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 8, 2020. Wednesday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time (Filipino)

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Hulyo 8, 2020. Miyerkules sa ika-14 na Linggo sa Karaniwang Panahon 

Pagninilay sa Mabuting Balita ayon kay San Mateo 10: 1-7 

Sa Mabuting Balita, pumili si Hesus ng labing-dalawa upang maging unang mga disipulo nila at sila ay binigyang kapangyarihan upang magpalayas ng masasamang espiritu at magpagaling ng lahat ng uri ng mga sakit at karamdaman. Pinagbilinan muna silang hanapin ang mga nawawalng tupa ng Israel at ipahayag na nalalapit na ang paghahari ng Diyos. 

Sa kanyang pagpili ng mga tagasunod, masasabing walang malinaw na criteria ang Panginoong Hesus. Pinipili niya ang kanyang nais, at siya mismo ang lumalapit at tumatawag sa kanyang maibigan. Hindi na kailangang mag-volunteer o mag-apply ng mga alagad upang maging tagasunod Niya. 

Magandang pagnilayan ito. Si Hesus hindi pumipili ng magagaling, ng may mataas na karunungan, ng mga banal o may impluwensiya sa kumunidad. Pinipili Niya ang kahit na sinong kanyang maibigan – ang kinakailangan lamang ay ang kabukasan ng taong kanyang tinawag – iyon lamang ang criteria. Pumili siya ng mga ordinaryong tao – may mga kahinaan, nagdududa sa Kanyang kapangyarihan, natatakot, nadarapa, nagkakamali at ipinagkanulo pa nga Siya ng isa. 

Si Hesus ang tumawag at nagsimula ng kanyang gawain sa iyo, siya rin ang sisigurong ito ay matatapos mo. Ang hinihiling lang Niya ay ang iyong “Oo” at availability. Hindi nga ba’t He “does not call the qualified, but qualifies the called?” 

Sa bisa ng ating binyag na tinanggap, tayo ay inaasahang magpahayag ng pagdating ng paghahari ng Diyos sa pamamagitan ng ating pagsasabuhay ng pananampalatayang ating tinanggap at pagsaksi sa paghahari ng Diyos sa pamamagitan ng ating tunay na buhay Kristiyano. Tayo din ay sinusugo ni Hesus bilang mga alagad upang magpalaganap ng Mabuting Balita ng paghahari ng Diyos. 

Kagaya ng mga unang alagad sa simula ng kanilang pangangaral, tayo ay una ring sinusugo ni Hesus na dalhin ang mabuting balita sa ating sariling kumunidad – yaong ating mga nakakasalamuha at nakakalakbay araw-araw – ang ating pamilya, mga kaibigan at kasama sa trabaho at pagkatapos saka naman tayo lalabas sa mas malaking kumunidad. Aayusin muna ang loob, kung ano ang malapit at abot-kamay saka lalabas sa kalawakan ng daigdig upang isalaysay ang pinakadakilang kwento ng pag-big ng Diyos para sa ating lahat. Amen.

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