Church ShieldEpistle Header

In This Issue
Diem Nguyen on Stewardship
FCS Thanksgiving Basket
Parish Notes
The Propers
This Sunday's Altar Flowers
Sermon
Đại Ý Kinh Văn

Upcoming Events


Sunday, Nov. 24:

 

Stewardship Sunday

 

Confirmation Class to Evensong at the National Cathedral, 4 PM  

 

 

Thursday, Nov. 28:

 

Thanksgiving Day Service, 10:30 AM.

Potluck. 

 

 

Sunday, Dec. 1:

(First Sunday of Advent)

 

ANNUAL MEETING

 

Benefit Concert to help Philippines Typhoon Victims, 7:00 PM 

 

Tuesday, Dec. 3: 

 

6 PM-9 PM:  Spinelli Bingo Potluck Dinner

 

Thursday, Dec. 5:

 

Hypothermia, 8:00 PM

 

Friday, Dec. 6:

 

Hypothermia, 8:00 PM 

 

Sunday, Dec. 8:

 

Bishop Visitation, 2 PM 

Potluck.   (No service in the morning) 

 

Tuesday, Dec. 10:

 

Commissions, 6:30 PM

Vestry, 7:30 PM

 

Thursday, Dec. 12

 

Hypothermia, 8:00 PM

 

Friday, Dec. 13

 

Hypothermia, 8:00 PM

 

Wednesday, Dec. 18

 

Blue Christmas Service, 7:30 PM 

 

Thursday, Dec. 19

 

Hypothermia, 8:00 PM

 

Friday, Dec. 20

 

Hypothermia, 8:00 PM  

 

Saturday, Dec. 21

 

- Feed The Homeless Volunteers' Luncheon, 12 PM

 

-  Feed The Homeless, 3:30 PM 

 

Sunday, Dec. 22

 

Greening of the Church

 

Erin Dubas' scout troup lock-in, 6 PM 

 

Tuesday, Dec. 24

 

Christmas Pageant, 4 PM

 

Christmas Eve Worship, 7:30 PM 

 

Saturday, Dec. 28

Hypothermia, 8:00 PM

 

Sunday, Dec. 29

Service of Carols and Lessons, 10:30 AM

Hypothermia, 8:00 PM  

 

 

 

Altar at Easter 2013      

Birthdays

November

 

24   Thomas H. Wetrich

25   Kiet Samuel Tran

 

December

 

 4    Irene Graham

 5    Jennifer Moya

 6    Jean Pierre Chanu

10    Winnie Lebo

11    Graham Parvinkarimi

14    Lois Cascella

15    Laurie Los

15    Moi Phan

16    Jean DuBro

18    Jackson DuBro

24    Jane Chapman  

 25    Amelia Nicholson

28    Paul Los

30    Patricia Phan

31    Trang Diep

31    Chon Kim Huynh

Our Prayer List

We remember in our prayer:

 

Dee Bailey, Kari Boeskov, Brandon, Jane Chapman, Marie Cosimano, Tim Clary, Dorothy Connelly, John Davis, Donald DeVaughn, Michael Dickinson, Loretta Dougherty, The Edsall Family, Dotty Eisenhour, Nance Finegan, Luis Garay, Carolyn Gawarecki, Louise Gibney, Anne Goodwin, Jean Graham, Nick Giuliani, Katherine Hafele, Anne & Thomas Edsall, Margaret Ellis Harris, Alek Hensley, Leslie Hogan, Cindy Hogman, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., Michael Horn, Mary Isibel, Lindsay Johns, Gray Johnson, Jamie Kaplon, Robert Kelley, Geoff Kent, Quinn Kimball, Jeffry King, Michael Knowles, Peter Kosutic, Susan Lawrence, Lois Magrogan, Colleen Mavrikas, Gregory McGinnis,  Evelyn Morgan, Danielle Morgan, Ed+ and Margaret Morgan, Que Nguyen, Chick Nixon, Christine Nolan, Olive Oliver, Jim Owens, Gary Owens, Faith Poole, William Ross, Fern Shuck, Bill Sitler, Irene Skowron, Josh Smithers, Inez StantonCandi Stewart, Barbara Stefl, Kara Stryker, Walter Sushko, Steven Talbert, George Thomas, Clara Torres, George Torres, Elizabeth Trigg, Tammy Vanphung, Nhon Thanh Vo, Michael Weekes, Warren Weinstein, The Crowley Family, The Westfall Family, Paula Wiech, Meredith Wiech, Bernard Williams, Donna Wolfe, Rudy Zimple.

