Tag: most holy trinity

Pastor’s Weekly Reflection – Jan. 19, 2025

Jan. 19, 2025

Dear Parishioners,

“Life is a banquet in which the wine always runs out.” Just in case you think that the
phrase “Life is a banquet” is made up by some party animal, I want to assure you that it comes from the Bible. In the Scriptures, the relationship between God and his people is described in the image of a bridegroom and his bride. And in describing the joy God finds among his people, the joy of the kingdom of God, the Bible uses the image of a wedding feast. It’s no wonder that Jesus started his public ministry at a wedding feast.

It doesn’t matter which path of life one is in: marriage, religious vocation, or singlehood.
Neither does it matter what profession one pursues. Sooner or later, the initial excitement, the bursting joy, once thought of as unlimited, starts running out. All that remains is the “water” of routine, dullness, and even disillusionment. Not just for the ordinary folks like you and me, but also for the rich and famous.

Earnest Hemmingway, winner of many prestigious awards, including the Pulitzer and
Nobel Prize, always lived his life to the fullest. A newspaper reporter, ambulance driver during WWII, involved in the Spanish Civil War, friend to bullfighters as well as authors – he did it all. But there came a day when his wine ran out. He took his shotgun, pressed the barrels to his forehead, and pulled the trigger.

It happens in everyone’s life. The wine runs out. The crucial question is, “What should I
do?” Many married couples are tempted to run out with the wine, “There is nothing in it for me anymore.” Sounds familar, doesn’t it? Well, that attitude reveals a terrible selfishness. For such people, marriage is only a passing alliance between two selfish human beings. So, when they have taken all they can from each other, they look elsewhere for more fruit that can be picked and eaten without pain or effort, an illusion that is bound to repeat.

The old wine must run out for the new wine to come in. First love, however romantically
beautiful, cannot last. It is bound to wear out. Really not a bad thing. In fact, it has to wear out if a new and deeper love is to be born. The new love consists in putting the other person before oneself. One has to forget oneself and find joy in loving rather than being loved, in giving rather than in receiving. When both are giving, both are also receiving. The new wine has formed, much better than the old wine.

The key element in making the new wine is to invite the Winemaker, Jesus Christ, into
our banquet, our home, our life, our heart. Some time ago a woman wrote a fascinating article about redecorating her family’s home. Things went well until her husband overruled the interior decorator and hung a 16- by 20-inch picture of Jesus in the most prominent place in the home. The woman tried to get her husband to reconsider, but he absolutely refused. Then, during a discussion with him, she recalled these words of Jesus: “If anyone declares publicly that he belongs to me, I will do the same for him before my Father in heaven.” (Mt 10:32)

That settled it. Her husband won. Now she says she’s glad her husband won, because she
thinks that picture of Jesus has had a remarkable effect on her family – and on visitors. For
example, one day a stranger kept glancing at the picture. Finally, he turned to the woman and said, “You know, that Jesus doesn’t look at you; he looks right through you.’’ And one night a friend sitting across from the picture said, “I always feel so peaceful in your home.’’

The picture’s most striking impact, however, is on conversations, says the woman. It
inevitably draws them to a higher level. The woman ends her article by saying she knows people will smile at her remarks and even ridicule them, but she doesn’t care. “This much I know,’’ she says. “When you invite Jesus into your home, you’re never the same again.’’

Life is a banquet in which the wine always runs out. But with Jesus as our guest, we will
enjoy a new wine, thousand times more uplifting and exciting. What are we waiting for?

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


Fr. Duc

Pastor’s Weekly Reflection – Jan. 12, 2025

January 12, 2025

Dear Parishioners,

This week we commemorate the baptism of Jesus. This Sunday is also the last day of the Advent-Christmas season. On Monday, we will begin the first week of the Ordinary Time. All these decorations will be gone. The Church wants us to prepare ourselves for the new season by embracing our identity as followers of Jesus. Our Christian identity derives all its meanings and implications from the very identity of Jesus. In the event of the baptism of Jesus, God reveals to us who Jesus is: the Messiah, the Son of God.

As the Son of the Most High, who is sinless, why did Jesus want to receive baptism? Isn’t baptism for the cleansing of sins, especially, of the original sin? This is a good question, and our ancestors in faith did ask the same question. To answer it, we need to understand the full meaning of baptism.

In the ancient world, water is a symbol of both life and death. When a gentile converts to Judaism, he goes through the ritual of Tebilah, which is a rite of passage. There are three stages in such a rite: the separation from a previous state, an in-between state called liminal period, and the reception into a new state. The gentile wishing to become an Israelite must be separated first from his old gentile state. And the way to separate him from his old state is to return him to the primal womb, the water of chaotic nothingness. So, he is immersed in water. While being immersed in water, the convert is symbolically severed from his gentile state; he undergoes a symbolic death, a death to the old self. In this liminal period, he is neither gentile nor Jew; he is returned to nothingness. Then he is called out of the water. Emerging from the water, he is given his new Israelite state. Yahweh has bestowed on him a new life, a life in God and with God’s people.

