“Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” (Is 40:3, Mt 3:3) These words of the prophet Isaiah are echoed again in Matthew’s Gospel today. The theme of preparation is apparent in the lectionary readings of the first two weeks of Advent. While it is obvious that the readings are geared towards the preparation of the season of Christmas, these readings provide us not with aggressive warnings, but rather gentle messages, reminders on how to prepare the “way of the Lord”, and in our context, for the second coming of Jesus when he comes the second time in glory.
Throughout Advent, the figure of the prophet Isaiah comes up very often. If we examine the readings of Advent, it is hopefully evident that Jesus is the one Isaiah prophesizes. This is further reinforced in the lectionary readings of Lent, especially in the Liturgy of Good Friday in the reading of the Fourth Canticle of the Servant of God. The prophet Isaiah does not use a single image to prophesize Jesus but rather, a variety of images. In today’s first reading, Isaiah portrays Jesus as “a shoot” that “shall come out from the stump of Jesse”. Jesus meets this criteria as we know that Jesus is a descendant of King David and Jesse is David’s father.
The verse following is intriguing, “The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him.” (Is 11:2) This is indeed what Jesus himself says to the people at the start of his public ministry in Luke chapter 4, as Jesus stands up to read the passage handed to him in the synagogue which comes from the book of Isaiah, chapter 61, which reads, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me…” (Lk 4:18). After reading, Jesus goes on to confirm what Isaiah has prophesied, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (Lk 4:21)
Isaiah brings up the Gifts of the Holy Spirit in the rest of verse 2. Can you recall what the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are? They are: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. These gifts have been poured upon us in the Sacrament of Confirmation. Yet, why are these gifts brought up here? Today’s passage from Isaiah should serve as a compass that will help us fulfill what St. John is asking of us in Matthew’s Gospel this week, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” (Mt 3:2)
It is not possible for us to repent, and recognize our failings if we do not let the gifts of the Holy Spirit to dwell work within us. We can make tons of excuses for our wrongdoings. Yet, are we willing to change? St. John Chrysostom, one of the Church Fathers said, “The Jews were senseless, and had never any feeling of their own sins, but while they were justly accountable for the worst evils, they were justifying themselves in every respect; and this more than anything caused their destruction, and led them away from the faith” (Chrysostom homily on Mt 10). We all should strive to be repentant people. True repentance requires one to recognize one’s wrongdoing and determination to amend one’s life.
To repent is to “prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” That is what the people who came to John the Baptist for baptism sought. They recognized that they were sinners and came to John for the baptism of repentance, an outward sign that they were willing to amend their lives. They did so because they not only wanted to live as people of righteousness, but it was so that through that path of righteousness that they would be prepared for the coming of the Messiah, the Saviour whom they awaited from generation to generation. They were preparing the path for the descendant of King David, they were preparing way of the Lord .
We too must “ready the way” of the Lord for his second coming. That means repenting for our sins and using the gifts of the Holy Spirit that have poured out upon us. By doing so, we are preparing for the second coming of Christ, because, “on that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his swelling shall be glorious.” (Is 11:10)
For this Advent Season, I will be reflecting on the readings of each Sunday of Advent and posting them here on Thursdays. It is my hope that one day, I will be able to write and post lectionary-reading reflections here every week – I am not able to commit to this yet. I am taking little steps at a time, this year, with at least the four weeks of Advent and I will see where things take me.I suggest before reading the reflection to read the lectionary readings, all of which are listed before the reflection.
Lectionary Readings: Is 2:1-5 / Ps 122:1-2,3-4,4-5,6-7,8-9 / Rom 13:11-14 / Mt 24:37-44
As the Church walks into a new liturgical year with the First Sunday of Advent, the lectionary provides us with readings that remind us to constantly be alert. This in no way means that we must be awake 24/7 (anyways, I need my sleep!). However, the readings today remind us that we must be spiritually alert.
The Gospel passage of Matthew this week offers us a flashback to Genesis – the flood which God put on the face of the earth so to purify the it because he “saw that the wickedness of humankind was great in the earth” (Gen 6:5). These people of the time of Noah were concerned about their earthly well-being, living in a culture of self-consumption but not minding about their spiritual well-being.
In order to stay alert, we must be able to find a balance between caring for our own physical and spiritual needs – that would keep us both physically and spiritually healthy.
