Monday, April 6, 2026

Reflecting on Holy Week & Easter 2026

"The death of the Lord our God should not be a cause of shame for us; rather, it should be our greatest hope, our greatest glory. In taking upon himself the death that he found in us, he has most faithfully promised to give us life in him, such as we cannot have of ourselves. He loved us so much that, sinless himself, he suffered for us sinners the punishment we deserved for our sins." - St. Augustine

Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion (March 29th)

"Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest."

We started at the Seton Center and processed to the church, following our Lord Jesus Christ as he entered Jerusalem.



Pope Leo XIV's shared prayer (in the words of the Servant of God, Bishop Tonino Bello) on this Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion echoes our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ's words in today's Gospel.


Jesus: "Put your sword back into its sheath, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot call upon my Father and he will not provide me at this moment with more than twelve legions of angels? But then how would the Scriptures be fulfilled which say that it must come to pass in this way?"

Pope Leo XIV: "He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them. . . As we set our gaze upon him who was crucified for us, we can see a crucified humanity. In his wounds, we see the hurts of so many women and men today. In his last cry to the Father, we hear the weeping of those who are crushed, who have no hope, who are sick and who are alone. Above all, we hear the painful groans of all those who are oppressed by violence and are victims of war. Christ, King of Peace, cries out again from his cross: God is love! Have mercy! Lay down your weapons! Remember that you are brothers and sisters!"


Fr. Red: "Jesus. God saves. He sends his only Begotten Son to die on the Cross in atonement for our sins so that we may be saved. And in saving us, we become 'Barrabas', son of the Father. . . God sets us free and calls us to be His children."

Listen to Fr. Red Blevins: 10 AM Sunday Mass Homily (English): https://www.podbean.com/ea/pb-238wk-1a85693

7th Anniversary of Diaconate Ordination (March 30th)


To my brother deacons and our wives, from the class of 2019, congratulations on the 7-year anniversary of our Ordination! May God bless us with many more years to serve His people.

Requiescat in Pace
Dcn. Daniel Guerra (2018) 🙏
Dcn. Noel Caballero (2023) 🙏

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God. St. Joseph, pray for us. St. Stephen, pray for us.

What better way to celebrate 7 years of diaconal ministry than serving at Mass and preaching: https://dcnphuc2019.blogspot.com/2026/03/homily-for-monday-of-holy-week-year.html

Chrism Mass (March 31st)

Blessed to serve at the Chrism Mass this morning alongside my vesting clergy, Deacon David, a day after my 7th Ordination anniversary. It was great to see so many of my brother deacons from the Class of 2019 at the Chrism Mass this morning.


I had the blessed opportunity to among the four deacons who brought up the holy oils to be blessed at the Chrism Mass this morning.

Deacon Michael Beauvais carried the Oil of the Infirmed. I carried the Oil of Catechumen. And Deacon Gilbert Gutierrez carried the Sacred Chrism, along with Deacon Barry Ryan who carried the balsam.
You know your deacon brothers love you when one of them tells you not to drop the holy oil and, if I did, he would laugh at me.

Bishop Garcia gave a beautiful homily. One of the things he said that struck me was when it invited us - priests and deacons - to walk with the people of God even in the midst of our burdens. It reminded me of Philippians 4:13, when Saint Paul wrote: "I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me."

The Sacred Triduum is only a day away. If you have never experienced the Paschal Triduum, perhaps this Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Great Vigil of Easter is the time to experience it for the first time, or even anew. A blessed Holy Week to you all and your families.


Practice makes perfect! Rehearsal for Chrism Mass (March 30th) and at the Chrism Mass (March 31st)


Many thanks to my dear friend for sharing these pictures of me carrying the Oil of Catechumen at the Chrism Mass.


A picture collage from today's Chrism Mass. . . Fr. Michael securing the oils for Saint Albert the Great Catholic Church. My wife and her college friend catching up after Mass. Katy and I proving that Aggies and Longhorns are united under the one banner of our Lord Jesus Christ.


Click here to read the Holy Father's homily (excerpts below): https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/homilies/2026/documents/20260402-crisma.html

Jesus’ freedom changes hearts, heals wounds, refreshes and brightens our faces, reconciles and gathers us together, and forgives and raises us up.

