Mary, Mother of the Church - KC Austin Chapter - A Report of the Spiritual Director (5/25/2026)

Worthy Chapter President and Brother Knights,

I bring you greetings one final time from our State Chaplain, Bishop Emeritus Mulvey (Diocese of Corpus Christi), and our Associate State Chaplain, Fr. Chen, whom I am in contact. As our Worthy Diocesan Deputy said, the Change of Power Meeting occurred recently so my time as the Assistant to the State Chaplain for the Texas State Council has concluded. It has been a blessing to serve my brother Knights in the State of Texas in this capacity these past two years.

Additionally, as our Worthy Chapter President mentioned in his report, there is the link to information on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ and Consecration of the New Cathedral Altar, which will happen on June 4, 2026.

Finally, our Worthy Chapter Chaplain, Fr. Charlie Garza, cannot join us for this meeting because of obligations at Holy Trinity Seminary. However, he encouraged me to talk about Mother Mary in the Spiritual Director Report, after all,  yesterday was Pentecost so today is the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church. Therefore, I will reflect on this article in the "Columbia" by Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori, titled "Mary's Interior Freedom."

In the article, the Supreme Chaplain asks this question: “[How] was Mary so free that she could say “yes” to the Lord’s singular plan for her life. . .?” Well, according to the Archbishop Lor, the answer is: “Mary’s complete freedom from sin. . . she was preserved from original sin by a singular grace of God, and throughout her life she committed no actual sin. . . Freedom from sin enabled Mary to assent to God’s will, but it did not preserve her from suffering. . . She endured hardship and misunderstanding. . . Because she was free from sin, Mary could assent to and bear the suffering her vocation entailed, thus fully participating in Christ’s self-offering.”

Houston, we have a problem! The Archbishop recognized that, “[unlike] the Blessed Virgin Mary, none of us is spared original sin and its effects.” However, there is hope for us, because “[we] are redeemed from sin by Christ’s death and resurrection, and we are given the grace we need to overcome sin — especially through the sacraments, including reconciliation.”

Yet, we put major obstacles in our path because “[we] may feel as though “the narrow way” to eternal life compromises our freedom. . . the Ten Commandments, the precepts of the Church and the Beatitudes can seem like a moral straitjacket rather than the path to freedom.” How many people do we know have left the Catholic Church because of the Truth that she proclaims in the world? Therefore, our challenge is this, “[conversion] of life hinges on rejecting that lie and allowing the Holy Spirit to work in us.” I recently minister to a couple preparing for marriage who feels the attacks of the Evil One. They are preparing to receive the Sacrament of Matrimony in the Catholic Church and are growing closer in their relationship with God. The Evil One hates this so they now have a target on their backs.

We, too, have targets on our backs when our relationship with God deepens through prayer and spiritual growth. We walk by faith, and we turn our Mother Mary in our times of need and ask for her intercession. As the Supreme Chaplain reflects: “God’s grace works in our humanity (as it did in Mary’s) — our minds, hearts, wills and appetites. Gaining freedom from the power of sin can feel difficult, but once liberated by God’s grace, we discover that, like Mary, we are able to say “yes” to God, to our families and to those in need.”

As we heard in the Gospel, on the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, or Lord Jesus Christ, as he hung on the Cross, gave us to his Mother, saying: “Woman, behold, your son.” Let us, therefore, turn to Mary with confidence!

Here is a link to my previous report from the Chapter meeting in April: https://dcnphuc2019.blogspot.com/2026/04/reflecting-on-fr-charlie-garzas.html

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

• PERSONAL & FAMILY: 
• Pray the Rosary regularly. October is dedicated to the Rosary. (Brother Knights, there is a reason we receive the Holy Rosary when we become a Knight. We need our Mother to guide us on the right path in service of God and his people.)
• Do a Marian Consecration, a consecration is a “formal entrusting of your life into Mary’s hands, trusting in her to guide and protect you on your journey with her Son.” Here is a link the the "33 Days to Morning Glory" Consecration to Jesus Through Mary that I mentioned at the meeting.
• Celebrate Marian feast days. May is dedicated to Mary. 
• Read Marian books and Scriptures (Pray the Rosary, because the Mysteries of the Holy Rosary tells the story of our Lord Jesus Christ through the eyes of his Mother Mary.). 
• Visit Marian shrines and statutes (or have Marian statutes and images in your home).
• COUNCIL: See above.

