Homily for the Memorial of Saint Clare, Virgin (Year C - 8/11/2025)

Good morning. In today’s first reading from the Book of Deuteronomy, the words of Moses echo in eternity and speak to our hearts here and now, saying: “. . .the LORD, your God, ask of you. . . to fear the LORD, your God. . . The “beginning of wisdom is fear of the LORD” (Proverbs 9:10) and so what Moses was telling the Israelites then (and us now) is that it would be wise for us to follow the ways of God and to keep his commandments and statutes, which God has written on our hearts (Jeremiah 31:33).

Moses continued, saying: “Think! . . and be no longer stiff-necked. For the LORD, your God, is the God of gods, the LORD of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome. . .” We follow the ways of God and keep his commandments for our own good and from our desire to love and serve God with all our heart and all our soul. In other words, we follow God not because we fear being punished by God but we do so out of reverence and honor for our Creator, who desires to be in a relationship with us, His beloved sons and daughters, because He is our God and we are his people (Jeremiah 31:33).

Following God’s commandments and statues, in particular His commandment to love Him and love our neighbor, is not an option for us because it is the path to salvation. However, out of His love for us, God gives us the freewill to follow His ways or not. Therefore, this is for us an exercise in the spiritual life. First, it is through prayer that we grow in our relationship with God, which in turns gives us the grace to follow God’s commandments and statutes. Second, it is an exercise in the spiritual life because it helps us understand ourselves better and where we are in our relationship with God, especially when we find it challenging to follow His ways. In other words, it is an exercise in looking at ourselves and our relationship with God, to look at ourselves in the mirror and reflect on what we see gazing back at us.

Providentially, today is also the memorial of Saint Clare of Assisi, virgin, and, in her letter to Saint Agnes of Prague, she wrote about looking in the mirror and meditating on what we see. Saint Clare of Assisi wrote: “ [Jesus] is the splendor of eternal glory, the brightness of eternal light, and the mirror without cloud. . . [and here is the hinge. . . Saint Clare tells us to] look into that mirror daily and study well your reflection, that you may adorn yourself, mind and body, with an enveloping garment of every virtue. . . Look more deeply into the mirror and meditate on [Jesus’s] humility, or simply on his poverty. Behold the many labors and sufferings he endured to redeem the human race. Then, in the depths of this very mirror, ponder his unspeakable love which caused him to suffer on the wood of the cross and to endure the most shameful kind of death.”

My sisters and brothers in Christ, when we look in the mirror and, as Saint Clare of Assisi tells us, ponder Jesus’ “unspeakable love which caused him to suffer on. . . the cross and to endure the most shameful kind of death” for our salvation, then, perhaps, we can find the courage to follow the ways of God and to keep his commandments and statutes in our life out of love for He who loves us first - our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

We are reminded of Jesus’ sacrificial love for us during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass when we respond, saying: “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.” And so, when we receive our Lord in the Eucharist, at Holy Communion, let us go forth from Mass and reflect Jesus in our lives, by following His ways and keeping his commandments and statutes, so that when we look at ourselves in the mirror, perhaps we can see the reflection of Christ gazing lovingly back at us.

Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/081125.cfm

Homily for the Memorial of Saint John Vianney, Priest (Year C - 8/4/2025)

Today is the Memorial of Saint John Vianney, the patron saint of parish priests. He was known for “his deep devotion to the Church and his dedication to the sacrament of confession” (Franciscan Media). “His deep devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary earned him the title “Mary’s Priest” or “Maria of Ars”. . .His devotion to the sacrament of confession inspired many to return to their faith and receive God’s forgiveness. . . One of his famed miracles was the ability to read the souls of his parishioners and offer them the perfect penance for their sins. . . His work as a confessor is John Vianney’s most remarkable accomplishment. He was to spend 11 to 12 hours daily reconciling people with God in the winter months. In the summer months, this time was increased to 16 hours.”

