In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Welcome to our Liturgy of the Word as we gather in the peace and unfailing love of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Lord Jesus, you heal the brokenhearted: Lord, have mercy. Christ Jesus, you draw near to all who call upon you in faith: Christ, have mercy. Lord Jesus, you gather us into your everlasting peace: Lord, have mercy.
“Lord, help me.”
Three simple words. That was all the Canaanite woman had left to offer in today’s Gospel.
She was weary, distressed, and desperate for her child. Yet in those three words lived a faith so pure that Jesus Himself marveled: “O woman, great is your faith!”
And in our First Reading, the Lord speaks to every weary heart across the ages:
“With age-old love I have loved you; so I have kept my mercy toward you.”
God does not promise a life without steep hills or deep waters… But He promises that His love was there before we were born, and His mercy remains when everything else seems shaken.
It has been seven weeks since Benjamin Vo entered eternal life.
Seven weeks where a home can feel far too quiet… where the heart quietly whispers that very same prayer: *Lord, help us.*
When we think of Ben today, we remember the bright, joyful light he brought into every room.
Benjamin had a mind that could master complex logic, but he also possessed a wonderfully playful and gentle spirit. Think of how his face would light up, giggling with pure delight whenever he talked about his grand idea for “Con Chim Airlines”… a boy who loved birds, loved planes, and whose heart was always looking upward toward the open sky.
That joy was no accident. It was the reflection of a tender soul who knew he was deeply loved by God and by his family.
Today, Ben is not bound by this world. He soars in the high, clear light of God’s eternal kingdom.
To Alan, Thao, and dear Ryan: Jesus hears your heart’s prayer today. He holds your tears with infinite gentleness. Keep living with courage and deep love for Ryan, knowing that Benjamin’s bright spirit and warm smile watch over your family always.
To Ben’s aunts, uncles, everyone tuning in from afar, and every family carrying a heavy cross: the Lord promises to turn our mourning into joy.
Benjamin rests safely in the Shepherd’s arms, held forever in God’s age-old love.
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. Amen.
✝ May almighty God bless you: the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.