A healthy physical life requires us to eat well, exercise well and sleep well. Yet, how do we maintain a healthy spiritual life? The first reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah provides us with some means. First are we willing to seek God, go to his “mountain”, so to learn from God his ways, and from there walk along the path of righteousness? Yes, that sounds so far off, but God sent his Son to us so to “teach us his ways, and that we may walk in his paths.” (Isaiah 2:3) The end of the first reading prompts us, “Let us walk in the light of the Lord.” That is what St. Paul re-emphasizes in the New Testament, through the second reading in his letter to the Romans, “Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armour of light.” (Rom 13:12b) That is how we are to be alert – by staying on the path of light, by:
(1) Spiritually eating well by the reception of the Sacraments, especially the Sacrament of the Eucharist, and by reading and reflecting on the Word of God in the Bible and spiritual writings.
(2) Spiritually exercising well by living the virtues, especially the virtue of charity, rather than vices. Living a virtuous life takes time. Virtues do not come in an instant. Rather, they are habitual. They take constant practice and refinement.
(3) Getting spiritual rest and assurance – that may sound paradoxical as we are speaking about being spiritually alert, but here, I am referring to the act of being constantly aware of God’s presence in our lives and in the lives of others, in daily life, in work as in our sleep. That can be achieved through a life of prayer. It is only by placing prayer in the centre of our lives do we find moments of spiritual rest and assurance.
St. Dominic Savio, a student of St. John Bosco, seemed to embrace these concepts well. Once, while playing ball, someone asked him, “Dominic, what would you do if you knew God was going to call you?” Dominic replied, “I would continue playing ball.” Why would Dominic say that? Because Dominic was spiritually alert at all times, he was prepared for the moment God called him.
Let us like St. Dominic Savio, be spiritual alert at all times, not fearing when God would call us because if we are walking along the path of light, living spiritually healthy, there is nothing to fear. That can be achieved by spiritually eating, exercise and resting well, just as we need to eat well, physical exercise and sleep to maintain a physical healthy lifestyle.
Note:Spoiler alert! References to Frozen II are scattered throughout this reflection.
After a successful Frozen movie five-years ago,its sequel Frozen II has been long awaited and honestly, I did not waste a minute to see the sequel and probably did many others. While I did expect a happy ending, as do most Disney films, I found that the amount of content and events that were embedded within the film was a little overwhelming, and difficult to keep track of everything
At first I thought that Elsa’s quest was to discover what happened to her parents, but later on in the film, I learned that Elsa went out to solve a more important issue – the uncovering of the sins of the past, so to restore justice, and peace between Northuldra and Arendelle. It became much more clearer after watching the film and reading this piece by Matt Goldberg.
So it seems that in the beginning, Arendelle had to pay the price for the “sins” of the past. To restore harmony, Elsa comes along, uncovers the truth and brings harmony to both Northundra and Arendelle. Elsa rules Northundra, and Anna becomes the Queen of Arendelle.
While this fictional story is a beautiful one, and its ending is typical of a Disney Princess story, as I watched the film, and read Matt Goldberg’s crtique, the theme of the Paschal Mystery and the History of Salvation in which the Church celebrates in the liturgy of the Paschal Triduum.
In the beginning, man committed the sin of disobedience (Genesis 3). Yet, even in such a dark state, God did not abandon man, but rather, promised a Saviour (see Genesis 3:15). However, that was not the end of the matter. Due to the sins of man, that created a “gap” between God and man, the gates of heaven were closed. A debt had to be paid and that ultimately meant that man had to die, and suffer eternal damnation. However, “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” (John 3:16) God’s love for man was so great that he did not want man to die eternally, but paid that debt for us by giving us a Saviour, Jesus Christ. The debt was ultimately paid through the passion of Jesus on the cross and was brought to fulfillment in the Resurrection. The death of Jesus broke the “dam” that was blocking man and God and therefore, opened the gates of heaven.
Due to the sin of the past King of Arendelle towards Northundra, the people of Arendelle had to suffer the consequences of sin, and that was passed on from generation to generation. Similar to every person, we all inherited original sin, but through the Sacrament of Baptism, we take on Christ who paid for the price of sin.
I notice many parallelisms between Jesus and Elsa. Both were the Saviour of their own respective people, Jesus saved man while Elsa saved Arendelle. Yet, both had to go through much suffering, going through the “Passion” in order to liberate the people out of the bondage of sin. Even through that suffering, both resurrect and bring new life to their people and brings about a spirit of reconciliation and peace.
I am reminded of the Preface III of the Sundays of Ordinary Time, titled, “Salvation of man by man”:
“…you came to the aid of mortal beings with your divinity and even fashioned for us a remedy out of mortality itself, that the cause of our downfall might become the means of our salvation.”
Roman Missal – Preface III of the Sundays of Ordinary Time
This prompts me to go back to “happy fault” that is mentioned in the Exsultet at the Easter Vigil. Man committed sin, and closed the gates of heaven. Yet, it was through that sin, that “downfall”, that Jesus Christ was sent to us as the Saviour of the world, bringing not only paying a debt, bringing us eternal salvation, but also a spirit of reconciliation and peace.
