Holding on by a thread

Sisters and brothers in Christ, there is a meme going around on social media with the image of the woman afflicted with hemorrhages reaching out to touch the cloak of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The meme has this phrase: "If you are holding on by a thread, then let it be from his cloak." What a powerful image and message for us to hold on to in times of distress! May this image help remind us that Jesus is there with us in those moments ready to heal us when we turn to him with faith, saying to us: ". . .your faith has saved you.

Go in peace and be cured of your affliction."

Moreover, in the story of Jairus, a synagogue official, who sought out Jesus to heal his daughter, we hear these comforting words from Christ: "Do not be afraid; just have faith.” You see, the people from his house wrote his daughter off as died but healed her. There will be times in our lives where others might "write us off" whatever the reason may be. However, even though others might have already given up on us, our Lord Jesus Christ will never give up on us. Therefore, we should never give up on ourselves. Jesus will heal us and restore us but, like the hemorrhaging woman and the synagogue official, we must do our part - seek Jesus out with faith.

. . .

Gospel of the Day

When Jesus had crossed again in the boat

to the other side, 

a large crowd gathered around him, and he stayed close to the sea.

One of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came forward.

Seeing him he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, saying,

“My daughter is at the point of death.

Please, come lay your hands on her

that she may get well and live.”

He went off with him

and a large crowd followed him.

There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years.

She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors

and had spent all that she had.

Yet she was not helped but only grew worse.

She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd

and touched his cloak.

She said, “If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured.”

Immediately her flow of blood dried up.

She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction.

Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him,

turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who has touched my clothes?”

But his disciples said to him,

“You see how the crowd is pressing upon you,

and yet you ask, Who touched me?”

And he looked around to see who had done it.

The woman, realizing what had happened to her,

approached in fear and trembling.

She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth.

He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has saved you.

Go in peace and be cured of your affliction.”

While he was still speaking,

people from the synagogue official’s house arrived and said,

“Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?” 

Disregarding the message that was reported,

Jesus said to the synagogue official,

“Do not be afraid; just have faith.”

He did not allow anyone to accompany him inside

except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James.

When they arrived at the house of the synagogue official,

he caught sight of a commotion,

people weeping and wailing loudly.

So he went in and said to them,

“Why this commotion and weeping?

The child is not dead but asleep.”

And they ridiculed him.

Then he put them all out.

He took along the child’s father and mother

and those who were with him

and entered the room where the child was.

He took the child by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum,” 

which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise!”

The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around.

At that they were utterly astounded.

He gave strict orders that no one should know this

and said that she should be given something to eat.

This is the path to heaven (Homily for the 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A - 1/29/2023)

The deacons preached this weekend. Below is my homily for the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A - 1/29/2023), preached at the 12:00 Mass: 🙏❤️🕊

Good afternoon. Last Sunday, I had the blessed opportunity to be there for our 8-year-old goddaughter when she read at Mass for the first time. She did a fantastic job! She was calm and cool under pressure, even after the first reader forgot and did not turn the page in the Lectionary book to the second reading for her. It was a definite proud moment for me as her godfather! During the time that we spent with her and her family, I witnessed the joys and challenges of raising a young girl who, like most children her age, is starting to test her boundaries. For our part, my wife and I never pass up an opportunity to encourage our goddaughter to listen to what her parents tell her and to obey her parents out of love and respect for them, because they know what is best for her and will always do right by her and her brother. I jokingly said to her mom that God gave parents the gift of their children so parents could “work off” some of their time in Purgatory.

After our visit, I read an article that someone had shared, titled: “St. Francis de Sales’ 6 words to hold onto when life is really hard.” As soon as I read the 6 words of this great saint, I had to share the article with my goddaughter’s mom. According to Saint Francis de Sales, the 6 words that we should hold on to when life gets really hard are: “This is the path to heaven.” As I reflected on these 6 words and how they might apply to me, I realized that the joys and sorrows, successes and failures, and all the complexities of life that we experience on a daily basis serve one purpose: to prepare for us a path to heaven. Thanks be to God, we do not have to travel this path alone because our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is right there by our side and ready and willing to help us on the path that leads to salvation. We only need to turn to Christ in prayer, invite him into our lives, and allow him to walk with us. 

When I reflect on what this path to heaven might look like, I imagine that it is paved with the wood from the Cross of Christ. The path is well-traveled by thousands of holy men and women who have gone before us, many of whom shed their blood for Jesus along the way, leaving behind a model of holiness and saintliness for the rest of us to follow. I imagine that the path is protected on both sides by walls made from the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments, which serve as a reminder to us to stay on the straight and narrow path of God’s laws that leads to eternal life in heaven. Yet, these walls are not so high as to prevent us from climbing over them should we choose to get off the path that leads to heaven, whatever the reasons may be. This is because, as much as it saddens God when we choose to leave Him for something far less than what He offers us, God weeps for us but He leaves us to our freewill to choose our own path even if it is not the one He desires for us. Also along this path to heaven, I imagine that there are guideposts along the way to help us find the source of true happiness in our lives. The guideposts are the Beatitudes; the source of our true happiness is Jesus Christ.

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI beautifully wrote that “. . .the Beatitudes present a sort of veiled interior biography of Jesus, a kind of portrait of his figure. . . the Beatitudes display the mystery of Christ himself, and they call us into communion with him. . .” (Jesus of Nazareth, 74). And here is how the Beatitudes are relevant to us, Pope Emeritus Benedict VXI wrote: “. . .the Beatitudes are also a ROAD MAP for  the Church, which recognizes in them the MODEL of what she herself should be. They are the DIRECTIONS for discipleship, directions that concern every individual, even though. . . they do so differently for each person” (id). In other words, with the Beatitudes, Jesus teaches us about himself and gives us a roadmap to follow him.

Let us look at this road map. Jesus “grew up like. . . a shoot from the parched earth; He had no majestic bearing to catch our eye” (Isaiah 53:2). Yet, in his poverty, Christ never lacked because he was completely dependent on and devoted to his Father in heaven. May we be poor in spirit as to be dependent on God completely. Jesus lamented to his Father during his agony in the garden, praying: “if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39). However, even in his mourning, he offered himself for us “[like] a lamb led to slaughter or a sheep silent before shearers, he did not open his mouth” (Isaiah 53:7). In our own suffering and pain, may we offer it up for the intentions of others and the world. Jesus is “meek and humble of heart” and tells us to “[take] my yoke upon you and learn from me. . . and you will find rest for yourselves. . . For my yoke is easy, and my burden light” (Matthew 11:29). May we treat others with respect and compassion and help lighten their burden however we can. 

