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 3, 2020. Friday. Feast of St. Thomas, Apostle (Filipino)

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Hulyo 3, 2020. Friday. Kapistahan ni Sto. Tomas, Apostol

Pagninilay sa Mabuting Balita ng Panginoon ayon kay San Juan 20: 24-29

Ano ang matututunan natin sa ating Mabuting Balita ngayong ating ipinagdiriwang ang kapistahan ni Apostol Sto. Tomas?

Ang mga alagad, hindi sila sila piniling perpekto. Katulad rin natin sila. Sa simula, hindi rin nila agad naunawaan si Kristo, pinanghihinaan din sila ng loob, nakakaramdam ng takot at pagdududa. Wala silang gaanong pinagkaiba sa atin.

Ordinaryong ordinaryo din silang tulad natin. Ngunit habang tumatagal nilang kasama si Hesus at lumalalim ang kanilang ugnayan sa Kanya, unti-unti, nagiging matibay at matatag sila.

Nakalulungkot na nakilala si Tomas sa kasaysayan bilang “Doubting Thomas” Ang alagad na nagduda sa muling pagkabuhay ng Panginoon. Pero hindi natapos sa pagdududa si Tomas. Yon ang mas mahalaga. Bagkus nang kanyang makita ang Panginoon at ipahawak sa kanya ang mga sugat na tinamo ni Hesus, naroon naman ang pinakamalalim na hugot ng pananampalataya – “Panginoon ko at Diyos ko!”

At pagkatapos ng pangyayaring ito, nagpatuloy si Tomas na mas malakas, mas nananalig sa kanyang pagpapahayag ng Mabuting Balita sa buong sangkalupan. At nakarating siya sa India at duon ay nangaral at pagkatapos ay humarap sa kamatayan dahil sa pananampalatayang kanyang ipinahahayag ukol kay Hesus na muling nabuhay.

Ang pag-unlad sa pananampalataya ay isang “gradual process”. Hindi ka matutulog mamayang gabi at paggising mo ay nakahanda ka nang mamatay para kay Kristo dahil sa laki ng tiwala mo sa kanya. Ang tunay na paglago sa pananampalataya ay ang araw-araw na pagsasabuhay ng turo ni Hesus hanggang sa maging bahagi na ito ng iyong buhay. Sa araw-araw mong pagsasabuhay, ikaw ay magkakamali, madadapa pa kung minsan. Pero kaagad-agad kang babangon at magpipilit bumalik sa tamang landas.

Utay-utay, lumalago tayo sa pananampalataya. Lumalalim ang ating ugnayan kay Hesus. Mas nakikilala natin Siya at mas nararanasan sa araw-araw nating pamumuhay.

Kapatid, magandang tingnan ang mga pagkakataon sa buhay mo na pinagdudahan mo ang kakayahan at kapangyarihan ng Diyos at pagkatapos ay naranasan mo ang kanyang pagpapadama ng kanyang pag-ibig at hindi ka niya iniwan at pinabayaan. Maari mong panghawakan ang karanasang iyan sa mga darating na pagsubok pa sa iyong buhay. Balikan mo ang pangyayaring iyan at diyan ka maaaring humugot at makasumpong ng kapayapaan sa iyong mga pagdududa. Mahal ka ng Diyos. Hindi ka Niya pababayaan.

Maaring pagdudahan natin ang pagmamahal ng Diyos para sa atin, pero ang DIyos, hinding hindi magdududa sa katotohanang iyan. Amen.




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