It is just theory!
This is story of my pastoral work when I served at Ban Lim parish, of Lang Son diocese. I can never forget this story ever. It made a strong impression in my mind so I will not forget it for the rest of my pastoral life.
Once a tottering red faced man entered the parish. His breath smelled like alcohol. When he saw me, with drawling voice he said : “Father Lau is bad...not kind...., father Lau despise me.”
(I give short an explanation: people of Ban Lim like to call me cha Lau, they do not call me cha Thien. With Nung ethnic language say: cha Lau is father Lau, it means our own father).
And then, I invited him to sit down. I tell him in a calm voice: “Excuse me! What’s your name?” “A Khi is my name”, he replied. “I am a shepherd of father Lau but you never visit my house. Father Lau dispise me, because I’m poor! I am Mrs. Hang’s husband. I have been Hang Ngau, beyond Ky Cung river, opposite Ban Lim church. I am not Catholic but my wife is Catholic, Bishop Kiet married us... My family lives in here still.”
I tell him, I am sorry. And when I visited his house, I invited him to attend Mass and watch how I celebrate Mass.
Yes, more than one year ago, on Sunday the feast of the Holy Family 2009. While everybody listening to the second reading, A Khi goes tottering into the church. In fact, he was very drunk. At the front door, he made the sign of the holy cross and sat down.
I started my homily on Feast of the Holy Family.
Summary of this homily is: Today is Sunday the Feast of the Holy family. Our families are the same as the Holy Family. First, Holy Family was a poor family. Joseph and Mary are very poor; they had neither a car nor a building nor a lot of money. Brothers and sisters, we are the poor too. We have nothing of value, and have neither a car nor a building. And the second, Holy family did manual labor , Joseph was a carpenter, and Mary did housework. And for us, all of you are farmers, the same as the Holy Family: our families are laborers .
However, our families are different from the Holy Family. You know, Bible never tells us that: Saint Joseph drank, but we, husbands and youngmen, got drunk many times.
Immediately, A Khi stands up and utters: Father Lau ....father Lau... it is just theory...it is just theory!
Someone told him to sit down. And I continued homily.
At the end of homily, I told a story: Once, a boy entered the parish garden. I asked him: “Could you tell me about your parents?” “Ok!” he replied. “What is your father’s profession?” “Father Lau, my father is factory manager!” I was surprised. I ask myself: This place has a manager too?!!! I ask him: “What kind of factory does your father manage?” “Father Lau, my father manages a factory of wine!” He replied.
At once, A Khi stands up and cries loudly: “It is just right! Father Lau... It is just right! Father Lau!”
I think that, if we are Catholic, and if we do not improve our spiritual life, and we do not become a witness of the Good News, a witness God’s love, a witness as a child of God, so than non-Catholic people will say the same A Khi said: “It is just theory!”
Hanoi, 27 January 2010.
Paul Nguyen Trung Thien
This is story of my pastoral work when I served at Ban Lim parish, of Lang Son diocese. I can never forget this story ever. It made a strong impression in my mind so I will not forget it for the rest of my pastoral life.
Once a tottering red faced man entered the parish. His breath smelled like alcohol. When he saw me, with drawling voice he said : “Father Lau is bad...not kind...., father Lau despise me.”
(I give short an explanation: people of Ban Lim like to call me cha Lau, they do not call me cha Thien. With Nung ethnic language say: cha Lau is father Lau, it means our own father).
And then, I invited him to sit down. I tell him in a calm voice: “Excuse me! What’s your name?” “A Khi is my name”, he replied. “I am a shepherd of father Lau but you never visit my house. Father Lau dispise me, because I’m poor! I am Mrs. Hang’s husband. I have been Hang Ngau, beyond Ky Cung river, opposite Ban Lim church. I am not Catholic but my wife is Catholic, Bishop Kiet married us... My family lives in here still.”
I tell him, I am sorry. And when I visited his house, I invited him to attend Mass and watch how I celebrate Mass.
Yes, more than one year ago, on Sunday the feast of the Holy Family 2009. While everybody listening to the second reading, A Khi goes tottering into the church. In fact, he was very drunk. At the front door, he made the sign of the holy cross and sat down.
I started my homily on Feast of the Holy Family.
Summary of this homily is: Today is Sunday the Feast of the Holy family. Our families are the same as the Holy Family. First, Holy Family was a poor family. Joseph and Mary are very poor; they had neither a car nor a building nor a lot of money. Brothers and sisters, we are the poor too. We have nothing of value, and have neither a car nor a building. And the second, Holy family did manual labor , Joseph was a carpenter, and Mary did housework. And for us, all of you are farmers, the same as the Holy Family: our families are laborers .
However, our families are different from the Holy Family. You know, Bible never tells us that: Saint Joseph drank, but we, husbands and youngmen, got drunk many times.
Immediately, A Khi stands up and utters: Father Lau ....father Lau... it is just theory...it is just theory!
Someone told him to sit down. And I continued homily.
At the end of homily, I told a story: Once, a boy entered the parish garden. I asked him: “Could you tell me about your parents?” “Ok!” he replied. “What is your father’s profession?” “Father Lau, my father is factory manager!” I was surprised. I ask myself: This place has a manager too?!!! I ask him: “What kind of factory does your father manage?” “Father Lau, my father manages a factory of wine!” He replied.
At once, A Khi stands up and cries loudly: “It is just right! Father Lau... It is just right! Father Lau!”
I think that, if we are Catholic, and if we do not improve our spiritual life, and we do not become a witness of the Good News, a witness God’s love, a witness as a child of God, so than non-Catholic people will say the same A Khi said: “It is just theory!”
Hanoi, 27 January 2010.
Paul Nguyen Trung Thien
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