Greetings from Saigon!
June is traditionally one of the busiest months in the life of the Church. It is a season filled with ordinations, first Masses of thanksgiving, anniversaries of priestly ordination and religious profession, weddings, and funerals. My schedule has certainly reflected that reality. In fact, several people have joked that my visit to Vietnam this time has not been much of a vacation at all, but more of a mission trip. The more I think about it, the more I realize they may be right.
Over the past week, I have been traveling throughout my home city, celebrating Mass in churches that helped shape my vocation and reconnecting with many people who have been part of my faith journey. Along the way, I have experienced the Church in a way that has brought this Sunday’s readings to life.
One of the highlights was attending a Mass of Thanksgiving marking the fifteenth anniversary of religious profession for a close friend, a Carmelite priest who served for many years in New York and later became the first Provincial of his community in Vietnam. Seeing a church filled with faithful Catholics gathered in gratitude for a life dedicated to God reminded me that Christ continues to call men and women to generous service, even in a world that often values very different things.
A couple of days later, I visited the Shrine of St. Martin de Porres outside Saigon, where the Brothers of St. John of God care for more than one hundred terminally ill patients. There I witnessed something that has stayed with me ever since.
I watched a young religious sister caring for a man suffering from cancer who has been bedridden for more than ten years. She gently adjusted his pillow, wiped his face, and spoke to him with a tenderness that was impossible to miss. What struck me most was the joy with which she served him. There was no sign of obligation or burden—only love.
At that moment, I thought to myself: this is what Christian love looks like. No cameras. No applause. No recognition. Just one disciple of Jesus quietly caring for someone whom the world might easily overlook.
In that simple but powerful encounter, I was reminded of the words from today’s Gospel: “Do not be afraid” (Mt 10:31). Jesus assures us that not even a sparrow falls to the ground without the Father’s knowledge (cf. Mt 10:29). If God cares for the sparrows, how much more does He care for those who are suffering, forgotten, or alone? Through the loving hands of that sister, God’s compassion became visible.
I was also blessed to celebrate the Feast of St. Dominic Savio with the Altar Servers Society of my home parish. Seeing so many young people enthusiastically serving the Church, not unlike the Altar Servers of our own parish, gave me great hope for the future and reminded me that each generation is called to bear witness to Christ in its own way.
The experiences of this past week have reminded me that the Gospel is still alive wherever Christ’s love is made visible—in the generosity of those who serve, in the compassion shown to the suffering, and in the quiet acts of charity that often go unnoticed. May each of us find opportunities this week to be witnesses of that love in our homes, our parish, and our community.
Although I am thousands of miles away, please know that you remain close to my heart and in my prayers. Each day, I remember you at the Altar and entrust you to the loving care of Our Lady.
Yours in Christ,
Msgr. “John” Cuong M. Pham