Come after me

Sisters and brothers in Christ, today is the Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle. A blessed feast day to me and all Andrews out there!

Today's Gospel is a reminder to us that every moment of every day, we are given the blessed opportunity to answer Jesus' call to "come after me". Christ sees us and delights in us, not in the grandiose things that we do, but in the little things that we do day in and day out with tender love and care. Andrew, Simon, John, and James were all working to provide for their families when Jesus saw them and called them and they followed him.

Jesus calls some to follow him in a radical way, leaving behind their jobs and even families and friends, to enter the seminary to become priests or enter into religious life. But Christ calls all of us to "come after him", to live lives that bear witness to God's love and mercy in our day to day relationships and interactions with others. Many times we hesitate to give God our "yes" because we are afraid to let go of what we have. However, if we are willing to take a chance, to risk everything to follow Jesus, we will realize that not only do we not lose anything when we come after Christ, but we gain so much more in our lives.

For me, 15 years ago, I took a chance and dare to risk everything to follow Christ, and that decision to "come after" him changed my life forever when I became a Catholic. Saint Andrew became my patron saint when I was baptized at the Easter Vigil. Then, 9 years ago, Jesus called me to "come after" him in a deeply intimate way and my life was forever changed when I entered Diaconal Formation. I still have my wife, my family, my friends, my work, but I have gained so much more.

You will, too. May you take a chance and dare to risk everything to come after Jesus and follow him. Saint Andrew, the apostle of Jesus Christ, pray for us.

. . .

Gospel of the Day

As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers,

Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew,

casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen.

He said to them,

“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

At once they left their nets and followed him.

He walked along from there and saw two other brothers,

James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.

They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets.

He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father 

and followed him.

Waiting with childlike hearts

Sisters and brothers in Christ, one of my favorite Christmas movies growing up was "Home Alone". I remember gathering together as a family and watching this fun movie and my mom asking us questions throughout the movie. What memories! I still watch "Home Alone" every Christmas, not so much for nostalgia but more so to remind me to have a "childlike" heart at Christmas not matter how old I get with each passing season.

A "childlike" heart is pure, innocent, filled with wonderment and love, just as a child is pure, innocent, filled with wonderment and love. It is a heart that I desire to have when I celebrate the anniversary of the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ each Christmas. It is a heart that I desire to have when I go to meet our Lord at his Second Coming and give him praise and glory. I am grateful to the Church for giving us the gift of Advent, a time of preparation to transform my weary heart to a "childlike" heart to receive the most precious Christmas gift of all - Baby Jesus.

May the "Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon [us]: a Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, A Spirit of counsel and of strength, a Spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD", so that with "childlike" hearts, we have faith and believe in the greatest miracles in human history - the Incarnation - God becomes man and dwells among us.

. . .

Gospel of the Day

Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said,

“I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,

for although you have hidden these things

from the wise and the learned

you have revealed them to the childlike. 

Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. 

All things have been handed over to me by my Father. 

No one knows who the Son is except the Father,

and who the Father is except the Son

and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”

Turning to the disciples in private he said,

“Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. 

For I say to you,

many prophets and kings desired to see what you see,

but did not see it,

and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.”

Deacon Phúc’s Homily - First Sunday of Advent (11/27/2022)

The deacons preached this weekend. Below is my homily for the First Sunday of Advent (Year A - 11/27/2022), preached at the 12:00 Mass:

Good afternoon. A blessed First Sunday of Advent to you all and your families. Advent has become my favorite season of the liturgical year because it brings me peace in midst of the busyness of the holiday season and the anticipation of turning the page on a new calendar year. Advent reminds me to slow down, quiet my heart, and reflect on the hope, peace, joy, and love that await us all on Christmas Day when we celebrate the anniversary of the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Advent is also a season of preparation for the Lord’s Second Coming at the end of time. Our early Christian brothers and sisters thought that Jesus’ return would be imminent? Yet, here we are, almost two thousand years later, and we are still wondering to ourselves: when is the “end of time”? Well, it is not TBD (or “to be determined”) because God has already determined it. It is also not TBA (or “to be announced”) because that is up to God, not us. All we need to realize is that Jesus will come again at the end of time because he promises that he will come again in today’s Gospel: “For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. . . for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.” Until then, Christ tells us to “stay awake” and “be prepared”!

