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Saint Andrew Dung-Lac Church My dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ: As always, I am very happy to be here at Saint Andrew Dung-Lac Church to celebrate the feast day of your parish. Once again, therefore, I thank you for the exemplary way you cherish and practice our Catholic faith. Please continue to be faithful to the teachings of the Catholic Church and you will walk safely on the pilgrimage of life to life everlasting in heaven. As we celebrate your parish feast day, we remember Saint Andrew Dung-Lac. He was called by God to become a priest. He responded to God’s call and became a good and holy priest. He was a faithful and happy priest. It was because he was fulfilling God’s Will that Saint Andrew Dung-Lac found his life to be happy even when it was difficult and challenging. Because of this, after his death, the Church recognized his good life and canonized him a saint. In celebrating this feast day, we look back on the life and example of Saint Andrew Dung-Lac. We do this not only to honor him but also as a lesson for us. His example of faithfulness to God is something we could and we should follow. Each one of us gathered here tonight, no matter what our background is, no matter how old or how young we are, each of us has been created in the image and likeness of God. Each of us shares in the plan of God. God wants all of us to share in His love and peace and joy forever. This beautiful plan of God, for us to live with Him forever in heaven, was rejected by Adam and Eve when they sinned. As the first parents of all human beings, their sin affects all of us. Indeed all of us were doomed. We became enslaved in sin. There was no way that we, as human beings, could ever save ourselves from this death of sin. We were helpless. We were lost. God, Who is good and gracious and loving, looked at us in our sinful misery. He did not abandon us. Rather, He sent His Son Jesus to save us. Jesus came to our world. He took our human flesh and blood and was born as one of us. He lived, He suffered and He died for us. Then He rose from the dead thereby releasing us from the death of sin. No longer were we slaves to sin. We are free! Free to follow the original, beautiful plan that God had for us. Now we are able to live faithful to God on this earth so that after we die we can live with Him forever in heaven. Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, this plan of God, for us to become His saints, is not a dream or a vague wish. It is the truth which God Himself revealed to us in the Person of Jesus Christ, His Son. It is the call that God gives us to live good and honorable lives here on earth now. Lives as husbands and wives, as priests and lay people, as teachers and doctors and lawyers, lives as ordinary workers and civic leaders. Jesus calls us to live lives that are characterized by truth and goodness, by mercy and justice. God urges us to fulfill our responsibilities to each other the very best that we can by being kind and generous and forgiving, by being hard working and responsible, by being faithful and honest with all. For you young people growing up right now, you are questioning everything. Listen carefully to what God is saying to you in your heart. Listen to what He tells you through the Church, through the Bible, through your parents, teachers and civil authorities. God is talking to you. He has a saving message for you. For you middle-age people with much work to do and facing many serious problems and difficulties, be assured that the Lord is with you. He will help you. He simply wants your love, your trust and your renewed dedication. To you older people who might wonder about many things, know that you are always in the presence of God Who loves you. All of us, no matter how old or young, we all must be renewed in faith and in our commitments to God through His holy Catholic Church. All of us who have gathered here in faith to celebrate the feast of Saint Andrew Dung-Lac should realize that, no matter who we are, no matter what we have done before, God loves us totally and completely. He wants us to respond to him as Saint Andrew Dung-Lac did. He wants us to live our daily lives in His presence. He urges us to fulfill our daily obligations and responsibilities the best we can. In doing that we will see more clearly the beautiful plan of God for us. He wants us to become saints so that we can live with Him in peace and joy and love forever in heaven. Amen. Most Reverend Eusebius J. Beltran |