Today 20 Years Ago

I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. (John 15:5)

Jesus is the vine and we are the branches, and he calls us to a life-giving relationship with him according to our vocation. Today, 20 years ago, is the day I was ordained priest. Guided by the Holy Spirit, I vowed myself to take Jesus as the center my life for better or worst. I wouldn’t have made this far without remaining in Jesus, the true vine, and His message. All by the grace of God!!! At my ordination, I chose Mica 6:8 as the motto of my priestly life. “What the LORD requires of you: Only to do act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” This prophetic passage provides three areas for living out my vocation. I hope they help you as well.
1)    To act justly— means I always try to treat others the way I would want to be treated.

2)    To love mercy—means to have the willingness and readiness to forgive others, for all the hurts, big and small that were done to me, because I know that forgiveness and healing are an essential part of every relationship.

3)    To walk humbly with God—means I MUST remember that I can do nothing without the help of God. All that I am and have are pure gifts from God. I know that the love I share with others is possible only because God loved me first. God’s love is the source of all the love I share with my family, friends, and all those I encounter in ministry.

What is your life’s motto?
What sustains you in your vocation?

O Jesus, I pray for your faithful and fervent priests; for your unfaithful and tepid priests; for your priests laboring at home or abroad in distant mission fields; for your tempted priests; for your lonely and desolate priests; for your young priests; for your dying priests; for the souls of your priests in purgatory. But above all, I recommend to you the priests dearest to me: the priest who baptized me; the priests who absolved me from my sins; the priests at whose Masses I assisted and who gave me your Body and Blood in Holy Communion; the priests who taught and instructed me; all the priests to whom I am indebted in any other way (especially …). O Jesus, keep them all close to your heart, and bless them abundantly in time and in eternity. Amen. (Prayer of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus)

O Blessed Mother Mary, perfect model of priestly life, intercede for us all. Hail Mary full of grace…

Peace in Risen Christ,
Father Vincent-Vuong Nguyen