 

 

    

____ 

 

Note: If you have a loved one or friend who needs prayer please call the church and leave a message at 703-532-5656, or write to Tinh+ at

[email protected]  or call him at 703-405-9571.  Also, should a name need be removed from the list, please let Tinh+ know promptly, and give the reason.  

 

 

Saint Patrick's Ministers 

The Ministers of Saint Patrick's Church are the People of this Parish

 

supported by

 

The Reverend  

Tinh Trang Huynh, Rector

 

Ms. Mariko Hiller,  

Music Director

 

Ms. Rachel Burgess,

Nursery Care

 

We serve our Lord as part of the Diocese of Virginia

 

led by

our chief pastors

 

The Rt. Rev. Shannon Sherwood Johnston, Bishop

 

The Rt. Rev. Susan Goff

Bishop Suffragan 

 

and  

The Rt. Rev. Ted Gulick,

Assistant Bishop 

The Vision of St. Patrick's

Saint Patrick's Episcopal Church is a community of care, called to be Christ-centered and multicultural in worship, Christian education and action to proclaim  Christ's love to the world.

   

Previous Issues of the Epistle
Please click here if you wish to see the previous issues of The Epistle

St. Patrick's Organized for Missions and Ministry 

 

SAINT PATRICK'S ORGANIZED

FOR MISSIONS AND MINISTRY

 
Vestry Committee:
Senior Warden: Tom Auld; Junior Warden:  Bill Houston;
Registrar: Winnie Lebo;
Treasurer:  Kathy Oliver; 

Other members of the Vestry:   Elisabeth Nguyen, Milton Thomas, Jocelyne Miller, Pierre Chanu, Chris Nicholson. 

 

GROUPS AND ACTIVITIES

 

Altar Guild:  Lois Cascella;  
Bell Choir:  Mariko Hiller; 
Sunday Service Bulletin:  Diem Nguyen, Steve Lebo;
Offering Counters:  Bob Cascella; Diocesan Council Delegate: Bill Houston (Kathy Oliver, alternate delegate);
St. Margaret's Circle:  Ann Nelson; Telephone Chain:
Alice King; Feed the Homeless:  Elisabeth Nguyen;
Odeon Chamber Music Series:  Mariko Hiller;
Westlawn Elementary School:  Winnie Lebo;
Falls Church Community Services: Catherine Dubas;
Hypothermia Shelter Program:  Hao Nguyen; 
The Epistle Newsletter Editors: Winnie Lebo and Cindy Rhoad; Flea Market:
Chris Nicholson; Prison Ministry: Nancy Burch;
Meals-on-Wheels: Amelia Nicholson;Sunrise/Bluemont:
Michael Knowles   

Church

 

Join Our List
Join Our Mailing List

November 21, 2013
Diem Nguyen On Stewardship
Diem Nguyen
Our third speaker in the Stewardship Season is Diem Nguyen.  Below are the thoughts she shared with the congregation at announcement time on Sunday.
_________

    When Father Tinh first asked me to speak for stewardship today, I was honored.  But then, I was terrified: What am I going to speak about? How long do I have to write this? What in the world does stewardship mean?!

    Google told me that Stewardship is the activity or job of protecting and being responsible for something. Okay... I guess that makes sense but what does that have to do with the church?

    According to churchplantingwiki.com, stewardship is the responsibility of managing everything God has given us for His glory. Everything that we think we own, material or otherwise, all belong to God and it is our responsibility as stewards to multiply the resources that we are given. That definition definitely stuck with me.

    Starting my sophomore year of college, the pressures of school, work, and my parents began to weigh on me. By the end of my junior year, I had developed a full blown anxiety disorder. For those who are unfamiliar with anxiety, it can have detrimental physical symptoms. I was weak, lightheaded and sick to my stomach almost every day of the week. At its worst point, I nearly missed the biggest presentation of my college career because I was so psychically sick. My mom's advice was to pray, get the presentation over with, and then go see a doctor. If you were to tell her that I actually followed her advice, I would deny it, but that was exactly what I did.  I prayed. On the way to my presentation, as I was praying, a popular song came on the radio with a lyric that made me feel as if God was answering me himself.  The lyric was "Don't you worry child; heaven has a plan for you."  Upon hearing that, I was overcome with a sense of calm, although it didn't last long.  As I repeated this over and over, I started to feel a little better.  With the help of my amazing boyfriend, I was able to finish the presentation and needless to say, my group did pretty well.

