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 17, 2020. Friday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time (Filipino)

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Hulyo 17, 2020. Biyernes sa ika-15 Linggo sa Karaniwang Panahon

Pagninilay sa Mabuting Balita ayon kay San Mateo 12; 1-8

Sa ating Mabuting Balita, nakabanggang muli ni Hesus ang mga Pariseo dahil sa kwesyon ng pagsunod sa batas ng Sabbath. Nagutom kasi ang mga alagad ni Hesus kung kaya’t pumitas sila at kumain ng trigo nang sila ay mapadaan sa triguhan. Mabilis ang panghuhusga ng mga Pariseo – nagkasala sila sapagkat nilabag nila ang batas ng Sabbath.

Magandang tingnan. Ang Sabbath, o ang araw ng pamamahinga ay itinatag upang ang mga Hudyo ay makapagpahinga at makapagpuri sa Diyos matapos ang isang linggo ng paggawa. Ang Panginoon, noong nilikha niya ang Daigdig, nagpahinga rin. Ngunit sa kagustuhan ng mga Pariseo na masiguro ang pagpapatupad ng araw ng pamamahinga, napakarami nilang ipinalabas na panuntunan kung kaya’t ang araw ng pamamahinga, nauuwi sa araw ng parusa. Mas maraming preskripsyon sa dapat at hindi dapat gawin.

Sa Mabuting Balita noong Miyerkules, sinabi na ang Diyos ay nalulugod sa mga malilit at mabababa ang kalooban at ayaw Niya sa mga palalo. At ang mga alagad ni Hesus, kasama sila duon sa malilit. Wala silang gaanoong alam sa batas kung kaya’t ang batas na idinidikta ng kanilang puso ang kanilang sinusunod. Ang mga Pariseo, sila ang marurunong, ang maraming alam. Kadalasan ang ating alam at runong ang nagiging dahilan ng ating kapalaluan. Ayaw nating unawain ang iba. Alam na alam natin ang batas, dapat itong ipasunod. Sa pagsunod sa batas, kung minsan nakakalimutan ang puso.

Ngunit ayon na rin sa ating Panginoon, ang sentro ng pagtupad ng ano mang batas ay pag-ibig. Kapag tayo ay nakafocus lamang sa pagpapatupad ng batas ayon sa katitikan nito, ang batas na ipinatutupad natin ay batas na ng tao. Hindi batas ng Diyos.

Hindi ba si Hesus na mismo ang nagsabi, 2 ang pinakadakila sa lahat ng mga batas: Una ay ibigin mo ang Diyos ng buong puso, buong pag-iisip at nang iyong buong pagkatao at ibigin mo ang iyong kapwa gaya ng iyong pagmamahal sa iyong sarili. Maliwanag. Pag-ibig ang sentro ng batas ng Diyos.

Kung minsan sa ating buhay, tayo ay nag-iimpose din ng napakaraming mga batas. Bilang mga magulang, tayo ang batas ng ating tahanan. Pag hindi natupad ng ating mga anak ang ating mga batas, nagagalit tayo. Ayaw natin sila kausapin. Sinasabi natin na wala silang maaasahan sa atin dahil sa ginawa nila. Napakarami nating expectations. Ang ating mga expectations at mga batas na ang nagiging basihan ng ating ugnayan, hindi na pag-ibig.

Huwag sana natin kalilimutan, kung mataas ang expectation natin sa ating kapwa, kung sobra tayong mag-impose sa kanila, magiging mataas din ang expectation ng Diyos sa atin pag tayo ay nagsulit sa kanya. Wag sana nating makalimutan na tayo ay tanging mga kinahabagan at kinaawaan lang din ng Diyos.

Harinawa, ang habag na ating tinanggap sa Diyos, huwag nating ipagdamot sa ating kapwa at sa ating mga mahal sa buhay. Amen.

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