Saint John Vianney’s feast day is an important reminder for us to pray for our priests because without priests we would not have access to the Eucharist and Confessions. We also pray also for our seminarians and for more men to have the courage to answer Jesus’ call to the priesthood. Speaking of praying, in his catechetical instructions, John Vianney wrote that “the glorious duty of man: to pray and to love. If you pray and love, that is where a man’s happiness lies. . . Prayer is nothing else but union with God. . . In this intimate union, God and the soul are fused together like two bits of wax that no one can ever pull apart. This union of God with a tiny creature is a lovely thing. It is a happiness beyond understanding. . . [our] hearts are small, but prayer stretches them and makes them capable of loving God. Through prayer we receive a foretaste of heaven. . .” (Catechisme sur la prière: A. Monnin, Esprit du Curé d’Ars, Parish 1899, pp. 87-89).

My sisters and brothers in Christ, for us, we experience the “foretaste of heaven,” that Saint John Vianney wrote of, is prayer during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Here at the altar of the Lord, the priest, in persona Christi (“in the person of Christ”), through the power of the Holy Spirit, turns bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ. Our Lord instituted the Eucharist and the priesthood at the Last Supper because he loves us and, as we heard in today’s Gospel’s account of the feeding of the five thousand (5,000), “his heart was moved with pity for [us],” and so he gave us his Body and Blood in the Eucharist to heal us. Jesus tells us this himself: “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me” (John 6:54-57).

When we receive Jesus in the Eucharist, we will be left satisfied. And so, my sisters and brothers in Christ, we come to the altar of the Lord with reverence and thanksgiving to our Lord Jesus Christ as though it is our first Mass, our last Mass, our only Mass.

Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/080425.cfm

REVISED Celebrate Blessed McGivney - KC Austin Chapter - A Report of the Spiritual Director (7/28/2025)

Worthy Chapter President and Brother Knights,

I bring you greetings from our State Chaplain, Bishop Mulvey, and our Associate State Chaplain, Fr. Chen, whom I am in contact.

Here is the link to my report on the Organizational Meeting that took place a couple of weekends ago in Denton, TX: Reflecting on the KC Texas State Council Organizational Meeting (7/11-13/2025). The key take away from the Organizational Meeting was something that our State Deputy emphasized: membership recruitment. However, membership recruitment not for the sake of growth in and of itself but because we desire to help men become better versions of themselves, better men, husbands, fathers, etc. for their families, and faithful disciples and apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Who loves being a Knight? Who feels that being a Knight has made him a better man, better husband and father, etc? Most important of all, who believes that being a Knight has helped you grow in your relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? Then, why would we not desire this for men and boys in our lives and at our parishes? As we grow our Order, we are bringing more men to Christ.

Who here knows that is so special about the month of August in our Order? That's right! We celebrate Blessed Michael J. McGivney's birthday on Aug. 12th (1852), his feast day on Aug. 13th, and the date of his death on Aug. 14th (1890). Therefore, for my report this month, I encourage you all to celebrate Blessed Michael J. McGivney in your families and at your parishes. Here are some ideas:

1. We are invited to the Men's Retreat at St. Albert the Great Catholic Church, which is hosted by Council 10333. We will start with Mass for Life at 7:00 A.M. For those you can, after Mass, a group will go to the Planned Parenthood at the corner of 183 and Burnet Road for a Vigil Prayer. Registration for the Men's Retreat will start a 9:00 A.M. We will have two speakers, Fr. Michael Rhodes and myself. After the Retreat, we will attend the 5:00 Vigil Mass together. There will be a reception after Mass.
2. There is a Votive Mass for Blessed Michael J. McGivney but, as I understand it, we would have to get permission from the Diocese. In the alternative, ask your pastors if you could include an intention in the Sunday Prayers of the Faithful for Blessed McGivney. You can find the Order for the Votive Mass with the POFs here.
3. Here is the Novena that you can pray with your families from August 5-13.
4. Enjoy a meal together as a Council and invite men from the parish to join.
5. Pass out prayer cards for the Canonization of Blessed Michael J. McGivney.

Finally, Cor is an initiative from Supreme (see my report from the Organizational Meeting linked above). The three elements of Cor are (1) pray, (2) faith formation, and (3) fraternity. I would encourage all council to start Cor. If you want to see what Cor is like, then come to the Men's Retreat on Aug. 16th and you will see all three elements of Cor during the retreat. If you need guidance, then please reach out to me at deaconphuc@gmail.com. I am the Director of Faith Formation and Evangelization (EFF) for the Diocese.

