Kính Thưa Quý Tuyên Uý, Trợ Uý, Trợ Tá và các Huynh Trưởng các cấp,

Whenever, we hear the word “Coming Home,” it gives us a sense of joy and sense of happiness after being away from home. The word “Coming Home” carries with us a feeling of returning to our favorite place: a place of familiarity, a place with a lot of memories, and a place where we feel comfortable with ourselves. “Coming Home” also allow us to know that we are returning to our roots where we learned about our faith, about love and ultimately learned about who we are and what we can become.

Some of us have been away for a long time and wait for “Coming Home.” Some just left for a moment, yet, cannot wait for “Coming Home” because we realize that coming home is more than a physical returning but a yearning to be close to our loved ones, to reconnect our good and bad times, and to build new relationships with family and friends.

In a certain sense, Đại Hội Về Đất Hứa is a “Coming Home” event for all of us as Tuyên Uý, Trợ Uý, Trợ Tá and Huynh Trưởng. We come home to renew our call as a Thiếu Nhi Thánh Thể. We come home to rekindle our spirit: a spirit of service (Phụng Sự), a spirit of love (Đức Mến) and a spirit of being a Vietnamese (Người Việt Nam). We come home to reconnect ourselves with Phong Trào, to share with one another our dreams, our struggles and our hope for the future. Most of all, the time for “Coming Home” allows us to rekindle our love for the Eucharist, to renew our spirit of commitment to Phong Trào, and to promise ourselves to proclaim the mercy and love of Christ to others especially the young and the teens.

Recognizing the sacredness of the “Coming Home” Đại Hội Về Đất Hứa Kỳ V event, Ban Tổ Chức had chosen the theme: “Hãy Theo Thầy – Follow Me.” We chose the theme “Follow Me” because we believe that following Jesus requires a lifetime commitment. To follow Jesus in a role of a Thiếu Nhi Thánh Thể is not a one time deal but it requires a deeper knowledge of ourselves and of God. To follow Jesus faithfully requires us first to know him clearly. To know him clearly is to know what Jesus was all about, what kind of living examples he left us while he was here on earth, and what his mission was all about. Once we get to know Jesus, we then love God more intimately and finally, we serve him whole heartedly.

We invite you to a “Coming Home” by coming to Đại Hội Về Đất Hứa Kỳ V Thursday July 1 to Sunday July 4, 2010. Your presence speaks of your renewed commitment to follow Christ as a Thiếu Nhi Thánh Thể and to rekindle ourselves with Phong Trào. At the same time it is a time for us to reconnect with other Huynh Trưởngs, to recharge our energies and to update ourselves so we can effectively serve God through Phong Trào.

We also ask you to pray for Phong Trào as we move to the next generation of Vietnamese Young People who were born in the States that we can be more effective in bringing Christ and the love of the Eucharist to them. We ask you to encourage other Huynh Trưởngs whose Spirit of Service (Phụng Sự) has been lost or lukewarm in “Coming Home” with us and once again being together, we can share our stories and renew our Spirit.

Chào Bốn Ngón,

Rev. Francis Vũ Anh Trần, SCJ
Tuyên Uý Đại Hội