I think it is important for us to understand the meaning of the History of Salvation within the aspects of peace and reconciliation, because salvation is not something done for an individual. Rather, every time we look up to the Cross of Jesus, we should be reminded not only of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, but on our part, we should be called to promote a spirit of reconciliation and peace with one another. That process is certainly not easy – we see it even now in Canada as we strive to reconcile with First Nations, Indigenous Peoples of Canada, or as a Church as we reconcile with those who have faced harm from members of the hierarchies of the Church.
Like how the people of Arendelle and Northundra were able to reconcile with each other, bringing about a great sense of peace through the saving act of Elsa, I pray that people all around the world, through the salvation of Jesus, also reconcile with each other, therefore, bringing about peace and joy in this world. I know I am talking about this using a fiction story, but I believe it is possible – the only exception is that it is going to be a very long process, and cannot be achieved in 1.5 hours like Frozen II.
On this All Saints’ Day, I take time to reflect on the completion of The Catholic Bible in 365 Days Challenge with the hope that one day, you will want to complete a similar challenge to deepen your love for the Word of God.
When I was in high school I was asked by some of my friends,
if I ever read the Bible in its entirety before. I shamefully answered, “No”. I
was ashamed because of my lack of commitment to reading the Word of God and
lack of motivation to read it in its entirety.
From September 30, 2018 – September 30, 2019, I undertook a Challenge that I have been longing to do, but throughout the years, found excuses and lack of commitment to undertake a Challenge I called The Catholic Bible in 365 Day Challenge.
In the Summer of 2018, I was scrolling through YouTube and
encountered a video of (now Father) Casey Cole, OFM, who said that he was going
to read the Bible in its entirety before his priestly ordination. I
contemplated joining him in the Challenge, but I wanted time for spiritual
preparation. Shortly after, I chose September 30, 2018 to officially undertake
this Challenge because September 30 is the memorial of St. Jerome, priest and
doctor of the Church.
St. Jerome is the saint of the Scriptures. He spent much of
his life working on the translation of the Bible from ancient sources to Latin,
into the Vulgate Translation that we use today. The year 2019 marks the 1600th
anniversary of his death, so what better way to commemorate this than reading
the Bible in the time period leading towards this anniversary?
I put out the Challenge out on social media and invited other
fellow Catholic friends to join me and people positively responded to the
Challenge, willing to attempt it with their family and friends. (I don’t know
how many people actually went through the Challenge until the end, but God
knows!)
The Challenge is a commitment of spending 15-20 minutes per
day for a year reading a specified chapters of a book in the Bible. Some may
argue that it is very difficult to do so everyday for a year – but consider how
much time we are on social media. We spend copious amounts of time from 20
minutes to several hours on social media, casually liking and scrolling through
Instagram, SnapChat and Facebook, and we never complain. Yet, we complain when
committing to an hour of Mass a week, or praying 5-minutes a day, or spending
15-minutes of reading Scripture.
From experience doing this Challenge, I understand that Bible
reading is not always easy and may be discouraging at times. Some section are
interesting to read while some are just dry or difficult to understand. Those,
however, are not excuses to not read the Bible.
The more we question, the more answers we will get. There are
many resources out there that will assist us in the reading of Scripture. The
number one thing that I found helpful was using an appropriate Bible, a
Catholic one (that contains the Apocrypha) with good notes. The New American
Bible Revised Edition contain a lot of good footnotes. As a companion to
that, I recently just bought a used copy of the New Jerome Biblical
Commentary and it has proven to be a very valuable resource in
understanding various parts of Scripture.
For me, travelling both locally and overseas this past year
has added to the experience of the Challenge. It was the act of reading the
Bible in various places throughout the world that made the Challenge memorable.
Most of the time, I read the Bible at my desk at home, the living room, or bed
before I go to sleep. But there were times throughout the Challenge when I read
the Bible in a chapel during a retreat, on a flight thousands of feet above
land, in a seat in the Charles-de-Guelles Airport, on the shores of a beach in
Spain, or in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel in St. Peter’s Basilica. The
portability of the Word of God was worthwhile. It kept it me constant prayer
and reflection anywhere I was in the world throughout the year.
The biggest reward I got out of the Challenge was being able
to gain a deeper appreciation and reverence to the Word of God. Sometimes, we attend Mass and know some readings such as the Birth of
Jesus, or the Passion narratives and we know the events by heart. However,
having read the Old Testament and the New Testaments, I was able to see how
Biblical events connected together. When I hear a Gospel passage at Mass, seem
to I have a much clearer context of what is being said. For example, when Jesus
said, “And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son
of Man be lifted up.” (Jn 3:14) Having read Numbers chapter 21, the Gospel
passage makes a lot more sense and becomes rich in meaning.
