Category: Pastor Letter

December 15, 2024

Dear Parishioners,

I wonder if you have noticed that among the four candles symbolizing the four weeks of
Advent, there is a pink candle. And that pink candle is lit today, the Third Sunday of Advent.
Why is that?

Advent is a long-standing tradition of the Church. In the past, like Lent, Advent lasted 40
days, from the feast of St. Martin on November 12 to December 24. After a while, Advent was shortened to 4 weeks instead of 40 days. And like Lent, the faithful fast during Advent.

Fasting, praying, abstaining, and doing apostolic work are all actions to prepare for the
great feast of Christmas, but they do not speak of its meaning. Therefore, to remind the faithful of the main meaning of the Christmas event is the joy of salvation, in the middle of Advent, that is, the third Sunday, instead of purple, the Church uses pink, the color of joy and excitement, not only with the Advent candle but also the celebrant’s vestments are also pink. Nowadays, perhaps to save money, priests no longer wear pink vestments, because vestments are expensive and are only worn once a year. But the pink candle still remains, reminding us of the anxious waiting for the Savior of humanity. The Church also abolished fasting during Advent.

In addition, in the capital of the Church, Rome, four main basilicas are chosen as four
stations, symbolizing the four weeks of Advent. The third station, symbolizing the third Sunday, is always St. Peter’s Basilica, the largest and most important, to express the centrality of the third Sunday of Advent, Rejoice Sunday, Gaudete.

Of course, the most notable are the readings. The mood of the readings is carefully
chosen to express joyful anticipation. The prophet Zephaniah reminds us, “Shout for joy, O
daughter of Zion; shout for joy, O Israel! Rejoice, rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of
Jerusalem!” St. Paul repeats, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” The
Gospel speaks of some actions we should take to increase our joy, and what we should avoid so as not to lose it.

When we think of joy in these last months of the year, we tend to think of the attractive
gifts we will receive on Christmas Day. Psychoanalyst Erich Fromm said, “The joy of man today consists in the eagerness to look into the shops and buy things that he can afford, either in cash or in installments.” Joy is often identified with temporary excitement and comes from the outside world: a new ring, a new car, a new house, a new lover.

If joy is defined as an emotion caused by external stimuli, then it is certainly not the joy
that the prophet Zephaniah, Saint Paul, and John the Baptist spoke of on this Joyful Sunday. The daughters of Zion and the people of Israel to whom the prophet admonished them to “Shout for joy” were people in the shackles of foreign slavery and exile. As for Saint Paul, who reminded the Philippians to rejoice, he was in prison at the time. Who can rejoice in exile if joy only comes from the surroundings?

So what is the joy that the prophet and St. Paul want us to realize? The joy that the
prophet evokes is nothing other than the certainty of the faithfulness of Yahweh God, who made an everlasting covenant with Israel through the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses. That covenant clearly stated that if they worshiped Yahweh alone, Yahweh would send a Savior to free them, to lead them to the Promised Land, where milk and honey would flow, and their children would be as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore.

And the joy that St. Paul reminds us of is the peace of those who have God in their hearts,
a peace that comes from God himself, a peace that nothing can take away – not even prison,
sickness, poverty – a peace that surpasses the understanding of the intellect.

George Bernard Shaw, the great English writer, second only to William Shakespeare,
shared the same view as Zephaniah and Paul. He wrote, “The true joy of life is to find oneself
used for a noble purpose, to spend all one’s energies in that purpose before one becomes useless, to be a force of the earth and not a selfish, irritable fool, full of ills and irritability, complaining that the world does not make one happy.”

There is a superficial joy that passes quickly. But there is also a deep, overflowing joy.
For those who live in union with God, true joy strengthens us in suffering, and urges us to give in happiness. For them, nothing is unconquerable.

In the Most Holy Trinity and in solidarity with you all,

Fr. Duc

December 8, 2024

Dear Parishioners,

In this week’s Gospel, John the Baptist used the image of a road to describe the preparation to welcome the King: “Every valley shall be filled, every mountain and hill shall be made low. The widning road shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth.” When we understand that the road to welcome the Lord is our own soul, then valleys, mountains, widing roads, and rough places are what prevent God’s love and grace from touching our hearts and transforming them. To recognize these obstacles, we must examine ourselves carefully and regularly.

Another rich image that helps us reflect on the preparation of our souls is the image of a gutter. This season, there is a lot of rain, so we must also clean the trash in the gutters of our roofs so that the water does not clog and overflow to other parts, causing damage to the house. When we use the symbol of God as the source of love and grace, we also compare our hearts to gutters that receive the saving water from God’s heart.

