Sunday, April 12, 2026

Dear brothers and sisters

Catholics receive a saint’s name at Baptism for many beautiful and meaningful reasons. The saints were ordi-nary people who responded to God’s grace in extraordinary ways. By taking their names, we choose for our own models of holiness whose life offers a concrete example of how to live the Christian faith with courage, charity, perseverance, and trust in God. Through the Communion of Saints, we also believe that our patron saints intercede for us in heaven. They accompany us spiritually, pray for us sincerely, and encourage us con-tinually in our journey of faith. Receiving a saint’s name at Baptism further reminds us of our new identity as children of God, brothers and sisters in Christ, and faithful members of the universal Church. Marked by this new life, we are called to continue Christ’s mission, such as proclaiming the Good News, serving others with love, and walking together toward the Heavenly Kingdom.

Saint Thomas the Apostle is my patron saint. At first glance, his doubt may not seem like a model of holiness. Yet what happens to him in this Sunday’s Gospel offers me a profound lesson about my own struggles with faith, especially in those moments when I cannot see God with my eyes, touch Him with my hands, or fully understand Him with my limited knowledge.

Therefore, I look to Saint Thomas not because he was perfect, but because he was honest in his search and humble in his surrender. When the Risen Lord revealed Himself, Thomas moved from doubt to one of the most beautiful professions of faith: “My Lord and my God.” From him, I learn that faith is not the absence of questions, but the courage to bring us to Christ.

His story gives me hope. Even when I struggle to recognize God’s presence, to comprehend the mystery of redemption, or to believe in my eternal reward, I trust that the Lord will not abandon me. Like Saint Thomas, if I continue to return to Him, to seek Him, and to allow Him to reveal Himself, He will correct, strengthen, and transform me. In His mercy, He leads me to discover again that He is truly the Way, the Truth, and the Life. As St. Augustine used to say, “If a good man made you such a promise, you would trust him. God makes it, and do you doubt? Do you seek a support more sure than the word of God, which is infallible? Surely, He has made the promise, He has written it, He has pledged His word for it, it is most certain.”

Sincerely yours in Jesus Christ and Our Lady of La Vang!

Reverend Kiet Anh Ta.