We, as members of his Body, speak of a Church that is “apostolic,” sent out, driven beyond itself, and consecrated to God in the service of his creatures. “As the Father has sent me, so I send you” (Jn 20:21).

Our dignity as sons and daughters of God cannot be taken from us, nor can it be lost, but neither can the affections, places, and experiences at the start of our lives be erased.

We are the Body of Christ if we move forward, coming to terms with the past without being imprisoned by it: everything is restored and multiplied if it is first let go, without fear.  

Spy Wednesday (April 1st)

In today's Gospel, we heard how Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus' closest confidants, disciples, and friends, betrays him for 30 silver pieces. It should give us pause to reflect on our own lives and all the times that we have betrayed our Lord and Savior's love for us when we sin, when we put our worldly and fleshly desires over friendship with him. However, let us not be like Judas who despaired to the point of committing suicide. Rather, let us be like Peter, who denied Jesus three times; however, Peter trusted in God's power to forgive. Peter trusted in God's love and mercy. Jesus, I trust in you.

Tomorrow begins the Sacred Paschal Triduum. During this holiest of days in the Church's liturgical life, let us empty ourselves of our sins, our despair, our sense of unworthiness, so that we can open our hearts to receive God's love, mercy, and forgiveness given to us in the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the only Begotten Son of the Father.

If you have never experienced the Paschal Triduum, perhaps this Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Great Vigil of Easter is the time to experience it for the first time, or even anew. A blessed Holy Week to you all and your families. May the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ fill you hearts and families with God's love and mercy.

Holy Thursday of the Lord's Supper (April 2nd)

The Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took bread, and, after he had given thanks,
broke it and said,

“This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying,

“This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.

[1 Corinthians 11:23-26]
. . .
Excerpts from an Easter homily by Saint Melito of Sardis, bishop:

"For the sake of suffering humanity he came down from heaven to earth, clothed himself in that humanity in the Virgin’s womb, and was born a man. Having then a body capable of suffering, he took the pain of fallen man upon himself; he triumphed over the diseases of soul and body that were its cause, and by his Spirit, which was incapable of dying, he dealt man’s destroyer, death, a fatal blow. . .

It is he who was made man of the Virgin, he who was hung on the tree; it is he who was buried in the earth, raised from the dead, and taken up to the heights of heaven. He is the mute lamb, the slain lamb, the lamb born of Mary, the fair ewe. He was seized from the flock, dragged off to be slaughtered, sacrificed in the evening, and buried at night. On the tree no bone of his was broken; in the earth his body knew no decay. He is the One who rose from the dead, and who raised man from the depths of the tomb."
. . .
Jesus institutes the Eucharist and the priesthood. Without priests, there is no Eucharist and no Mass. Let us pray for our priests and for men to courageously answer God's call to the priesthood. Jesus also gives us a mandate, to love and serve one another as he loves and comes to serve, not to be served: 

[He] said to them, “Do you realize what I have done for you? You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’  and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.”

The two Sacraments of Service are Holy Orders and Matrimony. In the Sacrament of Marriage, husband and wife put aside their selfish desires and will the good of their spouse out of love. It is in the family that children learn from their parents the virtues of faith, hope, and love. It is in the family that children learn to live the great commandment to love God and love their neighbor as God loves them. It is in the family that children learn charity, to offer their lives as a sacrifice in response to Jesus' sacrifice on the Cross for our salvation.

Fr. Red incensing the Crucifix at the start of Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord's Supper.

How many deacons does it take to set the altar for the Liturgy of the Eucharist? LOL

Adoring our Lord Jesus Christ in the Eucharist with my brother deacons and our priests.
. . .
Click here to read the Holy Father's homily (excerpts below): https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/homilies/2026/documents/20260402-coena-domini.html

Out of love, the Lord kneels to wash each one of us, and his divine gift transforms us.

"[As] true God and true man, Christ offers us the example of self-giving, service and love. We need his example to learn how to love, not because we are incapable of it, but precisely to teach ourselves and one another what true love is.

Good Friday of the Lord's Passion (April 3rd)

[He] was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins; upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole,  by his stripes we were healed.

We had all gone astray like sheep, each following his own way; but the LORD laid upon him the guilt of us all.

