Deacon Sunday - Homily for the Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B - 10/13/2024)

Good morning. When Peter said to Jesus: "We have given up everything and followed you," he is sharing with us the reality of a life spent following Jesus. When we say “yes” to Jesus, we say “no” to a multitude of other things. For example, we said “yes” to Jesus and came to Mass this morning, because we said “no” to hitting the “sloth button” on our alarm clock and sleeping in a few more hours. The Good News is, God cannot be outdone in generosity. We get so much more in return because, at Mass, we encounter Jesus. We receive the word of God that “is living and effective. . . penetrating even between soul and spirit. . .” and reveals to us the true desires of our hearts - to love God because He loves us first. Then, Christ nourishes us with his Body broken for us and his Blood shed on the Cross for our salvation.

Jesus is “the living bread that came down from heaven. . . and the bread that [he gives] is [his] flesh for the life of the world” (John 6:51). Jesus asks of us one thing, that we love him above all else. “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him” (14:23). This is the love that Jesus asked of the man when he said to him: “Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” However, the man did not get it because, upon hearing this, his face fell and “he went away sad, for he had many possessions.” How many of us, or those we know, opted not to follow Jesus because we grip so tightly our “many possessions” rather than cling on to the thread of Jesus’ garment? For me, the Diaconate has helped me realize that the “treasure” I seek for most in life cannot be found in “the many possessions” that the world has to offer but in the “treasure[s] in heaven” that Christ has to offer. If I am “rich” in the things of heaven, then it might be easier for me to enter the kingdom of God than “for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle.”

As I reflected on the dialogues between Peter and Jesus and Jesus and the man, I asked myself: what did I give up to come and follow Jesus as a deacon? The answer is time. I cannot tell you how sad I was at all the times I had to miss gatherings and events with families and friends because I had Diaconal Formation classes on Saturdays. However, as Pope Francis once said: “[our] life is made of time and time is God’s gift, and it is therefore important to make use of it by performing good and fruitful actions. . . Among the many things to do in our daily routine, one of the priorities should be reminding ourselves of our Creator who allows us to live, who loves us, who accompanies us on our journey” (Meeting with German altar servers, Aug. 5, 2014). God did more than just accompany me on my journey in Diaconal Formation; He took what little talent that I had to offer Him and multiplied it like he did with the “loaves and fish.”

Now, as a deacon, time is still what I continue to give up daily to come and follow Jesus. However, God cannot be outdone in generosity. Saint Paul wrote that “God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things, always having all you need, you may have an abundance for every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8). God continues to bless my diakonia abundantly. To the world, I am one person; however, when I give generously of my time, talent, and treasure, out of love for God and self-giving love of neighbor, I can be the world to one person, in particular, here at Saint Albert the Great.

I share about the blessings of my diakonia because today is the Second Sunday of October and, in the Diocese of Austin, it is recognized as Deacon Sunday for the purpose of fostering diaconate vocations. To all the men thinking, praying, discerning about becoming a deacon, listen to Pope Saint John Paul II, who echoed these words of Jesus: “Do not be afraid.” Do not be afraid to ask Jesus the question that the man asked in today’s Gospel: “what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Do not be afraid to believe and trust that Jesus loves you. Do not be afraid to come and follow him and imitate his self-giving love. Do not be afraid to give to God generously without counting the cost. When you do, you will realize that God cannot be outdone in generosity. He returns blessings upon you 100-, 1,000-fold.

To all the wives, I ask you all to encourage your husbands to discern and have the courage to answer God’s call to them to “come and follow” Him. Your husband is the provider and protector of your family, there is no doubt about that. He will not pursue anything else if he believes that it might take him away from his primary vocation as a husband and his primary mission - his wife and children. However, when you reassure your husband and encourage him, but most of all, when you pray that he discerns God’s will for him and your family, your generosity will be rewarded with an outpouring of grace and blessings that is beyond measure. Pray about it together. Perhaps, sign up to take home the Vocations Traveling Chalice to pray for your discernment and for an increase in vocations to the priesthood, diaconate, and religious life.

