Baøi giaûng cuûa Ñöùc Cha Todd Brown
giaùm muïc Orange trong thaùnh leã taïi Haø Noäi
Baøi giaûng cuûa Ñöùc Cha Todd Brown, giaùm muïc Orange, trong thaùnh leã cöû haønh taïi Haø Noäi.
Haø noäi, Vieät Nam (Ngaøy 21.1.2009) - Moät phaùi ñoaøn haønh höông töø giaùo phaän Orange vaø töø khaép tieåu bang California goàm coù Ñöùc Toång Giaùm Muïc George Niederauer cuûa toång giaùo phaän San Francisco, Ñöùc cha Todd Brown, giaùm muïc Orange, Ñöùc cha Daniel Francis Walsh, Giaùm Muïc Giaùo Phaän Santa Rosa, Ñöùc cha Ignatius Chung Wang, Giaùm Muïc Phuï taù Giaùo Phaän San Francisco, vaø cha Jerry McCormick cuûa giaùo phaän Monterey, Cha Micae - toång ñaïi dieän giaùo phaän Orange, cha Tuaán - thö kyù cuûa Ñöùc giaùm muïc giaùo phaän Orange, vaø moät soá giaùo daân... ñaõ ñeán vieáng thaêm Toång Giaùo phaän Haø Noäi. Ngaøy 21 thaùng 1 naêm 2009, phaùi ñoaøn ñaõ daâng thaùnh leã taïi Nhaø Thôø Chính Toøa Haø Noäi vaø Ñöùc Cha Todd Brown, giaùm muïc Orange, ñaõ chia seû lôøi Chuùa trong baøi giaûng thaùnh leã nhö sau:
Ñöùc Toång Giaùm Muïc Giuse Ngoâ Quang Kieät, ngöôøi anh em cuûa toâi raát thaân meán!
Toâi xin göûi ñeán Ñöùc Toång lôøi chaøo thaân aùi töø moïi thaønh phaàn thuoäc giaùo phaän Orange, California, giaùo phaän huynh ñeä cuûa Ngaøi.
Phaùi ñoaøn cuûa chuùng toâi goàm coù: Cha Micae - toång ñaïi dieän giaùo phaän Orange, cha Tuaán - thö kyù cuûa toâi vaø moät soá giaùo daân, Ñöùc Toång Giaùm Muïc George Niederauer cuûa toång giaùo phaän San Francisco... phaùi ñoaøn chuùng toâi ñaõ laøm moät chuyeán coâng du khaù xa, nhöng ñöôïc coi nhö moät cuoäc haønh höông ñeå ñöôïc gaëp gôõ ngöôøi anh em trong tình huynh ñeä.
Chuùng toâi raát haõnh dieän ñöôïc cuøng chung vui vôùi Ñöùc Toång, caùc linh muïc, caùc tu syõ nam nöõ vaø toaøn theå giaùo daân Toång Giaùo Phaän Haø Noäi trong dòp möøng sinh nhaät cuûa Ñöùc Hoàng Y Phaïm Ñình Tuïng vaø tieäc vui naêm môùi Kyû Söûu. Chuùng ta cuøng nhau caûm taï Chuùa trong thaùnh leã taï ôn hoâm nay.
Theo lòch phuïng vuï cuûa giaùo hoäi Coâng Giaùo, hoâm nay chuùng ta möøng kính thaùnh nöõ Anneâ. Thaùnh nöõ ñaõ töû ñaïo vaøo thôøi ñeá quoác La Maõ. Ngaøi ñaõ giöõ mình ñoàng trinh cho Chuùa Kitoâ, hôn laø bò eùp buoäc ñeå laäp gia ñình.