Though he was harshly treated, he submitted and opened not his mouth; like a lamb led to the slaughter or a sheep before the shearers, he was silent and opened not his mouth. . .

Because of his affliction he shall see the light in fullness of days; through his suffering, my servant shall justify many, and their guilt he shall bear. . . he shall take away the sins of many, and win pardon for their offenses.
. . .
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, because by your Cross you have redeemed the world.


Behold the wood of the Cross,
on which hung the salvation of the world.
℟. Come, let us adore.

Adoration of the Holy Cross on Good Friday of the Lord's Passion

Celebrant and Deacons of the Word and Altar prostrating.

Kneeling at this part in the Passion narrative: "When Jesus had taken the wine, he said, 'It is finished.' And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit."

Kissing the Cross of Christ.

The Great Vigil of Easter (April 4th)

From an ancient homily on Holy Saturday
(PG 43, 439, 451, 462-463)

The Lord descends into hell

Something strange is happening—there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began. God has died in the flesh and hell trembles with fear.

He has gone to search for our first parent, as for a lost sheep. Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, he has gone to free from sorrow the captives Adam and Eve, he who is both God and the son of Eve. The Lord approached them bearing the cross, the weapon that had won him the victory. At the sight of him Adam, the first man he had created, struck his breast in terror and cried out to everyone: “My Lord be with you all.” Christ answered him: “And with your spirit.” He took him by the hand and raised him up, saying: “Awake, O sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”

I am your God, who for your sake have become your son. Out of love for you and for your descendants I now by my own authority command all who are held in bondage to come forth, all who are in darkness to be enlightened, all who are sleeping to arise. I order you, O sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be held a prisoner in hell. Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead. Rise up, work of my hands, you who were created in my image. Rise, let us leave this place, for you are in me and I am in you; together we form only one person and we cannot be separated.

For your sake I, your God, became your son; I, the Lord, took the form of a slave; I, whose home is above the heavens, descended to the earth and beneath the earth. For your sake, for the sake of man, I became like a man without help, free among the dead. For the sake of you, who left a garden, I was betrayed to the Jews in a garden, and I was crucified in a garden.

See on my face the spittle I received in order to restore to you the life I once breathed into you. See there the marks of the blows I received in order to refashion your warped nature in my image. On my back see the marks of the scourging I endured to remove the burden of sin that weighs upon your back. See my hands, nailed firmly to a tree, for you who once wickedly stretched out your hand to a tree.
I slept on the cross and a sword pierced my side for you who slept in paradise and brought forth Eve from your side. My side has healed the pain in yours. My sleep will rouse you from your sleep in hell. The sword that pierced me has sheathed the sword that was turned against you.

Rise, let us leave this place. The enemy led you out of the earthly paradise. I will not restore you to that paradise, but I will enthrone you in heaven. I forbade you the tree that was only a symbol of life, but see, I who am life itself am now one with you. I appointed cherubim to guard you as slaves are guarded, but now I make them worship you as God. The throne formed by cherubim awaits you, its bearers swift and eager. The bridal chamber is adorned, the banquet is ready, the eternal dwelling places are prepared, the treasure houses of all good things lie open. The kingdom of heaven has been prepared for you from all eternity.
. . .

"[The] light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it" (John 1:5).

I love this picture with Mary, Baby Jesus, and the Easter candle. As I chanted the Exsultet (the Easter Proclamation), it is a reminder of Mary's role in God's plan of salvation for his people through His only Begotten Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Mary's "yes" (her Fiat) made it all possible.

I am reminded of this sermon on the Annunciation by St. Bernard of Clairvaux in the Office of Readings during Advent (excerpts below):

You have heard, O Virgin, that you will conceive and bear a son; you have heard that it will not be by man but by the Holy Spirit. The angel awaits an answer; it is time for him to return to God who sent him. We too are waiting, O Lady, for your word of compassion; the sentence of condemnation weighs heavily upon us.

Tearful Adam with his sorrowing family begs this of you, O loving Virgin, in their exile from Paradise. Abraham begs it, David begs it. All the other holy patriarchs, your ancestors, ask it of you, as they dwell in the country of the shadow of death. This is what the whole earth waits for, prostrate at your feet. It is right in doing so, for on your word depends comfort for the wretched, ransom for the captive, freedom for the condemned, indeed, salvation for all the sons of Adam, the whole of your race.

