In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Welcome, brothers and sisters, as we gather in the light of Christ to hear God's holy Word and lift our hearts in prayer.
Lord Jesus, you came to heal the contrite of heart: Lord, have mercy. Christ Jesus, you draw near to all who call upon your name: Christ, have mercy. Lord Jesus, you promise eternal life to those who trust in you: Lord, have mercy.
The prophet Jeremiah speaks today with raw, unforgettable honesty: 'Incurable is your wound, grievous your bruise…'
How deeply those words echo when we face a loss that seems to shatter our world. Scripture never pretends that pain is easy. There are moments when grief feels like a heavy wound no human remedy can mend.
And in that quiet ache, many loving parents and families carry a silent, unbearable weight in their hearts… wondering, *Did we miss something? Could we have done more?*
If that question ever touches your soul, hear the gentle truth of Christ today. Illness and loss are never a punishment from God. They are never the fault of those who loved and cared so fiercely. Some sorrows come beyond all human control, and no watchfulness could have changed the outcome. Lift that stone from your heart. You missed nothing. You gave everything love could possibly give.
God’s word through Jeremiah does not leave us in the valley of tears. He promises: 'See! I will restore… From them will resound songs of praise, the laughter of happy men.'
God’s love is a restoring love. We see that bright, uplifting joy so clearly in the life of Benjamin Vo. Benjamin was a boy whose mind and heart were always looking upward. Think of his quiet delight during airport spotting with his father—sitting together, watching those giant commercial jets lift off into the open sky, his face lit up with pure wonder.
It has been seven weeks since Ben took his own flight into the arms of Jesus. Seven weeks of deeply missing his smile, his voice, his gentle heart.
To Alan, Thao, and dear Ryan: God sees your tears, and He wraps His loving arms around your family today. Keep living with courage, caring for Ryan, and letting Ben’s bright memory guide your days.
To Ben’s aunts, uncles, everyone joining us from afar, and every family carrying a heavy cross: Christ is near. Benjamin rests now in the heavenly kingdom, where every wound is healed, and where love lives forever.
For the intentions entrusted to Ben on our prayer wall:
At the Savior’s command and formed by divine teaching, we dare to say:
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
✝ May almighty God bless you: the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.