Ngon Quá Foodie Blog: Ema & CARVE (19th Anniversary Edition)

We will be traveling quite a bit over the next few months so we decided to focus of food for our 19th wedding anniversary.

My wife decided she wanted Mediterranean food and picked Ema. Ema is located at Domain Northside across from Culinary Dropout. The wait-staff wore white shirts and khakis so I immediately felt like I was on vacation somewhere. The interior decor was a little "busy" for me but it was a pleasant atmosphere nevertheless.

For our meal, we started with the Roasted Walnut Hummus and it was delightful. We both enjoyed the kumquat chutney and thought that it really elevated the hummus. For our meal, we shared the Braised Short Rib Sandwich with fries and the Grilled Oishii Shrimp (pictured below). They were DELICIOUS! For dessert, we had the Vegan Coconut Cremeux and, of course, I had to have drip coffee with my dessert.

Braised Short Rib Sandwich - the meat so do tender and the beef ju went gave it so much flavor.

Grilled Oishii Shrimp was amazing! There was A LOT of red pepper flakes on the shrimps!

We really enjoyed Ema and would definitely come back again. Alternatively, we might check out Abba, which is the "father" restaurant to Ema. Ema means "mother" in Hebrew and Abba  means "father" in Hebrew. Although, our waitress did warn us that Abba is located on South Congress (a.k.a., SoCo) so parking will be a challenge. . . CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!

For me, I gluttoned for meat so we went to CARVE American Grille, a part of the Perry's Restaurant group. We have been to Perry's at the downtown Austin and Domain Northside locations for pork chop Fridays. CARVE was a whole other level of delicious meats! Also, we like The Grove area. It is like the Domain but much quieter. Another restaurant that we have eaten at in The Grove is Ling, which is an elevated dim sum restaurant.

As we entered CARVE, we see this. . . mouth-watering cuts of meats on full display for all to admire! It was certainly a sight to behold. 

For our meal, since neither of us ate lunch that day, we went all in with the CARVE Board. This meat-chuterie board included the following cooked to perfection! Look at the masterpiece of meats!

14 oz. CARVE Smoked Sliced NY Strip, 14 oz. Sliced Caramelized Prime Rib, 10 oz. Center-cut Filet Mignon; 4 Hog Heavens, 4 Shrimp Brochettes, and 4 Lobster Corn Dog Balls. Served with au jus and Truffle Merlot sauce and steaks topped with CARVE Steak Butter.

We also added a side of their Sweet Sriracha Brussels Sprouts because, well, we have to eat our vegetables, right?

It was an amazing experience and our waiter was very attentive to our needs. I particularly liked they were cautious about my wife's food allergy because not only did our waitress made sure but the head person in the kitchen also came and talked to us.

We has a memorable foodie celebration of our 19th anniversary! Cheers!

. . .

Other Ngon Quá Foodie blogs:

• Ngon Quá Foodie Blog: Plank https://dcnphuc2019.blogspot.com/2023/03/ngon-qua-foodie-blog-plank.html
• Ngon Quá Foodie Blog: JINYA Ramen https://dcnphuc2019.blogspot.com/2023/03/ngon-qua-foodie-blog-jinya-ramen.html
• Ngon Quá Foodie Blog: Maxine's Gumbo House https://dcnphuc2019.blogspot.com/2023/03/ngon-qua-foodie-blog-maxines.html
• Ngon Quá Foodie Blog: 16th Anniversary Edition https://dcnphuc2019.blogspot.com/2023/05/ngon-qua-foodie-blog-16th-anniversary.html
• Ngon Quá Foodie Blog: Deckhand Oyster Bar (Round Rock) https://dcnphuc2019.blogspot.com/2023/04/ngon-qua-foodie-blog-deckhand-oyster.html
• Ngon Quá Foodie Blog: Sushi Koen (Round Rock) https://dcnphuc2019.blogspot.com/2024/07/ngon-qua-foodie-blog-sushi-koen-round.html
• Ngon Quá Foodie Blog: K Ramyun (Cedar Park) https://dcnphuc2019.blogspot.com/2025/04/ngon-qua-foodie-blog-k-ramyun-cedar-park.html
• Ngon Quá Foodie Blog: Saigon Quan (Austin) https://dcnphuc2019.blogspot.com/2025/04/ngon-qua-foodie-blog-saigon-quan-austin.html

Homily for Wednesday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time (Year A - 5/27/2026)

In today’s Gospel, we heard the sons of Zebedee, James and John, asked Jesus to allow them to “sit one at [his] right and the other at [his] left.” In response, Jesus helped them to understand what they are asking and, more importantly, what is required of them, saying: “The chalice that I drink, you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared." In other words, to be disciples of Christ and to come and follow Jesus is to suffer with Jesus, but eternal glory is for God the Father to judge and give to “those for whom it has been prepared.”

My sisters and brothers in Christ, what this means is for us to realize that when we pray, when we fast, and when we give alms, we do all these things out of love for God and our neighbors, not for power nor vainglory, in this life and certainly not in eternal life. All the good we do in our lives, we do for God because of who God is to us and what He has done for us. Saint Peter tells us in the first reading: we “realize that [we] were ransomed from [our] futile conduct. . . not with perishable things like silver or gold but with the precious Blood of Christ as of a spotless unblemished Lamb. . . so that [our] faith and hope are in God. . . [We] have been born anew [through Baptism], not from perishable but from imperishable seed, through the living and abiding word of God. . . the word of the Lord remains forever.”

This is what it means to be a servant leader, of which our Lord Jesus Christ is the model par excellence, as he tells us, saying: “[The] Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” This is what it means for us to drink the chalice that Jesus drank from and be baptized with the baptism with which Christ was baptized, for us to be a servant of the Suffering Servant, who was born of the lowly servant - the Blessed Virgin Mary. When we become leaders who seek power and our own interests, we cause others to be “indignant” because these types of leaders “lord [their authority] over” others. Rather, Jesus calls us to be servant leaders who unite others in faith, hope, and love, just like Jesus did and continues to do in the world today.

It is as Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI once said, "The world offers you comfort, but you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness." That greatness lies in Jesus Christ, the Suffering Servant, the Crucified One, who is the servant leader par excellence, because “did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, that at the 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 2:6-11).

Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/052726.cfm

Homily for Monday of the Seventh Week of Easter (Year A - 5/18/2026)

Today’s Gospel is a continuation of Jesus’ Last Supper discourse in which he talks about his departure and the coming of the Holy Spirit. Yesterday, on Ascension Sunday, we heard from the conclusion of the Gospel of Matthew. Jesus “was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight” (Acts 1:9). Before he ascended to be at the right hand of the Father, “Jesus approached [the disciples] and said to them, ‘Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.’”

My sisters and brothers in Christ, this promise from our Lord Jesus Christ that he will be with us until the end of the age is through the gift of the Holy Spirit, which we received at Baptism and sealed with at Confirmation. Jesus’ promise to be with us until the end of the age, through his Spirit, should give us the courage to live boldly as disciples of Christ in the midst of the troubles in the world that can rob us of the peace that God desires for us in his Son However, as Jesus tells us in today’s Gospel, he has conquered the world and so we have faith that the troubles in the world, and more specifically, those in our own lives too shall pass.