Answer quickly, O Virgin. Reply in haste to the angel, or rather through the angel to the Lord. Answer with a word, receive the Word of God. Speak your own word, conceive the divine Word. Breathe a passing word, embrace the eternal Word.

See, the desired of all nations is at your door, knocking to enter. If he should pass by because of your delay, in sorrow you would begin to seek him afresh, the One whom your soul loves. Arise, hasten, open. Arise in faith, hasten in devotion, open in praise and thanksgiving. Behold the handmaid of the Lord, she says, be it done to me according to your word.


Click below to read my blogs on the Exsultet, which I have chanted since the Easter Vigil in 2023, 15 years after I was baptized and confirmed and came home to Rome in the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Fr. Red incensing the Crucifix during the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

So many of them were in tears of joy as the reality of becoming Catholic dawned on them. One of the Elects shared with me before Mass that she cannot wait to go up for Communion and NOT have to cross her arms but finally be able to receive our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.

It reminded me of when I received the Eucharist for the first time at the Easter Vigil on March 22, 2008. Click here to read "Reflecting on 15 years as a Catholic (March 22, 2008 - March 22, 2023) (UPDATED 4/14/2025)." Let us pray that they "live the joy of the Resurrection" in their new life in Christ as Catholics.


Above: Receiving Holy Communion for the first time.
Below: Serving at the altar of our Lord Jesus Christ.


The Resurrection of the Lord - Easter Sunday (April 5th)

Here is a link to the reflection that I shared on Easter Sunday during Communion Service at The Conservatory: https://phucphan.podbean.com/e/christ-is-risen-gospel-reflection-452026/.

Here is a link to the homily that I preached on Monday in the Octave of Easter, at the 6:30 A.M. Mass at Saint Mary Cathedral: https://dcnphuc2019.blogspot.com/2026/04/homily-for-monday-in-octave-of-easter.html.

These new Catholics joined a record number of people coming into the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil! Welcome home to Rome!

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Exult, let them exult. . . (Easter Vigil 2026)


I had the blessed opportunity to chant the Exsultet (Easter Proclamation) at the Easter Vigil again this year. It is the fourth straight year that I have had this blessing. In the first year, I prepared on my own by listening to a recording of the Exsultet on YouTube and sang along with the music sheet from the Roman Missal. In the second year, I practice before our Music Director-English, Ben Batalla, and opened myself up to his guidance. In the third year, taking Ben's advice, I started working with Liliana Herrera, our Music Director-Spanish, back on August of 2024.

This year, I decided to prepare on my own and have fun preparing for the Exsultet. How so? I still warmed up with the "5 Minute Vocal Warm Up" that Liliana introduced me to last year, I also practiced the breathing exercises that she taught me. Finally, I recorded myself and listen to the recordings as a self-evaluation. Now, what I added this year to make preparation for the Exsultet fun was, I did sing-alongs to "Golden" and "What It Sounds Like" from the "KPOP Demon Hunters" movie soundtrack. It was a lot of fun but it also helped me stretched my voices in different ways!

As we got closer to the Easter Vigil, since I was in trial for a week and then out of town for spring break for another week, I did not get a chance to practice at the ambo in the evening so I could test the lighting, etc. Additionally, after talking with our pastor, I ended up not putting my binder on a music stand in front of the ambo. I did not hold the binder in my hands like I did my first and second either. Instead, I put the binder on the ambo. Thankfully, since it was decided that all the lights in the church would be turned on after the third and final "Lumen Christi", I also did not need my booklight.

We got to the church three (3) hours before the Easter Vigil. During that time, I practice one last time at the ambo. In the middle of my practice, our pastor walked in but I did not stop chanting while he walked around making sure everything was in place for the liturgy.