Vivat Jesus!

Here is a link to my previous report from the Chapter meeting in June:

KC Austin Chapter - A Report of the Spiritual Director (6/23/2025) KC Austin Chapter - A Report of the Spiritual Director (6/23/2025)

Deacon Phúc’s challenges for all Knights for the month of August

• PERSONAL & FAMILY: Share about Blessed Michael J. McGivney with your families, especially the boys and men. Here is a link to the graphic novel on the life of Blessed Michal J. McGivney, titled "A Father's Heart". It makes a great gift for the boys and young men in your lives to learn more about our founder. Also, here is the link to the "Parish Priest: Father Michael McGivney and American Catholicism". It is a wonderful read. I did my first presentation for the Men's Retreat on the life of Blessed McGivney using this book as a reference. I encourage all Knights to read it.
• COUNCIL: Share about Blessed Michael J. McGivney with your parishes (see above suggestions).

Remembering Sam Johnson (5/8/1962 – 7/13/2025) (UPDATED: 8/4/2025)

I had the honor and blessing of presiding at the Rite of Committal with Final Commendation (graveside ceremony) for Sam Johnson, whom I had the opportunity to work with for 20-plus years at the law firm of Scott, Douglass & McConnico, LLP (https://www.scottdoug.com/).

My first memory of Sam was when I was a runner back in 2000 (or so) in the old building – 600 Congress Ave. Sam came into the mailroom and said to me, “Could you go down to Starbucks and get me a half-caf, half-decaf coffee with two sweetlow?” Having never ordered anything at Starbucks until I started working at SD&M, I had no idea what he meant. I even asked the barista what “sweetlow” was and she pointed me to the pink “Sweet & Low” packages. I was so happy that I got Sam’s order right for him!

I enjoyed working on the JC case with him and another SD&M attorney. We were close to going to trial in Laredo. That would have been fun.

Eternal rest grant unto Sam, O Lord. Let the perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul and the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. And may God’s love, peace, and consolation be with his wife and daughters.

Below is my homily that I shared during the Rite:

As my wife and I were waiting to talk with Maureen during the visitation last night, I was looking at the screen and saw a picture of Sam and Maureen next to a sign that read: “Live a great story.” Sam lived a great story and his story lives on in our hearts.

The loss of a loved one is painful. It is even more painful when the loss is sudden because we did not have a chance to say our final “I love you” and “Good-bye.” Maureen, Ella, Page, Tim, Sarah, and Kevin - you all and your families are in my prayers as I pray for the blessed repose of Sam’s soul at the Holy Sacrifice of Mass that I serve at or attend.

In this time of grieving, and as we reflect on all the fond memories that we have of Sam, may his memory be a blessing to us. Sam blessed me with his childlike love for life and the practice of law. After more than three decades, he represented and served his colleagues and clients with so much passion and compassion and I am blessed to be counted among his colleagues as a member of the SD&M family.

Most of all, Sam blessed me with the childlike love that he had for his wife, daughters, and families. I love reading his posts about his family. On Maureen’s birthday, Sam wrote: “Happy Happy Birthday Maureen!! You sure have made life loving and fun!!! I hope that you have a great day!! Love you times infinity!!” (Facebook, December 19, 2024). Maureen, Sam loves you and your children still because he now rests in your hearts forever.

On his daughters’ birthday, Sam wrote: “Happy Happy birthday to my wonderful awesome baby girls Page (left) and Ella (right). They are 18 today! I love them so very much!! In my humble opinion, they are awesome and they will set the world on fire!! Maureen and I sure are lucky parents!!” (Facebook, May 1, 2025). Ella and Page, carry in your hearts that fire of your dad’s love and go and set the world on fire as he knew you both will.

Dearest friends, let us find comfort in the love that God has for each and everyone of us and console one another because, for “those who believe in God’s love death is not the end, nor does it destroy the bonds that [God] forged in our lives,” especially, the bond that God forged between each one of us and Sam.