God cannot be outdone in generosity, but we can seek to model His self-giving love. Here at Saint Albert the Great, we work together as we seek to worship God, serve others generously, and form disciples. We need you, the many parts of the One Body of Christ, to fulfill your Baptismal promises with intentionality and in a concrete way to help us carry out the mission of our parish, the mission of the Church that Jesus entrusted to us. If we give generously in gratitude for our God-given gift of time, talent, and treasure, then it just might be easier for us to enter the kingdom of God than “for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle.”

Here is the link for the Vocations Traveling Chalice: 

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0B4EABAA23A7FBC16-48039243-vocations?useFullSite=true#/

You can read my full vocation story here: https://dcnphuc2019.blogspot.com/2024/01/my-vocation-story-part-1-st-brendan.html #diakonia

. . .

Gospel (Mk 10:17-27)

As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up,

knelt down before him, and asked him,

"Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 

Jesus answered him, "Why do you call me good? 

No one is good but God alone.

You know the commandments: You shall not kill;

you shall not commit adultery;

you shall not steal;

you shall not bear false witness;

you shall not defraud;

honor your father and your mother."

He replied and said to him,

"Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth."

Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him,

"You are lacking in one thing. 

Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor

and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me."

At that statement his face fell,

and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples,

"How hard it is for those who have wealth

to enter the kingdom of God!"

The disciples were amazed at his words. 

So Jesus again said to them in reply,

"Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 

It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle

than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." 

They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves,

"Then who can be saved?"

Jesus looked at them and said,

"For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. 

All things are possible for God."

Homily for the Thursday of the Twenty-Seventh Week in Ordinary Time (Year B - 10/10/2024)

Good morning. In yesterday’s Gospel, Jesus taught us the Lord’s Prayer. In today’s Gospel, not only does Christ encourage us to persevere in prayer, he also promises that our prayers will be answered: “. . .ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. . .” This should bring us great comfort knowing that God hears our prayers because He loves us. From our joyful ramblings to our cries for help, God hears us and answers us.

I mentioned in my homily yesterday that Pope Francis said that prayer is “first of all dialogue, a relationship with God.” However, we can find it challenging to pray sometimes. In a general audience a few years ago, the Holy Father acknowledged that “praying is not easy; many difficulties present themselves in prayer.” Pope Francis went on to identify the difficulties in prayer as distractions, time of barrenness, and the sin of sloth.

The first obstacle to praying is distraction (CCC 2729). Pope Francis said “that the human mind finds it hard to dwell for long on a single thought. We all experience this constant whirlwind of images and illusions. . .” What do we make of this? A Spiritual Director of mine once told me not to be afraid of the distraction during time of prayer, especially in Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. He said that if the same thought comes into my mind over and over again, then perhaps it is something that God wants to reveal to me in prayer and that I should ask God to help me understand it.

The second obstacle to praying is time of barrenness. The Catechism describes it in this way: “The heart is separated from God, when there is dryness, with no taste for thoughts, memories and feelings, even spiritual ones. This is the moment of sheer faith clinging faithfully to Jesus in his agony and in his tomb” (CCC 2731). Pope Francis warned against having a “grey heart” because we “cannot pray. . . [or] feel consolation with a grey heart!. . . The heart must be open and luminous, so that the light of the Lord can enter. And if it does not enter, wait for it, with hope. But do not close it up in greyness.” In other words, we should not be discouraged, or have a “grey heart,” when we pray fervently and it seems like God does not even hear our prayers at all, much less answer them. God always keeps his promises.

The third obstacle to praying is sloth. Quoting the Catechism, Pope Francis explained that sloth is “‘a form of depression due to lax ascetical practice, decreasing vigilance, carelessness of heart,’ CCC 2733). “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). Sloth is one of the seven ‘deadly sins’ because, fuelled by conceit, it can lead to the death of the soul.

