“Then Jesus approached and said to them,

‘All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,

baptizing them in the name of the Father,

and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,

teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.

And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.’”

As we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, today’s gospel is most likely chosen for its presentation of the Trinitarian baptism formula, “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” These are, in fact, the very last verses in Matthew’s gospel. In that context, Jesus is commissioning his disciples for mission. He commands them to go, but he does not send them alone. He promises them that as they go on mission, “I am with you always, until the end of the age.” They go on mission with Jesus. They go with God. 

Last weekend at St. Boniface and this weekend at St. Patrick, we said and say goodbye to Fr. (Cha) Quan as he departs for Vietnam before beginning his new assignment at St. James in Elizabethtown. We send him, commission him, for his continued mission in the heart of the Church, with the people of God, for service. But, Cha Quan does not go alone! He goes on mission with Jesus. He goes with God. Unlike Jesus with his disciples, we do not send him from a place of authority, but from a place of gratitude. It is not because of our goodness and worth that we send him, but because of his. It is more than simply letting go, but with our prayers, support, and thanks, we send him and do let him go to where God has called him through the Church. We are losing a good priest and a good man, and there is sadness and grief at his departure, but it is our love for Cha Quan that accompanies him, that sends him, on his new mission. St. Boniface and St. Patrick will always be Cha Quan’s first assignments and will hold a special place in his heart (I hold this as a universal truth based on my own and many other priests’ experiences). Part of his identity as a priest will always be the love, nurturing, and care of our communities for him. It is also true that part of who we are and will always be is because of the gifts and love that Cha Quan gave to us. 

Cha Quan is a good priest. He loves Jesus and his faith is active and alive. He loves people, God’s sheep, and gives of himself in sacrifice daily for the people he serves. I cannot imagine the call to a foreign country to learn a new culture and language for the sake of following Jesus in the priesthood. It is an immense sacrifice of relationship with family, friends, and all one has ever known to cast out into the deep waters of Jesus’s universal mission. We are the poor that have received the wealth of another part of Christ’s body, the Church, as a gift. Cha Quan has been a great blessing to me and to our communities. I am sad to see him go and will miss his joyful and unassuming presence in our communal life in the rectory and our shared ministry in our communities, with you. He is always willing, without hesitation, to give of his time and energy for the good of others. I have been inspired by his availability and willingness to serve. 

As he goes, I pray for God’s continued blessing upon him and work through him. I trust God’s providence is leading him to where God and his church need Cha Quan. As he has been a blessing to our communities, I know he will be a blessing to the St. James community. May Cha Quan go in the power and love of God. Until we meet again, may God hold him in the palm of his hand!