Jesus hunger and thirst for righteousness because “[for] our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). May we always seek to do what is right in the eyes of God even when faced with hard decisions in difficult situations. Jesus is merciful for “it was our pain that he bore, our sufferings he endured. . . He bore the punishment that makes us whole, by his wounds we were healed” (53:4-5). May we show others mercy as God is merciful to us. Jesus is the Prince of Peace, a peacemaker who “bore the sins of many, and interceded for the transgressors” (53:12). May we establish, maintain, and inspire fellowship and peaceful dialogue among all peoples, and fight against injustice, racism, and hate in our society. Jesus remained faithful to his Father in heaven even as he was persecuted and “pierced for our sins, crushed for our iniquity” (53:5). May we strengthen each other in the face of persecution and remain faithful to God and His will.

Moreover, when we read the account of the Sermon of the Plain, from the Gospel of Luke, which states that Jesus raised “his eyes toward his disciples”, we realize that even in the midst of the crowds that follow and surrounds them because of Jesus, a deep intimacy exists between Jesus and his disciples, and it is to his disciples that Christ bears his soul and Spirit in his teaching on Beatitudes. Our Lord Jesus Christ desires this deep intimacy with each of us, not just right here and right now in this sacred space, but also out there in the midst of the busyness of our lives, our families, and our workplace. Wherever we may be, whatever we may be doing, whoever we may be with, Jesus is always inviting us not only to come and follow him but to become like him. He gives us a roadmap in the Beatitudes and when we commit ourselves to following his roadmap, we become evermore fully the person God created us to be.

Now, everyone here is probably aware that Fr. Charlie is leading us in a homily series on the theme of “Simplify”; as in how can we simplify our lives by decreasing in ourselves things that are not of God to make room in our hearts for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to increase in our lives. Our Lord Jesus Christ simplified the Ten Commandments when he gave us the Great Commandment: “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength’. . . . [and] ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30-31). What about the Beatitudes? How do we simplify Jesus’s teachings, his roadmap on how to live life God’s way and be full and satisfied with the contentment that comes from knowing “nothing. . . except Jesus Christ, and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2)? For an answer to this question, we look to one of the prophets of the Old Testament - Jeremiah, who wrote: “BLESSED are those who TRUST in the LORD; the LORD will be their TRUST” (17:7). For it is right and just that it is in God we trust because He leads us on the path to heaven and gives us the Beatitudes for our guideposts.

Finally, I shared with you all earlier that we encourage our goddaughter to listen and obey her parents out of love and respect for them, because they know best and will always do what is right for her and her brother. This applies to all of us in our relationship with God. Therefore, I encourage all of us to do the same, to listen and obey our Father in heaven out of love and respect for Him, because He knows what is best for us and will always do what is right for us. If we find this difficult, let us ask these hard questions of ourselves and search for honest answers in our hearts? Why did we stop trusting in God? Why did we start questioning His love for us? Why did we shun His desire to be in a relationship with each one of us? Then, let us find the courage to invite the Holy Spirit into those areas of woundedness to heal us so that we can become a people “humble and lowly, who shall take refuge in the name of the Lord”, because at the heart of the Beatitudes is our childlike dependency on our Father who lovingly guides us on the path to heaven. 🙏❤️🕊

Saul to the Apostle Paul

Sisters and brothers in Christ, today is the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, Apostle.

For today's first reading, we have two options to choose from but both are the account of the radical conversion of Saul to the Apostle Paul when he encounter our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ while on the way to Damascus to persecute Christians following the Way. In both versions, we hear Christ say to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? [. . .] I am Jesus [the Nazorean], whom you are persecuting. . ." 

As I reflected on these two Scripture passages, I was reminded of Fr. Mike Schmitz's reflection on the conversion of Paul, on his "Bible in the Year" podcast. Fr. Mike said that Saul was persecuting Christians yet he said to Saul, ". . .why are you persecuting me?" Our Lord identifies himself with his people, the Church, because we - the faithful people of God, make up the Church, which is the Body of Christ. Therefore, an attack on Christians is an attack on Jesus Christ himself.

This is interesting to me because, in today's first reading, we come to understand that persecuting the Church is persecution of Jesus himself. In Monday's Gospel, we come to understand from Christ that "whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin. . ." And then in Evangelium vitae, we come to understand that God is the Creator and only He is the Author of Life, and that “life, especially human life, belongs only to God: for this reason whoever attacks human life, in some way attacks God himself” (EV 9).

All this affirms the First Commandment and the Great Commandment to love God above all. It also affirms that an attack on the dignity and sanctity of human life is an attack on the Triune God (the Holy Trinity) - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

. . .

Gospel of the Day

Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them:

“Go into the whole world

and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.

Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved;

whoever does not believe will be condemned.

These signs will accompany those who believe:

in my name they will drive out demons,

they will speak new languages.

They will pick up serpents with their hands,

and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them.

They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

Report of the Spiritual Director, K of C Austin Chapter (1/24/2023)

• Called By Name Sunday - Diocese of Austin (1/22/2023)
• Link to submit names: https://austinvocations.com/called-by-name/
• Foster vocations in your own homes.
• Links for parents: https://austinvocations.com/parents/
• Practical Ideas for Parents
• Invite a priest, sister, or brother to dinner at your home.
• Show your children a good example of holy marriage.
• Always speak with respect for clergy and the Church.
• Speak openly of vocations to marriage, priesthood, and religious life.
• 7 Ways Families Can Promote Vocations
• Befriend Priests & Religious
• Snuggle up and read a story (about the saints)
• “The Heart of a Story: Saint Stories and Classic Tales for Tender Minds” podcast on Podbean
• Talk about vocations
• Watch a better movie (FORMED)
• Vocations Mythbusters for Parents
• Excerpt: The ideal Catholic parent understands a simple truth: that God desires your child’s happiness even more than you do! If your son experiences a genuine call from the Lord to pursue the priesthood, trust in God’s love for your son!
• Discernment to the Diaconate
• Pillars of Lent and Pillars of our Order
• Source: commentary by Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori, titled “Lent, the McGivney Way” (Columbia, Jan/Feb 2023 issue)
• Parallels
• Charity - Almsgiving: beyond financial help because it encompasses all forms of charitable outreach, putting the needs of others ahead of our own.
• Unity - Prayer: beyond our goodwill toward each other but our oneness with God, which is attained through a habit of daily prayer.
• Fraternity - Fasting: beyond a spirit of solidarity that we share but “fast” form that which undermines our fraternity - make room in our hearts for a brother Knight with whom we disagree.

Deacon Phúc’s challenges for all Knights for the months of February and March

PERSONAL & FAMILY: Foster vocations in your family - the domestic church (see report for ideas). 

COUNCIL: Great opportunity during Fish Fry to introduce families, especially the kids, to priests, deacons, and religious.

Devotion must be practiced in different ways

From The Introduction to the Devout Life, by Saint Francis de Sales, bishop

(Pars 1, cap 3)

Devotion must be practiced in different ways

When God the Creator made all things, he commanded the plants to bring forth fruit each according to its own kind; he has likewise commanded Christians, who are the living plants of his Church, to bring forth the fruits of devotion, each one in accord with his character, his station and his calling.

