Latest Message from the Administrator’s Desk: Fr. Ton Nguyen – August 9, 2026
WHAT IS THE SOURCE OF CHRISTIAN JOY?
With an intense, crystal-clear gaze and a confident expression that seems to say, “I know I am well loved. Give me a sign that you care about me.” Suddenly, everyone nearby becomes fully engaged – making funny faces, using hand signals, or creatively communicating just to earn a smile. You know exactly what I mean, right? It’s the unmistakable presence of a child at Mass.
What’s beautiful isn’t just the child’s curiosity – it’s the quiet confidence behind it. That child expects love. They believe, without hesitation, that they are cherished. They don’t have to earn it. They don’t perform for it. They simply receive it as truth. This is the power of unconditional love – the kind that shapes our identity from the very beginning.
Friends, I think this is the source of Christian joy. It begins with the assurance that God loves us and comes to save us. It grows as we learn to trust Him more each day. During my fifteen days of prayer with St. Pier Giorgio Frassati, I was struck by how deeply he lived from that confidence. He knew he was loved by Christ, and that certainty gave him a joyful freedom that nothing in the world could take away.
As we grow older, however, something often changes. I know – surprising, right? The message of conditional love slowly creeps into our hearts. The enemy, who hates the truth that we are loved so deeply that Christ gave His life for us, begins to whisper: “You’re not enough. You don’t look good enough on social media. You’re not successful enough, fit enough, or put together enough. Maybe if you get that promotion, buy that house, go viral, or finally figure life out, then you’ll be worthy of love.” When we listen to those lies long enough, we become trapped in endless striving, trying to prove our worth instead of resting in the love God has already given us.
That is why this Sunday’s Gospel is so powerful. In the middle of a storm, the disciples see Jesus walking toward them on the sea. Terrified, they cry out, “It is a ghost!” Then Peter does something ‘crazy.’ He steps out of the boat and begins walking toward Jesus. Peter’s courage does not come from confidence in himself; it comes from confidence in the Lord. He trusts that Jesus loves him and will not abandon him. Even when Peter begins to sink, Jesus immediately reaches out His hand and saves him. Christian joy is not the absence of storms. It is the confidence that Christ is always coming toward us and will never stop reaching out His hand.
As many students prepare to return to school, perhaps this is the message they – and all of us – need to hear: You are already loved. You are already saved. Live with joy, and become a transmitter of Christ’s inexhaustible love to those around you. Perhaps we can also ask ourselves: Who are the people and activities that bring me the deepest joy, and why? For me, besides serving the parish sacramentally and pastorally, camping or hiking with friends brings me great joy because we experience the beauty of God’s creation while strengthening our friendship. When life feels dull or uninspiring, I find joy by spending time in our chapel, going to the café shop or taking a quiet walk with the Lord.
I love being a priest!
JMJ,
Fr. Ton Nguyen
Administrator of St. Mother Theodore Guerin Parish