Pope Francis in his recently published Moto Proprio, Aperuit
Illis, in which he instituted the Sunday of the Word of God on the Third
Sunday in Ordinary Time, reminded Catholics, “A day devoted to the Bible should
not be seen as a yearly event but rather a year-long event, for we urgently
need to grow in our knowledge and love of the Scriptures and of the risen Lord,
who continues to speak his word and to break bread in the community of
believers.” (AI 8)
I hope every Catholic will try to read the Bible in its
entirety at least once in your lifetime. It may not be a year-long commitment
like my Challenge, but can span two or three years, depending on one’s level of
commitment. However, this Challenge not only gave me a spiritual disciplining,
but also a great love towards the Word of God, which is something that will
last a lifetime, and I hope you will experience the same.
St.
Jerome, lover of the Scriptures, pray for us!
My Facebook News Feed has been flooded with news about the Essex Tragedy, from stories of suspected victims, stories of the tragedy itself, as well as the Catholic perspective on the story itself, to the point that even this tragedy has a reflective story on the Vietnamese Vatican News site. As a son of a Vietnamese refugee, and a first-generation Vietnamese-Canada, I reflect on this recent tragedy, even as news about its victims continue to unfold rapidly on the media.
I only learned about the tragic death of 39 people found in a refrigerated container two days after the terrible discovery was made. I kept the victims in my thoughts and prayers throughout the day but did not have much thought about their ethnicity, or where they came from. News about migrant and refugee deaths on the journey to seek liberation has been on the news in recent years, particularly in Syria and the Middle East, so such tragic news was not of surprise to me.
However, the past days, it has struck me that a majority of those people on that truck were people from Vietnam, people of the same ethnicity as my family and I. I have been surrounded by Vietnamese people for my whole life. I have Vietnamese friends, I participate in activities within the Vietnamese community, I have been a student of the Vietnamese International Languages Program of the Toronto Catholic District School Board. While I am a first generation Vietnamese Canadian within the family, I am very much rooted in the Vietnamese culture.
The people of Vietnam have faced much persecution throughout the centuries, speaking from both a religious and human right perspective. Particularly, the Vietnam War (1955-1975) saw a country torn by war, divided in morals and very restricted in religious freedom. From a the perspective of Catholic history in Vietnam, many activities were put “on hold”, from seminaries being closed, clergy not allowed to exercise their ministry, etc. The rise of communism also jeopardized human rights of the people in Vietnam. It is for that reason that since 1975, with the Fall of Saigon, people fled out of Vietnam to seek freedom, to seek a life where they would be free to exercise their human rights and religious freedom.
The story of the Vietnamese Boat People is very much comparable to the story of Exodus, in which the Israelites fled Egypt so to seek a brighter future for their families, and that they would be able to worship the One True God without oppression (see Book of Exodus). The Exodus of the Vietnamese people saw millions of Vietnamese people, including Catholics (including clergy) from 1975 up to early 1990s, fleeing Vietnam by fishing boats to reach refugee camps. From there, many people found refuge all over the world, including Canada, the United States of America, France, Australia, etc. Today, Vietnamese people are present all throughout the world, bringing with them their language, culture and traditions. I understand this story because my father was one of the millions of Vietnamese Boat People. I am surrounded within the Vietnamese community by many, many people who share similar story lines as my dad. I am in Toronto, Canada today, graduated with an Ontario Secondary School Diploma, and currently undergoing studies at the University of Toronto today because my father took the risk to step on a fishing boat, spending several years at a refugee camp and welcomed by Canada in the 1980s. He, along with many others envisioned a brighter future which thankfully, worked out for them.
Unfortunately, not every one of the Vietnamese Boat People had a happy ending like that of my father and uncle. On my mother’s side, one of her brothers was brought back home dead in an attempt to escape. Some died at refugee camps, some were denied entry to any other country and forced to go back to Vietnam, possibly facing imprisonment and some, out of hate of the state of the country committed suicide because they did not want to go back.
I was surprised, haunted and saddened to learn of the tragedy in Essex. I was surprised that decades after the Vietnam war, in 2019, there are still Vietnamese “boat people” in a metaphorical, 21st century definition. I was haunted, not only because that (some) people found and opened a container with 39 life-less people with barely any clothing, who froze to death, but the fact that other people were willing to treat other people as cargo, as shipment, as mere objects was haunting. This story was obviously saddening because this is a death of 39 people, many suspected victims of whom were still so young, around the age that my father and uncle “vượt biên”. Some so far, have been said to be as young as 19, an age where people would hold in themselves so many dreams waiting to be fulfilled. While young people in Canada may be dreaming of getting their hands on a new iPhone 11, or Google Pixel 4, these young people had dreams of seeking freedom. They desired a life in which they could be authentically “free”, pursuing a career that would allow them to help not only themselves and their families.