So how do we overcome obstacles to praying? Jesus tells us to be persistent. Moreover, Pope Francis said that we “must learn to go forward always. True progress in the spiritual life [is] being able to persevere in difficult times: walk, walk, walk on… and if you are tired, stop a little and then start walking again. But with perseverance. . . Believers never stop praying!” It is as Saint Paul wrote to the Philippians: “Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God” (4:6).

. . .

Gospel (LK 11:5-13)

Jesus said to his disciples:

“Suppose one of you has a friend

to whom he goes at midnight and says,

‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread,

for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey

and I have nothing to offer him,’

and he says in reply from within,

‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked

and my children and I are already in bed.

I cannot get up to give you anything.’

I tell you, if he does not get up to give him the loaves

because of their friendship,

he will get up to give him whatever he needs

because of his persistence.

“And I tell you, ask and you will receive;

seek and you will find;

knock and the door will be opened to you.

For everyone who asks, receives;

and the one who seeks, finds;

and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

What father  among you would hand his son a snake

when he asks for a fish?

Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg?

If you then, who are wicked,

know how to give good gifts to your children,

how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit

to those who ask him?”

Homily for the Wednesday of the Twenty-Seventh Week in Ordinary Time (Year B - 10/9/2024)

Good morning. Pope Francis said that the Mass is “the prayer par excellence, the highest, most sublime, and at the same time, the most ‘concrete’. . . it is an encounter with the Lord [Real Presence in the Eucharist]. . . a privilege moment to be with Christ, and, through Him, with God and with our brothers.” The Holy Father went on to say that prayer is “first of all dialogue, a relationship with God,” because each of us was “created as a being in personal relationship with God, who finds his full realization only in the encounter with His Creator.” In other words, through prayer, we encounter God, and, it is in this encounter with our Creator, that we discover our purpose in life in relationship with God and with one another.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus teaches us the Lord’s Prayer (or the Our Father). In the Lord’s Prayer, we boldly proclaim “Our Father” because, through Baptism, we become adopted sons and daughters of the Father in heaven through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and incorporated into his Mystical Body - the Church. Saint Augustine wrote that “‘Our Father who art in heaven’ is rightly understood to mean that God is in the hearts of the just,” that we who pray should desire the one we invoke to dwell in our hearts. “Hallowed be thy name” reminds us that “at the [holy] name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10-11).

Moreover, when we pray “thy kingdom come,” we eagerly await the “final coming of the reign of God through Christ’s return” while we commit ourselves to carrying out the mission of the Church in the present world (CCC 2818). Jesus teaches us that one enters the kingdom of heaven not by speaking words, but by doing “the will of my Father in heaven” and so when we petition God that “thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” we can discern “what is the will of God” and obtain the endurance to do it (CCC 2826). The Eucharist is our daily bread and so we pray for God to “give us this day our daily bread” because we desire to become what we receive - our Lord Jesus Christ, who came to do the will of the Father (CCC 2837).

Furthermore, although we are clothed with the baptismal garment, we do not cease to sin, to turn away from God. With bold confidence, we petition God to “. . .forgive us our trespasses,” because our hope is firm in Jesus Christ, in whom “we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (CCC 2839). Our petition for forgiveness will be heard but our response must come first, to “. . .forgive those who trespass against us” (CCC 2838). Forgiveness is the fundamental condition of the reconciliation of the children of God with their Father and of men with one another (CCC 2844). God cannot be tempted by evil and he himself tempts no one; therefore, we pray “and lead us not into temptation,” we are asking God not to allow us to take the way that leads to sin (CCC 2846). In the final petition, “. . .deliver us from evil,” the Church brings before the Father all the distress of the world. . . and implores the precious gift of peace and the grace of perseverance in expectation of Christ’s return (CCC 2854). We end the Lord’s Prayer with “Amen” to express our “fiat,” our “yes” to what is contained in the prayer that God has taught us.

. . .

Gospel (Lk 11:1-4)

Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished,

one of his disciples said to him,

"Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples."

He said to them, "When you pray, say:

Father, hallowed be your name,

your Kingdom come.

Give us each day our daily bread

and forgive us our sins

for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us,

and do not subject us to the final test."