Baptism not only erases the old self, the self of sins and brokenness, but also brings about a new identity, a new life in God, a new fellowship with other believers. Therefore, Jesus accepted baptism by John the Baptist, not to be cleansed of sins, but to show his total solidarity with us in our sinfulness and to call us to share his identity as the beloved of God.

We were all baptized. In baptism, we were cleansed of previous sins, both original and
personal. In baptism, we also received a new identity. The cleansing of sin in baptism is a one-time shot, but the new identity as God’s beloved is a life-time process. Whether baptism has any impact on us depends on whether the new Christian identity is really taking shape in our lives. The issue for us, the baptized, then is, What has happened to this God-given identity?

We live in a world of multiple identities. Each one of us has many identities. I am a
Vietnamese, a Jesuit, a priest, an American citizen. To the media, I am an internet user, a
consumer, a shopper, a voter, etc. We are all surrounded by a great number of identity-forming influences. These influences not only compete against each other but also gang up to suffocate our Christian identity. If we are not careful, our identity as Catholics will be soon swallowed up by others.

However, all identities are temporary and fleeting, except for the identity of being a child
of God, the identity of a Christian. Whether we are a president or a pope, a CEO or a worker, all will be nothing when we close our eyes and die. When we stand before the Supreme Judge, Jesus Christ, only the identity of being a child of God will be judged. Therefore, we must cherish our Christian identity above all other identities.

Just as God said to Jesus in his baptism, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well
pleased,” God said to each one of us in our baptism, “You are my beloved; with you I am well
pleased.” Indeed, God said so not only on the day of our baptism, but he also continues to say so every day of our life, regardless of our behaviors. Do you hear that? I mean, Do you hear that, right now? If you and I really hear that and make it a reality, our life will change, for the better.

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

Fr. Duc

Pastor’s Weekly Reflection – Nov. 24, 2024

November 24, 2024

Dear Parishioners,


On the feast of Christ the King, I invite you to reflect on the story of a king. It is the story
of The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain. Prince Edward was the first son of the King of
England, so he was also the crown prince who succeeded his father. When Edward was born, the whole country was filled with joy after many years of waiting. The King declared Edward’s


birthday a national holiday, and ordered all places to hold banquets to celebrate. People danced and prayed to God for Prince Edward. On the same day, a boy named Tom was born in a dilapidated house in the slums of London. When Tom was born, his mother cried like rain, because she did not know how to feed him. His father cursed him as an unfortunate, redundant son. When his alcoholism took hold, he abused his wife and children mercilessly. Although Tom was taught to read and write by a loving priest, he eventually had to beg.


One day, while wandering around begging, Tom approached the royal palace. He kept
staring at the splendid palace. He was so fascinated by the magnificence of the palace that when the guard shouted to chase him away, he still did not hear. The angry guard was about to raise his hand to grab the boy’s neck and beat him up. Coincidentally, Prince Edward was walking inside, and saw this and stopped the guard. Seeing a boy of the same age, Edward invited Tom to visit the palace.


Of course, before taking the beggar boy to visit the palace, the prince had to let him
bathe and change his clothes to suit the palace. Because they were the same age and stature, Edward lent Tom his royal robe. When standing in front of the large mirror, both were amazed because they looked exactly the same. The only difference was the beggar boy’s skinny body and messy hair. That could change very easily, the prince chuckled.


After Tom had been groomed and fed for a while, no one could tell who was Edward and
who was Tom. Then a bold idea came to the prince’s mind. Tom would stay in the palace and
play the prince, while Edward would leave the palace and wear the ragged clothes of a beggar. When he got bored, he would change back.


Of course, the courtiers all thought there was something wrong with the prince, because
his behavior had changed so much. But when they let the prince judge a problem, his mind was still clear. So they thought it was just a change of puberty. As for the beggar boy, oh my, he suffered all kinds of mistreatment and ostracism. At home, he was scolded like a dog, and when he went out, he was bullied and humiliated. Wherever he went, he was either bullied or shunned. When he was hungry, he begged and no one gave him anything. When he was so hungry that he stole, he was beaten up.


Then Edward heard that the courtiers were preparing to crown Tom king, so he decided
to return to the palace. As soon as he reached the gate, the guard grabbed him by the neck and pushed him to the ground. The more he argued that he was Prince Edward, the harder the guard stepped on his head. Finally, Edward had to use the prince’s seal as proof before the guard believed him.