So, in order for God’s love and grace to flow abundantly in our souls, what are the wastes that block the flow of God’s grace?

One of the things that often clogs the gutters is the branches from the trees around the house that fall into the gutters. What are the branches that clog the gutters of the soul? It could be a deep pain caused by someone, and even now, when touched, that wound still stings. It could be a mistake from the past that makes my heart sink every time I think about it. It could also be a disordered passion that has the ability to destroy terribly, and that I have tried many times but still cannot escape.

Besides those bulky branches, there are many withered leaves that will cling to the branches, blocking the flow of the water of grace. There are leaves of greed, although small, but accumulated over time, they can form a dense wall that blocks the flow of water. The more we possess, the more we want to collect, and the more we collect, the thicker and stronger the wall becomes. There are fallen leaves of jealousy and envy, although not revealed on the outside, they silently pile up over the years into clusters, then into a clump, covering the gutter.

Smaller are hairs, feathers, which when mixed with branches and withered leaves, create walls that the water cannot penetrate. Untrue rumors are spread to belittle the reputation of others or to sow bad doubts in the hearts of listeners, thought to be harmless but slowly forming into a bunch, a roll, not easy to remove. Petty lies that are considered insignificant or hidden continue to be done day after day, month after month, until they become a habit; by then the gutter has long been clogged.

And we not only block the flow of grace, but we also make holes in our gutters, allowing the water of grace to dry up over the years. Every time we miss a Sunday Mass, we refuse grace. Every time we are lazy and do not confess or receive communion, we make a big hole in the

gutter of our soul. Every time we have the opportunity to do good deeds and ignore it, we make a hole so that grace is not received. When we have the opportunity to serve, we find all kinds of reasons to refuse, then we close the gutter of our soul.

God’s grace is boundless and endless, constantly flowing into the human soul. It is only a pity that humans keep creating so much debris and garbage that chokes the flow of grace. It is truly a sadness that humans keep making holes that empty out the water of salvation.

Without silently examining ourselves and humbly accepting God’s sanctifying grace, human life will only consist of a series of hopeless and uncertain days, and death will strike at any moment.

Meanwhile, happily, there are still many open and free souls who not only imbibe grace into themselves, but also spread it to their families, friends, communities, and sometimes even influence society and the nation. They become messengers of the Good News, the John the Baptist of the new era. Living near them, others feel peaceful and confident, because they have become effective instruments of the Prince of Peace.

In the Most Holy Trinity and in solidarity with you all,

Fr. Duc

December 1, 2024

Dear Parishioners, 

Advent means arrival. During Advent, we prepare for Christmas, the commemoration of the first arrival of Jesus, and for the second coming of Jesus in glory. The preparation is also called waiting for the Lord. 

But when we pause and think carefully, we realize that our entire life is a series of waiting. Parents wait for their children’s graduation, marriage, and for grandchildren. When we get a job, we wait for salary increase or promotion. When we achieve one goal or one milestone, we wait for the next. We cannot wait until we own a home, and then when that is accomplished, we start looking for a larger one. It goes on forever, for one thing arrives, many more are on the horizon. 

So, the question is: How is the waiting of Advent different from all other waiting? All non-Advent waiting is for the purpose of relieving some burden or acquiring some desirables. We wait to get something off our back or to possess something we want. But when we get rid of something from our back, something else will jump on, and when we get something we desire, we start seeing something better that we also want. Thus, non-Advent waiting is relentless, endless, and unsatisfactory. It is a perpetual chase after something. 

Advent waiting is different. We do not wait for Jesus to get rid of some problem or to possess him or anything else. Advent waiting is not a chase but a pause. During Advent, we pause to be found by God. 

In the Gospel, remember the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son? It is always God who actively looks for us, seeks us out to bring us home, and embraces us to restore us to wholeness. 

It is no wonder why Christmas night is called Silent Night. All noises, external and internal, must be silenced for us to hear God’s voice. We must pause everything else to wait for God’s arrival. Even gifts, music, and food can distract us from our pause for God. Worries, anxieties, and fears easily block our sensitivity, anticipation, and hunger for God. 

Teresa was a single mother whose husband died a few years earlier, leaving her with an autistic son. Since he left her with enough money to live, Teresa decided to quit her job to take care of her son. Then her elderly widowed father had a stroke and became bedridden. The family wanted to put him in a nursing home, except for her. She was close to him, and she believed that a home would be much better for him. So, she agreed to have him stay with her and her son. 