I say that devotion must be practiced in different ways by the nobleman and by the working man, by the servant and by the prince, by the widow, by the unmarried girl and by the married woman. But even this distinction is not sufficient; for the practice of devotion must be adapted to the strength, to the occupation and to the duties of each one in particular.

Tell me, please, my Philothea, whether it is proper for a bishop to want to lead a solitary life like a Carthusian; or for married people to be no more concerned than a Capuchin about increasing their income; or for a working man to spend his whole day in church like a religious; or on the other hand for a religious to be constantly exposed like a bishop to all the events and circumstances that bear on the needs of our neighbor. Is not this sort of devotion ridiculous, unorganized and intolerable? Yet this absurd error occurs very frequently, but in no way does true devotion, my Philothea, destroy anything at all. On the contrary, it perfects and fulfills all things. In fact if it ever works against, or is inimical to, anyone’s legitimate station and calling, then it is very definitely false devotion.

The bee collects honey from flowers in such a way as to do the least damage or destruction to them, and he leaves them whole, undamaged and fresh, just as he found them. True devotion does still better. Not only does it not injure any sort of calling or occupation, it even embellishes and enhances it.

Moreover, just as every sort of gem, cast in honey, becomes brighter and more sparkling, each according to its color, so each person becomes more acceptable and fitting in his own vocation when he sets his vocation in the context of devotion. Through devotion your family cares become more peaceful, mutual love between husband and wife becomes more sincere, the service we owe to the prince becomes more faithful, and our work, no matter what it is, becomes more pleasant and agreeable.

It is therefore an error and even a heresy to wish to exclude the exercise of devotion from military divisions, from the artisans’ shops, from the courts of princes, from family households. I acknowledge, my dear Philothea, that the type of devotion which is purely contemplative, monastic and religious can certainly not be exercised in these sorts of stations and occupations, but besides this threefold type of devotion, there are many others fit for perfecting those who live in a secular state.

Therefore, in whatever situations we happen to be, we can and we must aspire to the life of perfection.

Grafted to the Body of Christ

Sisters and brothers in Christ, today's Gospel is a reminder to us that while God has blessed us with our family - the domestic church - we are also a part of a larger family of the faithful people of God, grafted to the Body of Christ, the Church. While it can never replace or even substitute our own loving family, this larger family of the faithful people of God helps us to grow in our faith, holds us accountable in our we live out our Christian life, and supports us our times of needs.

This past Sunday, I had the blessed opportunity to see my goddaughter read for the first time at Mass, and it brought me great joy. She not only had the support of her parents and brother, her grandparents and her godparents, but her relatives, the ministry lead - Ms. Parker, Deacon Bill (who is retired), and her parish community. It was wonderful to witness how her brothers and sisters in Christ were there to lift her up in prayer and cheer her on (in silence during Mass and with congratulations and other encouraging words after Mass).

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ wants us to know that we are never alone because we are grafted to his Body - members of the Church Militant on earth, the Church Suffering in Purgatory, and the Church Triumphant in heaven. How wonderful is that?!

. . .

Gospel of the Day

The mother of Jesus and his brothers arrived at the house.

Standing outside, they sent word to Jesus and called him.

A crowd seated around him told him,

"Your mother and your brothers and your sisters

are outside asking for you."

But he said to them in reply,

"Who are my mother and my brothers?"

And looking around at those seated in the circle he said,

"Here are my mother and my brothers.

For whoever does the will of God

is my brother and sister and mother."

The sanctity of marriage and the family

From the pastoral constitution on the Church in the modern world of the Second Vatican Council

(Gaudium et spes, n. 48)

The sanctity of marriage and the family

Husband and wife, by the covenant of marriage, are no longer two, but one flesh. By their intimate union of persons and of actions they give mutual help and service to each other, experience the meaning of their unity, and gain an ever deeper understanding of it day by day.

This intimate union in the mutual self-giving of two persons, as well as the good of the children, demands full fidelity from both, and an indissoluble unity between them.

Christ the Lord has abundantly blessed this richly complex love which springs from the divine source of love and is founded on the model of his union with the Church.

In earlier times God met his people in a covenant of love and fidelity. So now the Savior of mankind, the Bridegroom of the Church, meets Christian husbands and wives in the sacrament of matrimony. Further, he remains with them in order that, as he loved the Church and gave himself up for her, so husband and wife may, in mutual self-giving, love each other with perpetual fidelity.

True married love is caught up into God’s love; it is guided and enriched by the redeeming power of Christ and the saving action of the Church, in order that the partners may be effectively led to God and receive help and strength in the sublime responsibility of parenthood.

Christian partners are therefore strengthened, and as it were consecrated, by a special sacrament for the duties and the dignity of their state. By the power of this sacrament they fulfill their obligations to each other and to their family and are filled with the spirit of Christ. This spirit pervades their whole lives with faith, hope and love. Thus they promote their own perfection and each other’s sanctification, and so contribute together to the greater glory of God.

Hence, with parents leading the way by example and family prayer, their children—indeed, all within the family circle—will find it easier to make progress in natural virtues, in salvation and in holiness. Husband and wife, raised to the dignity and the responsibility of parenthood, will be zealous in fulfilling their task as educators, especially in the sphere of religious education, a task that is primarily their own.

Children, as active members of the family, contribute in their own way to the holiness of their parents. With the love of grateful hearts, with loving respect and trust, they will return the generosity of their parents and will stand by them as true sons and daughters when they meet with hardship and the loneliness of old age.

United under the one banner of Christ

Sisters and brothers in Christ, in today's Gospel, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ speaks to us about how Satan uses deception to drive wedges among the faithful people of God, especially on the issue of the dignity and sanctity of human life from conception to natural death. Similar to how the serpent deceived Adam & Eve, the Evil One manipulates us into believing that it is okay to rebel against God. They attacked His goodness and, in turning away from everything that He gave them,  they chose a path of destruction rather than live in peace and harmony with Him.

On this day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children, let us always remember that God is the Creator and only He is the Author of Life, and that “life, especially human life, belongs only to God: for this reason whoever attacks human life, in some way attacks God himself” (EV 9). Because of our fallen human nature, of which the cause was Satan himself, our life can sometimes feel overwhelming with pain, suffering, and heartache because of the choices that others make or our own choices. In those moments, rather than blaspheme against the Holy Spirit and be "guilty of an everlasting sin", may we have the courage to turn our our Lord and our God with humble, contrite, and repentant hearts to seek His mercy and encounter His transforming love in our lives.

Satan is cunning in that he will not rise up against himself and be divided because he knows that he will not stand. Do not allow Satan to divide us against one another but, rather let us unite under the banner of our Lord Jesus Christ against the snares of the Devil. The Good News is, we are not along, the Holy Spirit on our side. The Holy Spirit is our "strong man" and He will not be tied up nor will He allow us to be tied up by Satan. So let us turn to him for strength and courage to follow and remain faithful to Christ always.

. . .

