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 19, 2020. 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle A) - Filipino

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Hulyo 19. Ika-16 na Linggo sa Karaniwang Panahon

Pagninilay sa Mabuting Balita ng Panginoon ayon kay San Mateo 13: 24-43

Marahil sa mga panahong ito na patuloy na umiiral ang mga kasamaan at kriminalidad ganoon din ang krisis dala ng pandemya, itatanong natin sa ating sarili, bakit laganap ang kasamaan sa mundo? Bakit kailangang maghirap ng mga tao? Bakit pinapayagan ng Diyos ang mga bagay na ito?

Maganda yung pagninilay na narinig ko sa isang pari sabi niya: Sa ating buhay, may mga bagay na pinapayagan ngunit hindi ginugusto. Halimbawa, ang ating mga magulang, noong tayo ay maliliit pa, hinahayaan tayong manulay-nulay muna habang tayo ay natututong lumakad. Dahil mahina pa ang ating mga buto, maaari tayong mawalan ng balance, matumba o madapa, masasaktan tayo. Iiyak tayo. Hinayaan tayo ng ating mga magulang na maging independent nang sa ganoon, matutuo tayong lumakad mag-isa. Ngunit hindi ginusto ng ating magulang na tayo ay madapa at masaktan ngunit bahagi ito ng proseso ng ating pag-unlad o paglaki bilang tao. Hinayaan, pero hindi ginusto.

Sa ating Mabuting Balita, gumamit ang Panginoong Hesus ng talinghaga upang ipaliwanag ang pagdating ng paghahari ng Diyos. Ang sabi sa mabuting balita, may isang magsasaka (Ang anak ng tao – si Hesus) na nagtanim ng mabuting binhi (mga pinaghaharian ng Diyos) ngunit nang sumapit ang gabi, ay tinaniman ng binhi ng mga damo (mga taong sumusunod sa masama) ng kaaway (ang demonyo) ang bukirin (ang daigdig). Kung kaya’t habang sumisibol ang mga mabuting binhi, sumisibol din ang masamang binhi. Ngunit hinayaan ng may ari ng bukirin na sabay silang lumago sapagkat kung tatanggalin ang mga damo, maaring madamay ang mga trigo. At sa panahon ng anihan, unang tatanggalin ang mga damo at pagbubungkus bungkusin at saka susunugin samantalang aanihin ang mga trigo at dadalhin sa kamalig ng may ari ng bukirin.

Napakagandang larawan tungkol sa paghahari ng Diyos. Na ang mga pinaghaharian ng Diyos, nananatiling tapat at mabuti sa kabila ng pag-iral ng kasamaan sa kanyang paligid. Ang mga damo na kasabay na tumubo ng mga trigo, maari nilang inisin ang mga trigo ngunit dahil sa paninikil, mas lalong tumatatag ang halamang. Pinatitibay siya ng kaniyang pakikipagtunggali para mabuhay sa mga hindi mabuting binhi. Kung kaya, mas lumalakas ang halaman, mas kumakapit ang mga ugat sa lupa at nang sa ganoon, hindi siya magapi ng mga damo na pumalibot sa kanya.

Ganyan ang buhay Kristyano. Hindi ginusto ng Diyos ang kasamaan at lalong hindi sa Diyos galing ang kasamaan, sa dyablo. Pero hinahayaan ng Diyos ang pananatili ng kasamamaan sa mundo kaalinsabay ng mabuti hindi upang tayo ay pasukuin at gawing masama rin. Bagkus, sa pamamagitan ng mga ito, ay mapalutang ang ating likas na kabutihan. Tayo ay likas na mabuti sa pagkat tayo ay nilikhang kawangis ng Diyos. Sa kabila ng kasamaang namamayani, itatakda pa rin nating maging mabuti, tapat sa ating mga tungkulin, tumutulong sa kapwa, nagmamahal at nagmamalasakit.

Nakapanood na ba kayo ng pelikulang puro bida at walang kontrabida? Hindi ba hindi magandang panoorin? Sapagkat sa pamamagitan ng mga kontrabida, mas napapatingkad ang mabubuting katangian ng bida. Tandaan natin, may mga bagay na hinahayaan ang Diyos, ngunit hindi Niya ginugusto.

Nawa ay patuloy tayong palakasin at patatagin ng ating pagtitiwala at pag-asa kay Kristo Hesus upang tayo ay manatiling tapat at umaasa sa awa at biyaya ng Diyos.

Maganda ring tingnan, hinayaan ng Diyos na magkasabay na tumubo ang mabuting binhi at ang damo dahil saka na lamang ito paghihiwalayin sa takdang panahon. Paghihiwalayin ang mabuti at masama. Pero maaari rin namang sa pamamagitan ng nag-uumapaw na awa at grasya ng Diyos, ultimo mga masasamang binhi, magiging mabuting binhi na rin na aanihin ng may ari ng bukirin at itatabi sa kanyang kamalig sa araw ng paghuhukom. Sa ganon, wala nang damong kailangan pang sunugin. Amen.

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