EMMAUS' JOURNEY

Hi all,

Welcome to the lovely summer month of June! I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to hit the beach and enjoy the sea breeze. If you’re planning some exciting things to do this summer, please consider attending the Vietnamese Youth Conference (VYC) during the 4^th July weekend. It will be held at the University of California in Irvine (UCI). It is "the" cool thing to do! I know you’ll have a blast! This is the first time, since 1975, that a youth gathering of such large scale is organized for young Vietnamese Catholics from all over the world. It is anticipated that more than 4000 people will attend this extraordinary event. The purpose of VYC is to bring together all the Vietnamese young people from all over the world to "enhance their ethnic bond"*, celebrate their Catholic faith, and share their love with each other. You’ll make new friends, learn new things about your faith, and at the same time be inspired to live your Christian life to the fullest. There will be many exciting activities & games, along with lively & experienced speakers who will give stimulating talks. Their topics will include practical issues and concerns of today’s youth, so it will be benefit you a great deal. I know that it will be a weekend well-spent and I have no doubt that it will "set your heart on "fire" for the Lord. I’ve posted some general information for you to check out, but you can find out more details about VYC by visiting www.gioitre.org.

I like to dedicate parts of this month’s column to honor all the dads since June 15 is Father’s Day. May God bless all the daddies in the world. Speaking of dads, let’s first talk about "The Big Daddy" of all - our ABBA. "who art in heaven". Dear friends, what impression comes to mind when you think of God the Father? Do you picture Him as an old man with long beard, gray hair and a stern look on his face? Or perhaps you see him as a wise, gentle, old King with supernatural power to conquer the forces of evil (like Gandalf in "Lord of the Rings"). May be those with a more active imagination, might even picture God the Father as resembling Morgan Freeman in "Bruce Almighty". The point is that each of us has our own notions of what God the Father is like. Sometimes, people will connect certain dominant qualities in their own dad with how they perceive God. In other words, if you were raised by a strict dad who’s tough on discipline, you tend to view God the Father as being mainly a strict "rule enforcer". If your own dad is the soft-spoken, gentle type, you would probably see God as being mainly kind and gentle, etc. Well then, what is exactly the true image of God the Father? How do we know get the most accurate description of God? Of course we’ll never be able to know fully about God, not yet anyway. A priest once told me that God is just too great and too magnificent that our limited human ability could not grasp Him entirely. He has to reveal Himself to us gently, little by little, and allow time for us to grow in our understanding of Him. But you know something, every thing that was already revealed to us by Jesus and the prophets are already overwhelming enough to last us our whole lifetime.

We know that God created all things, that He is perfect, all just, all powerful, all mighty and most importantly, an all loving God. These are the truths about God, but the most important thing is that God loves us! It is out of love that the Father created us in His image, He breathes life into us so we can take part in his Life, his Love and his Joy. He wants us to be happy with him. But when we sinned and walked away from his Love, we must suffer the terrible consequences of evil. Death and sufferings entered our world. We began to experience sadness and misery. God couldn’t bear to see us in a wretched state, so He wanted to save us, He wanted to redeem us. So how does He do that? He sent us his "Love Letters"** to tell us how much He loves us and to show us the way home. The Father’s Love Letter is: Jesus Christ! Jesus is in fact, "The Word made flesh" who came and dwelt among us to lead us out of our own misery. Jesus came to tell us that the Father loves us dearly and that He wishes for us to remain in His Love forever so that our "life will be full and our joy will be complete".

So, what are we waiting for? Let’s read those Love Letters. Where do we start? Get to know Jesus better! Jesus himself said that "all who know me, know the Father." So dear friends, let’s have a more personal relationship with Jesus. Where do we begin? Getting down on our knees would be a good start, from there, speak to Jesus from your heart and start reading your Bible. Try it my friends, you have nothing to loose and everything to gain!

Peace and Love in the Father,

Tess Nguyen

*smile, God the Father loves you!