Gospel of the Day

The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said of Jesus,

"He is possessed by Beelzebul," and

"By the prince of demons he drives out demons."

Summoning them, he began to speak to them in parables,

"How can Satan drive out Satan?

If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

And if a house is divided against itself,

that house will not be able to stand.

And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided,

he cannot stand;

that is the end of him.

But no one can enter a strong man's house to plunder his property

unless he first ties up the strong man.

Then he can plunder his house.  

Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies

that people utter will be forgiven them.

But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit

will never have forgiveness,

but is guilty of an everlasting sin."

For they had said, "He has an unclean spirit."

Out of our mind for Christ

Sisters and brothers in Christ, when I started Diaconal Formation several years ago, many wondered why I would put so much time and effort into something that not only would not help me earn more money but take me away of time with families and friends. They had a point but, at the same time, it was a desire in my heart to serve God and His people in this special way. This calling from God was hard for me to understand at that time, much less explain, but it has brought me much peace and joy to follow God's will.

I cannot imagine how difficult it might be for a young man or a young woman to explain their calling from God to serve our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as a priest or a religious brother or a religious sister. In a way, the view is that they are giving up a lot - money, career, a family of their own one day, etc. - to live a life dedicated to serving God and His Church on earth. By worldly standards, many might even think that they are out of their minds.

Yet, as our Lord Jesus Christ shows us into today's Gospel, while a life following the will of His Father in heaven might an a challenging one - to the point of not being able to rest or eat in his own home - there is a lot of joy in saying "Yes" to God to serve Him and His people. Fortunately, Jesus had the support of his Mother, Mary, his foster father, Joseph, and his disciples and friends.

As we celebrate Called by Name Sunday, in the Diocese of Austin, this Sunday, let us pray for all our priests and religious brothers and sisters for their "Yes", as well as for all young men and young women (and their families) who are discerning God's will and the vocation that He may be calling them to. May they have the strength to come and follow Jesus Christ even if others might think that they are out of their minds.

. . .

Gospel of the Day

Jesus came with his disciples into the house.

Again the crowd gathered,

making it impossible for them even to eat.

When his relatives heard of this they set out to seize him,

for they said, "He is out of his mind."

Reflecting on Tết (Year of the Rabbit/Cat - 1/22/2023)

Growing up, Tết (or Lunar New Year or Chinese New Year) was always a fun time to celebrate the new year, give thanks for the past year, and wish our parents and those older than us good health, prosperity, and happiness in the year to come. As a kid, it was the time of year to add to the "riches" of Christmas with the little "red envelops" of cash (bao lì xì). LOL 😁

Then, in college, Tết was a time for múa lân (or lion dancing) with the Vietnamese Students Association (VSA) at UT-Austin. It was after one of these 3-hour performances, at the Hong Kong Supermarket, that I introduced my girlfriend (and future wife) to my parents. She was not pleased with me for doing that because she was all sweaty, her hair was a mess, and she smelled like sulfur from all the fireworks. But, then again, we all were. LOL 😁

As an adult, I have not celebrated Tết as I once did; although, I still call and wish our parents a happy and prosperous new year and good health in my best tiếng Việt. However, it is always a fun time when we do have a chance to get together with our families to celebrate. One year, we celebrated at the Chinatown in Austin with my family. Another year, we celebrated at my wife's aunt's house in Houston. We also had a chance to attend Mass at the Holy Vietnamese Martyrs Catholic Church, on Yager Lane, one Tết and it was wonderful to see Bishop Vásquez celebrate the Mass and offer a blessing in his best tiếng Việt. At our parish of Saint Albert the Great, we started an English-Vietnamese bilingual Mass for the feast of the Holy Vietnamese Martyrs last November. We hope to keep that as an annual event and build from there.

This year, I look forward to watching my soon-to-be-9-yrs-old goddaughter read at Mass for the first time. Come to think of it, I get to celebrate three new years - liturgical new year, traditional new year, and Lunar New Year (Tết). . . Chúc mừng năm mới, everyone!

Equal opportunity for greatness

Sisters and brothers in Christ, I remember back in middle school and high school being one of the last ones to be picked to play basketball at gym class. Perhaps it was their prior playing experience with me that led them not to pick me earlier to be on their team. However, I was grateful to the team captains who gave me a chance to play on their team. (I admit, though, I was not a great "b-ball player" in middle school and high school; although, I improved a little in college. Hahaha)

Today's Gospel reminded me of this experience because our Lord Jesus Christ, being fully God and fully Man, knew what he was doing when he picked Judas Iscariot to be one of his apostles. Perhaps Jesus held out hope that Judas, of his own freewill, would not betray him. However, Judas' heart was hardened with pride and greed and eventually led him down a path of destruction.

You see, God calls all of us to come and follow Him - no matter our gender, race, background, socio-economic status, etc. God puts his laws in our minds and writes them upon our hearts. He desires to be our God and we His people. Thus, we all have the same chance (the equal opportunity, if you will) to come and follow our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to choose to be faithful to Jesus and not betray him with our words and actions.

. . .

Gospel of the Day

Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted

and they came to him.

He appointed Twelve, whom he also named Apostles,

that they might be with him

and he might send them forth to preach

and to have authority to drive out demons:

He appointed the Twelve:

Simon, whom he named Peter;

James, son of Zebedee,

and John the brother of James, whom he named Boanerges,

that is, sons of thunder;

Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew,

Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus;

Thaddeus, Simon the Cananean,

and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.

Invitation to "Gus Busbi" Book Study

I am starting a book study on Catholic author Jim Sano's novel - "Gus Busbi". We will start to meet on the Wednesday after Ash Wednesday, so March 1st, and go through Lent and the end of the Easter season. There are 47 chapters in the book so this will give us time to read, reflect, and discuss.

As preparation for the book study, I have read the novel and reflected on the theme, which I have discerned touches on the topics of faith, forgiveness, race, prejudices, and lack of strong male role models for boys and young men. I have also discerned reading and discussing the USCCB's "Open Wide Our Hearts: The Enduring Call to Love, A Pastoral Letter Against Racism."

If you all feel that these are topics that are beneficial for men of the parish to discuss openly and honestly with each other, in the safe space of church (at Saint Albert the Great Catholic Church, Austin, TX), then please invite the men to reach out to me to join the book study. I can be reached at deaconphuc@saintalbert.org.

Counted among the followers of Christ

Sisters and brothers in Christ, we read in today's Gospel that a "large number of people followed" Jesus that he told his disciples to get him a boat so that the crowd "would not crush him." Why wouldn't people follow Jesus, right? He cured many of their afflictions - physical ailments and unclean spirits - which caused them to press upon him to touch him so that they may be cured.

What about us? Do we have this same desire in our hearts to follow Jesus closely? Do we trust that God will heal us mind, body, soul, and spirit when we seek Him out? Saint Paul, as he usually does, tells it to us like it is, saying: "Jesus is always able to save those who approach God through him, since he lives forever to make intercession for them." Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is always ready, able, and willing to save us but, out of respect for our freewill, he waits for us to come to him. 