The day that these 39 people spent thousands of dollars to embark on a Journey to Freedom, their journey became a Journey to “Freedom”. I think that little did they know, the moment they stepped onto that cargo container did they see death in front of them, rather than the freedom that they were hoping for. I cannot help but think of stories of the Holocaust, where people were stuffed into the gas chamber where they were “gassed” to death. I could not help but think of this image when I read of the last text a girl sent to her parents, “I can’t breathe” and the x-ray image of victims, as it passed through customs, striving to breathe.
I often end these sort of reflections by asking us to pray for the victims of such a tragedy. However, I do not think prayer is enough. We must take action to ensure that such events never happen again. Let us defend the dignity of the human person, defending human rights in the spirit of the Gospel. We can do this in a variety of means, on social media, joining peaceful protests, petitions asking the government to show concern towards the issue of human rights, and migrants and refugees, or joining a school Social Justice or Human Rights club. We must not be silent. We are privileged to live in a country where we do not to be constantly worried about our rights and freedoms. It is for that reason that we must be the voice for the voiceless.
This is a continuation and the conclusion of The Catholic Pilgrim in Europe four-part series, where I recount the most significant moments during my March Break Europe tour, with other travellers from Chaminade College School. Part 1 can be found here. Part 2 can be found here, Part 3 can be found here.
The last part of our school’s Europe tour were to Sorrento and Capri in southern Italy, about 3 -4 hour by on land vehicle from the city of Rome. I honestly have never heard of Sorrento and Capri prior to signing up for the Europe tour, so it was a place of surprise for me.
Lemons sold at a shop in Sorrento
Statue of St. Antoninus of Sorrento in the middle of an intersection in Sorrento
Sorrento had a much quieter atmosphere compared to Rome. While Rome has very tall structures that had what I’d say a “rigid” sense, Sorrento had very lively buildings in bright colours. A special feature of Sorrento are their lemons. Their lemons are huuuugggggge, and everywhere you go, you see lemons, even lemon soap, lemon towels… all sorts of lemon merchandise. Catholicism is very much present there, as I passed by the Seminary and their Cathedral. Most notable for me was the presence of a statue in hermit-like clothing depicted in sculptures and images throughout Sorrento. I found the answer when I randomly stepped into a church, and was surprised to see how grand it was. The mysterious saintly figure again appeared, but very prominently in the church. I later found out once I got home, did some research that the church I stepped in was the Shrine to St. Antoninus of Sorrento, and abbot, and hermit. He was a figure who seemed to be very dear to the Catholics of the area.
Interior of the Shrine of St. Antoninus of Sorrento
That church was no where near the scale of St. Peter’s Basilica, but it was very unique. I approached the altar, and two sides walls had, encased behind glass small “cubby holes” of which I believe to be relics of saints. This is honestly now surprise to me because churches in Italy often have many relics for veneration by the public. Atop the main crucifix depicted saints, with St. Antoninus of Sorrento in the centre. When I stepped in, there was group of people, probably a part of a choir practicing some Italian hymns (I am assuming they were singing Italian hymns).
The Crypt Chapel of the Shrine
I saw two stairs on the two sides near the sanctuary. They were not just any set of stairs, they were decorated, similar to those of the Confessio of St. Peter’s Basilica. I knew there could be something “big” down there, so I went down and stepped into a Chapel filled with light. There, in the centre of all activity was a statue of St. Antoninus of Sorrento atop an altar (ad orientem). I noticed below the statue was a grate, with a lighted candle. Having looked at some altars of this type, I knew this altar had some major relic inside, likely of St. Antoninus and my research confirmed those assumptions. The surrounding walls had ex votos of all sizes in the classic Italian style, in shapes of hearts and various symbols, thanking St. Antoninus for a specific grace. I knelt down in front of the high altar at kneeler provided and I loved the silence and solemnity. It was only myself inside the crypt chapel.