    While I'll admit that the medications my doctor prescribed and my boyfriend's help played a huge part in getting me to graduation, it was also the constant reminder of that song lyric that got me through my senior year.  Miraculously, shortly after graduation, I was able to find a job that I don't hate.  In an industry that I previously vowed I'd never work in, I now really like the company I work for and all of the people I work with. When I received my first paycheck, it dawned on me that that song lyric was right. Heaven does have a plan for me; God has a plan for me.  Everything that I had stressed about since graduation has all seemed to fall into place as if it were all meant to be and now, it's just up to me to take all of my blessings and multiply it to glorify God.

    My mom and I became members of Saint Patrick's church in 1995, when we barely had 2 cents to rub together much less an extra car to take us to church (My father had to work on Sundays). With the help of the generous members of St. Patrick's, especially Kathy Oliver, we were able to attend church every Sunday. Throughout the years, St. Patrick's has helped my family in numerous ways that we will always be grateful for. But after this week I realized that not only is it because everyone is so generous but because they're practicing stewardship. They're using the resources that God has blessed them with to better the lives of others, the community and hopefully the world.

    Sometimes I still can't believe I've been a member of St. Patrick's almost 20 years. That's almost 80% of my life so far! As I see all of the new babies and all of the children growing up, I hope that they too, will know of God's blessings and that they will use it wisely in practice of stewardship. I also hope that they will learn by the example St. Patrick's sets, just as I have learned, the true meaning of stewardship.
     Thank you! 

 

 

FCS Thanksgiving Basket
Thanksgiving by Patricia Phan Dear all:  Please join us in reaching out to the needy families of Falls Church in the FCS Thanksgiving Basket Program.

      1. If you wish to sponsor a basket, please give $25. Please make check payable to FCS, put "Thanksgiving Basket" on the memo line, and mail or take it to Saint Patrick's Church, 3241 Brush Dr., Falls Church, VA 22042.
Our challenge is getting 10 baskets.  So far we've got 4.

       2. If you wish to partner Trang Read in delivering the Thanksgiving "baskets,"  starting from Knox Presbyterian Church on Rt. 50, at 10 AM on Saturday, November 23rd, please write to Catherine Dubas at  [email protected] and/or to me at [email protected].  You may also call or send text message to 703-405-9571
    Trang Read has volunteered to start the third team.
We need only one more person to meet our challenge!
The challenge is coming up with three delivery teams from our church.   So far we have had two teams from Saint Patrick's:  (1) Catherine Dubas/Pauline Leonard; (2) The Nicholsons.   Thank you so much!  May God bless you!
Tinh+



 Parish Notes

-  On Thanksgiving Day there will be a service at Saint Patrick's at 10:30 AM.  There will also be a potluck following the service.  All are invited to attend.

- A Benefit Concert for the relief of typhoon victims in Philippines will be held at Saint Patrick's on Sunday, December 1, 2013 at 7 p.m.    Six groups of local professional musicians will perform, and we ask church members to help with food for the reception following the concert.  All are invited to attend.   All proceeds will go to American Red Cross typhoon appeal.  For more information, please email  Mariko Hiller at  [email protected],  or call her at (703)200-7489.
_____________________________________________________Benefit concert flyer
____________________________________________________


-  This Sunday, Nov. 24th, is our Stewardship Sunday. Our  Rachel Burgess will speak and share her thoughts on Saint Patrick's at announcement time. The Stewardship Letter and pledge card will be sent to all church members in the following week.  Please prayerfully consider your giving for next year, and promptly send your pledge cards with pledged amount to the church, or put them in the alms basin on Sunday, so that the Vestry can establish our 2014 budget. Thank you. 
- Our Annual Meeting will be held on Sunday, December 1st.  At the Annual Meeting we will hear reports on St. Pat's ministry during 2013, and we will elect new Vestry members.  We thank the outgoing members who are finishing their terms for their commitment and service:  Tom Auld, Pierre Chanu, Vivian Benjamin, Chris Nicholson and Jocelyne Miller.  The outgoing vestry members will nominate candidates for election.  To serve on the vestry, a candidate must be a confirmed Episcopalian, a communicant in good standing and known to the Treasurer.

-  Our Amelia Nicholson is organizing a bingo night and potluck to welcome back the Spinellis on Tuesday, December 3rd, at 5:30 PM.   Please mark your calendar and join us.  Please bring food and friends.  Please bring along your children for some entertainment.  Small prizes will be handed out for the children's benefit. 