While many of us are counted among the "large number of people" who follow Jesus, so many still do not, including our own family members and friends. One of things that Bishop Robert Barron encourage all Mass-going Catholics to do in the new year it to invite a friend or a family to attend Mass with them. Perhaps we ought to take this challenge to heart - for their sake, for the Church, but most of all, for the sake of our salvation.

. . .

Gospel of the Day

Jesus withdrew toward the sea with his disciples.

A large number of people followed from Galilee and from Judea.

Hearing what he was doing,

a large number of people came to him also from Jerusalem,

from Idumea, from beyond the Jordan,

and from the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon.

He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd,

so that they would not crush him.

He had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases

were pressing upon him to touch him.

And whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him

and shout, “You are the Son of God.”

He warned them sternly not to make him known.

Never a bad time to do good works

Sisters and brothers in Christ, we read in today's Gospel that the Pharisees "watched Jesus closely to see if he would cure [the man with a withered hand] on the sabbath. . ." Why? "[So] that they might accuse him. . ." However, we know how Jesus would respond to them because, as our Lord had said before: "Who among you, if your son or ox falls into a cistern, would not immediately pull him out on the sabbath day?” But they were unable to answer his question (Luke 14:5-6).

There is never a bad time to do good works even on the sabbath. I remember back in high school, I had a friend who joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormonism) and she did not want to do anything on Sunday. I also remember when we vacationed in Oahu, Hawaii, one summer, and we drove through a Mormon village on a Sunday and everything was closed. However, I know in my heart that they would not deny help to someone in a dire situation even if it happens to be a Sunday.

This is what our Lord trying to get the Pharisees to understand when he asked them: "Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?" Again, "they remained silent" and Jesus, with righteous anger at the hardness of their hearts, healed and restored the man's hand. Like Jesus, we must always strive to do the right thing in the eyes of God, even when it opposes the laws of man.

. . .

Gospel of the Day

Jesus entered the synagogue.

There was a man there who had a withered hand.

They watched Jesus closely

to see if he would cure him on the sabbath

so that they might accuse him.

He said to the man with the withered hand,

"Come up here before us."

Then he said to the Pharisees,

"Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil,

to save life rather than to destroy it?"

But they remained silent.

Looking around at them with anger

and grieved at their hardness of heart,

Jesus said to the man, "Stretch out your hand."

He stretched it out and his hand was restored.

The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel

with the Herodians against him to put him to death.

Reflecting on the Real Presence

Recently, I had the great pleasure of talking with a young man about the Real Presence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, in the context of interfaith relationships and prospective marriage. He is Catholic and his girlfriend is Baptist. She has a hard time accepting that she is excluded from receiving Holy Communion during a Catholic Mass. In the same way, Catholics should not receive Communion at Christian worship services where the belief is that the bread and wine is only a symbol or representation of the Body and Blood of Christ.

As we talked, I get a sense that he (unlike the 70%+ Catholic) truly believe in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. He understands that when Catholics say "Amen" in response to "The Body of Christ" or "The Blood of Christ", we are affirming our belief that the bread and wine has truly become the Body and Blood of Christ. We affirm our belief that the Eucharist is the source and summit of our Catholic faith and the Christian life.

The Catholic Church has upheld this teaching of the Real Presence from the very beginning, a teaching given to us by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ himself in his Discourse on the Bread of Life (John 6:22-59), saying: "For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink" (John 6:55). Those who do not believe walked away. . . "Then many of his disciples who were listening said, 'This saying is hard; who can accept it?'” (John 6:30). Moreover, during the Last Supper, Jesus said:

Matthew 26:26 & Mark 14:22 - “Take and eat; this is my body.”

Luke 22:19 - "This is my body, which will be given for you. . ."

Matthew 26:28 & Mark 14:24 - "This is my blood of the covenant. . ."

Luke 22:20 - "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you."

I invited him to invite his girlfriend to Eucharistic Adoration (or Procession) and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to her. It is okay that she does not believe in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. It also means that she should be okay with not receiving Holy Communion during a Catholic Mass, especially if she cannot respond "Amen" with conviction and truth in her heart.

A vocation story for Called by Name Sunday

From the Life of Saint Anthony by Saint Athanasius, bishop
(Cap. 2-4: PG 26, 842-846)

Saint Anthony receives his vocation

When Anthony was about eighteen or twenty years old, his parents died, leaving him with an only sister. He cared for her as she was very young, and also looked after their home.

Not six months after his parents’ death, as he was on his way to church for his usual visit, he began to think of how the apostles had left everything and followed the Savior, and also of those mentioned in the book of Acts who had sold their possessions and brought the apostles the money for distribution to the needy. He reflected too on the great hope stored up in heaven for such as these. This was all in his mind when, entering the church just as the Gospel was being read, he heard the Lord’s words to the rich man: If you want to be perfect, go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor–you will have riches in heaven. Then come and follow me.

It seemed to Anthony that it was God who had brought the saints to his mind and that the words of the Gospel had been spoken directly to him. Immediately he left the church and gave away to the villagers all the property he had inherited, about 200 acres of very beautiful and fertile land, so that it would cause no distraction to his sister and himself. He sold all his other possessions as well, giving to the poor the considerable sum of money he collected. However, to care for his sister he retained a few things.

The next time he went to church he heard the Lord say in the Gospel: Do not be anxious about tomorrow. Without a moment’s hesitation he went out and gave the poor all that he had left. He placed his sister in the care of some well-known and trustworthy virgins and arranged for her to be brought up in the convent. Then he gave himself up to the ascetic life, not far from his own home. He kept a careful watch over himself and practiced great austerity. He did manual work because he had heard the words: If anyone will not work, do not let him eat. He spent some of his earnings on bread and the rest he gave to the poor.

Having learned that we should always be praying, even when we are by ourselves, he prayed without ceasing. Indeed, he was so attentive when Scripture was read that nothing escaped him and because he retained all he heard, his memory served him in place of books.

Seeing the kind of life he lived, the villagers and all the good men he knew called him the friend of God, and they loved him as both son and brother.

Homily for Wedding of Tony & Trang

I had the blessed opportunity to officiate wedding #11 this afternoon. Please keep this wonderful couple in your prayers. Below is my homily:

Good afternoon. We come together this afternoon to celebrate the love that binds Trang and Tony, a love that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ blesses in the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony. More importantly, however, we come together to celebrate a greater love: God's love for each and everyone of us. Tony, you love Trang and,Trang, you love Tony because God loves each of you first. When you replace “love” and “it” with “God” and “He” in Saint Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, the second reading that you have selected, you not only get a sense of how much God loves you but how each of you can model this love for one another in your vocation as husband and wife. Just listen: “[God] is patient, [God] is kind. [He] is not jealous, [He] is not pompous, [He] is not inflated, [He] is not rude, [He] does not seek [His] own interests, [He] is not quick-tempered, [He] does not brood over injury, [God] does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. [God] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. [God] never fails.” God is love.