Haøng naêm vaøo dòp leã kính thaùnh Anneâ, ngöôøi ta mang ñeán nhaø thôø nhöõng con chieân hay cöøu non ñeå vinh danh Thaùnh nöõ. Nhöõng con chieân naøy ñöôïc chuùc laønh vaø sau ñoù ñöôïc mang veà chaêm soùc thaät chu ñaùo cho ñeán khi loâng moïc thaät nhieàu, thì ngöôøi ta xeùn loâng noù vaø deät neân thaønh nhöõng (daây) khaên pallia ñeå daâng leân caùc vò Toång giaùm muïc môùi ñöôïc choïn trong naêm ñoù. Ñoù chính laø goác tích cuûa daây Pallium maø Ñöùc Toång Giaùm Muïc Giuse Ngoâ Quang Kieät ñang ñeo quanh coå hoâm nay, ngoaøi chieác aùo leã maø chuùng ta ñang thaáy Ngaøi maëc.
Trong baøi Phuùc AÂm cuûa thaùnh Macco hoâm nay, Chuùa Gieâsu ñaõ laøm pheùp laï chöõa laønh cho moät ngöôøi ñaøn oâng baát toaïi. Nhieàu ngöôøi baát ñoàng vôùi Chuùa vì Ngaøi chöõa laønh trong ngaøy Sabat.
Lôøi Chuùa daïy raèng, chuùng ta ñöôïc môøi goïi ñeå môû roäng voøng tay, soáng quaûng ñaïi vaø saün saøng naâng ñôõ nhöõng ngöôøi thieáu thoán.
Ñöùc AÙi laø nhaân ñöùc cao troïng nhaát trong moïi nhaân ñöùc, vì haønh ñoäng baùc aùi laø thuoäc veà cuoäc soáng cuûa nhöõng ngöôøi Kitoâ höõu. Cöû chæ baùc aùi laø tö caùch cuûa moãi ngöôøi moân ñeä cuûa Chuùa Kitoâ.
Moät laàn nöõa, thöa Ñöùc Toång Giaùm Muïc, toâi xin ñaïi dieän cho phaùi ñoaøn haønh höông töø giaùo phaän Quaän Cam vaø töø khaép tieåu bang California, xin caûm ôn Ngaøi ñaõ tieáp ñoùn thaät noàng haäu vaø cho chuùng toâi cô hoäi ñeå caûm nghieäm ñöôïc söï thaân thieän vaø nieàm vui cuûa Toång Giaùo Phaän Haø Noäi. Leõ dó nhieân, chuùng toâi chaéc chaén tieáp tuïc naâng ñôõ vaø caàu nguyeän cho ngöôøi anh em.
(Baûn chuyeån ngöõ tröïc tieáp cuûa Lm. Giuse Phaïm Minh Tuaán)
Dear Archbishop Joseph Ngo Quang Kiet, dear Brother.
I bring greeting to you from all the members of the Church of Orange, your sister. In a particular way Frs. Michael Heher and Tuan Pham, together with several of the laity from Orange, who have traveled here on this pilgrimage greet you. Joining us are Archbishop George Niederauer of San Francisco, Bishop Dan Walsh, on his second visit from Santa Rosa, California, Bishop Wang, and Fr.Jerry McCormick of the Diocese of Monterey, also in California.
We are all honored to join you and so many members of your clergy, religious and laity in this celebration of the birthday of Cardinal Pham Dinh Tung, and the early New Year celebration. We are indeed grateful for the invitation to join you in this Eucharistic celebration.
In the liturgical calendar for today, we honor St.Agnes, the early Roman martyr, who gave up her life of chastity consecrated to Jesus Christ rather than be forced into a marriage not of her choosing. Each year on this day young lambs are brought to the Roman Church named in her honor. The lambs are blessed and then cared for until they are sheared and their wool woven into the pallia given to the new archbishops named that year. That is the history of the pallium Archbishop Joseph Ngo Quang Kiet is wearing today.
In our Gospel passage from St.Mark, we learn of the miraculous healing by Jesus of the man with the withered hand. Some people did not approve because Jesus healed in the Sabbath. The lesson for us, I believe, is that whenever possible we are called to reach out to the person in need. Charity is the most important of all the virtues that are part of the Christian life. Charity defines the Christian, the disciple of Jesus.
Again, Archbishop Kiet, let me express, in the name of all of us pilgrims from Orange and other parts of California, our gratitude to you for hosting us and for this opportunity to experience the friendship and joy of this great Church of Hanoi. Please be assured of our prayers and support.
+ Bishop Todd Brown