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

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

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

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

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

Below is my homily that I shared during the Rite:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

When parishioners come up to me after Mass and ask for prayers for an upcoming medical procedure, I do two things. First, I pray with them. Second, I encourage them to receive the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick from a priest before their medical procedure. I share with them that the Sacrament will help them prepare mentally, emotionally, and, more importantly, spiritually, not only for the procedure itself but leading up to the procedure and after it, whatever may come. God is always drawing us to Himself, especially in our time of need.

Jesus is always inviting us to come and follow him, like the “woman suffering hemorrhages for twelve years,” we must have faith and find the courage to go to him. Moreover, we can learn a lot from the father about how to live the spiritual life. The father listened to Jesus as he was talking. Jesus is the Word of God and he speaks to us in Scripture, particularly the Gospels, and calls us to listen to his words spoken to us through Scripture. The father then approached Jesus and “knelt down before him.” Before the Lord of lords and the King of kings, he showed tremendous reverence. We must show the same reverence when we approach our Lord and Savior Jesus, be in when we come up for Holy Communion or in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. He also patiently waited for Jesus when Christ was tending to the needs of the “woman suffering hemorrhages.” Can we live with “according to God’s will and in His timing”?

More significantly, even at his most vulnerable - his daughter was dying - “he does not stay at home complaining about his daughter’s illness, but rather he goes out and asks for help” (Pope Leo XIV, 6/25/2025). This is important for us to remember when we, or our loved ones, are facing trials and tribulations in our lives. In those moments, we must have the faith and courage to turn to our Lord Jesus Christ who saves us. The father’s faith and trust in Jesus never wavered, just listen to what he said to Jesus: “My daughter has just died. But come, lay your hand on her, and she will live." How did Jesus respond to such faith and trust in him? “Jesus rose and followed him, and so did his disciples.”

Jesus healed the “woman suffering hemorrhages for twelve years and said to her, "Courage, daughter!  Your faith has saved you." Jesus can heal us. Jesus saves the little girl. He can save us. However, Christ desires for us to come to him with our prayers and needs because he desires to be in a relationship with us. And so, let us be like the father and the woman and turn to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ with faith, courage, and trust.

Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/070725.cfm