My sisters and brothers in Christ, there is almost a feeling of foreboding in Jesus’ message but only because, like with Noah before the flood, our Lord wants us to have a sense of the urgency in getting “our house in order '' in joyful anticipation of his Second Coming. Now, you may remember in his homily, on the Solemnity of Christ the King, Fr. Charlie posed these questions for us to ponder: “If our lives were to end tomorrow, what is that thing we wish we would have changed, that we would have done something different about? What is that thing that we would especially regret having done or not having done if our lives were to end tomorrow?” Might I be so bold as to tweak Fr. Charlie’s questions just a bit and pose to you all the following questions: “If we were to meet Jesus tomorrow, what is that thing we wish we would have changed, that we would have done something different about? What is that thing that we would especially regret having done or not having done if we were to meet Jesus tomorrow?” I believe we are in the perfect season of the year to reflect on these questions in our own lives because, as Saint Paul tells us: “our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.”

A few days ago, we gathered with our families and friends for Thanksgiving and we shared what we are thankful for. Perhaps we even thought about family members who were not there with us and why they were not there. I am not referring to family members who are in college or the military and could not make it home for Thanksgiving or even those loved ones who have gone to their heavenly rewards. Rather, I am thinking about those family members who are estranged because of arguments, unforgiveness, or resentment. While Thanksgiving is a perfect time to reflect on all the people and things in our lives that we are grateful for, Advent is the perfect season for us to offer and receive forgiveness, to mend broken relationships, and to reconcile with loved ones and friends who are separated from us by choice. Most of all, Advent is the perfect season for us to ask God for forgiveness and receive his mercy, to restore our relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and to reconcile ourselves to our Father in heaven through the outpouring of grace from the Holy Spirit, and help each other do the same.

My sisters and brothers in Christ, this is the true miracle of Christmas and a way to enter the New Year with renewed hope, peace, joy, and love. In her wisdom, the Church gives us the season of Advent to prepare ourselves, to open our hearts to the Incarnate Son of God, to take a chance and risk inviting Jesus into those empty, cold, and dark areas in our lives that need healing, renewal and restoration, and peace. I admit, this all sounds like a Hallmark movie; however, it is possible with the grace of God, and Saint Paul also tells us how in today’s second reading; just listen to what he tells the Romans (and us): “. . .put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.” Saint Paul writes that “the flesh has desires against the Spirit. . . the works of the flesh are obvious: immorality, impurity. . . idolatry. . . hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions, occasions of envy. . . and the like. . . those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:17, 19-21). Therefore, to overcome the desires of the flesh, so as to inherit the kingdom of God, we must put on the “armor of light”. We must “put on the Lord Jesus Christ.”  When we do, we will see others as Jesus sees them, hear others as Jesus hears them, and love others as Jesus loves them. The question then is, how do we “put on the Lord Jesus Christ”? 

As I reflected on this, the Holy Spirit revealed to me a nursery rhyme that I sang with my goddaughter, niece, and nephews when they were younger. I am sure everyone here has heard of this nursery rhyme. It goes something like this: “head, shoulders, knees, and toes. . .” Once again, allow me to be so bold as to tweak this nursery rhyme a bit and say that to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ”, we must put on Jesus’ head, heart, hands, and feet. Throughout the Gospel, we read how Jesus goes off to a mountain or a quiet place and prays, to discern his Father’s will. Therefore, when we put on the head of Jesus, our thoughts are always directed toward our Father in heaven, that His will be done, not ours. And we all know that the Father’s will flows from His love and mercy for us, from His Most Sacred Heart, that pours forth water and blood on the Cross for our salvation (John 19:34).