Evening near the beaches (below) in Sorrento
That night in Sorrento, myself and some colleagues went down the hill down to the beach below. The experience of walking along the beach this time was different than that in Barcelona or Nice. There were not many people present at the beach since the water was a little cold and the sun was setting. The quietness, and the sound of the waters is something you do not get the experience much in Toronto. Some of the guys were playing volleyball. I sat near the waters, and just sat there, taking in the moment. After a while, I stood up and started walking in my pair of flip-flops and stepped into the waters for a bit, just up to my ankles. It was cold, so I did not stand in the water for long. Then, I just began casually walking along the coast, letting my feet dry in the sand. I started singing, “Hôm nào dưới nắng reo vui, mình tôi rong chơi trên bãi biển…” (translation: “One happy day under the sun, I was alone casually walking on the beach…”) from Dấu Chân (Footprints)a Vietnamese song, based on the popular poem Footprints, with music accompaniment by the late Bishop Joseph Thống Vũ. I only knew of the song two days after he passed away when it circulated widely on Facebook. While I’ve sung it in front of crowds before, many emotions went through me as I sung It alone on the beach and the sun slowing setting.
The Cathedral of St. Stephen (Santo Stefano) in Capri
We headed to the island of Capri the next day and I found Capri to be very interesting. I knew absolutely nothing about Capri prior to the trip so everything was surprise. Capri was very lively. It’s a small town but full of life. It was Sunday, the Lord’s Day and I was trying to find a church for Mass. We had an hour of free time, so I headed to the Cathedral of St. Stephen (Santo Stefano), which is smaller than that of St. Michael’s Cathedral Basilica, but it was still gorgeous. I tried to look for a sign with Mass times, but unfortunately, I came right after they had Mass and the next one would be an hour later – by then, I would be back with the group heading back for Rome. I did not know what to do, since we did not have chance for Mass the previous week either since were travelling from place to place. Then, I thought of asking for Holy Communion. I went to the back of the Sacristy (I still do not know how I found the courage to even do that). I found the sacristan and he knew minimal english. He lead me to an old priest, vested for the next Mass in an hour. He did not know much english either, and I could not explain to him using dialogue, so I used hand gestures. The sacristan translated as much he could for the old priest. At first, the priest shook his head, “No”. I said, “Grazie” and began leaving the sacristy area. At the door of the sacristy, the priest called me back, and gestured me to go to the sanctuary and wait for him. I did not know what was going to happen. The priest went to the tabernacle, took a ciboria out and began saying prayers in Italian. I knew a little Latin to understand that what was taking place was the Rite of Holy Communion Outside of Mass. I said all the prayers in English while he said most of the prayers in Italian. When he came to me with the host, I knelt down to receive the Eucharist as the priest said, “Corpus Christi,” and I replied, “Amen.” I continued to kneel down in prayer until the priest said a short prayer and offered the final blessing in Italian. I stood up, and said the only Italian sentence I knew, “Grazie Padre”. The priest smiled and gave me a thumbs up.
I walked out the Cathedral while some parishioners seemed puzzled at what just happened. Then, I realized I was wearing a sweater saying, “Thiếu Nhi Thánh Thể Việt Nam – Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Movement”. I wondered if the priest changed his mind because of that – I will never know why he changed mind that quickly. Either way, I was very happy as I believed everything happened out of God’s providence. Since then, I believe that something in me has changed in the way I receive Holy Communion – seem to have developed a much conscientious mindset now. We may take the act of receiving Holy Communion for granted because we do so each week sometimes out of routine. Yet, that should not be so, because the one whom we receive each week in the Eucharist is truly Jesus Christ who is true God and true Man.
A view of the lively streets of Capri
The ride back to Rome was of mixed emotions because it was the last piece of travelling within Europe we would be doing before heading back to Canada the next day. I cherished every moment on the bus, sleeping at times, but most of all, just looking outside through the window at the scenery, or pulling out the Breviary to do the Liturgy of the Hours.
The next day, everyone woke up at 5:00am to get our suitcases and head to Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino airport. We had a stop in Amsterdam and then it was an 8-hour flight back to Toronto on KLM Dutch Airline.
I remember looking out while the plane was on the East coast of Canada. The sky was clear of clouds, so I could actually look down and see the snow-covered land. It was beautiful to see how wide our country was. At 4:00pm EST, I did Evening Prayer of the day and remember praying for the Church in Canada.
Evening Prayer above Canada
Even after almost a whole day of travelling, it was only past 5:00pm when I arrived in Toronto. My dad was waiting for me at the airport. That ended a packed 12-Day Tour and Pilgrimage in Europe.
There is a lot that I left out from this four-part series post, because there our group did so much within twelve days. My legs were sore by the ninth day of the tour, but it was all worth it. While I learned a lot of the different cultures I encountered, I was very much attracted to the presence of Catholicism in these areas. It proved to me the universality of the Catholic Church, and even so, we all profess the same faith in the Creed. It was a profound experience visiting the most prominent places of Catholicism, and even to the lesser known churches. I certainly want to go back on a tour to Europe because I learned, I have a lot discovery and learning to do in Europe.