Two by Two - A Reflection on "The Chosen" (S3:E2)

In this episode, we find the disciples in Capernaum after Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. Matthew and his parents reconcile with each other. However, the moment in the episode that struck me the most is when Jesus and the Twelve Apostles are gathered in Peter's house and Jesus sends them out two by two (Mark 6:7-13; ). We can see the fear in their faces, the anxiety on their hearts, and the doubt in their minds. Peter glances nervously at this wife, Eden, as Jesus assigns each of them their partner and to which territory each pair will go to for their missionary work of spreading the Good News of the Gospel. Jesus trusted these "ordinary" men to share in his mission to go forth and do extraordinary work - to teach and preach, heal, and drive out demons in his name and with his authority. What about us? If we were in the shoes of the Apostles and Jesus sends us out two by two with "no food, no sack, no money. . . [and] not a second tunic," how would we respond?

Afterwards, in a tender moment with Little James, Jesus affirms him and tells Little James that he trusts that he will do great things for God despite his own physical limitations. (Psalms 139:14 - I praise you, because I am wonderfully made; wonderful are your works! My very self you know.) Jesus reminds Little James that no matter the circumstances of our life, we endure in this life for the sake of the kingdom of heaven in eternal life. (Job 1:21 - The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD!) It is easy for us to be grateful to God in good times; however, do we have hearts filled with gratitude for God in bad times. That is the challenge for us: how can we still be faithful witnesses of God's love and mercy in the midst of our own challenges and difficulties in life? We can but only by the grace of God through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. (Philippians 4:13 - I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me.)

The episode ended with Peter assuming his role as the leader of the Apostles as he gathered them together to pray Psalm 3:

How many are my foes, LORD!

How many rise against me!

How many say of me,

"There is no salvation for him in God.”

But you, LORD, are a shield around me;

my glory, you keep my head high.

With my own voice I will call out to the LORD,

and he will answer me from his holy mountain.

I lie down and I fall asleep,

[and] I will wake up, for the LORD sustains me.

I do not fear, then, thousands of people

arrayed against me on every side.

Arise, LORD! Save me, my God!

For you strike the cheekbone of all my foes;

you break the teeth of the wicked.

Salvation is from the LORD!

May your blessing be upon your people!

They are afraid, but they trust in Jesus. They refuse to shy away from the mission that Jesus has given them. Rather, they went deeper in their relationships with their Father in heaven and with each other, and draw strength from this Communion. It is the same way that we come together for Mass to deepen our relationship with God and with each other, to receive the Eucharist at Holy Communion, and then allow ourselves to be sent forth by Jesus into mission territory. Do not be afraid. Have faith. Trust Jesus.

Gospel Reflection: Love builds up (9/12/2024)

Sisters and brothers in Christ, in today’s Gospel, Jesus continues his Sermon on the Mount. Our Lord teaches us to love our enemies, to turn the other cheek, to stop judging, to stop condemning, to forgive, and to be merciful as our Father is heaven us merciful.

These are hard teachings. However, if we follow them with a humble and contrite heart, then this is how we become more like Christ and see Christ in our fellow man. For [God] "he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked." Who are the ungrateful and wicked ones? Who else but us. Yet, God loves us and shows us mercy; we are called to do the same. 

It is as Saint Paul wrote to the Corinthians: ". . .love builds up. . ."; let us build up one another in love. Why is this important for us? Well, as Saint John writes: "If we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us."

We cannot do it on our own but we can with grace from God and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, let us ask God to guide us along the everlasting way. For "there is one God, the Father, from whom all things are and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things are and through whom we exist. . " because God loves us.

. . .

Gospel

Jesus said to his disciples:

“To you who hear I say, love your enemies,

do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you,

pray for those who mistreat you.

To the person who strikes you on one cheek,

offer the other one as well,

and from the person who takes your cloak,

do not withhold even your tunic.

Give to everyone who asks of you,

and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back.

Do to others as you would have them do to you.