 

-  Please pray for Marie Van Beek, Alex Benjamin, Rylton Thomas and Kate Burgess, who will be confirmed, and for James Edward Ellis IV who will be baptized, when Bishop Shannon visits Saint Patrick's on Sunday, December 8, 2013. The service on that day will be held in the afternoon, at 2 PM.  There will be potluck following the service, to honor the Bishop and celebrate with those confirmed and baptized.  Please bring food!

 

TyphoonThe victims of typhoon in the Philippines are calling for help.  On Sunday morning more than 2300 people lost their lives when Haiyan Typhoon brought death and destruction, and the toll is still rising.  Episcopal Relief and Development has set up the "Disaster Response Fund" in its website to help us reach out to those in need.   Please see Episcopal Relief and Development Website for information on how to give.  Any gift you give between now and Dec. 6 will be matched by a group of ERD donors.    

 

Hypothermia Shelter Program.  We need volunteers to open church door on Thursday and Friday evenings in December for the homeless who will stay overnight in the church.  The group will be supervised by Volunteers of America, and will come around 8:00 PM on December 5,6,12,13,19,20, 28 and 29.  St. Pat's volunteers will stay for about 15 minutes after they arrive.  A sign-up sheet will be posted in the narthex.  Please sign up to help.  Thank you. 

  

- On every Sunday we need volunteers to serve for our coffee hour.  Please sign up to help! The sign-up sheet is in the kitchen. Everyone is invited to stay after church for a time to visit with our friends and catch up on what has been going on in each others' lives.  

 

The Propers 

Sunday, November 24, 2013
This Sunday is the Twenty-Seventh Sunday after Pentecost -- "Christ the King"     
(Proper 29)

 

Texts:     

Jeremiah 23:1-6, Psalm 46:1-8, Colossians 1:11-20, 
Luke 23:33-43

 

Collect:   

 

ALMIGHTY AND EVERLASTING GOD, whose will it is to restore all  things in your well-beloved Son, the King of kings and Lord of  lords: Mercifully grant that the peoples of the earth, divided  and enslaved by sin, may be freed and brought together  under his most gracious rule; who lives and reigns with you  and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

This Sunday's Altar Flowers  


The flowers on the altar this Sunday
are to the glory of God,
and are given by Anne Boswell and family
in loving memory of Mary Ardai


Last Sunday's Sermon   

Proper 28 -- Year C -- November 17, 2013

Text:  Psalm 98; Isaiah 65:17-25; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13; Luke 21:5-19                                   Tinh Huynh+ 

-------------------------

 

In the Name of God: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

 

----------

Have you ever asked yourself why you go to church on Sunday?

------------

When I asked the youth in the confirmation class the same question,

one of them said he came to church because he wanted to worship God,

another said because she believed in God.

Then one said it was because their parents brought her to church.

----------

Do you agree with me that going to church is a habit?

It is in church that we learned to sing hymns.

It is in church that we learned the Bible stories,

the creeds, the confession of sins and the prayers.

It is in church that we learned to know how a wedding is celebrated,

how a funeral is conducted,

how a person baptized and confirmed.

------------

It is in the Church that we learn to give,

to care for others,

and to have compassion on the needy.

------------

But, still, the question remains: 

Why do we go to church on Sunday?

Could it be that church attending is a "culture" thing?

-----------

The early Christian met in the synagogue in Jerusalem.

Their community started with the Jews and gentiles who believed in Jesus.

They held true that Jesus had risen from the dead,

and they claimed the experience of the coming of the Holy Spirit.

They were persecuted.

Dispersed into the different regions beyond the boundaries of Palestine,

they were persecuted by the Romans.

Many of them were killed, by humans and by the beasts in the arena.

-----------

But then in the fourth century

Emperor Constantine became Christian.

As a result, everyone in the Roman Empire was baptized

to be part of the Christian Church.

Christianity is part of the culture of the West.

Missionaries from the West traveled eastward to preach the Gospel.

Many people in Asia and Africa were converted,

to accept Christ as their Savior.

-----------

Why do we go to church?

------------

Add a description
Jorden Benjamin and Tinh+, 11.17.2013

When I was growing up,

being born into a Christian family,

and my father was a pastor,

I thought that my Vietnamese non-Christian friends were better off:

They did not have to pray at bedtime and meal time.

They did not have to pray when they woke up in the morning.

They did not have to go to church on Sunday,

never mind the nightly devotion time of the family.

-----------

What is so good about church?

Many people of our time think church is not so relevant.

------------

When Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica,

he was in a city far away from the friends he loved.