I would like to thank Mr. Veiga and Mr. Di Rezze for your tireless efforts in organizing the trip almost two years in advance. I also send a special thanks to Ms. Claudia Mura, our tour guide throughout the whole duration of the trip – your expertise, care and concern made this a very memorable and smooth trip! I also extend my gratitude to Explorica Canada who gave us great service.
A thank you also goes out to those who have journeyed with me physically and virtually throughout my days in Europe. I was very blessed to go on this trip with an amazing group of guys of my now, alma mater Chaminade College School. You guys made this trip a lot of fun. It was a chance for me to get to know each of you guys better and for me to share my joys of Catholicism with everyone of you, especially when visiting the holiest of places of our faith. To those who journeyed virtually with me, it means a lot of to me: putting up with Skype calls at awkward times, dealing with my rants about Rome, etc. The assistance such as tips and lending of guide books were very helpful as well. Most of all thank you for your prayers and mental support. Being outside of Canada without my parents was a little worrisome, but my physical and virtual companions have allowed me to not be homesick at all. To all… thank you.
Now, World Youth Day 2022 in Lisbon, Portugal? Let’s see!
This is a continuation of The Catholic Pilgrim in Europe four-part series, where I recount the most significant moments during my March Break Europe tour, with other travellers from Chaminade College School. Part 1 can be found here. Part 2 can be found here.
We boarded the bus for Rome and the Vatican, another region which I fell even more in love with Catholicism and therefore, fell in love with the city and its history.
Why is Rome so important? I say it is the “heart” of the Roman Catholic Church – that is why we have “Roman” in the title. The first Pope, Peter, at one time lead the Catholic Church in Antioch, but moved to Rome. It is there that the first pope did much of his ministry. It is there that he was martyred for professing faith in Jesus Christ.
The Church of Trinità dei Monti and the Spanish Steps in Rome
While Rome has modernized greatly since the time of St. Peter and the apostles, I could not help but think that many saints have one walked in these areas from martyrs to popes.
There were many things I could remember about Rome, but I am only going to recount the highlights during my time in the Eternal City
After walking down the Spanish Steps, we went to the Trevi Fountain, and then to the Pantheon. The Pantheon was originally a temple to gods, but now it is a Basilica, a Basilica of Mary, Mother of Martyrs. Raphael and some other notable people are buried in there. However, it is a very ancient building. Bishop Barron, on his recent visit there remarked that many of the “pivotal players” of Catholicism have seen this building. This is what he had to say about the Pantheon:
The Basilica was indeed very old and the rich history behind it, including the people buried in the Basilica was striking to me (so did many of the Churches of Rome). Like Bishops Barron, while walking through Rome, I thought of the many people before me, including the saints and other famous people including theologians, philosophers, artists, etc. who have walked the streets of Rome and likely saw many of the same building I did during my time there.
What was striking for me was the Friday March 15, which was the highlight of the trip for me, where we spent a whole day walking through Vatican City and enjoyed walking the streets of Rome (specifically Trastevere) after visiting the Colosseum.
Vatican Museums
That day started with the Vatican Museums which unfortunately, I did not do much research on, but it is huge – very large compared to the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. We saw many artifacts not only of Catholicism, but statues of gods and goddesses, things before and after the time of Christ, tapestries, maps, etc. While we only had time to go through a very small fraction of the museums, the crowning jewel of the Vatican Museums tour was ultimately the Sistine Chapel. I was a little disappointed with its size, since I thought that a Chapel used for the Conclave, it should have been a bit larger to have rows of tables for 121 men… but nevertheless, I was amazed at the beauty. Indeed, what I said years ago in a class assignment, “The Sistine Chapel is a place filled with life,” is very true, especially when you step in and see the stories of the creation of the universe. I walked around the chapel a few times, walking through the centre isle, as Cardinals would do when they approach the altar to cast their ballot. I wanted to walk in their shoes for a couple minutes. Standing in front of Michelangelo’s fresco of The Last Judgement was striking, especially knowing that the Cardinals would cast their ballot, saying, “Testor Christum Dominum, qui me iudicaturus est, me eum eligere, quem secundum Deum iudico eligi debere.” (English translation: “I call as my witness Christ the Lord, who will be my judge that my vote is given to the one who, before God, I think should be elected.”)
