St. Expeditus: Patron Saint of Speedy Causes

-
Image
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...
Post a Comment

Homilies and Reflections: July 26, 2020. 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle A) - Filipino

-

Hulyo 26, 2020. Ika-17 Linggo sa Karaniwang Panahon 

Pagninilay sa Mabuting Balita ayon kay San Mateo 13: 44-52 

Sa ating buhay, marami tayong mga pangarap. Marami tayong mga gustong marating para sa ating sarili at para sa ating mga mahal sa buhay. Upang marating ito, tayo ay nagsusumikap. Nagpapakapagod tayo. Gagawin natin ang lahat para maabot lamang ito. Halimbawa, gusto nating mapromote sa trabaho, magsisikap tayo upang maabot ang ninanais nating pwesto. Kung tayo naman ay estudyante, mag-aaral tayo ng mabuti. Kung may gusto tayong bilhin, pag-iipunan natin ito. At kung makamit na natin ang ating minimithi, may kakaibang saya o ligaya tayong nararanasan. 

Ang ating mga pagbasa sa araw na ito, tungkol sa mga kayamanan at regalo. Sa unang pagbasa, si Haring Solomon ay tinanong ng Diyos kung ano ang nais niyang hilingin bilang bagong hari ng Israel at hiniling niya na magkaroon siya ng karungan at siya'y kinalugdan ng Diyos at pinagkaloob sa kanya ito at kasunod sa pagtatamo ng karunungan – ay ang pagtatamo rin ng kayamanan, pagpapalawak ng kaharian, pagkagapi ng kanyang mga kaaway, at ang matagal niyang paghahari sa bayang Israel. 

Ang salmo naman ay naaayon sa mga biyayang naghihintay sa taong nagtataglay ng karunungan upang alamin, sundin at mahalin ang mga kautusan ng Diyos. Kailangang piliin ang kalooban ng Diyos bagama’t kung minsan, mahirap o lampas ito sa ating pang-unawa. 

Sa Mabuting Balita, nagbigay si Hesus ng dalawang talinghaga upang ipaliwanag ang pagsapit ng paghahari ng Diyos. And each of the parables tells of the sacrifice and the cost involved in becoming part of God’s reign. It entail wisdom and costly decisions which means giving up what is valuable for us in exchange of a greater good – that of being part of God’s plan and reign.  Mayroong dapat iwanan, mayroong dapat kalimutan.  Mayroong dapat talikdan.  

Ang pagpapasakop sa paghahari ng Diyos ay parehong demanding at rewarding. At upang tunay na maging kabilang dito, kailangan ang karunungan upang i-discern at piliin kung ano ba ang tunay na mahalaga na siyang magpapalaya sa atin sa mga huwad na yaman. 

Sapagkat kung ano ang mahalaga sa atin, ibibigay natin ang lahat ng ating kalakasan at kakayanan upang masumpungan at makamit ito. Kaya’t magandang itanong sa ating sarili, sa ngayon, ano ba ang itinuturing kong mahala o “kayamanan” sa aking buhay? Sapagkat kung nasaan ang ating kayamanan, naroon din ang ating puso. Harinawa masumpungan natin ang ating tunay na yaman sa pagsunod sa kalooban ng Diyos at hindi sa panandaliang seguridad na ibinibigay ng yaman ng mundong ito.  Matuklasan nawa natin ang ating tanging kayamanan – si Hesus.  Do not be afraid to let go of all that is valuable to us for Jesus.  Because in Jesus, we gain all.  

Sa mga panahon ngayon ng krisis, magandang panghawakan natin ang katotohanan na ang plano ng Diyos para sa atin ay mas higit sa kung ano man ang pinagdaraanan natin sa ngayon. Maganda ang sinasabi ni San Pablo sa ikalawang pagbasa. Gaano man daw kabigat ang ating pinagdaraaanan sa ngayon, kaya ng Diyos na gawin itong pabor sa simpleng kadahilanan na minamahal Niya tayo ng lubos. Yan nawa ang magpalakas sa atin. Lalo na at may Diyos na palaging sumasama atin.  

