Being both exiles from our own homeland, we feel the words of Psalm 137, “by the rivers of Babylon there we sat and wept, remembering Zion on the poplars that grew there we hung up our harps.” Within that first year of his imprisonment, I was born. Meeting this man of God was an experience of renewing my own roots to Vietnam, a country devastated by continual invasions from outsiders culminating in civil war and the collapse of the South to communist North and suppression of the practice of the Christian faith. I was both inspired and profoundly challenged. This is what it feels like to be with one who has been humbled by suffering, lived in the present by having endured excruciating agony, docile to the Word through forced silence and solitude, remembered that he is loved through the presence of Word and sacrament. The stories did not need to be retold by words they were transmitted through experience. Before we knew, the hour had flown by and it was time to say goodbye. He was just as interested in us as we were in him. The bishop asked both of us questions of our origin, our faith, my parents’ vocation, my vocation, what I liked most about Rome, how were my studies and similar questions. To my utter surprise, I never got a chance to make this request. I was excited for the opportunity to hear the stories from his own lips. It is one thing to read stories it is another to hear them directly from the person who not only wrote them, but lived them. These reflections touched on many familiar Christian virtues such as love, hope, humility, and service, but what was unique about them is that they were profoundly shaped by the ordeals of his life, especially the thirteen years of imprisonment, nine of them in solitary confinement. As a third-year seminarian, I was deeply touched by the meditations he had written in various books. The gentle bishop was a source of pride for Vietnamese Catholics as a witness to the power of faith and hope in the midst of our very tragic history of violence, suffering and persecution. I managed to receive a promise from mom to never reveal this secret to anyone. We all know how the rest of the disciples reacted. I felt like one of the brothers when the mother of James and John went to Jesus and asked that each sit next to Him when he reigns in his kingdom. At the conclusion of our conversation, mom made the request without first consulting me. My mother and I were invited for a visit at his office next to Santa Maria in Trastevere. It was a crisp winter afternoon in the year 2001. He responded, “Yes, I will be like a father to him.” Cancellations are incurred by disabling auto-renewal.“Will you be my son’s spiritual father?” my mother asked Cardinal Van Thuan. #Up faith and family trial#Any unused portion of your free trial (if available) will be forfeited upon payment. Your account will be charged for renewal at least 24-hours prior to the end of the current cycle. Subscription payments will automatically renew unless deactivated at least 24-hours before the end of the current cycle. *All payments will be paid through your Google Account and may be managed under Account Settings after the initial payment. In app subscriptions will automatically renew at the end of their cycle. Whether you have a question, need support or just want to say hello, we want to welcome you at access all features and content you can subscribe to UP Faith & Family on a monthly or yearly basis with an auto-renewing subscription right inside the app.* Pricing can vary by region and will be confirmed before purchase in the app. EXCLUSIVE CONTENT: For fans of the hit series, Heartland, UP Faith & Family is the only service to stream new seasons first in the U.S.! Catch up on all available seasons with exclusive behind-the-scenes specials now and join a safe family entertainment experience that only UP Faith & Family can provide. #Up faith and family full#
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