As we walked out to the fire, I felt calm and at peace. As we processed into the church in darkness, I felt calm and at peace. As I waited by the pastor while everyone filed into the pews, I felt calm and at peace. I thought something was wrong because I was too relaxed. Then, as Fr. Red put incense into the thurible, I started to feel butterflies in my stomach. As I went up to Father to get my blessing, my heart started to race. As I incense the Exsultet music sheet and, then the Easter candle, the calm and peace returned and before I knew it, I started. . . "Exult, let me exult. . ." and the Holy Spirit took over until the "Amen" at the end.
. . .
Here is a link to my reflection from the Easter Vigil in 2025:

Here is a link to my reflection from the Easter Vigil in 2024:

Here is a link to my reflection on being Catholic for 15 years:

Here is a link to my reflection from the Easter Vigil in 2023:
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Homily for Monday in the Octave of Easter (Year A - 4/6/2026)



Good morning. Today’s Gospel is a continuation of the Gospel passage that we heard proclaimed at the Easter Vigil. “[There] was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, approached, rolled back the stone, and sat upon it.” Then the angel said to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary: “Do not be afraid! I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified. He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him.’” What happens next? “[They] went away quickly from the tomb, fearful yet overjoyed, and ran to announce this to his disciples.”

These past 40 days of Lent, we journeyed with our Lord Jesus Christ through the desert. We prayed. We fasted. We gave alms. We did these things in earnest to prepare our hearts for Jesus’ Passion and death on the Cross and, of course, his glorious Resurrection. However, I believe that the encounter between an angel of the Lord and Mary Magdalene and the other Mary would suggest to us that our experience of the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ does not end after Easter Sunday nor does our Lenten observances of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving end with us greeting one another on Easter Sunday with “Happy Easter!” or with the ancient greeting, “Christ is risen! Alleluia! Alleluia! He is truly risen! Alleluia! Alleluia!” There is nothing wrong with exchanging pleasantries on Easter Sunday. However, if that is all that we do, then are we truly “living out the joy of the Resurrection” (Pope Leo XIV, homily, 4/5/2026).

So, how do we truly live out the joy of the Resurrection? We “go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.” This was what the angel of the Lord told Mary Magdalene and the other Mary at the dawn of “the first day of the week.” The angel said to them, “[Go] quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead and he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him.’”. The women were “fearful yet overjoyed” but, more importantly, they listened and did as the angel of the Lord commanded them “and ran to announce this to his disciples.” Like Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, while there is no doubt that we are overjoyed by the Resurrection of the Lord, at the same time, we are fearful of sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ to others, even those we are closest to.

Jesus knows our hearts and offers us these words of encouragement: “Do not be afraid. Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.” In other words, our Lord Jesus Christ tells us to “[go]. . . and make disciples of all nations” and promises to be with us always (Matthew 28:20). This is how we live out “the joy of the Resurrection,” not by keeping the Good News to ourselves but to share it with others so that they too may experience “the joy of the Resurrection.” And so, my sisters and brothers in Christ, let us boldly go forth and proclaim joyfully: “Christ is risen! Alleluia! Alleluia! He is truly risen! Alleluia! Alleluia!”



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Monday, March 30, 2026

Homily for Monday of Holy Week (Year A - 3/30/2026)


The events in today’s Gospel happened after the raising of Lazarus, during dinner on the evening before Jesus’ triumphant entrance into Jerusalem to shouts of “Hosana!”, which we commemorated yesterday on Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion. At this dinner, Lazarus reclined at table with Jesus and Martha served. As for their sister, Mary, she was overwhelmed with gratitude for Jesus raising her brother, Lazarus, from the dead that she “took a liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair.” Mary’s actions are a reminder to us to be filled with gratitude for the many blessings that God bestows on us in our lives.

Mary’s response in faith, reverence, and love for Jesus, and the tremendous miracle that he had just performed in raising Lazarus from the dead, however, is in stark contrast to the response of the chief priests, who “plotted to kill Lazarus too, because many of the Jews were turning away and believing in Jesus because of him.” Lazarus had become the source of faith in Jesus for the Jews, their reason to believe in him. This did not sit well with the chief priests so they sought to kill Lazarus. In other words, the chief priests wanted to snuff out the source of the people’s faith and belief in God. This was what happened to Judas the Iscariot, as Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI reflected: “what happened to Judas is beyond psychological explanation. He had come under the dominion of another. . . he betrays this friendship (with Jesus) because he is in the grip of another power to which he has opened himself” (Ratzinger, p. 68). However, the Pope reflected: “the light shed by Jesus into Judas’ soul was not completely extinguished. He does take a step toward conversion” (id).