Thessalonica was once the capital of the Roman province of Macedonia.  Paul visited the city and stayed there for a while in his second mission trip.  The church in that city was among the early Christian communities that Paul established.  

-----------

In the letter, Paul worried about a heresy that had begun to spread among the early believers.

It taught that Jesus had already come back,

and that the last day would come in no time.

Did that heresy cause some Thessalonican Christians to stop working?

We don't know.

In the letter, Paul was frustrated with those in that church who did not work to support themselves.

We don't know how the people in the Thessalonian church lived together.  

Did the haves share food and shelter the have-nots?  

We don't know.

But Paul's words are quite harsh against those remaining being burdens to their brothers and sisters in Christ.

-------------

Perhaps, in his letter, Paul wants to emphasize order in the life of the Christian.

If it were true that the people in that church supported each other and shared with each other,

then the presence of those "living in idleness, mere busybodies, not doing any work" should have been a

disorder in Paul's mind. 

If it were so, we may say that what we can learn from today's Second Reading is order.
The life of the believer is about order. 

Church life is about order.

In church we are reminded about order.

In church we learn to put things in our lives in order.

Indeed, in church we are constantly reminded about doing the right things.

Paul says, "Brothers and sisters, do not be weary about doing what is right."

Don't we often hear the saying,

"Couples that pray together stay together?"

In that case, the Church teaches that the right thing to do in all times is prayer. (*)

----------  

There is an issue that is most challenging for us.

That issue is mortality.

This past month I had to deal with the losses of four people.

One of them is the death of a cousin of my wife.

The other are the deaths of the three members of Saint Patrick's.

All of those who died were dear to me.

Their deaths reminded me of my own.

Oftentimes I don't want to face the question of death.

I'd rather run away from it.

The fear of death is the worst fear of all.

Oftentimes such fear stays in the back of our minds

and takes control of our behavior, words and actions.

What help do we find in the Church

to deal with the question of mortality?

-----------

The Church proclaims that Christ resurrected victorious from death.

The Church teaches us that whether we live or die

we are the Lord's.

-----------

Some of us may be doubtful about the mystery of faith that the Church proclaims.

I, for one, don't really want to push aside the teaching,

even when I cannot prove it.

Yet, along with the many other believers, I say that

Christ has died.

Christ has risen.

Christ will come again.

-----------

One of the bad things in life is mistrust.

It is awful if you cannot trust someone anymore.

If you cannot trust someone,

perhaps you can still believe that there may be someone else in the world who is trustworthy.

What about finding it impossible to perceive a God in whom you may put your trust?

What about not being able to trust in God's forgiveness?

What about being unable to imagine the existence of a God of loving-kindness?

--------------

In church we constantly hear the message:

"Trust in God, who calls you beloved."

---------------

Why do we go to church on Sunday?

Listen to the psalmist, who says,

"Shout with joy to the LORD,

all you lands;

Lift up your voice,

rejoice and sing!"

Do we hear those words from Monday to Saturday?

Yes, we can hear them,

if we practice reading scripture daily.

Read, mark, learn and inwardly digest the Word of God,

as the Church teaches us to do so.

This could also be what Paul meant as "the right thing."

This could also be what Paul meant as he spoke about "work."

Read, mark, learn and inwardly digest the Word of God is

the "work" of the soul.

------------

In church, we say the "Collect of the Day" on every Sunday.

As we say it, we hear the truths that it speaks to.

The collect that we said today

speaks about the study of scripture as Christian practice.

What it says may have caught our attention.

It reads, "... that we may embrace and ever hold fast

the blessed hope of everlasting life."

 

---------------

It is because of the hope of everlasting life

that we come to church on Sunday.

Amen.

_________________

(*) Marriage, for instance, demands work, and the teaching of the Church on such matter is beneficial to those heeding.  The Book of Common Prayer, on page 423, speaks to the sacredness of the relationship, and states that "marriage is not to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly."