When my wife and I arrived at the burial site, after I vested, we walked up to the representative from the funeral home to introduce ourselves. As we shook hands, the stand with Sam's picture fell over and knocked over the two flower arrangements in front of it. We helped the funeral home representative rearrange the picture stand and flower arrangements. I shared this with Sam's wife and her children and we were all like: "Sam is stirring things up in heaven already!" As Sam would say: "Heck yeah! That's right! That's right!" Afterwards, one of the guests came up to us, thanked us, and also said, "Behind every good man is a woman rolling her eyes." We both chuckled at the comment.

At his memorial service that afternoon, one of his long-time friend, one of his long-time law partner, and his two daughters delivered beautiful eulogies in tribute to Sam. However, what one of his daughter said really struck me. She said (I am paraphrasing here) that while she did not know why God called her dad home to heaven so soon, she knows that God has a greater plan for her dad in heaven. What a beautiful witness of her faith in the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ!

SD&M Tribute: https://www.scottdoug.com/in-loving-memory-of-our-friend-and-partner-sam-johnson/

Obituary: https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/austin-tx/samuel-johnson-12453623

UDPDATE (8/4/2025): This is such a precious picture of Sam that his beloved wife took (see description below). It is a reminder to me to cherish those moments of sacred silence because it is in those tender moments that God whispers into the quiet of our hearts how much He loves us.

Excerpts from his loving wife's post on 8/4/2025:

"I wanted to share this pic of Sam which was taken on his birthday weekend in May, he turned 63. We had planned to go to Chicago initially to get away for a long weekend but when we found out that the Cubs were not in town, we eventually decided to go to Rockport, a place neither of us had been but came highly recommended. The picture was taken directly in front of the Airbnb that we had stayed. Our labs had never been on a trip with us but both Hoover and Kennedy had such a blast, as did Sam and I! I have never seen Sam so peaceful and calm (with no phone in his hand!) Between FB and the 20+ online newspaper subscriptions he had, he loved soaking up what was going on in the world and wishing each and everyone of his FB friends a Happy Birthday! But this time was different, he just sat and stared across the water and I was excited to be able to snap such a beautiful picture of him and our dogs. I think back and I wonder if maybe he knew something..."

Homily for Monday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time (Year C - 7/21/2025)

In today’s Gospel, we see the obstinance of the scribes and Pharisees to who Jesus claims to be. Leading up to the events in today’s Gospel, Christ healed a man with a withered hand and the Pharisees questioned him, saying: “Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath?” (Matthew 12:9-14). He then cured a “demoniac who was blind and mute” so the “mute person. . . could speak and see” and the Pharisee accused Jesus of driving our demons “only by the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons” (12:22-32). So blatant were they in committing the sins of calumny and rash judgment against Christ, that Jesus called them “brood of vipers”! (12:34).

And, now, after all the signs and wonders that Jesus performed in their presence, they demand yet another “sign” from him. Sounds familiar? Pharaoh, who - so “obstinate had the LORD made Pharaoh” and the Egyptians - responded to the many signs and wonders that God performed through Moses and Aaron with obstinacy. When the Lord God appeared to Moses in the burning bush, he said to Moses: "I know that the king of Egypt will not allow you to go unless he is forced. I will stretch out my hand, therefore, and smite Egypt by doing all kinds of wondrous deeds there. After that he will send you away" (Exodus 3:13-20).

And so, even after the Lord God unleashed the ten (10) plagues throughout Egypt - (1) water turned into blood; (2) the frogs; (3) the gnats; (4) the flies; (5) the pestilence; (6) the boils;  (7) the hail; (8) the locusts; (9) the darkness; and, finally, (10) the death of the firstborn (Exodus 7:14-11:10) - we hear that “[although] Moses and Aaron performed various wonders in Pharaoh's presence, the LORD made Pharaoh obstinate, and he would not let the children of Israel leave his land” (Exodus 11:10-12:14). And so, the Lord God said to Moses: “I will make the Egyptians so obstinate that they will go in after [the children of Israel]. . . The Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I receive glory through Pharaoh and his chariots and charioteers."

My sisters and brothers in Christ, how have we, like Pharaoh and the Egyptians and the scribes and Pharisees, been obstinance when God reveals Himself to us and we did not respond to Him with faith, hope, and love? Saint Ambrose, bishop, once said: "Let your door stand open to receive him, unlock your soul to him, offer him a welcome in your mind, and then you will see the riches of simplicity, the treasures of peace, the joy of grace. Throw wide the gate of your heart, stand before the sun of the everlasting light that shines on every man. This true light shines on all, but if anyone closes his window he will deprive himself of eternal light. If you shut the door of your mind, you shut out Christ. . . [and here is the hinge] Though he can enter, he does not want to force his way in rudely, or compel us to admit him against our will."