This should serve as a warning for us that there are things of this world, even the people that we know, that seek to extinguish the light of faith that we have inside our hearts and turn us away from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. God sets before us “life and death, the blessing and the curse.” And the Lord God tells us to “[choose] life. . . by loving the LORD, your God, obeying his voice, and holding fast to him” (Deuteronomy 30:19-20). Jesus “came so that [we] might have life and have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). He is the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for us, his sheep (10:11). God died for us. That is the mystery of our salvation.

My sisters and brothers in Christ, that is the mystery of Christ’s Passion, Death, and glorious Resurrection which we commemorate this Holy Week. In response to Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross for our salvation, let us respond to his love for us with our love for him, to show our gratitude to Jesus in a way similar to how Mary showed gratitude to Christ. Let us remind ourselves that if we ever go the way of Judas that there is always hope, that “[everything] pure and great that [we] have received from Jesus [remains] inscribed on [our souls]” (Ratzinger, p. 69). And so, let us ask the Holy Spirit for the strength to not allow anyone or anything to extinguish the light of faith that Lord and Savior Jesus Christ put in our hearts through the graces of the Sacraments of the Church.


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Tuesday, March 24, 2026

Patris Corde - KC Austin Chapter - A Report of the Spiritual Director (3/23/2026)


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. I look forward to visiting and serving with Bishop Mulvey next month at the Texas State Council Convention. I hope to see many of the State Officers, Diocesan and District Deputies and spouses at the State Convention in Dallas.

I also bring you greetings from our Chapter Chaplain, Fr. Charlie Garza. He is not able to join us tonight because he is helping with a Penance Service at the seminary. He hopes to be able to join us in-person at the June 22nd Chapter Meeting so, hopefully, we will have a host council by then.

Last Thursday, March 19th, was the Solemnity of St. Joseph, Husband of Mary. This year also marks the 5-year anniversary of Patris Corde (“With a Father’s Heart”), the Apostolic Letter by Pope Francis in which the Holy Father proclaimed the Year of Saint Joseph in 2021. I wanted to share a few thoughts on "Patris Corde", particularly the seven attributes or characteristics of Saint Joseph that Pope Francis encouraged all men, husbands and fathers, to imitate, following the model of Saint Joseph.

A beloved father

“The greatness of Saint Joseph is that he was the spouse of Mary and the father of Jesus.” Being a father is a great gift and responsibility and, second to being a husband, it is the most important role a man can have, so embrace it with the grace of God.

A tender and loving father

“In Joseph, Jesus saw the tender love of God. . . Joseph, then, teaches us that faith in God includes believing that he can work even through our fears, our frailties and our weaknesses. He also teaches us that amid the tempests of life, we must never be afraid to let the Lord steer our course. At times, we want to be in complete control, yet God always sees the bigger picture.” Sometimes, it is hard for us to "let go and let God" take over but, when we do, it frees us to love and to become the best version of our ourselves, to be the man, husband, and father God created us to be for our families.

An obedient father

“During the hidden years in Nazareth, Jesus learned at the school of Joseph to do the will of the Father. That will was to be his daily food (cf. Jn 4:34). Even at the most difficult moment of his life, in Gethsemane, Jesus chose to do the Father’s will rather than his own,[16] becoming ‘obedient unto death, even death on a cross’ (Phil 2:8).” Saint Joseph was certain a model of obedience to God's will for all of us. The angel of the Lord told him to take Mary as his wife and he did. Then, the angel told him to flee to Egypt with Jesus and Mary and he did. After several years, the angel told him to return home with Jesus and Mary and he did. May God's will be done in our lives, not ours. May we help our children and the young men in our lives discern God's will for them.

An accepting father

“Joseph’s attitude encourages us to accept and welcome others as they are, without exception, and to show special concern for the weak, for God chooses what is weak (cf. 1 Cor 1:27). He is the ‘Father of orphans and protector of widows’ (Ps 68:6), who commands us to love the stranger in our midst.[20]” Like Saint Joseph, who was the foster father of Jesus, we are stewards of God's gift of our children. Through the Holy Spirit, we care for our children and help them to become the faithful people God created them to be. They will choose their path is life. We can steer them and guide them on the right path but, ultimately, it is their decision. When that time comes, we pray for them, encourage them, and guide them as best as we can.

