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 10, 2020. Friday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time (Filipino)

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Hunyo 10, 2020. Biyernes sa ika-14 na Linggo sa Karaniwang Panahon 

Pagninilay sa Mabuting Balita ayon kay San Mateo 10: 24 -33

Sa unang pagbasa, sinasabi ni Propeta Osias na ang pagiging makasalanan ng mga Israelita ang naging dahilan ng kanilang pagbagsak. Sa Mabuting Balita naman, sinasabi ni Hesus na isinusugo niya ang Kanyang mga alagad na animo’y mga tupa sa piling ng mga mababangis na lobo.

Sa unang tingin, marahil tayo ay magtatanong. Bakit ganon? Parang pareho lang kapahamakan ang naghihintay sa mga gumagawa ng kasalanan gaya ng mga Israelita sa unang pagbasa at ng mga sumusunod sa kalooban ng Diyos gaya ng mga isinusugo sa Mabuting Balita. 

Bakit nga ba ganoon? Bilang mga alagad, sila ang pinaka front-liners ng Panginoon. Sila ang nagtutungo sa mga bayan-bayan upang ipahatid ang mabuting balita ng paghahari ng Panginoon. At dahil diyan, itinataya nila ang sarili nilang buhay at kaligtasan sa proseso sapagkat marami marahil ang hindi mauunawaan at hindi tatanggapin ang kanilang mga itinuturo. O may itinuturo sila na iba sa nakagawian ng mga taong kanilang pupuntahan. Dahil diyan maari silang makaranas na kutyain, hamakin at sabihan ng nababaliw. Maari silang makaranas ng lahat ng uri ng rejection at makarinig ng masasakit na salita. Ang pang-araw-araw na pangangaral nila ay maring maglagay sa kanila sa panganib. 

Sa ating buhay, may mga pagkakataon na tila tayo ay mga tila tupa rin sa harap ng mga lobo. Sa panahon natin ngayon, ang mga nagpapahayag at naninidigan sa katotohanan at gumagawa ng tama ay siya pang tinitingnang masama. Unti-unti, ang sukatan na ngayon ng katotohanan ay kung ano ang opinyon ng nakakarami gaano man ito ka-hindi tama o ka-imoral. “Okay lang gawin yan, marami na naman ang gumagawa niyan.” “Yan na ang uso ngayon.” “KJ mo naman pag di ka sumama sa amin dito.” “Trip trip lang” Gumawa ka ng tama at sasabihan ka pang “rigid” o di kaya ay “hipokrito” at “pakitang tao”. 

Ngayon, kung hindi malinaw sa atin ang ating pinaniniwalaan at ginagawa, maaring ang unang gagawin natin ay manahimik na lamang. Pabayaan na lamang natin ang iba sa mga hindi tama nilang ginagawa at sa baluktot nilang pag-iisip. Ngunit bilang mga tagasunod ni Kristo, kinakailangang marinig ang ating boses – tutulan ang mali at manindigan at magsabuhay ng katotohanan gaano pa man ito hindi ka popular at ano man ang maging kapalit nito. Pinapaalalahan tayo ni Hesus sa Mabuting Balita: Wag kang matakot kung ano ang iyong gagawin o sasabihin, sapagkat hindi ikaw ang magsasalita bagkus ay ang Espiritu ng Ama na magsasalita sa pamamagitan mo. 

Hindi madali ang sumunod sa kalooban ng Diyos. Lagi nawa tayong palakisn ng ating pag-asa sa plano ng Diyos. Na palagi, ito ang pinakamabuti at pinakamaganda sa atin. Kung minsan ang proseso ay maaring maging mahirap at masakit. Palagi nawa nating tatandaan at huwag kalilimutan na kapag sa tingin natin ang Diyos ay tahimik sa ating mga hinaing at sitwasyon, ibig sabihin may ginagawa Siya para sa atin.  Inaasahan ng Panginoon ang iyong katapatan higit sa iyong tagumpay.  Amen.

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