Thus, when we put on the heart of Jesus, when our heart beats as one with the heart of the Father, our will flows from a place of love and mercy. We become Christ in the world and our head and heart move our hands to do the will of God and our feet to “walk in the light of the Lord”. We put on the hands of Christ, hands that stretch out and catch others who are drowning in their own unbelief and lack of faith and give them hope. With the hands of Christ, we can lead them to an encounter with Jesus, perhaps at retreats like the upcoming “Welcome Weekend Retreats” for women and men, where they discover that there is more to life because God created them for a reason, that they have a purpose in God’s plan of salvation. Let us put on the feet of Christ, not only walk in the ways that God instructs us but lead others to “walk in his paths. . . to walk in the light of the Lord!” so that they too might share in the hope of Christ.

At the beginning of Mass, we lit the first purple candle on the Advent wreath. This candle symbolizes hope, our hope in Emmanuel - “God with us”. I want to share my hope for you and your families this Advent season. I hope that you and your family make memories of Advent that hold insights into the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, not a blur of things to do, places to go, and people to see. I hope that you and your family experience the true spirit of the Advent season, the spirit of hope, peace, joy and love that comes from quieting our hearts to prepare ourselves spiritually and prayerfully for baby Jesus, the Incarnate Word of God who “became man to take our sins upon Himself.” I hope that you and your family are intentional in putting on the Lord Jesus Christ - head and heart directed towards God, hands and feet directed on the path leading to God - so as to grow in the virtues of faith, hope, and love, keeping the light of Christ burning brightly for each other and the world as we prepare for the joy of Christmas. Amen. 

Reflecting on first Holy Vietnamese Martyrs Mass

A couple of months ago, Fr. Charlie approached Theresa and me and expressed his desire to have a celebration in honor of our Vietnamese parishioners. We decided on the memorial of the Holy Vietnamese Martyrs, and Theresa and I went to work to prepare for the Mass.

I put together the Order of the Mass with the help of the Vietnamese-English missalettes that I received from Fr. Vincent Pham. Theresa and her dad translated the Prayers of the Faithful to Vietnamese. We are also grateful that Kimi said "yes" to doing the first reading and responsorial for us in Vietnamese. (She and her husband, Michael, went through Called to be One Marriage Class at Saint Albert the Great with us and he was right there with her.) George graciously agreed to run the PowerPoint slides for us, and Eriko was there to take these beautiful pictures. Also, thank you to Jill for being the Sacristan and setting up for Mass (and for helping me calm my nerves before Mass.)

The Vigil Mass, the first-ever at Saint Albert the Great Catholic Church, was well attended and we had many Vietnamese parishioners in the pews. Fr. Charlie did a fantastic job with the sign of the cross and blessing in Vietnamese! Many of Vietnamese parishioners in attendance came up to me and Fr. Charlie after Mass and greeted us in Vietnamese. It was a wonderful experience and I am blessed to be a part of it. (I am glad I had enough burst of energy to serve at the Mass after being struck by a stomach bug Monday night.)

I am so grateful to Fr. Charlie for his pastoral heart. He gave a beautiful homily on redemptive suffering because the physical suffering that these martyrs went through was unfathomable, but they gave it all up for the greater glory of God and entered into their heavenly rewards. I am also grateful to Fr. Charlie and my wife for giving me the courage to be vulnerable and step out of my comfort zone because speaking in Vietnamese in public is for sure outside of my wheelhouse. We look forward to expanding on the celebration next year so please keep us in your prayers.

I invite you to listen to Fr. Charlie's homily on the podcast: https://saintalbert.podbean.com/e/father-charlie-garza-630-pm-mass-homily-english-1669259118/

Saint Andrew Dũng-Lạc, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs, pray for us. 

Not from our surplus should we give

Today is the Memorial of The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Sisters and brothers in Christ, oftentimes, we do not prioritize God first in our lives. We think to ourselves, we do not have any sporting events, gatherings, etc., going on this weekend so let's go to Mass on Sunday. Or we are too busy to set aside 5-10 minutes to pray in the morning as we hurry off to squeeze in a workout at the gym before we head to the office. Or I am too tired to pray before we sleep as we flip aimlessly through the channels on cable T.V. or Prime Video or Netflix.

