His Own Eulogy

Consider your own calling, brothers and sisters. Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. Rather, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong, and God chose the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who are something, so that no human being might boast before God. (1 Cor 1:26-29)

The Apostle Paul reminds us that it’s the Lord who chooses, who gives each Christian his/her vocation. The initiative call comes from God who invites us to listen, to discern, and to act. “It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.” (John 15:16) Frankly, none of us were born wise, powerful, noble, strong, and to have everything; and yet, we cannot take full credit for everything that we have. “We don't earn God's love - it's freely given,” said Pope Francis. All God wants from us is “to act justly, to love tenderly, and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8) If we pause a moment to observe all the problems of our time, what seems lacking in our world is our unwillingness to do simply what God require of us. We begin to play God! It’s like trying to create a fox and hold it by its tail. Or the Book of Psalms said, “He digs a hole and bores it deep, but he falls into the pit he has made.” (Psalms 7:16) Our only solution to all the conflicts and crisis of our time is to turn to God and seek His helps with humility. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. set a good example of that! Let us reflect his thought-provoking words that he delivered before his assassination 1968:
"If any of you are around when I have to meet my day, I don’t want a long funeral.

And if you get somebody to deliver the eulogy, tell them not to talk too long. And every now and then I wonder what I want them to say. Tell them not to mention that I have a Nobel Peace Prize—that isn’t important. Tell them not to mention that I have three or four hundred other awards—that’s not important. Tell them not to mention where I went to school.

I'd like somebody to mention that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to give his life serving others.

I'd like for somebody to say that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to love somebody.

I want you to say that day that I tried to be right on the war question.

I want you to be able to say that day that I did try to feed the hungry.

And I want you to be able to say that day that I did try in my life to clothe those who were naked.

I want you to say on that day that I did try in my life to visit those who were in prison.

I want you to say that I tried to love and serve humanity.

Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter. I won't have any money to leave behind. I won't have the fine and luxurious things of life to leave behind. But I just want to leave a committed life behind. And that's all I want to say.

If I can help somebody as I pass along,
If I can cheer somebody with a word or song,
If I can show somebody he's traveling wrong,
Then my living will not be in vain.
If I can do my duty as a Christian ought,
If I can bring salvation to a world once wrought,
If I can spread the message as the master taught,
Then my living will not be in vain." (His Own Eulogy--by Martin Luther King; at the request of his widow, these recorded words of Dr. King's last sermon were played at his funeral, http://www.awakin.org/read/view.php?tid=193)

If you think you are nothing, remember God created the world, in which you live, out of nothing. He can make something out of you as well. All you have to do is to let Him for He can’t do it without you!

How dear this command of loving God with our whole heart ought to be to you?

What I ought to do in order to love God with our whole heart by acting justly, loving tenderly, and walking humbly with Him?

Morning Consecration to Mary
My Queen, My Mother, I offer myself to thee. And to show my devotion to thee, I offer thee this day, my eyes, my ears, my mouth, my heart, my whole being without reserve. Wherefore, good Mother, as I am thine own, keep me as thy property and possession. Amen
Hail Mary full of grace…

Peace in Christ,
Father Vincent-Vuong Nguyen