In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Lord Jesus, you are the Good Shepherd who seeks and saves the lost: Lord, have mercy. Christ Jesus, you invite every soul into your vineyard with boundless generosity: Christ, have mercy. Lord Jesus, you lead us beside restful waters and restore our souls: Lord, have mercy.
“I myself will look after and tend my sheep.”
In our first reading, God makes a breathtaking promise through the prophet Ezekiel. When human leaders fail, when sheep are scattered across the hills with no one to guide them, God steps forward Himself. He promises to gather, to heal, to bind up the injured, and to bring His children into restful, verdant pastures.
And in the Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the landowner who goes out at dawn, at noon, and even in the cool of the late afternoon to invite workers into his vineyard. When evening comes, everyone receives the full, generous wage. Those who worked all day grumble, but the master replies with pure mercy: “Are you envious because I am generous?”
How comforting this truth is: God does not measure His love by human clocks… or His heaven by human arithmetic.
Whether a soul spends many decades in the vineyard or only a brief, beautiful time, the reward of the Father’s house is the very same: the fullness of His eternal embrace, His limitless peace, and His everlasting joy.
We see that quiet, sacred beauty when we remember Benjamin Vo.
Ben understood the peace of God’s house in his own sweet, reflective way. There was a moment during his family travels when twelve-year-old Ben stood inside a grand cathedral, quietly lighting a small candle among rows of flickering flames. His younger brother Ryan stood thoughtfully beside him, sharing that still, gentle light. Ben had a reverent, peaceful spirit… someone whose heart naturally appreciated sacred moments and shared warmth.
It has been nine weeks since Ben was called home to the Lord. Nine weeks where the quiet in your home can feel heavy, and the ache of missing him is present in every sunrise and sunset.
Yet today, the Shepherd speaks directly to our hearts: “I myself will tend my sheep.” Benjamin is safe in those restful pastures, held in the boundless generosity of Christ.
To Alan, Thao, and dear Ryan: the Good Shepherd walks right beside you in the valley, giving you courage and refreshing your souls. Hold tight to each other, and continue forward with love and hope for Ryan.
To Ben’s aunts, uncles, everyone praying with us from near and far, children enduring illness, and all families carrying a heavy cross: Our Lady wraps you in her maternal care. You are seen, loved, and held by God.
Benjamin rests in the everlasting peace of the Good Shepherd… where goodness and mercy dwell 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.