In today's Gospel, Jesus points out a widow who did not offer from her "surplus" but offered her "whole" self. Our Blessed Mother Mary did the same, we know this is her #Fiat, or "yes" to God, and we hear this in her canticle: "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my savior." Mary gave herself entirely to God - mind, body, soul, and spirit. We are called to do the same in our lives and Mary is our model to follow in holiness.

We just celebrated the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. Her Son, Jesus, was King in Blessed Mother's heart. Is Christ King in our hearts. Do we give ourselves completely to our King - mind, body, soul, and spirit - as Mary did or do we hold back and only give of our "surplus"? Let us ponder that because we know in our hearts that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ gave of himself totally on the Cross for our salvation. We can give God praise, glory, and honor but giving our "whole" self, not from our "surplus".

. . .

Gospel of the Day

When Jesus looked up he saw some wealthy people

putting their offerings into the treasury

and he noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins.

He said, “I tell you truly,

this poor widow put in more than all the rest;

for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth,

but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.”

Adoration & Youth Ministry (Part 2)

So blessed to join Bishop Joe Vásquez, priests, deacons, and religious sisters and brothers, from all over the Diocese of Austin, for the joyful celebration to kick off the 75th anniversary of the Diocese. We had Mass, listened to Fr. Dave Pivonka, and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament! I am so blessed to serve this Diocese as a deacon. One of my brother deacons said I will probably be around for the 100th anniversary in 25 years. . . God willing!

Bonus! I got to visit with two of Saint Albert the Great Catholic Church's past parochial vicars - Fr. John & Fr. Piega!

After the 75th anniversary celebration in the morning, I got to serve at Mass with Fr. Charlie for the Confirmation Retreat. I also participated in a "extreme hot potato" game with the kids. A group of them put together a powerful skit about how the seven deadly sins separate us from God's love. It was very moving.

During Holy Hour and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, the Holy Spirit moved me to bring our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to each of the kids. I told them that while we think that it is us searching for God, it is actually God seeking us out, desiring to love us, and dwell in our hearts. 

I shared with them how God went looking for Adam & Eve in the Garden of Eden but they hid from Him because they were ashamed. They are like Adam & Eve, afraid to allow themselves to be found by God because they are ashamed so Christ goes searching for them.

Please keep them and the Confirmation Retreat team in your prayers. May the Holy Spirit fill their hearts and lead them to conversion.

Lord, save me!

Sisters and brothers in Christ, today is the Optional Memorial of Dedication of the Basilicas of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles.

It is a reminder, in a very concrete way, to us that our Catholic faith is built on apostolic tradition. This means that we can trace our beliefs as faithful people of God all the way back to the apostles who walked with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ during his time on earth. Our faith not only transcendent but also in space and time. God, who is outside of space and time, enters into space and time, took on our physical attributes as human beings, and, in doing so, raises our humanity into his divinity.

This is the Good News which, like it did for the apostles in today's Gospel reading for the memorial (Matthew 14:22-33), should cause us to pause and exclaim with great rejoicing: "Truly, you are the Son of God." This is faith in God that was instilled in us at our Baptism, sealed at our Confirmation, and nourished each time we receive our Lord in the Eucharist during Mass. We experience God's mercy in Confession and receive healing when we are anointed.

Yet, we still "doubt" our Lord and our God as Peter did. When we take our eyes of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and doubt God's love, mercy, and forgiveness (even His existence), we start to sink and drown in our own ocean of temporal desires. Thankfully for us, Jesus is ways there, ready to stretch out his hand and save us when we turn to him with a humble and contrite heart, crying out: "Lord, save me!"

. . .

Gospel of the Day - Optional Memorial of Dedication of the Basilicas of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles

After the crowd had eaten their fill,

Jesus made the disciples get into the boat

and precede him to the other side,

while he dismissed the crowds.

After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.

When it was evening he was there alone.

Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore,

was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it.

During the fourth watch of the night,

he came toward them, walking on the sea.

When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified.