I want to commend you both for putting in the time and effort to start your married life on the right foot by being here in the presence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In just a moment here, in the presence of your family, God will join you together. Tony, you will be joined to Trang. . . Trang, you will be joined to Tony. . . and you “are no longer two but one flesh”, as we heard proclaimed in the Gospel. I encourage you to keep God in your hearts and invite Him to be a part of your marital relationship. I promise you that if you do this each and everyday of your life as husband and wife, your love for each other will increase and be filled with an abundance of joy and peace. For what God has joined together, no one must separate.

The first reading and the passage from the Gospel of Mark that you chose speak of the deep intimacy that the both of you will share as husband and wife, an intimacy that begins today when you center into the Sacrament of Matrimony. There is deep intimacy when two become one flesh. Even though you are here with families and friends to celebrate this joyous occasion, during the Rite, when you hold hands, look into each other’s eyes, and exchange your vows from the depth of your hearts, it will be just the two of you making those vows before God and with God. And after more celebration at the reception later today, it will just be the two of you on your wedding night. And like Tobias and Sarah on their wedding night, take a moment of quiet prayer to give God praise and thanks for the gift of each other, to be each other’s help and support. Entrust your past to God's mercy, your present to His love, and your future to His divine providence. Pray for God's love and mercy to be pour forth upon you as husband and wife, so that you have the strength and courage to be each other’s help and support in good times and in bad times, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, so that you may "live together to a happy old age" filled with love and cherished memories.

At this time, I invite you - Tony and Trang - to face one another and hold each other’s left hand while putting your right hand on each other’s heart. Now, I invite the parents of the bride and the groom, along with everyone here - families and friends, to raise your right hand in the direction of Tony and Trang and repeat after me this prayer of blessing for the both of them. Please repeat after me:

May the Lord bless you and keep you!

May the Lord let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you!

May the Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace! (Numbers 6:24-26)

Amen.

Tony and Trang, remember this prayer of blessing and pray it over each other as often as possible during your married life together and your love will bear much fruit in so many wonderful ways. Well now, are you two ready to become husband and wife? [Yes.] Good answer! 

. . .

Bonus: We got to visit with Dr. Storm, who came back to do the music for the Wedding. 

Unable to get near Jesus

Sisters and brothers in Christ, as I read today's Gospel's account of the paralytic man being lowered down by his friends to meet Jesus, this line struck me: ". . .unable to get near Jesus. . ." While the paralytic man may have been physically distant from Christ, he was spiritually close to God because of his faith. Moreover, not only was he close to God spiritually, his friends were as well. Jesus saw and affirmed their faith, saying: ". .. your sins are forgiven."

There are times in our lives when we are "unable to get near Jesus." It could be the busyness of life - family, work, exercise, etc. - that cause us not to have time to spend in prayer. Prayer is how we get near to God. Attending Mass is how to get near to God and our neighbors and be nourished by the Eucharist. However, if the busyness of life is getting in the way of being nearer to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, then perhaps it is time to simplify things. Now, how we choose to simplify our life is up to our individual discernment but, the important thing is to make more time for prayer and prioritize Mass attendance on the weekends.

These two things will help us get nearer to Jesus; however, like the paralytic man, we cannot do this on our own. We need the loving support of our families and friends, especially loving hearts that understand our need to be nearer to Jesus above all in our life. In turn, we can be that to others who feel empty, lack purpose in life, and ache for meaningful relationships, especially with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

. . .

Gospel of the Day

When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days,

it became known that he was at home.

Many gathered together so that there was no longer room for them,

not even around the door,

and he preached the word to them.

They came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men.

Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd,

they opened up the roof above him.

After they had broken through,

they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying.

When Jesus saw their faith, he said to him,

“Child, your sins are forgiven.”

Now some of the scribes were sitting there asking themselves,

“Why does this man speak that way?  He is blaspheming.

Who but God alone can forgive sins?”

Jesus immediately knew in his mind what 

they were thinking to themselves, 

so he said, “Why are you thinking such things in your hearts?

Which is easier, to say to the paralytic,

‘Your sins are forgiven,’

or to say, ‘Rise, pick up your mat and walk’?

But that you may know

that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth”

–he said to the paralytic,

“I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home.”

He rose, picked up his mat at once, 

and went away in the sight of everyone.

They were all astounded

and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.”

The priest of Jesus Christ and his Church

WHEN YOU VISIT A PRIEST, PLEASE REMEMBER. . . #repost

That a priest isn't married, nor will he have a family of his own. No wife, no children. His family is his parishioners. He is a spiritual father in faith to the community he serves. His future is in celebrating the Eucharist at mass every day, listening to confessions, anointing the sick, serving those who come to him for help. A priest may serve a parish only for a minimum of five to seven years. After that he may be transferred to another parish or assigned a different role in the Church. He relies on his team of volunteers, staff and the lay faithful. Don't expect him to be there all the time for you.

When you give money to the Church, you may be surprised to know that the money isn't for him because no priest earns a fixed salary. They receive a stipend to meet their basic expenses of food, clothing and travel. They save every penny to go for a vacation and much of the money is gifted by friends, relatives and well wishers as they don't get paid leave like the rest of us who work. While we work for a fixed amount of hours with two days off a week , priests are expected to be on stand by 24/7. So don't be angry if they don't respond to you when you need them. They are humans as well with the same frailty as us.

If you hear anyone speaking badly about a particular priest, please correct that person and don't engage in idle gossip without knowing the facts. Remember that they are alone and at times would need company. Pay attention to their emotional, physical and mental needs. Accompany them if needed or offer a helping hand or even a lift. It's not easy to go out alone at 2 or 3 in the morning especially in dangerous neighborhoods for counseling or even anointing someone on their death bed. If someone comes to them at such an hour for help, they have to get up from their deep sleep and still be expected to celebrate Mass in the morning. Who is there for them when they are ill or have emergencies in the middle of the night? Yet they are required to perform their duties because if not them, who?

Remember their birthdays, ordination anniversaries and important  events in their lives. Celebrate with them, cry with them. Offer a shoulder to lean on. If they fall, don't judge or criticize. Lift them up and help them on their journey in life. Don't be offended if they don't live up to your expectations. No priest is perfect.

So take care of your priests, remember the ones who baptized, confirmed, married and anointed you. The ones who offer masses for your intentions and pray for you. May God bless our priests in Jesus name, our eternal High Priest. Amen.

Unburdening our leprous souls

Sisters and brothers in Christ, one January 9th, men from across the country (and perhaps even the world), started Exodus90. It is 90 days dedicated to prayer, ascetical practices, and community to help the men remove from their lives those things that separate them from loving God fully and experiencing His love fully in of them. In other words, the men are cleansing their heart so that  they may not have, as Saint Paul puts it in today's first reading, "an evil and unfaithful heart, so as to forsake the living God." (Please keep these men in your prayers, especially the 27 men at St. Albert the Great and their group leaders. Also, pray for the women who are participating in Fiat90.)