References:

*VYC registration flyer

**temcat.com

You Taught Me How to Love

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A Little Girl Needs Daddy

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I Wait upon the Love that Waits

1. What is VYC 03?
Vietnamese Youth Conference 2003 (VYC 03) is organized as means for Vietnamese youths all over the world to gather in faith and joy of being a Vietnamese Catholic Youth. The location of this youthful rendez-vous is Orange County’s very own University of California, Irvine. The Conference will be held from Friday, Saturday, and Sunday July 4th, 5th, and 6th.

2. How many Vietnamese Youth Conferences have been organized?
There has never been a Vietnamese Youth Conference organized at the international level, so this is the very first one.

3. What is the theme for VYC 03?
The theme for VYC 03 is "Cross Road: Dare 2B". The courageous Vietnamese youth (represented by the three figures in the logo, for the three regions of Vietnam: North, South, and Central) stepping forth and following the examples of the 117 Vietnamese Martyrs to witness the Kingdom of the Lord (represented by the gold colored sphere). They rejoice (raising of the arms) for the Holy Spirit (dove) has given them strength and made them believe that Cross Road is also the Road of Hope.

4. What are the reasons which led to the organization of VYC 03?
VYC 03 was organized for the following reasons:
• To respond to Pope John Paul II’s invitation in WYD 2002: "Let the light of Christ shine in your lives. Tell the world of the happiness you have found in meeting Jesus Christ." VYC 03 is the collective "Yes" from all Vietnamese youths replying to this invitation.
• VYC 03 is the realization of the late Cardinal Nguyen Van Thuan’s dreams. In His lifetime, the Cardinal has always mentioned his wish to have an international Vietnamese Youth Conference, so that the Vietnamese youth may have the opportunity to let their faith shine to the world. VYC 03 is an oath promising to deliver this dream.
• VYC 03 is the determination of Vietnamese youths to be God’s witnesses in today’s world, following the footsteps of 117 Vietnamese Martyrs, especially St. Andrew Phu Yen.

5. What is the main purpose of VYC 03?
VYC 03 was organized to offer to Vietnamese youths all over the world a chance to convene after 28 years of being scattered into many nations on the globe. Coming together at VYC 03, they will share their joys and their faith, exchange experiences that they each have from the different environments they live in, and prepare themselves for the future following the Conference.

6. Who are the intended participants of VYC 03?
In general, the target participants of VYC 03 are Vietnamese youths ranging from ages 16 - 35. However, this guideline does not prohibit the young at heart and those who are passionate with issues concerning youth to from participating as well.

7. Where will VYC 03 be held?
VYC 03 will happen in the vicinity of the University of California in Irvine, California, a city known to be one of most peaceful in the US. UCI’s modern structures are very appropriate for the needs of such a conference. UCI is also conveniently located next to the John Wayne International Airport. It is also near to tourist attractions such as Disneyland, Hollywood, etc.

8. Who are the organizers of VYC 03?
The organization of a Conference as grand as VYC 03 is very complicated and demands massive manpower. Thus, the Vietnamese youth organizations have come together to co-organize this event. Up to date, there many organizations from all over the United States as well as Western Canada whose names appear on the list of "Co-organizers". Coordinational responsibilities are shared by youths in different dioceses in Southern California, such as Oakland, San Jose, San Bernadino, San Diego, Los Angeles and Orange.

9. Who will be the presenters/speakers at VYC 03?
Presenters/speakers at VYC 03 include over 20 selected individuals from all over the world. They are witnesses of a faith worthy to be the Martyr’s descendants. Their names are attached to the names of the organizations with which they have worked. They come from different backgrounds, different ages, and different genders.

10. What is the anticipated turnout for VYC 03?
Approximately 4000 youths from all 7 continents are expected to participate in this event. VYC 03: A historical Conference for Vietnamese youths after 28 years of living scattered everywhere on the globe!