"It is a ghost," they said, and they cried out in fear.

At once Jesus spoke to them, "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid."

Peter said to him in reply,

"Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water."

He said, "Come."

Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.

But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened;

and, beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!"

Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him,

and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"

After they got into the boat, the wind died down.

Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying,

"Truly, you are the Son of God."

Jesus weeps over us

Sisters and brothers in Christ, before the Mass for the feast of Saint Albert the Great (on Tuesday), I talked with our thurifer (the altar server who does the incense) and said to him, let there be lots of incense. He (also a candidate in Diaconal Formation) did not disappoint because the incense still lingered in the sanctuary well after the Mass ended. I thought of this when I read this verse from the Book of Revelations, today's first reading: ". . .filled with incense, which are the prayers of the holy ones."

In today's Gospel, we read that Jesus wept over Jerusalem. Our Lord weeps over our neighbors, cities, states, and countries. We just need to turn on the news to see that there is no peace. Pope Francis said that "there can be no peace without a culture of care. . . a common, supportive and inclusive commitment to protecting and promoting the dignity and good of all, a willingness to show care and compassion, to work for reconciliation and healing, and to advance mutual respect and acceptance" (54th World Day of Peace). 

That "culture of care" starts in the family - the domestic church - where parents teach their children to be kind to others, respect others, and care for our common home. These are values that my parents, immigrants from Vietnam, instilled in me growing up; values that guide me in how I try to live my life and interact with others to this day.

At the end of her 1984 Nobel Prize acceptance speech, Mother Saint Teresa of Calcutta said: “And so, my prayer for you is that truth will bring prayer in our homes, and from the foot of prayer will be that we believe that in the poor it is Christ. And we will really believe, we will begin to love. And we will love naturally, we will try to do something. First in our own home, next door neighbor in the country we live, in the whole world.”

. . .

Gospel of the Day

As Jesus drew near Jerusalem,

he saw the city and wept over it, saying,

“If this day you only knew what makes for peace–

but now it is hidden from your eyes.

For the days are coming upon you

when your enemies will raise a palisade against you;

they will encircle you and hem you in on all sides.

They will smash you to the ground and your children within you,

and they will not leave one stone upon another within you

because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”

Good and profitable stewards

Sisters and brothers in Christ, we are stewards of the many gifts that God has given us - our life, our time, our talents, and our treasures. Are we good and profitable stewards of God's gifts to us? Do we use those gifts for God's glory, to serve Him and our neighbors? Or, like do we cling on to what God has given us and do nothing with the gifts? These are all questions that we should ask ourselves as we reflect on today's Gospel.

Last night, in his homily for the Mass of Saint Albert the Great feast day, Fr. Charlie said that that parishioners should strive to live out the attributes and virtues of the parish's namesake saint. For instance, Saint Albert is known as a great teacher (one of his students was Saint Thomas Aquinas); therefore, Saint Albert parishioners should strive not only to learn about their faith but teach it to others as well. Parishioners have a tremendous resource in Discipleship U to do just what and many have answered the call, learning about their faith first and then teaching their faith to others.

As we prepare ourselves for the end of the liturgical year, with the Solemnity of Christ the King this Sunday, let us reflect on how we have used God's gifts of time, talents, and treasures in our lives for God's glory. For those of us who are no longer participating in active ministries, we can still help our own family grow in their faith.

. . .

Gospel of the Day

While people were listening to Jesus speak,

he proceeded to tell a parable because he was near Jerusalem

and they thought that the Kingdom of God

would appear there immediately.

So he said,

“A nobleman went off to a distant country

to obtain the kingship for himself and then to return.

He called ten of his servants and gave them ten gold coins

and told them, ‘Engage in trade with these until I return.’

His fellow citizens, however, despised him

and sent a delegation after him to announce,

‘We do not want this man to be our king.’

But when he returned after obtaining the kingship,

he had the servants called, to whom he had given the money,

to learn what they had gained by trading.

The first came forward and said,

‘Sir, your gold coin has earned ten additional ones.’

He replied, ‘Well done, good servant!

