Vietnam has left its mark

I have been on Sabbatical 2.0, going on a religious pilgrimage and discovery tour to Vietnam.  I am not here to write a travelogue but, in this case, I am so tempted as I had such great adventures and faced truly exciting and new challenges.  And so, Vietnam has left its mark on me.  

Yes, it is a beautiful country, with vibrant and caring people.  Yes, despite all, or because of all it has suffered, a strong Church exists in this land.  Yes, its people have suffered a long history of war and suffering, but they have never been vanquished.  I heard Vietnamese themselves name their strength, the strength of the people of Vietnam - "Forgive and move on, but do remember".  I experienced it as they shared stories of a tragic and violent past, but then simply finished by saying - "that is history".  Powerful!

Over these past days, I have been opened up to a church that has suffered brutal persecution over the last two centuries, or more, but has been left stronger and richer for this bloodied experience.  I wonder if I could suffer such torture and indignity, and come out the other end with their sense of dignity and humanity.  

I was overcome by the story of just one of countless martyrs, St Agnes Le Thi Thanh, a wife and mother (1781-1841),  She was arrested by the Emperor's soldiers for hiding and looking after priests.  She was subsequently imprisoned, tortured and eventually died.  The recounting of how they put poisonous snakes down here pants just made me squirm uncontrollably.  How did these great saints do it?  This is a rhetorical question, if there ever was one. St Agnes named it well, when she described the blood patches on her clothes, to her children, as "these are my red roses of courage. I am suffering in the name of Jesus. ,,,  I will trust and follow Jesus to the end." 

So the Church in Vietnam today stands strong in faith and vibrant in life.  I met a land and a Church full of young people, friendly, competent, confident, entrepreneurial and caring.  Vietnam did leave its mark on me.  I left there, feeling overwhelmed by the experience. I sit with myself in wonder.  The mystery of life is leading me somewhere, but where?  For now, that does not need an answer, just sit in wonder.     

 

Do not gaze upward, but look below

The above line comes from a powerful homily given by Pope Leo at this Christmas Eve mass.  Its context is the following. 

"To find the Savior, one must not gaze upward, but look below; the omnipotence of God shines forth in the powerlessness of a newborn; the eloquence of the eternal Word resounds in an infant's first cry; the holiness of the Spirit gleams in that small body".  

And so, for me, 2026 begins with this as a guiding thought, a shining star. I was then absolutely thrilled to further read his New Year's Day message for World Day of Peace, for he spoke there of the silent revolution of the Gospel.   He spoke of the revolution contained in the risen Jesus' first words to his disciples - "Peace be with you".  

They are so revolutionary for they go against the grain of the natural human instinct, or should I say, what is accepted as the natural ways of humanity.  For who in the world would only arm themselves with the love of God?  Who would become gentle and reconciliatory upon seeing the wounded and afflicted?  Who would relinquish their perceived right to have control and power over the other, especially when the other is wrong?  

The Gospel is revolutionary stuff.  Once we get that, we may come to understand why we are here and what we are on about in this life.  It is a great ideal.  It is sound vision for life, but think about living it everyday.  War is not just out there somewhere.  It begins in the heart, at the grassroots.  Here, we build life and prosper with each other, prosper with our own self, or we don't. 

This past week, I was touched by a true tale in my life.  Here I am again being Fr John and helping another westerner in My Bangkok.  I was asked why I am doing this as the person is most difficult, even self-destructive.  

I naturally responded, "She has rights and she has dignity that must be respected".

The family member replied, "I know very few people like you here at home".

I just naturally thought, "Isn't that what we do?  As Christians?"