In a way, Exodus90 is a way for men to go through a cleansing so that they can more fully participate in the life of the Church at their local parishes. A leper, like the one in today's Gospel, is one who is ostracized from the community but, worst than that, since they are considered unclean, they cannot enter the temple to worship the Lord. We are like lepers because our sins cause us to be ostracized from the community of faithful because of the shame and guilt that burden our heart and our soul. But worst than that, our sins cause us to be separated from the love and mercy of God.

However, when we turn to God with humble and contrite hearts and say, "[Lord] if you wish, you can make me clean," and surrender ourselves to His mercy, God will respond, saying: "I do will it. Be made clean." We can then participate fully in the life of the Church and be reconnected with the community of the faithful. Most of all, thought, we can be right with God again. This is also what  our Lord and Jesus Christ offers to us in the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Penance) or Confession.

. . .

Gospel of the Day

A leper came to him and kneeling down begged him and said,

“If you wish, you can make me clean.”

Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand,

touched the leper, and said to him,

“I do will it. Be made clean.”

The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean.

Then, warning him sternly, he dismissed him at once.

Then he said to him, “See that you tell no one anything,

but go, show yourself to the priest

and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed;

that will be proof for them.”

The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter.

He spread the report abroad

so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly.

He remained outside in deserted places,

and people kept coming to him from everywhere.

Reflecting on Gus Busbi

Sisters and brothers in Christ, I am starting a book study on Jim Sano's novel - "Gus Busbi" - and, as preparation, I am reading the book right now. So far, it is a fascinating story and I cannot wait to share it with other men at the parish who will participate in the book study.

I bring this up because this verse from today's first reading reminded me of one of the characters in the book: ". . .free those who through fear of death had been subject to slavery all their life." When we do not believe that there is anything beyond this life, we have little hope and live life with the "YOLO" (you only live once) mentality that can be reckless and harmful to ourselves and those around us, like this one character in the novel. However, when our hope is in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ - who is "a merciful and faithful high priest before God to expiate the sins of the people" - then we can live life with a purpose, of which is to be in eternal life with our Father in heaven.

Moreover, in today's Gospel, we read how busy Jesus' ministry kept him busy - teaching at the synagogue in the morning, healing Simon's mother and others well into the night - yet he always found time for prayer. . . "[rising] very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed. . ." preparing himself for another day. Prayer strengthens us because, in our conversations with our heavenly Father, He reassures us of our worth and that He loves us and desires the best for us. This gives us hope even when the people around us might have already written us off, God never gives up on us. Never. So let us never give up on ourselves and turn to God in those times when we need to know that we are loved, that we have a purpose, and that we have worth.

. . .

Gospel of the Day

On leaving the synagogue

Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John.

Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever.

They immediately told him about her.

He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up.

Then the fever left her and she waited on them.

When it was evening, after sunset,

they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons.

The whole town was gathered at the door.

He cured many who were sick with various diseases,

and he drove out many demons,

not permitting them to speak because they knew him.

Rising very early before dawn, 

he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed.

Simon and those who were with him pursued him

and on finding him said, “Everyone is looking for you.”

He told them, “Let us go on to the nearby villages

that I may preach there also.

For this purpose have I come.”

So he went into their synagogues, preaching and driving out demons 

throughout the whole of Galilee.

Jesus is THE authority

Sisters and brothers in Christ, we have all heard the phrase "fake it until you make it" but there is no faking the authority in which Jesus taught at the synagogue, in Capernaum, as we read in today's Gospel. Jesus taught "not as the scribes" who read and interpret Scriptures to teach but rather as one who was the source of that authority. And, of course, Jesus is THE authority. He is the Word of God who became Flesh and dwelt among us. God speaks in His Word - His only Begotten Son - and has nothing more to reveal because, in the fullness of time, the Father sent our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

To know Jesus is to know His Father in heaven. To see Christ is to see the very face of God. To learn from Jesus is to learn from God Himself. That is the authority in which Jesus taught. Moreover, there is power and authority in His Holy Name because he commands "even the unclean spirits and they obey him." Most of all, Christ perfected our salvation through his suffering and death on the Cross as Saint Paul wrote in today's first reading:

. . .we do see Jesus “crowned with glory and honor” because he suffered death, he who “for a little while” was made “lower than the angels,” that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

Therefore, let us in this new year, let us pray with a thankful heart and praise our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for dying on the Cross for our salvation. And let us always thank him for sending us his Spirit to sanctify us as we strive to live lives of holiness.

. . .

Gospel of the Day

Jesus came to Capernaum with his followers, 

and on the sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught.

The people were astonished at his teaching,

for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.

In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit;

he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?

Have you come to destroy us?

I know who you are–the Holy One of God!” 

Jesus rebuked him and said, “Quiet!  Come out of him!”

The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him.

All were amazed and asked one another,

“What is this?

A new teaching with authority.

He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.”

His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.

Dcn. Phúc's Reflections & Notes for "Catechism in a Year" (Days 1 - 10)

Day 1 (CCC 1 - 10): Faith is an invitation from God to enter into a relationship with Him. I was watching "Angels & Demons" (Dan Brown's novel made into a movie starring Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon) and Langdon said to the new pope that faith is a gift he has yet to receive. I thought to myself, "Well, Professor Langdon, have you asked God for the gift of faith?" Let us ask ourselves the same question. Have we asked God for the gift of faith? To encounter Jesus Christ and know him better? If not, then what is holding us back? Pride? Fear?

From Aleteia:

The whole concern of doctrine and its teaching must be directed to the love that never ends. Whether something is proposed for belief, for hope or for action, the love of our Lord must always be made accessible, so that anyone can see that all the works of perfect Christian virtue spring from love and have no other objective than to arrive at love.

Day 2 (CCC 11 - 25): the four pillars of the Catechism are Profession of Faith, the Sacraments of Faith, Life of Faith (moral teachings), and Prayer in the Life of Faith. When we share the teachings of the Church, we should meet the people where they are at in their faith journey, their age, season of life, etc., but always with charity (love). Most of all, let the end goal of learning be love of our Lord and sharing that love with each other.

From Bishop Cozzen:

Authority is a great gift because it allows us to be obedient. What saved us? It was by the obedience of the Son to the Father that saves us. Our obedience unites us to our Lord Jesus Christ's obedience which unites us to God Himself.

Day 3 (Intro with Jeff Cavins"): There is a lot of unpack in this episode but my biggest take away is that there are two movements we should have when we read or listen to the Catechism - intellectual assent and personal entrustment. For me, the first two pillars - Profession of Faith and Sacraments of Faith - is the intellectual assent, us receiving God's revelation. Then, the second two pillars - Life of Faith (moral teachings) and Prayer in the Life of Faith - is us entrusting ourselves to God and our belief in what He has revealed to us is Truth. God reveals Himself to us through words and deeds; we are called to respond to God's revelation to us in faith through words and deeds. Most of all, it is encountering the living Word of God and entrusting our lives to our Creator.