You have been faithful in this very small matter;

take charge of ten cities.’

Then the second came and reported,

‘Your gold coin, sir, has earned five more.’

And to this servant too he said,

‘You, take charge of five cities.’

Then the other servant came and said,

‘Sir, here is your gold coin;

I kept it stored away in a handkerchief,

for I was afraid of you, because you are a demanding man;

you take up what you did not lay down

and you harvest what you did not plant.’

He said to him,

‘With your own words I shall condemn you,

you wicked servant.

You knew I was a demanding man,

taking up what I did not lay down

and harvesting what I did not plant;

why did you not put my money in a bank?

Then on my return I would have collected it with interest.’

And to those standing by he said,

‘Take the gold coin from him

and give it to the servant who has ten.’

But they said to him,

‘Sir, he has ten gold coins.’

He replied, ‘I tell you,

to everyone who has, more will be given,

but from the one who has not,

even what he has will be taken away.

Now as for those enemies of mine who did not want me as their king,

bring them here and slay them before me.’”

After he had said this,

he proceeded on his journey up to Jerusalem.

Be undeterred in seeking God

Sisters and brothers in Christ, in today's Gospel, we see a Zacchaeus who has such an intense desire that he risked climbing a sycamore tree to see Jesus and get his attention. He was undeterred by his own physical limitations. More importantly, he was undeterred by what others thought of him for even as they grumble and call him a "sinner", he stood his ground before others and make his intentions known to Christ.

In Zacchaeus, there is nothing "lukewarm" about him, nothing that is "neither hot nor cold", he is "earnest" and "repent" so when Jesus stands at the "door" of his heart and knocks, Zacchaeus happily welcomes Christ into his home and dine with him. For what is foolish in the eyes of man is what God desires of us - faithfulness and trust in Him, our Lord and our God.

Let us be like Zacchaeus, on fire with our faith and have the humility to know that we need God in our lives, because we do. More importantly, in our journey toward God, let us not allow others to deter us from seeking God's mercy and forgiveness. Particularly, may we never believe the lies that we are unforgiveable because we can never go any place so dark that the light of Christ cannot reach us. The ocean of God's love and mercy is vast.

. . .

Gospel of the Day

At that time Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town.

Now a man there named Zacchaeus,

who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man, 

was seeking to see who Jesus was;

but he could not see him because of the crowd,

for he was short in stature. 

So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus,

who was about to pass that way.

When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said, 

“Zacchaeus, come down quickly,

for today I must stay at your house.” 

And he came down quickly and received him with joy. 

When they saw this, they began to grumble, saying, 

“He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner.” 

But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord,

“Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor,

and if I have extorted anything from anyone

I shall repay it four times over.”

And Jesus said to him,

“Today salvation has come to this house

because this man too is a descendant of Abraham. 

For the Son of Man has come to seek

and to save what was lost.”

Your faith has saved you

Sisters and brothers in Christ, how many times in our lives has Jesus reached out to us during times of difficulties and asked us, "“What do you want me to do for you?” And how many times have we responded to Christ's outreach to us with faith, trust and confidence like the blind man does in today's Gospel?

This past weekend, at the PreCana Marriage Preparation Retreat, we talked about the different types of prayers - adoration, blessing, praise, thanksgiving, intercession, and supplication/petition - with the couples discerning marriage. The blind man offers a prayer of supplication/petition that he sees again. The people who brought him to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ offer a prayer for intercession for the blind man.

Jesus responds to their prayers with love, mercy, and compassion; not only healing the blind man physically that he can see again, but healed him spiritually as well, saying: "Have sight; your faith has saved you." This is what awaits us when we pray and turn to God with humble and contrite hearts; our Lord is waiting for us, to heal us, to restore us to the best version of ourselves, the way He created us to be.

. . .

Gospel of the Day

As Jesus approached Jericho

a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging,

and hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what was happening.

They told him,

“Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”

He shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!”

The people walking in front rebuked him,

telling him to be silent,

but he kept calling out all the more,

“Son of David, have pity on me!”

