Dear Parishioners,
First and foremost, thanks to God for His blessing and I pray that all of you are doing well! I am doing good too! Thank you for your prayers and for supporting me in my ministry in so many different ways.
Yesterday, Monday April 6, 2020, I celebrated my uncle’s funeral and graveside service, this is the first time ever that I celebrated a funeral with fewer than ten people according to the order of our Government because of the coronavirus pandemic. It seems so sad! In this situation, many of us wonder why God does not always do what we want and how and when we want it done.
At this moment of sadness, I remembered the day of Jesus’ burial. There were only few people to bury Him such as Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus, John, Mary Magdalene, Mary, mother of Joses, and Mary, Mother of God because people were afraid of the Jewish leaders.
During this period of time, it is a great challenge for us to face this crisis. We do not always understand God’s will and it becomes difficult to choose to trust that He knows what He is doing. In such times, we would do well to look to the Cross of Christ where the Son of Man is glorified and we see the will of God made manifest.
During this Holy Week, gazing in wonder upon the Crucified Lord, we see the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for His sheep. He extends His arms on the Cross to embrace us and He bends His head low to receive us with the kiss of reconciliation. Sparing nothing for our salvation, He gave His own life so that we might live.
Through the strength and power of His love, He has forever destroyed the power of sin and death for all who trust in His mercy and love. When we look upon the pierced side of Christ, we learn most clearly that “the souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them” because nothing can keep us from the love of Christ Jesus (Wisdom 3:1).
Here we are at the Holy Week, a time when we focus our attention on Jesus’ suffering and death. With confidence in the grace and mercy of Christ, that we lovingly entrust our struggles, our crisis, our sadness etc. to him, to the one who died for us, who said, “Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves me” (John 12:26).
As the events of Holy Week are sent in motion, allow God to broaden your vision. Let Him show you how big His plan is, how wide and broad is His desire to save everyone – and save them completely. Let Him make that transformation a reality in your own life, even though we cannot gather together to celebrate the Holy Triduum and His resurrection in the Church.
Don’t worry, at the time of Jesus’ Resurrection, there was only Mary Magdalene who recognized Him outside of the tomb when He called her name. And Jesus asked her to spread the words of His rising to His disciples and to all. Let us spread the words of Jesus’ Resurrection to all, wherever it maybe, especially during this time of crisis.
Let us say, “Alleluia, Alleluia, Jesus Christ is truly risen from the death, Alleluia!”
May the Risen Lord bless you always!
Sincerely Yours in Christ,
Reverend Quang Vinh Chu, Pastor
Happy Easter 2020 from St. Mary’s by the Sea