In the first few months, she was able to handle things well. But the burdens of caring for an ADHD boy with an eating disorder and an invalid father became harder and harder. Though a devout Catholic, Teresa began to question: what serious sins she had committed to be punished with these unbearable burdens. So, sometimes she lost her temper not just with the boy but also with her father. 

One evening, after placing a plate of macaroni cheese in front of the boy, she went to clean up her dad. She frowned as the odor of urine reached her nose. Then she heard “Bang!” The boy slammed his fist on the plate, scattering the macaroni all over the floor. He kept shaking his head and banging on the table. Quickly resting her father down, she rushed over, her shin hitting a stand on her way, throwing her father’s Bible to the floor. She cried in pain, crawling to reach for the Bible. 

Her fingers grabbed on a page, and they ripped it off. She burst into tears, “God, when will you free me from this hellish place? Why does it take you so long to come again?” 

As if to answer her question, through her tears, she still could make out the text, “‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’” 

A chill ran along her spine. She darted a shocked glance at the boy and then the old man – one being fed, and one being clothed. Had she ever considered feeding her son and cleaning her dad as caring for Jesus himself? No, her home is not a hellish place, it has already been part of God’s kingdom. 

Tears streamed down her face. She found herself babbling, “Jesus, I’m sorry. I didn’t know that you have come to me for a long time!” 

Sometimes God hit us on our shin, or on our face, to wake us up from our slumber and our numbness, to help us pause and recognize that God is waiting for us. Indeed, God never stops seeking us and waiting for us. 

So, during this Advent, let us pause now and then. Let us be still and know that God is near, nearer to us than we are to ourselves. 

In the Most Holy Trinity and in solidarity with you all, 

Fr. Duc 

October 13, 2024

Dear Parishioners, 

In order for us to feel the impact of the gospel story today, we must understand the shock that overcomes the disciples. Mark says, “They were completely overwhelmed at this and exclaimed to one another, ‘Then who can be saved?’” What overwhelms them is Jesus’ statement, “It is easier for a camel to pass through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 

The outlandish metaphor of a humongous desert creature passing through the eye of a needle has led many to ask whether Jesus means a real camel or a heavy rope. Remember the New Testament was written in Greek, but Jesus and his disciples spoke Aramaic. In Greek, the word meaning “camel” is spelled kamelon, and the word meaning “a heavy rope or a nautical cable” is spelled kamilon. Also, the Aramaic word gamla can mean either a camel or a rope. So, many think that Jesus really meant a rope and not a camel because a rope would go well with the needle’s eye. On the other hand, the image of some large beast passing through a needle’s eye, as a piquant figure for something impossible, is found in other ancient Near Eastern sources, and the vast textual evidence still favors the contortionist dromedary over the elastic hawser. 

Another invention is that the “Needle’s Eye” was a particularly low gate in the walls of Jerusalem, through which a laden camel could not pass without being unburdened or even crawling through on its knees. There was no such gate, and camels are not that nimble. This silly fantasy had not appeared until the ninth century. As of now, most serious exegetes dismiss these two interpretations as a fantastical watering down of the words of Jesus. 

So the truth is that Jesus does mean the real camel. And just as it’s absolutely impossible for a camel to pass through a needle’s eye, it’s also truly impossible for the rich to enter the kingdom of God. Without the grace of God, that is. What shocks the disciples is that in the Jewish mind, prosperity is a sign of the blessing of God. If a person is rich, God must have honored and blessed them. Wealth is proof of excellence of character and of favor with God. The Psalmist sums it up, “I have been young and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging bread” (Ps 37:25). But Jesus declares wealth an impediment, not a blessing! No wonder they are profoundly shaken. 

Throughout the history of the Church, the teaching of Jesus about riches in this pericope takes several paths. For the earliest Christians, a literal interpretation was prevalent. They believed that the end time was near and Jesus’s second coming would soon arrive. Thus, in the Acts of the Apostles they did sell everything and put the money at the feet of the apostles. For the early Christians, Jesus’ command to sell all meant literally so. 

But as the return of the Lord was no longer imminent, life went on and had to be sustained. Out of practical necessity, only a small portion of Christianity could aspire to this total renunciation. And from them emerged the monastic movement and later many religious orders with the vows of poverty. According to this ascetic reading, a life of radical renunciation of wealth and total dependence on the providence of God applies only to certain individual Christians, such as monks and religious men and women. 

As for the rest of the flock, a symbolic reading makes more sense. This interpretation says that Jesus’ demand of the rich young man to sell and give all his wealth to others applies only to this particular man, because for him wealth is his particular impediment to following Jesus. And for all others, the lesson is to root out whatever hinders our following Jesus, be it pride, greed, lust, envy, anger, sloth, or gluttony. 