Then Jesus stopped and ordered that he be brought to him;

and when he came near, Jesus asked him,

“What do you want me to do for you?”

He replied, “Lord, please let me see.”

Jesus told him, “Have sight; your faith has saved you.”

He immediately received his sight

and followed him, giving glory to God.

When they saw this, all the people gave praise to God.

#newPODCAST: Novena to Christ the King (Nov. 11-19, 2022)

#newPODCAST Announcement: Novena to Christ the King (Nov. 11-19, 2022)

https://phucphan.podbean.com/e/announcement-novena-to-christ-the-king-nov-11-19-2022/

Novena to Christ the King - Day 1 (with Prayer for Veterans Day)

https://phucphan.podbean.com/e/novena-to-christ-the-king-day-1-with-prayer-for-veterans-day/

Novena to Christ the King - Day 2 (with Prayer for Veterans Day)

https://phucphan.podbean.com/e/novena-to-christ-the-king-day-2-with-prayer-for-catholic-schools/

Novena to Christ the King - Day 3

https://phucphan.podbean.com/e/novena-to-christ-the-king-day-3/

Novena to Christ the King - Day 4 (and Praying Psalm 50)

https://phucphan.podbean.com/e/novena-to-christ-the-king-day-4-and-praying-psalm-50/

Novena to Christ the King - Day 5 (with Collect Prayer for Feast of Saint Albert the Great)

https://phucphan.podbean.com/e/novena-to-christ-the-king-day-5-with-collect-prayer-for-feast-of-saint-albert-the-great/

Novena to Christ the King - Day 6 (with Prayer for Protection of Conscience Rights in Health Care)

https://phucphan.podbean.com/e/novena-to-christ-the-king-day-6-with-prayer-for-protection-of-conscience-rights-in-health-care/

Novena to Christ the King - Day 7 (with Prayer for Lebanon)

https://phucphan.podbean.com/e/novena-to-christ-the-king-day-7-with-prayer-for-lebanon/

Unprofitable servants

Sisters and brothers in Christ, in today's first reading, Saint Paul teaches us how to carry ourselves as faithful followers of Christ - "temperate, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, love, and endurance. . . as a model of good deeds in every respect, with integrity in your teaching, dignity, and sound speech."

I agree with my brother deacon, who served at Mass this morning and gave the homily, that today's readings are so appropriate for election day. They remind us of how servants of God and privileged to serve His people ought to act - be they church leaders, government leaders, politicians, etc. - as "unprofitable servants" doing what they are "obliged to do."

Interestingly enough, the Four Marks of the Catholic Church can help us understand the traits of leaders that God desires to lead His people. They are. . . "one" for unity, "holy" for goodness, "catholic" for beauty, and "apostolic" for Truth. However, as you go to the polls to vote for our leaders, let us never forget that we are all called to be servant leaders of God, to love and serve God and one another. That is His great commandment to us.

. . .

Gospel of the Day

Jesus said to the Apostles:

“Who among you would say to your servant

who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field,

‘Come here immediately and take your place at table’?

Would he not rather say to him,

‘Prepare something for me to eat.

Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink.

You may eat and drink when I am finished’?

Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded?

So should it be with you.

When you have done all you have been commanded, say,

‘We are unprofitable servants;

we have done what we were obliged to do.’”

St. Faustina’s Prayer for Priests

At a wedding reception on Saturday (11/5), my wife and I sat with a brother Knight who was visiting from Massachusetts. We had great discussions about a wide range of topics related to the Catholic faith, particularly the Catholic Church in America. During our conversation on vocations, particularly the priesthood, he shared with me this beautiful prayer by St. Faustina for priest and invited me to pray it often for our priests and seminarians. I now share it with you all.

. . .

Heavenly Father, grant that our priests be strengthened and healed

by the power of the Eucharist they celebrate.

May the Word they proclaim give them courage and wisdom.

We pray that all those whom they seek to serve

May see in them the love and care of Jesus,

Our Eternal High Priest, who is Lord for ever and ever. Amen.