  For those who happen to find their spouses difficult and painful, the church provides words that come handy in a prayer, which reads, "Give them wisdom and devotion in the ordering of their common life, that each of them may be to the other a strength in need, a counselor in perplexity, a comfort in sorrow, and a companion in joy." (BCP, 429) 

 

Đại � Kinh Văn  Ch�a Nhật Vừa Qua    

Ch�a Nhật, 17 th�ng 11 2013

 

Kinh Văn:  Luca 21:5-19, 2 T�sal�nica 3:6-13, Thi Thi�n 98:5-10

 

Ch�ng ta sắp bước v�o M�a Tr�ng Đợi.  M�a Tr�ng Đợi bắt đầu sau ng�y Thanksgiving, tức l� 4 tuần trước Gi�ng Sinh.  B�i đọc Ph�c �m h�m nay l� Luca đoạn 21, từ c�u 5 đến c�u 19.  Khi Đức Gi�su c�ng c�c m�n đệ v�o đền thờ ở th�nh phố Gi�rusalem, một v�i người trầm trồ về c�ng tr�nh kiến tạo của nơi ấy.    Những cột cao của đền thờ bằng đ� cẩm thạch trắng to�t,  đền thờ được trang điểm bằng những c�nh c�y bằng v�ng r�ng.  Người Do Th�i thời đ� rất h�nh diện về nơi thờ phượng.   Nghe lời trầm trồ, Đức Gi�su bảo:  sẽ c� ng�y mọi tảng đ� sẽ đổ xuống.  Quả vậy, v�o năm 70 sau C�ng Nguy�n, qu�n R�ma t�n ph� th�nh Gi�rusalem v� đ�nh sập đền thờ, v� người Do Th�i nổi dậy chống đế quốc. 

            Người ta hay khen ngợi những c�ng tr�nh kiến tạo to lớn v� m�y m�c t�n tiến, trọng vọng người th�nh c�ng, v� h�nh diện về những vu~ kh� tối t�n của thời đại.  Ch�a bảo: tất cả những c�i đ� sẽ một ng�y ra m�y kh�i.

            Động đất v� chiến tranh l� dấu hiệu của thời kỳ cuối c�ng.  C�c triết gia Hy Lạp cho rằng c�c biến cố lập đi lập lại.  Họ bảo: thời n�o chẳng c� động đất v� chiến tranh?  Người Kit�-gi�o nghĩ kh�c, cho rằng lịch sử kh�ng phải đi theo một c�i v�ng tr�n m� đi theo đường thẳng -- lịch sử c� mục đ�ch.  C�i đ�ch của lịch sử l� thời điểm Đức Gi�su l�m chủ tể mu�n lo�i.  Kit�-hữu l� người tr�ng đợi Ch�a trở lại.

         Vấn đề l� ch�ng ta tr�ng đợi như thế n�o.  Tr�ng đợi Ch�a đến, ta sẽ kh�ng sống như người đời -- đầy những hỷ, nộ, �i, ố.  Sống tr�ng đợi l� chuẩn bị l�ng, ăn năn -- kh�ng phải l� chuẩn bị cho những sự vui chơi hời hợt ba ng�y lễ.  Khi đến nh� thờ v�o ng�y 28 th�ng 11 năm nay, qu� vị sẽ thấy m�u t�m, v� sẽ chẳng nghe nhạc Gi�ng Sinh.  M�u t�m l� m�u ăn năn x�m hối.  Ch�ng ta sẽ n�i rất nhiều về sự tr�ng đợi v� x�m hối.  Ch�ng ta sẽ l�m việc ph�c đức gi�p người.  Ch�ng ta sẽ để � đến những cảnh khổ của người quanh m�nh, v� ch�ng ta sẽ nh�n ngược v�o qu� khứ của ch�nh m�nh để biết m�nh r� hơn.  Ch�ng ta sẽ quan t�m v� cầu nguyện cho những người trong cảnh chiến tranh;  sẽ kh�ng nh�n người kh�ng giống m�nh với con mắt khinh dể, song sẽ nh�n họ với con mắt của Ch�a v� thấy rằng họ cu~ng l� những người Ch�a thương, giống hệt như m�nh.  Ch�ng ta cu~ng cầu nguyện cho những người sống kh�ng giấy tờ ở Hoa Kỳ.  Họ sống bữa no bữa đ�i, l�c n�o cu~ng phập phồng lo sợ.    Ch�ng ta cu~ng l� immigrants, v� ch�ng ta muốn gi�p họ với phương tiện m�nh c�.

            Điều mầu nhiệm l� khi tr�ng đợi Ch�a th� đ� cảm nhận Ch�a đến với m�nh rồi.  Ch�a đang ở rất gần với m�nh.  Chỉ v� m�nh kh�ng để � mới kh�ng thấy đ� th�i.  Tr�ng đợi Ch�a gi�p ch�ng ta n�n mạnh để vượt qua những thử th�ch đau thương của đời.

May God bless and keep you, and may God grant us peace. 

 

The Rev. Tinh T. Huynh

Rector of Saint Patrick's Church