God will do everything He can to get our attention; however, He will always give us the freewill to respond to him in faith, hope, and love. It is then up to us to receive our Lord and our God into our hearts or, to the detriment of our soul for all eternity, “dig in” and remain obstinate to God’s will and power happening in our lives.

Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/072125.cfm

Reflecting on the KC Texas State Council Organizational Meeting (7/11-13/2025)

I attended my second Organizational Meeting, as the Assistant to the State Chaplain (Bishop Michael Mulvey, Diocese of Corpus Christi), this past weekend (July 11-13, 2025) at the Embassy Suites in Denton, TX.

It took the day off and, after returning from Mass in the morning, we loaded up the car and left for Denton. Of course, we stopped at the Buc-ee's in Temple for gas and snacks. After that, I drove straight to Denton, TX. Traffic was not bad at all because Google Maps had me take the toll road through Fort Worth. When we arrived at the Embassy Suites to check in, the front desk clerk asked which floor we want to be on. I said the 10th floor. As you can see, we got a sweet suite with a great view!

That evening, we had dinner at the Knights of Columbus Hall Council 4771 and they were a fantastic host! The pull pork and chicken dinner was delicious! We sat with fellow Knights and wives from our Council 1033, along with our Diocesan Deputy and his wife, and had a great time catching up - lots of fun and laughter! Of course, we had a training session for the Diocesan and District Deputies, which I always find so informative. Thank you, Council 4771, for hosting us! Your hall is awesome!

We had an early start the next morning, with the State Deputy, Ron Alonzo, welcoming everyone and our State Chaplain, Bishop Mulvey, leading us in the opening prayer. The State Deputy then delivered an inspiring and motivational speech, including introducing the State Officers and Directors for the 2025-2026 fraternal year (https://tkofc.org/State-Council/State-Officers).

Not only did we get to hear from the State Deputy but also his wife, Margo, whose projects as the First Lady benefits and supports ASAP (Aid and Support After Pregnancy https://www.kofc.org/en/what-we-do/faith-in-action-programs/life/aid-suppport-after-pregnancy.html), which is near and dear to her heart. Follow the link to learn more about ASAP and how you can help.

Also, we had the first class relic of Blessed Michael J. McGivney (founder of the Knights of Columbus https://www.kofc.org/en/index.html) and the holy icon of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (blessed by Pope Francis) present at all our meetings. It was a powerful reminder to all of us why we do what we do as Knights of Columbus with charity, unity, fraternity, and patriotism always on our minds and in our hearts.

Click here to learn more about the holy icon: https://www.kofc.org/en/what-we-do/faith-in-action-programs/faith/pilgrim-icon.html.

During lunch, we got to hear from Mr. Christopher Lewis (https://amwheelchair.org/people/), the son of Jerry Lewis, and watch a video about the partnership between the Knights of Columbus (https://www.kofc.org/en/what-we-do/faith-in-action-programs/community/global-wheelchair-mission.html) and the American Wheelchair Mission (https://amwheelchair.org/knights-of-columbus/) to provide wheelchairs for those most in need.

Our State Chaplain celebrated Mass and led us in a Holy Hour as we prayed for those affected by the recent flooding in West and Central Texas, most especially in Kerr County. Bishop Mulvey gave a beautiful homily on Jesus' commandment for us to love God and love our neighbor in the way that the Good Samaritan did in Jesus' parable on the priest, the Levite, and the Samaritan (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/071325.cfm).

Not only did I get to serve with our State Chaplain, but also with Fr. Mark and Deacon Frankie, both are District Deputies. I cannot thank our Liturgy family, the Tydings, for setting up for Mass and Holy Hour. Their sons - Eddie and Liam - are fantastic altar servers. Also, many thanks to Greg Brown for organizing the choir and putting together the hymns for the Mass and Holy Hour. Finally, I am blessed to have my wife there doing what she does best - serve at the Mass in any way that she can.