Sa mga talinghaga, ang ating mga tauhan ay nagalak at nagdiwang nang masumpungan ang kanilang yaman.  Maganda ring tingnan, pwede rin nating sabihin na si Hesus ang tinutukoy na mangangalakal na iniwan ang lahat, inalintana ang Kanyang pagka-Diyos upang maging taong katulad natin – upang tayo ay samahan at makilakbay sa atin. 

Tayo ang kayamanan ng Diyos, ang Kanyang mga nilikha at labis ang Kanyang kasiyahan at galak sa pagkatagpo Niya sa atin.   We are God's treasures, always precious in His eyes.  Kaya patuloy nawang pag-alabin at pagyamanin ang ating mga puso ng awa at pag-ibig ng Diyos upang palagi nating hanapin at hangarin ang tunay na kayaman na kay Hesus lamang matatagpuan.   Amen. 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Laureana "Ka Luring" Franco: The Holy Catechist of Manila

-
Image
Laureana "Ka Luring" Franco: The Holy Catechist of Manila Ka Luring Franco (1936 - 2011) God indeed reveals Himself to the humble in the lowliest of disguises. And Ka Luring was sensitive to that fact - she found God and recognized Him revealing Himself in the faces of the the little children she so loved catechizing and the poor she so selflessly helped and served; that she herself became a reflection of that God she found among God's poor, which she so perfectly radiated with stunning simplicity and overflowing joy. Laureana Franco gave up her job in a government office in order to pursue her true calling and first love, the teaching of catechism to children. From then on, Ka Luring spent the rest of her years pursuing in what for her, was her real vocation and mission in life – that of being a catechist.  She has earned the title, "The Legendary Catechist of the Archdiocese of Manila” because of her commitment to the ministry of catechizing children. She knew so ...
Read more

Lipa City: The Little Rome of the Philippines

-
Image
Lipa Cathedral interior I was born and grew up in a city where it is not uncommon to see nuns garbed in habits of various shades of blue, grey, brown and white and seminarians and religious brothers garbed in their cassocks, clerical shirts or religious habit, in any given day, attending church services in the different churches, shrines and monasteries in the city and its outskirts. On Sundays, all churches are full to capacity of people coming from all walks of life fulfilling their Sunday obligation. On a typical Wednesday, the Redemptorist shrine of Divino Amor welcomes throngs of devotees of Our Lady of Perpetual Help coming from different places. Every 12th of the month, there is a penitential procession from the Cathedral going to Carmel and there are also liturgical activities in Carmel every first Saturday of the month dedicated to the Blessed Mother. Welcome to the city of my birth, Lipa City, the "Little Rome of the Philippines." With its elevation of 1,025 feet ab...
Read more

Popular Religiosity and Festivals: And They Danced with Joy before the Lord: The Subli Festival of Bauan, Batangas

-
Image
More than a dance form, Subli is a religous ritual that venerates the Holy Cross Dance has always been an essential component of worship of people of various religious and cultural traditions. Man of times past up to the present, uses a variety of movements of his body – hands, hips, arms, legs and head in rhythmic successions and  combinations as a form of prayer, to express worship and reverence to God. In the historic town of Bauan, Batangas exists a traditional religious dance form called the “subli” which people perform to venerate the santo patron – the Mahal na Poong Santa Cruz . The ceremonial worship dance is usually presented during the town’s fiesta which is traditionally held every May 3.  It has also been tradionally practiced that every May 1 and 2 each year, the towns of Alitagtag and Bauan celebrate the Anubing Sublian Festival to pay homage and reverence to the Mahal na Poong Sta. Cruz .  The festival highlights the dancing of the Subli.  Short ...
Read more