Each of these three interpretations has its own strength and relevance. But Jesus’ demand must remain the same. Yes, if we want to be true disciples of Jesus, he demands us to go, sell, and give all we possess, then come and follow him. That is exactly the invitation and the challenge. We just have to face it as it is. No tinkering around with it is allowed. We must be as shocked as the disciples were. And we will be as sad as the rich young man was, if we turn down Jesus’ challenge. 

Of course, many will protest, “If I go, sell, and give all to others, what would happen to my family, my small children, my mortgage, my retirement, etc.?” The real issue here is not whether I should go, sell, give, come, and follow, but when I should do so. To everyone’s best knowledge, there has been no one who has ever been able not to go, sell, and give all to others. If they don’t do so, all they own will be taken from them, willy-nilly. Because no one can take anything with them when they die. Either they give all they have to others by choice, or others simply take all from them. That is the bottom line. 

Everyone must go, sell, and give all. No exception. The only question is when. 

In the Most Holy Trinity and in solidarity with you all, 

Fr. Duc

October 6, 2024

Dear Parishioners, 

When it comes to the breakdown of marriage, both insiders and outsiders can list hundreds of reasons that lead to divorce or separation. Whether Catholic or atheist, the divorce rate is not much different – about 50%. So does faith not help couples when they encounter difficulties in marriage? 

I would like to affirm that the most fundamental factor determining the stability and richness of marriage has been identified by the Bible since the beginning of creation in Genesis, “a man leaves his father and mother and cleaves to his wife, and the two become one flesh.” Jesus himself did not add anything but simply repeated the words of God in the beginning. 

Using the current language that is easier to understand and more appropriate, I suggest this way of saying, “The stability and sweetness of marriage can only be achieved when the husband puts the wife’s good above his own will, and vice versa, the wife also considers the husband’s good above her own wishes.” To put it more concisely, “The husband is always for the wife and the wife is always for the husband.” All the problems of married life originate from the state of mind “The other person must be for me.” 

Just think about it and see if it is true. The more powerful and influential a man is, the richer and more famous he is, the more his wife must obey him. If he is not happy, there are hundreds of long-legged beauties ready to jump in. On the contrary, the more beautiful the wife is, the more the husband must follow her wishes, otherwise, alas, there are young and handsome men ready to serve her. A typical example is what happened recently to the two most famous billionaires in the world, Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos: having affairs with other women which led to divorce. 

Zhou Hou Zi, a native of Lu, the birthplace of Confucius, was ordered to become an official in Qin after only five days of marriage. Five years later, Hou Zi asked for permission to return home to visit his wife and mother. When he was almost home, he suddenly saw a very beautiful young woman picking strawberries on the side of the road. Hou Zi got out of the car and flirted with her. The girl picked strawberries as if she didn’t hear anything, her hands constantly plucking leaves. 

Hou Zi said: 

– Young lady, using all your strength to farm is not as good as a year of good harvest. Using all your strength to pick strawberries is not as as good as meeting a husband who is a rich and powerful  mandarin. I am a high-ranking official, with gold and silver, if you agree to marry me, you will not lack anything, no need to pick strawberries and work yourself to death! 

The young woman remained indifferent, looking at the official with contempt. Hou Zi went home and bowed to his mother. When his wife came out to meet him, Hou Zi was stunned, because his wife was the young girl who picked mulberries earlier. He was extremely ashamed, and then she taught him a lesson: 

– You have been an official for five years. You should have hurriedly returned to visit your mother and see your wife, but instead you only saw a woman on the road, not knowing who her husband and children are. You stopped to seduce her, not remembering your mother, and not caring about your wife. Forgetting your mother is unfilial, lusting after beauty is lustful, having a dirty character is unrighteous, being unrighteous means not governing the people wisely, how can such a person be called a good official and a noble husband! 

Between Zhou Hou Zi and that nameless wife, who understands better the foundation of family happiness? Who uses his power to seduce others? And most importantly, who has the ability to recognize and despise the one who seduces him? 

Those who, from the very beginning of their marriage, begin to pay more attention to the good of their partner than to their own, have begun to build their family happiness on the most solid foundation, and they will discover more and more the rich sweetness of married life. In fact, putting the good of their spouse above their own will is the most practical and effective self-denial in family life. Jesus repeatedly said, “Whoever does not deny himself and take up his cross daily cannot be my disciple.” Married life requires the greatest renunciation and has the most crosses. Therefore, the true disciple of Jesus is also the one who has the deepest family happiness, regardless of the storms of life. 

In the Most Holy Trinity and in solidarity with you all, 

Fr. Duc