On February 10-12, the Adorers of the Blood of Christ from Korea sent two of their leadership team members to Vietnam to discuss future ministry prospects in Vietnam for their sisters. Sr. Misook Kwak and Sr. HeeKyung Kim visited Saigon for two days to stay at Xavier Mission House to talk about the possibilities of the sisters working in collaborative ministry with our priests and brothers of the Vietnam Mission. They informed us that a decision was made from their leadership team that those among them who were the first Vietnamese sisters to go through the formation program would go back to Vietnam to do ministry after final vows.
This involvement in ministry in Vietnam could happen in just a couple years. Sr. Misook and Sr. HeeKyung explored the possibilities with those of us in the Vietnam Mission of the initial stages of finding a mission house for the sisters to live. We also talked about doing certain ministries together like ministry to migrants or single mothers with children or those suffering from domestic abuse. Overall, it was an exciting conversation with hopeful future connections and opportunity.

Lectionary Catechesis: OT 8, February 26, 2017

We are given much wisdom for the disciple beginning the journey with Jesus about God’s providence, about the necessity of reconciliation before discipleship, about our stewardship in our ministries, God’s parental love, and even a few notes regarding our right relationship with animals and created world. We are taught by Jesus himself about our prayers of petition. It will be hard to choose one of these topics and drill down into only one more richly. A number of these points are problematic for the modern person.
OT 8 A Lectionary Catechesis

Lectionary Catechesis: First Week of Lent, March 5, 2017

The readings challenge us to think about the dynamics and psychology of sin from the view of these ancient texts. Recognition of the truth of the human condition and authentic honesty about ourselves will result in an increase of yearning for Jesus. Sin is never comfortable to discuss, and should not be in a “hell fire and brimstone” sermon context. It is viewed In the Catechism always in relation to the salvation we have encountered in the Lord Jesus and his obedience of will. In order to begin to grasp the theology of sin in these readings, CCC 396- 412 beg serious study and reflection. While no one is asking for a “hell fire and brimstone” homily, the dynamics of our relationship with one another and God includes the problem and condition of sin. All this is in the part on the Creed, so it is fundamental to our beliefs. The wide mercy of the Psalm is in between the bookends of the Genesis and Romans reading. Listen to Allegri’s magnificent Miserere. It was forbidden under pain of excommunication to take copies out of the Vatican; Mozart as a teenager heard it once, left the concert, and wrote it out accurately from memory for his own use in 1771. He was disciplined by Pope Clement XIV at the time with an award for cleverness.
Lent 1 A Lectionary Catechesis

Lectionary Catechesis: Ash Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Thus Lent begins. God desires conversion of heart; our Lenten practices are directed to that goal or end. At the same time, the three penances commended by Jesus are done for others who have less than we have ourselves; at any angle, penance has some communal character connected with it, cf. the prophet Joel. We live in a culture that privatizes religion. God is a separate if not remote part of our lives; God is spiritual and therefore not tangible, immanent, or incarnate. Lent is our drawing close to God, to suffering, and to transformation.
Ash Wednesday ABC