawin, nais matamo, magawa at marating dala ng ating pagnanais na umangat at umunlad. Kung minsan naman ang ating pansin ay nakatuon sa ating karamdaman, sa ating mga problema at pinagdadaanan at nakalulungkot mang isipin – sa paggawa ng kasalanan. Masyado tayong distracted.

Ang imbitasyon sa atin sa araw na ito: Isarado ang ating tenga at mata sa mga bagay ng daigdig upang matutuhan nating ituon ang ating atensyon sa Diyos. Hindi lamang tayo tagapanuod sa plano ng Diyos. Kailangan ang aktibong partisipasyon upang tunay nating madama kung paano kumikilos ang Panginoon sa ating mga buhay at ipinadarama ang kanyang kadakilaan at kapangyarihan. Amen.

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