After Mass and Holy Hour, I had the blessed opportunity to do the invocation for the banquet. Here is what I shared and prayed:

Your Excellency, Reverend Father, brother deacon, ladies and gentleman:

It is said that Pope Saint John Paul II was the soul of the Church, that Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI was the mind of the Church, that Pope Francis was the heart of the Church, and now, Pope Leo XIV is the memory of the Church.

In his message for the 5th World Day for Grandparents and the Elderlies, Pope Leo XIV said: "[as] Pope Francis wrote during his last hospitalization, “our bodies are weak, but even so, nothing can prevent us from loving, praying, giving ourselves, being there for one another, in faith, as shining signs of hope” (Angelus, 16 March 2025). We possess a freedom that no difficulty can rob us of: it is the freedom to love and to pray. Everyone, always, can love and pray."

 In that same spirit of love and prayer, let us lift up our sisters and brothers affected by the flooding in Texas, those who are facing persecution and wars in our world, and those who do not know the love and mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, as we pray:

Lord God, Heavenly Father, we humbly invoke Your blessings over the Knights of Columbus Texas State Council, its officers, members, and families.

We offer you praise for our State Chaplain, Bishop Mulvey, Associate State Chaplain, Fr. Chen, and the shepherd of this Diocese, Bishop Olson, in gratitude to you for their servant leadership and pastoral care after the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Lord God, we give you thanks for State Deputy, Ron Alonzo, and his wife, Margo, and ask for your blessing upon them and all the officers, their families, their staff, and those who collaborate with them.

Guide the officers and members in Your wisdom that may they dedicate themselves to the virtues of Charity, Unity, and Fraternity in all that they do in humble service to the Church and your faithful people.

Lord, bless our time together this evening, our conversations, and the food that we are about to receive and the hands that prepared them, as we pray. . .

Bless us, O Lord, and + these thy gifts, which we are about to receive from thy bounty, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

We then listened to great talks from a representative from the Supreme Council, who was a former narcotics detective for 40 years, and from our State Chaplain, who encouraged us to love God and love our neighbors in all that we do as Knights of Columbus.

In his remarks, Bishop Mulvey shared with us the art of loving in "5 steps":

1. God loves everyone (Luke 6:32-33: "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.")
2. Be the first to love and initiate love (Romans 5:8: "But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.")
3. Be concrete (not only in our words but in our actions) (Matthew 9:11-13; Mark 2:16-17; Luke 5:30-32)
4. See Jesus in every person (Matthew 25; 5:24: ". . .go first and be reconciled with your brother. . .)
5. Mutual love (the Greatest Commandment; Matthew 12:34-40 & Mark 12:28-24 and "[Love] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (1 Corinthians 13:7).

The following morning, we listened to more great talks from the State Officers and then had a break out sessions. Ours was led by our Worth Diocesan Deputy Victor Medina. He welcomed our newest District Deputies, who were installed after Mass the evening before along with our State Officers. In additional to the usual order of business, he shared that his focus this coming fraternal year will be membership growth and Cor (https://www.kofc.org/en/who-we-are/our-faith/cor.html).

As the request of the mew Chapter President, Ramiro B., I recently accepted to continue as the Spiritual Director for the Austin Chapter of the Knights of Columbus (https://kofcaustin.org/). This will be my 7th year in this position. I started under the term of past-Chapter President Mike M. and then continued under the terms of Leo S. and Victor M. In additional, Victor M. has asked me to continue in my role as Director of Evangelization and Faith Formation (EFF) for the Diocese of Austin, which I have accepted. The Cor initiative is under my purview as EFF.

Here are some blogs that I wrote on Cor. I am sure there are others but there are the ones that I was able to find readily in my Blog:

"7 Things & Cor - A Report of the Spiritual Director  (8/28/2023)"

https://dcnphuc2019.blogspot.com/2023/08/7-things-cor-report-of-spiritual.html 

"Cor: A Knights of Columbus Initiative (Part 1)"

https://dcnphuc2019.blogspot.com/2023/09/cor-knights-of-columbus-initiative-part.html

"Cor - Leadership (2/22/2024)"

https://dcnphuc2019.blogspot.com/2024/02/cor-leadership-2222024.html

"Reclaiming Faithful Fatherhood" Initiative (inspired by Cor) (UPDATED 6/2/2025)"

https://dcnphuc2019.blogspot.com/2024/05/reclaiming-faithful-fatherhood.html

As the Diocesan Director for Evangelization and Faith Formation (EFF), I encourage each council to appoint a Knight to be the EFF for the council and then reach out to me if you have any questions regarding the Cor initiative and how to get started or continue doing what you are doing with men's faith-sharing groups but incorporate the elements of Cor - prayer, faith formation, and fraternity - to the men's faith-sharing group meetings. I can be reached at deaconphuc@gmail.com or deaconphuc@saintalbert.org.