For if you love those who love you,

what credit is that to you?

Even sinners love those who love them.

And if you do good to those who do good to you,

what credit is that to you?

Even sinners do the same.

If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment,

what credit is that to you?

Even sinners lend to sinners,

and get back the same amount. 

But rather, love your enemies and do good to them,

and lend expecting nothing back;

then your reward will be great

and you will be children of the Most High,

for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.

Be merciful, just as also your Father is merciful.

“Stop judging and you will not be judged.

Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.

Forgive and you will be forgiven.

Give and gifts will be given to you;

a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing,

will be poured into your lap.

For the measure with which you measure

will in return be measured out to you.”

[Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/091224.cfm]

The Little Host

This morning, I had the blessed opportunity to lead Adoration of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament for Family Fiat with Mary: First Saturday Devotion at St. Albert the Great. When I arrived, I found out that the large monstrance was being used for a retreat and the small monstrance did not have a Consecrated Host. Fr. Hai and I discussed and he said to use the Consecrated Host that we normally use for Holy Communion at Mass. He said, "Large or small, it is still Jesus for the people to adore."

During Adoration, I reflected on that as I let our Lord Jesus Christ gazed upon me lovingly from the monstrance. I am reminded of what Pope Saint John Paul II once said, "In that little host is the solution to all the problems of the world.. It was a rough week and I had to miss Mass in the morning a couple of days. I am glad that I was able to spend time with Jesus this morning. I am at peace, filled with his joy, and feel his loving presence in my life. I am blessed.

When life's challenges and difficulties wear down on you, go visit our Lord Jesus Christ in the Most Holy Eucharist at Mass and Adoration. God is bigger than our problems and, most of all, He loves us unconditionally. Abide in his love and let Him rest in your heart.

Dearest Goddaughter (LTR-100) - I do not know you

Dearest Goddaughter,

There are five (5) words that we do not ever want to hear God say to us when we stand before the throne of God. Those words are - "I do not know you." This is why Jesus tells us to "stay awake" in today's Gospel. We must always be prepared to meet our Lord and our God because we "know neither the day nor the hour." It is as the Gospel Acclamation reminds us: "Be vigilant at all times and pray, that you may have the strength to stand before the Son of Man."

And so, we must be vigilant in our prayer life because it is through prayer that we encounter our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and foster a relationship with him. If we never talk with a person in our life, do we really have a relationship with that person? No, we do not know them and they do not know us. It is the same with our relationship with God. Pope Francis has declared 2024 to be the Year of Prayer in preparation for next year's 2025 Year of Jubilee, with the theme "Pilgrims of Hope". Bishop Joe Vásquez (Diocese of Austin) invites "all the faithful. . . to set aside time for daily prayer."

It is in prayer that we come to understand the wisdom of God and discern His will for our lives. It is in prayer that God gives us the strength to live our lives in a way that aligns most closely with Hi will for us. It is in prayer that Jesus helps us to carry our own crosses because, as Saint Paul wrote in his first letter to the Corinthians: "The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." It is in prayer that the cross of Christ is not emptied of its meaning for us but, through the cross of Christ, we receive his peace and joy in our lives even in the midst of the daily challenges of life.

Love,

Bỏ Phúc

P.S. These are the readings for the day: 1 Cor 1:17-25 and Mt 25:1-13 (see below).

. . .

Jesus told his disciples this parable:

"The Kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins

who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.

Five of them were foolish and five were wise.

The foolish ones, when taking their lamps,

brought no oil with them,

but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps.

Since the bridegroom was long delayed,

they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

At midnight, there was a cry,

'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!'

Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps.

The foolish ones said to the wise,

'Give us some of your oil,

for our lamps are going out.'

But the wise ones replied,

'No, for there may not be enough for us and you.

Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.'

While they went off to buy it,

the bridegroom came

and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him.

Then the door was locked.

Afterwards the other virgins came and said,

'Lord, Lord, open the door for us!'

But he said in reply,

'Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.'

Therefore, stay awake,

for you know neither the day nor the hour."