A creatively courageous father

“That child would go on to say: “As you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me” (Mt 25:40).  Consequently, every poor, needy, suffering or dying person, every stranger, every prisoner, every infirm person is “the child” whom Joseph continues to protect. For this reason, Saint Joseph is invoked as protector of the unfortunate, the needy, exiles, the afflicted, the poor and the dying.. .  From Saint Joseph, we must learn that same care and responsibility. We must learn to love the child and his mother, to love the sacraments and charity, to love the Church and the poor. Each of these realities is always the child and his mother.” How can we find creative ways to help our children grow to love our Lord Jesus Christ and embrace their Catholic faith? It can be a challenge with so many things of this world vying for their attention. Ask the Holy Spirit for guidance on how we can help our children to love our Eucharistic Lord and his Church.

A working father

“Saint Joseph was a carpenter who earned an honest living to provide for his family. From him, Jesus learned the value, the dignity and the joy of what it means to eat bread that is the fruit of one’s own labour. . . Saint Joseph’s work reminds us that God himself, in becoming man, did not disdain work. . .” Another feast day for Saint Joseph is the Memorial of St. Joseph the Worker on May 1st. Our Lord Jesus Christ was a carpenter, a trade that he learned from Saint Joseph. May we be examples to our children of the dignity and joy of work to provide for our families.

A father in the shadows

“Fathers are not born, but made. A man does not become a father simply by bringing a child into the world, but by taking up the responsibility to care for that child. Whenever a man accepts responsibility for the life of another, in some way he becomes a father to that person. . . In a way, we are all like Joseph: a shadow of the heavenly Father, who ‘makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust’ (Mt 5:45). And a shadow that follows his Son.” Let us be the shadow of our Father in heaven, leading our families to God. Saint Joseph is the model of authentic masculinity, of fatherhood, and of a faithful and loving husband. Let us imitate Saint Joseph and become the man, husband, and father God created us to be for our families, for the world.

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

Deacon Phúc’s challenges for all Knights for the month of April
  • PERSONAL & FAMILY: Read and reflect on Patris Corde.
  • COUNCIL: Offer up the Fish Fry as a labor of love for God and for his faithful people at your parish.

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Monday, March 23, 2026

Homily for Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent (Year A - 3/23/2026)


Today’s Gospel of the “woman. . . caught in the very act of committing adultery. . .” reminds me of this phrase that I once saw: “Grace is when God gives us what we don’t deserve. Mercy is when God doesn’t give us what we deserve.” Like the woman, in today’s Gospel, who broke one of God’s commandments, we are all “adulterers.” When we are unfaithful to God, when we “[sin] against heaven and against [God],” others condemn us or we condemn ourselves, saying to God: “I no longer deserve to be called your son” (Luke 15:21). Yet, Jesus not only does not condemn her, our Lord extended the Father’s mercy to her when he said to her: “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin any more.” Our Lord Jesus Christ extends his mercy to each one of us, a sinner.

Reflecting on this Gospel passage, Pope Francis said that “his gaze full of mercy, full of love, were enough to make this person feel — perhaps for the first time — that she has dignity, that she is not her sin, that she has dignity as a person; that she can change her life, that she can leave behind her slavery and begin to walk down a new path. . . God does not nail us to our sins, he does not identify us with the evil we have done. We have a name, and God does not identify this name with the sin we have committed. He desires to liberate us, and he wants us to want this together with Him. He wants our freedom to be converted from evil to good, and this is possible — it is possible! — with his grace” (Pope Francis, 3/13/2016).

My sisters and brothers in Christ, God “never desires the death of the sinner, but that [we] be converted and live” (id). The Prophet Jeremiah prophesied, saying: “this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days—oracle of the LORD. I will place my law within them, and write it upon their hearts. . .” and here is the hinge: “I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (31:33). To live our lives according to the laws and commandments of God is to follow the path that leads to life, to “[enter] through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few” (Matthew 7:13-14). Our Father in heaven knows that we will stumble and even fall. While He does not condemn us, He does expect us to “not sin any more.”

