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 6, 2020. Monday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time

-

Hulyo 6, 2020. Lunes sa ika-14 na Linggo sa Karaniwang Panahon

Pagninilay sa Mabuting Balita ng Panginoon ayon kay San Mateo 9: 18-26

Napakaganda ng ating mga pagbasa sa ngayon sapagkat ipinapakita ng mga ito ang hindi nagbabagong awa, pag-ibig at pagpapagaling na dulot sa atin ng Diyos.

Sa unang pagbasa, ipinakita ang di nagmamaliw na pagmamahal ng Diyos sa bayang Israel sa pamamagitan ng halimbawa ng isang mapagmahal na asawa na nakahandang patawarin ang kanyang asawang nagtaksil at nagkasala. Sa kabila ng kanyang pagiging hindi tapat at salawahan, kahahabagan pa rin siya at aakuin ng Panginoon bilang Kanya.

Sa Mabuting Balita naman, matutunghayan ang dalawang himala ni Hesus – ang pagbuhay sa anak na babae ng pinuno ng mga Hudyo at ang pagpapagaling sa babaing dinurugo. Magkaiba sila ng paraan ng paglapit kay Hesus. Magkaiba rin sila ng katayuan sa buhay. Ngunit pareho silang pinakinggan ni Hesus. Ang isa’y hayagang humiling kay Hesus, ang isa nama’y hinawakan lamang nang buong pananalig ang laylayan ng damit Niya.

Ano ang mahihinuha natin sa dalawang pagpapamalas ng kadakilaan ng Diyos? Una, mahala ang pananalig upang makakilos sa buhay natin ang Diyos. Maaring may karamdaman tayo, may problema tayo at gusto tayong pagalingin ng Diyos pero ayaw natin lumapit. Bagama’t kayang gawin ng Diyos ang lahat ng bagay, iginagalang pa rin Niya ang ating kalayaan. Ang kalayaang piliin ang landas ng buhay at katotohanan sa piling Niya sa halip na ang buhay ng kasalanan at kasinungalingan na naghahatid sa kamatayan. Ang kalayaang magtiwala at sumampalataya sa Kanya.

Pangalawa, ipinapakita ang walang hanggang awa at pag-ibig ng Diyos para sa ating lahat. Sa kabila ng pagiging makasalanan at paulit-ulit nating paglayo sa Diyos, hindi mababago nito ang katotohanan – mas malaki ang pag-ibig ng Diyos sa mga kasalanang ating nagawa. Mababago at mawawala ang lahat, magugunaw ang mundo ngunit mananatili ang pag-ibig ng Diyos para sa atin.

Harinawa, buong kalayaan natin palaging piliing magtiwala sa awa at pag-big ng Diyos at tulad ng salmista, maawit rin natin ng may buong pananampalataya: ”Pag-ibig ng Diyos ay ganap, sa tanan Siya’y nahahabag.” 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