Mary, Mother of the Church, look tenderly upon your sons, our priests.

St Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church, pray for us all.

O my Jesus, I beg You on behalf of the whole Church:

Grant it love and the light of Your Spirit

and give power to the words of priests

so that hardened hearts might be brought to repentance

and return to You, O Lord.

Lord, give us holy priests;

You Yourself maintain them in holiness.

O Divine and Great High Priest,

may the power of Your mercy accompany them everywhere and protect them

from the devil’s snares which are continually being set for the souls of priests.

May the power of Your mercy, O Lord,

shatter and bring to naught all that might tarnish the sanctity of priests,

for You can do all things.

The 99

Sisters and brothers in Christ, in today's Gospel, Jesus tells the parables of the Good Shepherd who goes after the lost sheep and of the woman who would not give up searching until she found her lost coin. We often think that we are in search of God; however, it is God who is constantly seeking us, each and every day of our lives. Who among us have not felt lost at some point throughout the day, wondering to ourselves "what does all this mean?" or "what is the purpose of it all?" or "what am I even doing?" In those moments, know that Christ is seeking us, to hold us close to His Sacred Heart. And if we open our hearts to allow Him to find us, we would feel His love, mercy, and forgiveness.

Therefore, even if we are the 99 who have not gone astray from God's flock, may we never take God's love and presence in our lives for granted. In other words, let us not be like the older son in the parable of the Prodigal Son who took his father's love and presence in his life for granted. Rather, let us be like Saint Paul who, in his Letter to the Philippians, wrote: "whatever gains I had, these I have come to consider a loss because of Christ. More than that, I even consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord."

It is our Father in heaven, our Creator who gives us purpose in our lives. It  is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who, dying on the Cross, gives meaning to our lives. It is the Holy Spirit who guides us in all that we do in life.

. . .

Gospel of the Day

The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus,

but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying,

“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 

So Jesus addressed this parable to them.

“What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them

would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert

and go after the lost one until he finds it?

And when he does find it,

he sets it on his shoulders with great joy

and, upon his arrival home,

he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them,

‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ 

I tell you, in just the same way

there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents

than over ninety-nine righteous people

who have no need of repentance.

“Or what woman having ten coins and losing one

would not light a lamp and sweep the house,

searching carefully until she finds it?

And when she does find it,

she calls together her friends and neighbors

and says to them,

‘Rejoice with me because I have found the coin that I lost.’ 

In just the same way, I tell you,

there will be rejoicing among the angels of God

over one sinner who repents.”

All Saints

Sisters and brothers in Christ, today is the SOLEMNITY OF ALL SAINTS. It is a holy obligation.

[An attorney I know is in a middle of jury trial in federal court and he was still able to make it to Mass this morning so. . . GO TO MASS today, my fellow Catholics!]

I had the blessed opportunity to serve with Fr. James Misko (Vicar General of the Diocese of Austin) this morning at the Cathedral. He gave a wonderful homily on the Eucharist. He talked about the Eucharistic Revival that is happening over the next three years in the Catholic Church in America.

One of the things that Fr. Misko said that struck me was, while Mary was the living Tabernacle that carried our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in her womb and Elizabeth was the first person to adore our Lord, we are the living monstrances called to carry Christ into the world. It was such a beautiful image! How blessed are we to be called to bring Christ to others, just like all the Saints before us did. 

I am glad I was able to find this icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary as the living Tabernacle that Fr. Misko described in his homily.

All you Holy Saints of God, pray for us!

. . .

Gospel of the Day

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain,

and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. 

He began to teach them, saying:

    “Blessed are the poor in spirit,

        for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.

    Blessed are they who mourn,

        for they will be comforted.

    Blessed are the meek,

        for they will inherit the land.

    Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

        for they will be satisfied.

    Blessed are the merciful,

        for they will be shown mercy.

    Blessed are the clean of heart,

        for they will see God.

    Blessed are the peacemakers,

        for they will be called children of God.

    Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,

        for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.

    Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you

        and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.

    Rejoice and be glad,

        for your reward will be great in heaven.”