Day 4 (CCC 26 - 35): God created us out of love and, through His love, we are sustained. We can know our Creator in His Creation (the world around us both natural - fellow human beings, animals, etc. - and artificial - cars, houses, etc.) and our heart seeks a relationship with our Lord God and our heart is restless unless it rests in God our Father. We need intellect, sound will (not fickle), upright heart (depth of character), and witness of others to help us to know God in our lives. The beauty in the world points us to the beauty of our Creator. We need His grace to know Him, to believe in Him, and to have a personal relationship with Him. That is our prayer.

Day 5 (CCC 36 - 43):  In His Creation, especially man who is created in God's image and likeness, God reveals Himself to us. Therefore, God is knowable through the gift of reason even though we are limited by our fears and imagination and even our words to fully know God. However, the words we use to describe God tells us what He is and, at the same time, tells us what He is not. For instance, we call God, Father; however, our Father in heaven is a loving Father even if our earthly father might not be. Throughout Scripture, particularly with our Lord Jesus Christ in the Gospels, God tells us "Do not be afraid." Let us not be afraid to come to Jesus and know Him better.

Day 6 (CCC 44 - 49): Today is a recap. We can know God through His Creation, including each other - man. Man are by nature physical and spiritual (religious) beings. We are also called to a vocation in our life that gives us purpose, which fulfills our desire for "more" in our life. When we find our purpose in God and unite our will with His will, we have joy even in the midst of trials and tribulations. Moreover, faith and science go hand in hand - questions of science is "what is this and how did it come about?" and the questions of faith is "who made this and why? - they do not contradict each other but complement each other and help us to find meaning and purpose in our life. Moreover, objective truth can never be replaced by subjective (experiences) truth. "Without the Creator, the creature vanishes" (Guadium et spes).

Day 7 (CCC 50 - 58): God comes to meet man. God reveals Himself so that man can know Him and love Him "far beyond our own natural capacity." Throughout Scriptures, we read how God reveal Himself to His people through the His covenants because He refuses to abandon us to death, even though we reject Him time and time again. Providentially, in the first reading for today, Saint John had this to write: "If anyone sees his brother sinning, if the sin is not deadly, he should pray to God and he will give him life." God does not give up on us sinners; therefore, let us not give up on each other when we sin but let us rather be like God and forgive each other and help each other.

Day 8 (CCC 59 - 64): Who we know God to be is revealed to us in stages by Him. For example, who we know God to be as a child is different than when we are adults. God is the same, but our understanding of God as He reveals Himself to us is different based on our age, experiences, and understanding. Jesus is the one who fulfills the old covenant and establishes the new and everlasting covenant that is written on our hearts. Fr. Mike believes that God moves slowly so we retain the freedom to deny Him, the freedom to reject Him, and the freedom to love Him. Finally, the holy women, including Mary, suffered but always remain hopeful in God so we can look to their examples in our own lives.

Day 9 (CCC 65 - 73): Throughout salvation history, God spoke to his people through the prophets. In the fullness of time, He spoke through His Word, by His Son, and has no more to say. Therefore, let us know be prideful and offend God by asking Him to reveal something new or different than what He has already revealed to us through His Son. As Saint John of the Cross teaches us, "Any person questioning God or desiring some vision or revelation would be guilty not only of foolish behavior but also of offending him, by not fixing his eyes entirely upon Christ and by living with the desire for some other novelty." No matter how often we ask Him, His answer will not change. . . His Word. Take the Baptism of the Lord for example, which we celebrate today, the Holy Trinity is revealed to us and we do not fully understand it but grasp the significance of this revelation over time. As for "private revelations", the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima and Divine Mercy, the message contains nothing contrary to "faith and moral" but help us grow in piety.

Day 10 (CCC 74 - 79): The deposit of faith, the revelation of God through His Word (our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ), is transmitted from generation to generation in word and Tradition of the Catholic Church. This is so that God's will for "everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth" can be carried out by the apostles and the Church. CCC 79 - God continues to speak with the spouse of His Beloved Son, the Church, so that the fullness of truth can be revealed to the faithful people of God in all its richness, handed on through the apostolic succession - from the apostles to the bishops of the Church.  Therefore, let us take that baton and run with it, and pass it on to the next person, especially fathers and mothers to their children. I always tell engaged and married couples that the greatest gift that can give their children the the gift of faith in Jesus Christ so that in difficult times, they know that they are loved by their Father in heaven.

Epiphany and Baptism of the Lord and. . . Cousin

Sisters and brothers in Christ, it has been an eventful Sunday of the Epiphany of the Lord. I served at the 10:00 and 12:00 Mass and then enjoyed a wonderful production of the Boar's Head Pageant - An Epiphany Celebration. My wife, Theresa, and I were involved with the pageant as lord and lady for many years but we decided to hang up our dancing shoes a few years ago because of Diaconal Formation and my ministry commitment as a deacon. The pageant itself underwent a rewrite of the script after being absent in 2021 because of the pandemic, followed by a video tribute in 2022.

The angels and sprites were adorable. The musicians, dancers, and jesters were great. The royal court and shepherds were fantastic. Along with the change to the script came the addition of a new character in the royal court, the unnamed, Cousin, of the king and queen. Cousin (enthusiastically and perfectly played by the one and only, Nick S.), in a way, is like the three wise men / kings / magi in search of the Christ Child. As first, Cousin was all about the party and gifts, as is the case with most everyone during the holiday season leading up to the Christmas season. However, by the end, he desires in his heart to follow the light of Christ. Cousin's journey, the wise men's journey, is our journey of faith but, more than that, it is God calling us to himself. Like the magi following the star, God puts people in our lives to lead us back to Him.

I say "lead us back to Him" because through our Baptism, we are His beloved sons and daughters. We celebrate the Baptism of the Lord to remind us that, while Jesus did not need to be baptized, he allowed himself to be baptized by John the Baptist to purify and sanctify the water of Baptism and left us an example to follow. And when he emerged from the water of the Jordan, the Trinity - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - is revealed and, through our Lord Jesus Christ, we are reborn in the water of Baptism as beloved sons and daughters of our Lord and our God. However, in small ways, through the words and deeds of our parents, others around, and, especially, ourselves, we slowly drift away from God. Yet, God loves us and always calls us back to Him, desiring to reveal His Sacred Heart to us that was pierced for us.

Let us be like the magi who risked everything and even left behind loved ones to follow the star to Christ. Let us be the light to lead others to Christ, imitating its "humble service: to be servants, as best we can, of the grace that invites all men to find Christ" (Saint Leo the Great, pope). Let us be like Cousin in our willingness to open our hearts to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and allow the trajectory of our lives to change because of our encounter with our Lord and our God. Most of all, let us always call to mind our Baptism into a new life in Christ.