After the closing session, I was filled with nothing but gratitude to God for leading me to the Knights of Columbus after my conversion many years ago. As the State Deputy said, we want to increase our membership in the Knights of Columbus because we desire for other men to have what we have: faith firmed rooted in our Lord Jesus Christ, hope that strengthens us to live out charity, unity, fraternity, and patriotism that is Christ-centered always, and love of God, our family, our neighbor, the Catholic Church, and the Order. The more our membership grows, the more men encounter our Lord Jesus Christ, the more our families are strengthen, and, as Pope Saint John Paul II said, "as the families go, so go the nations, so goes the world."

After we said our "good-byes", I am filled with gratitude for the State Officers and Directors, the Executive Secretary Carlos G. and his team - Ms. Kari and Ms. Kathleen, and all involved for all they do to make not only this Organization Meeting (but the Convention, Mid-Year Meetings, etc.) such a wonderful, faith-filled experience. Prayers for all the State Officers and Directors, Diocesan Deputies, and District Deputies and our wives. May the Holy Spirit continue to guide us so that everything we do is for the good of the Order and for the greater glory of God. Vivat Jesus!

[P.S. On the way home, we stopped at the Buc-ee's next to the Texas Motor Speedway. We also stopped at Slovacek's in West, TX for yummy kolaches!]

Homily for the Memorial of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, Virgin [In the Dioceses of the United States] (Year C - 7/14/2025)

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells his apostles and us: "Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword.” What is this “sword” that our Lord speaks of? The “sword” is none other than the proclamation of the Kingdom of God. It is “the word of God that is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). Saint Paul wrote: “Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. . . take. . . the SWORD of the SPIRIT, which is the WORD of GOD” (Ephesians 6:11-17).

Over the past week, we have listened to the Gospel accounts of Jesus sending out his disciples in pairs to proclaim that “the kingdom of God is at hand” (Luke 10:1-12, 17-20; Matthew 10:7-15). Jesus “summoned his Twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness. . . [telling them:] As you go, make this proclamation: 'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand'" (Matthew 10:1-7). Moreover, Christ himself “went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, and curing every disease and illness” (9:32-38). We are called to proclaim the kingdom of God in our own lives, here and now.

Our Lord warns us of the costs to us of proclaiming the word of God, saying: “Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all because of my name. . .” (10:16-23). And, as we heard in today’s Gospel, proclaiming the word of God will “set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one's enemies will be those of his household.” However, Jesus promises us this if we come and follow him above all else in our lives: “. . .whoever endures to the end will be saved” and “[whoever] finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (10:16-23; 10:34-11:1).

Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, Virgin, who courageously proclaimed the word of God even if it meant being shunned by her own people. “[Moved] by the words of three [Jesuit missionaries], Tekakwitha. . . at 19 finally got the courage to take the step of converting. She was baptized with the name Kateri–Catherine–on Easter Sunday. [She] would be treated as a slave. Because she would not work on Sunday, Kateri received no food that day. . . She was always in danger, for her conversion and holy life created great opposition. [So, on] the advice of a priest, Kateri stole away one night and began a 200-mile walking journey to a Christian Indian village. . . [where] she grew in holiness under the direction of a priest. . . giving herself totally to God in long hours of prayer, in charity, and in strenuous penance. At 23, Kateri took a vow of virginity. . . Kateri Tekakwitha died the afternoon before Holy Thursday. . . She was beatified in 1980 and canonized in 2012” (Franciscan Media, 7/10/2025).

May we follow the example of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha and boldly proclaim the word of God and not count the costs for our reward will be in heaven.

Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/071425.cfm