As we prepare our hearts for the holiest of weeks in the life of the Church, let us pray that Christ shines his light in the dark areas of our hearts and lead on the path of repentance, of transformation, of conversion to newness of life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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Tuesday, March 3, 2026

Remembering Ông Cậu Phanxicô Xaviê Lê Huề (10/11/1933 - 2/20/2026) (UPDATED 3/10/2026)


On the afternoon of February 27, my wife and I drove to Oklahoma City for the funeral of Ông Cậu  (great uncle) Phanxicô Xaviê Lê Huề. I first met him and his wife back in June of 2018 when we were in OKC for their 65th wedding anniversary, in which his brother - Archbishop Emeritus Francis Xavier Lê Văn Hồng - was the Mass celebrant.


I was blessed to have Ông Cậu and his family attend my Ordination that following spring in March of 2019. It was so special to see so many of our family members present in loving support and prayer for me and my wife. We visited Oklahoma City again later that year for a wedding. That was the last time that we would visit until this past weekend for his funeral Mass and burial.


Try as we might, we did not make it to OKC in time for the Vigil Service on Friday evening. I had a pretrial hearing that morning in federal court and my wife had testing at her school. However, we were blessed with the opportunity to say our "good-byes" to Ông Cậu the next morning, at the funeral home, before we accompanied him to Giáo xứ Thánh Anrê Dũng Lạc for the funeral Mass. Here is Ông Cậu's obituary: https://www.vondelsmithmortuary.com/obituaries/hue-le.

My first funeral Mass and Vigil as a deacon was for family member, less than 4 months after my Ordination. It was challenging but, by the grace of God, I was able to be of some comfort to our family.


This past weekend, I witnessed this amazing priest be of comfort to his mom, siblings, and other family members as he himself mourned the loss of his dad. He presided at the funeral Mass and gave a beautiful homily, remembering his dad as a man of faith, a loving husband, and a devoted father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He is an order priest based in Chicago and had been traveling back and forth the past few years to be with his dad. And, as he shared in his homily, whenever he left his parents to return to Chicago, he always wondered it that was the last time he would see his dad. I cannot imagine how hard it must be for him to be so far from his parents.


I was blessed and honored to vest and serve at the funeral Mass. At the end of the funeral Mass, one of his eldest sons got in front of the congregation, which I reflected on in my homily for the Monday of the Second Week of Lent. At the graveside, he asked me to assist another priest and deacon so that he could be with his mom and family. I watched as he sprinkled holy water on his dad's coffin and kissed it. My one task was to hold the holy water and, as the coffin was lowered into the ground, I prayed and sprinkled holy water until there was none left.


My sisters and brothers in Christ, pray for our priests. They are sons, brothers, and uncles and they suffer losses in their life just like the rest of us. They often live far from their families and so their parish community and order become part of their family. They give their life to our Lord Jesus Christ in service to the people of God and His Church. Let us pray, love, and support our priests.

There were several moments during the graveside service that moved me to tears but those were just personal and precious moments that I will keep in my heart and ponder them. After the graveside service, we gathered at Hibachi Supreme Buffet for lunch and to enjoy each other's company. I visited with an uncle who left the corporate world behind to manage a farm in Mississippi. The next morning, we at a private Mass for Ông Cậu, followed by brunch. We then said our "good-byes" and departed to return home. We shared another tender moment with Bà Mợ (great aunt) that I will keep in my heart and ponder.

As I drove home, I reflected on how life moves us. We gather to celebrate milestones and occasions, like weddings, birthdays, graduations, and funerals, and then life moves on for each of us. I thought of Bà Mợ and Cha (our uncle the priest) and their family and the emptiness that they now feel in their hearts for Ông Cậu. However, as our Lord Jesus Christ teaches us in the Beatitudes: "Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted." Our Lord and our God is the only Person who can fill the hole or emptiness in our hearts. I am confident that they will be okay because their faith and hope in God and the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ will sustain them in their mourning. I pray that they feel the loving presence of our Lord Jesus Christ in their hearts. He will turn their mourning into joy. Amen.


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Reflecting on Holy Week & Easter 2026

"The death of the Lord our God should not be a cause of shame for us; rather, it should be our greatest hope, our greatest glory. In ta...