From the Sistine Chapel, we walked to St. Peter’s Basilica. We used a special group entrance, and passed by the locked Holy Doors. That was a special moment for me to see the doors up close since I wrote about the Holy Doors at length throughout the Jubilee of Mercy in 2016. Another moment I remember was standing at the front and centre entrance of the Basilica, the place where the clergy and the Pope would process out for outdoor Papal Masses. I saw the canopy that covered the Mass area and I remembered pictures of the funeral of Pope John Paul II, in which the coffin passed through that way, and Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis processing out for beatifications, canonizations, inauguration and closing of important events within the Catholic Church such as the Year of Faith and the Jubilee of Mercy.
The beautiful dome of St. Peter’s Basilica where below it sits the main Papal Altar, and below that the tomb of St. Peter, apostle
The most significant part of the trip was ultimately St. Peter’s Basilica, the church in which I have seen countless pictures of throughout my lifetime, at the moment suddenly brought to life. While I loved seeing the Pieta and many, many beautiful pieces of art, tried to contain my picture-taking to a minimum since I wanted to be in a prayerful mode. I went by the famous bronze statue of St. Peter, to the right of the Papal altar whose feet have been worn down from all the kissing of pilgrims throughout the centuries. I did that same reverent gesture that pilgrims have done. Then, I proceeded to the Altar of Confession, and stood as close as I could to gate leading down to St. Peter’s tomb. I took off my ring and laid it near the gate. I took out the Breviary I prepared months prior to the trip, and opened to the page which I added, with the Profession of Faith. It is customary for pilgrims to do a profession of faith at the tomb of the apostles of Sts. Peter and Paul. Bishops do so during their Ad Limina visits and it is perhaps one of their spiritually important moments during those visits. I did the same as I slowly read the Nicene Creed and once again, professed my belief in the doctrines of the Catholic Church. For me, that was a very important moment on the trip.
Another specific highlight that day was the Colosseum, a “must-see” for anyone who goes to Rome. It has become one of the most iconic landmarks of the eternal city. For me, visiting the Colosseum was important not because it was a landmark of Rome, but rather it was to pay homage to the many Christians who professed faith in Jesus Christ. Symbols of Christianity were present all throughout the Colosseum, most prominently the Cross. It is there that the Way of the Cross with the Holy Father is celebrated on every Good Friday. I took time looking at all the ancient inscriptions and minimal art that was in there, but this too was a moving part for me.
A panorama of the interior of Rome’s Colosseum
Everywhere you turn in Rome, there is some trace of Catholicism, even within fountains (such as the Trevi Fountain) and monuments. Sometimes it was a cross that topped a monument, a papal coat-of-arms that decorated a fountain or the papal tiara with crossed keys that was engraved on an obelisk. Not only were symbols of Christianity visible almost everywhere in Rome, but everywhere you turn, there is a church. That fact should be of no surprise, especially when there are more than 900 churches in Rome. Every time I passed by a Church, I wanted to step in to “check it out”, obviously with the reverence due to the Eucharist reserved in every Church. While you just can’t miss the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, people tend to forget about the hundreds of churches in Rome. Besides the “big” stuff in Rome, I remember the times when I randomly dropped into a Church near a gelato shop that my friends were stopping by or a souvenir shop. The thing is, you never know when you will return to those places, so you want to go into every Church and every Church I stepped in was beautiful! You don’t know what you’ll see. Without a guidebook, you will be surprised to find a tomb of saint or large relics. I remember stepping into the gorgeous Santa Maria in Trastevere with beautiful mosaics adorning the sanctuary. Then, on a smaller scale, I remember stepping into San Salvador in Onda. I did not know what to expect in that Church until I saw a tomb of a saint beneath the altar – that of St. Vincent Pallotti. I grabbed a couple prayer cards from the vestibule that were freely available.
Interior of San Salvador in Onda, which houses of the (visible) remains of St. Vincent Pallotti below the main altar
Those impromptu visits to those Churches really allowed me to see the influence Catholicism has in Rome, it showed how powerful the Catholic Church was. I wonder how those 900+ churches are maintained. Yet, all of these things are to ultimately glorify God. One day, these earthly building of worship will pass. God does not need 900+ churches in a city but these churches should serve as instruments that lead us to the heavenly banquet, not merely pieces of art. We can go into these churches and can find awe in them. But do they help us come closer to God? We must answer to God one day about what we have done to serve him and his Church. May the beautiful places of pilgrimage that we enter be a push for our spiritual lives, that we may become not only church builders on earth, but temples of the Holy Spirit.
Vincent Pham, known as The Catholic Man by many of his friends, is a student at the University of Toronto’s Trinity College of the Faculty of Arts and Science. He hopes to pursue a double major in Ethics, Law and Society, and Christianity and Culture. Vincent is an alumni of Chaminade College School in Toronto (Class of 2019). He has a great love for all things Catholic, especially Catholic liturgy.
