Special to the Herald
Parishioners of Holy Trinity Church in Kuliouou were blessed with a three-night mission Dec. 8-10 led by Benedictine Father John Paul Le and Benedictine Brother Louis de Montfort Nguyen from Mount Angel Abbey and Seminary in Oregon.
Each evening of “It Is the Lord: Gospel Encounters With Divine Love,” began with Mass celebrated by Father Le, then featured a reflection by Brother Nguyen.
On the first evening, Brother Nguyen shared the story of Jesus healing the man afflicted with leprosy — Jesus cleansed the man, and he cleanses us as well by taking away our sins.
The second night, attendees pondered why Jesus would dine with Zacchaeus, a known sinner and greedy tax collector. We reflected on Jesus’ love for each of us no matter how unworthy we are. Jesus is always present and desires to dine and be with us forever.
On the last evening, Brother Nguyen helped us reflect on the parable of the prodigal son.
Each character in this story symbolizes our relationship with God. The prodigal and now repentant son returned knowing that he does not deserve forgiveness, yet he was embraced by his loving father — God always has open arms for us. The faithful son was resentful and envious, but his father still assured him of his love — God’s love is ever present.
“I loved how each of the three parables were interpreted by Brother Louis in a way I had never heard before,” said parishioner Alicia Enos.
Another parishioner said: “The Advent Mission was an eye-, ear- and heart-opener. Brother Louis presented many beautiful and unusual perspectives to be considered on our continuing journey to be closer to the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit.”
And Bob White, a self-described “numbers guy,” noted: “As Brother Louis summarized, we know that the man with leprosy was one of 10 who thanked Jesus for the miracle of his cleansing (10%), while the father lost his son (50%). But Zacchaeus, in the end, gave away all he had to make restitution (100%).”
(As an aside, Brother Nguyen was 4 years old when his family escaped, by boat, from Vietnam; the boat was swamped several times by heavy waves. God had a mission in store for him in Advent 2025 at Holy Trinity Church.)
Above: From left: Capuchin Franciscan Father Michel Dalton, Father John Paul Le, Brother Louis de Montfort Nguyen and Peter Gumataotao. (Courtesy Charlotte and Bob White)