After restoring the crown prince’s throne and becoming king, Edward rewarded Tom with
the position of manager in the royal palace. After that life-changing event, both Edward and Tom had profound changes. But the greatest and most wonderful change was in the king’s personality. King Edward understood what it was like to be poor and unjust, what it was like to have a broken family, what it was like to be humiliated and ostrasized. Thanks to that, Edward became a kind, just, and wise king like never before.


Jesus Christ, the King of the Universe, took on our sinful and beggarly condition and
gave us His glorious royal robe. Do we trust that: God understands all our suffering and
weakness? And most of all, do we believe God wants us to fully enjoy His most precious gifts?

Christ’s kingly role is not expressed through power and money, position and talent, but through boundless mercy, ultimate sacrifice, boundless trust in the will of the Father. If we want to live in the style of the King of the Universe, we should not rely on power, rush to grab money or to seek fame, consider talent as lasting value, and especially put ourselves above others. If we keep pursuing ambition, at the end of our lives, we will discover that it is all just an empty illusion. The more we cling to it, the more suffering and pain we will have. Then when we have to stand before the Supreme Judge, who is also the King of the Universe, our beggarly identity will be completely bare.

When we reject the kingly identity that Jesus came down to teach and exemplify, we continue to take on the identity of a beggar, no matter how much silk and velvet we are covered with on the outside, no matter how many people around us are praising and flattering us. The kingly identity is linked to the truth. The beggarly identity is hidden in darkness. Christ the King of the Universe wants to give each of us the kingly identity. Do we want to exchange with Him?

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

Fr. Duc

Pastor’s Weekly Reflection – Nov. 17, 2024

November 17, 2024

Dear Parishioners,

The movie Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge is the story of a man about to be hanged. Enemy
soldiers march him out to a bridge across Owl Creek. They take a board and place it so that half if it rests on the bridge and the other half extends over the edge of the bridge.

Then one of the soldiers stands on the half that rests on the bridge, and the condemned man is made to walk out and stand on the half that extends over the edge of the bridge. Next, the man’s hands and legs are tied, and a rope is dropped from the top of the bridge and put around the man’s neck.

When everything is ready, the commanding officer barks the order. The soldier steps off the
board and the condemned man plunges downward with the rope around his neck.

Then something strange happens. The rope breaks, and the man goes plummeting into the river far below. Down, down into the water he sinks. As he does, he’s aware that he’s alive and struggles to free his hands and feet. Miraculously, he manages to untie himself.

Realizing he has a second chance at life, the man begins to swim down the river. As he does, he passes a tree branch floating in the water. He is struck by the beauty of the leaves on the branch. He marvels at the intricate pattern of veins in the leaves. Then the man sees a spider spinning a web. He is struck by the beauty of the web and the tiny drops of water clinging to it like sparkling diamonds.

He feels the wetness of the water on his body. He looks up and sees the blue sky. Never has the world looked so beautiful to him. Suddenly the soldiers on the bridge begin to fire at the man. He fights his way through a hail of bullets, past a water snake, and over a waterfall.

Finally, he swims ashore totally exhausted. He drops to the sand and rolls over and over. He
looks up and sees a flower. He crawls over to it and smells it. Everything is so beautiful; it’s so great to be alive.

Then a bullet whistles through the trees, and he leaps to his feet and begins to run. He runs and runs until he comes to a house with a white fence around it. The gate swings open mysteriously. The man can’t believe his eyes. He is back home safe. He calls his wife’s name, and she comes running out of the house, arms outstretched to greet him.

Just as they embrace, the camera takes us back to Owl Creek Bridge. This time, we can’t believe our eyes. We see the body of the same man plunge downward with the rope around his neck. Then we see his body swinging back and forth, back and forth. The man is dead.

We are left stunned. All the effort, the running, the second chance were pure make-believe. The man had not escaped after all. He merely imagined that he had in the split second as he fell to his death.

He merely imagined that he had gotten a second chance at life — a life he suddenly saw in a
different way, a life he suddenly saw through new eyes. For the first time, the man saw the world for what it is — a beautiful place. For the first time, the man saw life for what it is— a precious gift to be shared with those we love. How differently the man would have lived his new life if he had really escaped and had really been given a second chance!

Today’s gospel invites us to reflect on the moment when we will meet Jesus at the end of our lives or at the end of the world — whichever comes first. It invites us to ask ourselves: How satisfied will we be at that moment with the quality of our life? Unlike the man in the story, we have a second chance to prepare for that hour — beginning right now.

What will we do with our second chance? Will we sincerely try to make an effort to love, as
Jesus did? Will we sincerely try to make an effort to serve, as Jesus did? This second chance is also the last chance, and it can end any moment.

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

Fr. Duc

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