Throughout Sacred Scripture, the inspired words of God through the Holy Spirit, we find this promise and it gives us hope. From Ecclesiastes (3:1-9), we hear: “There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens. A time to give birth, and a time to die. . . A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance. . . a time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces. . . A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.” Life is full of ups and downs. Jesus does not promise that life will be easy. What Jesus promises is that he will not leave us “orphans” (John 14:18) but that where he is there we may also be with him (14:3).

Moreover, in his Second Letter to the Corinthians (4:17-18),  Saint Paul tells us: “For this momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to what is seen but to what is unseen; for what is seen is transitory, but what is unseen is eternal.” And again, in his Letter to the Romans (8:18): “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us.” Someone I know lost her son a few months ago and what she shared with me is a testament to her faith. She wrote: “Our Blessed Mother Mary, I leaned on her more than ever during the time I lost my son. I continue to lean on her to this day and I ask her to give me a small portion of the strength she has to carry this pain. God's plan is beyond our understanding” (May 15, 2026).

My sisters and brothers in Christ, let us find courage to persevere in faith. Let us have hope even in the face of all the troubles in the world, knowing in our hearts that God loves us and desires his peace for all of us. More importantly, inspired by the Holy Spirit who the Father and Son send to us, let us live in the peace of Christ and share his peace with all we encounter in our lives.

Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/051826.cfm

Homily for Monday of the Sixth Week of Easter (Year A - 5/11/2026)

In today’s Gospel, our Lord Jesus Christ prepares us to receive the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, and everything that comes with receiving this gift from our Father in heaven. Let us listen to the words of our Lord, who says: “When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, he will testify to me. And you also testify. . .” I am reminded of this prayer from the Order of Baptism, during the “Ephaphatha” Rite: “May the Lord Jesus, who made the deaf to hear and the mute to speak, grant that you may soon receive his word with your ears and profess the faith with your lips, to the glory and praise of God the Father.”

Through our Baptism, we are called to listen to the Word of God and speak His Truth in the world. However, Jesus knows that to follow him can be difficult because we will face opposition from those who “have not known either the Father or me” and yet “think he is offering worship to God.” In today’s Gospel, like he does so many times throughout his ministry, our Lord Jesus Christ is upfront with us about the cost to come follow him and be his disciples. It is precisely this reason that Jesus “have told [us] this so that [we] may not fall away,” but be strengthened by the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, who he sends from the Father.

My sisters and brothers in Christ, every time I teach a Baptism class or celebrate the Sacrament of Baptism, I encourage the parents and godparents to live their lives as authentic witnesses of our Lord Jesus Christ, in their words and actions, in such a way that their children and godchildren desire to become disciples of Jesus. What this means for all of us is, we must desire faith, conversion, and transformation in our lives for it to happen because God gives us freewill to come and follow Him through the Holy Spirit that He sends to us. We must cultivate our hearts through faith in God, like Lydia in today’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostle, who “listened and the Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what Paul was saying. After she and her household had been baptized.”

This desire for us to listen to the Word of God with open and attentive hearts and be transformed into disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ reminds me of this “Prayer for Vocations” that I will now share with you.

Jesus our Saviour, your sacred Heart felt compassion when you looked upon the crowd and saw that they were like sheep with a shepherd. We know that the harvest of souls is abundant but the laborers few, so we ask you, the master of the harvest, to send our more laborers. [and here is the hinge] Open my hearts and the hearts of my brothers and sisters to your will and raise up abundant faithful servants of the Gospel - devoted and holy priests, sisters and brothers who will spend themselves for your people in the Diocese of Austin. May none of your flock, won at the price of your blood, be without a shepherd to guide them. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/051126.cfm

Prayer for Mother's Day (5/10/2026)

 My prayer for all mothers. . . 🙏🕊❤️

Lord Jesus Christ, you loved your Mother and you loved her to the end. Help us to love our mothers and all mothers with the same love that you loved your Mother.

Bless the bonds of marriage between mothers and their husbands, strengthen the bonds between mothers and their children, and guide them all in love as they navigate their ever-changing relationships through the years, always filled with joy and love.

Pour forth your blessings upon mothers who all carry much burden for love of their families. In times when the cross of motherhood becomes too heavy of a burden, help them to unite their hearts with the Immaculate Heart of your Mother Mary. In doing so, may they feel your loving presence in their lives to strengthen them in the vocation to which you have called them.

We ask all this through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary as we pray. . .

Hail, Mary, full of grace,

the Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou among women

and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

pray for us sinners,

now and at the hour of our death.

Amen. 🙏🕊❤️

Links:

A challenge for all fathers for Father's Day: https://dcnphuc2019.blogspot.com/2024/05/reclaiming-faithful-fatherhood.html

Prayer for Mother's Day (5/11/2025): https://dcnphuc2019.blogspot.com/2025/05/prayer-for-mothers-day-5112025.html

Prayer for Mother's Day (5/12/2024): https://dcnphuc2019.blogspot.com/2024/05/prayer-for-mothers-day-5122024.html

Prayer for Mother's Day (5/14/2023): https://dcnphuc2019.blogspot.com/2023/05/prayer-for-mothers-day-5142023.html

Homily for Monday of the Fifth Week of Easter (Year A - 5/4/2026)

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us: “Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.” Jesus’ commandment to us is to love God and to love our neighbor. Jesus continues, saying: “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.” How does the Father and Son dwell in us? It is through the Holy Spirit. The same Spirit that the Father sends in the name of our Jesus Christ to dwell in our hearts. It is the Spirit that Saint Paul wrote of, saying: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:19). It is the Spirit that we received at Baptism and are sealed with at Confirmation.

It is the Spirit the Father sends in the name of his Son who “will teach [us] everything and remind [us] of all that [Jesus] told [us].” Pope Francis reflected on this, saying: “Teaching and remembering. This is the role of the Holy Spirit. He teaches us: he teaches us the mystery of faith, he teaches us to enter into the mystery, to understand the mystery a little more. . . the Holy Spirit helps us grow in understanding faith, understanding it more, understanding what faith says. . . He will teach us the things that Jesus has taught us, he will develop in us an understanding of what Jesus has taught us, he will grow the doctrine of the Lord in us, to maturity” (Homily, 11/5/2020). One of the shortest and most powerful prayers we can pray when we are struggling with our faith is, “Come Holy Spirit.”

Moreover, Pope Francis reflected further, saying: “The Holy Spirit is like memory, he wakes us up. . . he keeps us awake, always awake in the Lord's things, and also reminds us of our lives” (id). The Holy Father recalled how “one person prayed before the Lord like this: ‘Lord, I am the same one who, as a child, as a boy, had these dreams. Then, I went along the wrong paths. Now you've called me.’ I am the same: this is the memory of the Holy Spirit in one's life. He brings you to the memory of salvation, to the memory of what Jesus taught, but also to the memory of one's life. . . a beautiful way of praying, looking at the Lord: ‘I am the same. I've walked a lot, I've been wrong, but I'm the same and you love me.’ The memory of life's journey” (id). Again, one of the shortest and most powerful prayers we can pray to help us activate the graces of the Sacraments that we have received, particularly the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation, to help remind us of who we are and whose we are is, “Come Holy Spirit.”

When we pray this prayer to the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Most Holy Trinity will remind us that we are beloved sons and daughters of the Father. That is who we are and whose we are. My sisters and brothers in Christ, Lent prepared our hearts for the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ - for God so loved the world that He sent his Only Begotten Son to die on the Cross for our salvation. Easter prepares us to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit from God and the Risen Lord - “But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go. For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you” (John 16:7). We are three weeks away from Pentecost, let us cultivate our hearts - through prayers and words - to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit from the Father through the Son.

Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/050426.cfm