François-Xavier Nguyễn Văn Thuận - Testimony of Hope: Spiritual Exercises of John Paul II

By

Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan

To His Holiness

Pope John Paul II:

untiring witness ofthe hope

which comes fromJesus Christ,

he who has guided theChurch

into the Third ChristianMillennium,

on the occasion ofhis eightieth birthday.

To my mother Elizabeth whoeducated me from the time I was in her womb. She taught me stories from theBible every night, she told me the stories of our martyrs, especially of our ancestors;she taught me love for my country; she presented St. Therese of the Child Jesusas the model of Christian virtue. She was the strong woman who buried herbrothers massacred by traitors, whom she sincerely pardoned, always welcomingthem as though nothing had happened. When I was in prison, she was my greatcomfort. She said to all, "Pray that my son will be faithful to the Churchand remain where God wants him."

God writes straight with crooked lines

I was summoned by John Paul IIwho said to me, In the next year of the Third Millennium, a Vietnamese willpreach the spiritual exercises to the Roman Curia.

Then looking at me intently, thePope went on: Do you have a theme in mind?

Holy Father, this comes to mefrom out of nowhere. Im surprised. Perhaps I could speak about hope?

"Present your owntestimony!" John Paul II told me that December 15, 1999.

Confused and deeply moved, I wenthome. I went into the chapel and prayed, "Jesus, how am I going to dothis? I'm not accustomed to speaking with a great deal of knowledge oftheology. You know that I'm just an ex-prisoner."

"Speak from who you are. Doas the Pope told you. With humility, simplicity!"

So I thought of preparing aVietnamese cuisine. The cooking pot will be the same, so will theingredients the Gospel of hopebut I am changing the menu. I will use Asianseasonings and aromas, and it will be eaten with chopsticks. I will try to domy best, but a poor cook can do absolutely nothing without the fire: the HolySpirit.

Asians do not argue their pointwith concepts, but tell a story or parable to make their meaning clear. That ishow Confucius, Buddha, and Gandhi spoke; and that is how Jesus speaks:

A man was going down fromJerusalem to Jericho... which of these three, do you think, was a neighbour tothe man...? Go and do likewise ( Lk 10:30-37).

A former prisoner, who lived in adesperate situation or, rather, a more than desperate situation, has preparedthis "menu of hope." He was believed dead, and the people offeredmany Masses for the dead for him. But, God knows how to write straight withcrooked lines, and those Masses for the dead have borne the fruit of many moreyears of life.

Today, at the conclusion of thespiritual exercises, I feel profoundly moved. Exactly twenty-four years ago onMarch 18, 1976, on the vigil of the Feast of St. Joseph, I was taken by forcefrom my residence in Cay Vong , and put in solitaryconfinement in the prison of Phu Khanh .

Twenty-four years ago I neverwould have imagined that today, on exactly the same date, I would concludepreaching spiritual exercises in the Vatican.

Twenty-four years ago when Icelebrated Mass with three drops of wine and a drop of water in the palm of myhand, I never would have dreamed that today the Holy Father would offer me agilded chalice.

Twenty-four years ago I neverwould have thought that today (the Feast of St. Joseph 2000) in Cay Vong the very place where I lived under house arrestmysuccessor would consecrate the most beautiful church dedicated to St. Joseph inVietnam.

Twenty-four years ago I neverwould have hoped that today I would receive a substantial gift for the poorfrom a Cardinal.

God is great and great is hislove!

To Jesus, to Mary, to Joseph, tothe Holy Father, to all of you, dear brothers and sisters, to the many peopleall over the world, who prayed for us in these days as in a great Cenacle, Igive infinite thanks. I adore the manifestation of thedivine mercy.

Pope John Paul II told me topublish these meditations, and I think that the letter signed by the HolyFather is the best introduction to them.

Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan

March 18, 2000

To Monsignor Francis XavierNguyen Van Thuan ,

President of the PontificalCouncil of Justice and Peace

At the end of the spiritualexercises, which I and my closest collaborators of the Roman Curia had the joyof participating in during this first week of Lent, directed by you, our dearbrother in the episcopate, my most cordial thanks for the witness of ardentfaith in the Lord that you have vigorously expressed through your meditationson a very compelling theme for the life of the Church: "Testimony ofHope."

During the course of the Jubilee,I wanted to give a particular place to the witness of people who "havesuffered for their faith, paying with their blood for their fidelity to Christand to the Church, or courageously facing interminable years of imprisonmentand privations of every kind" ( Incarnationis Mysterium , n. 13). It is just such a witness that you haveshared with warmth and emotion, showing that in the whole life of man, themerciful love of God, which transcends every human logic, is without measure,especially in moments of greatest anguish. You have brought us into contactwith all of those who, in different parts of the world, continue to pay dearlyfor their faith in Christ.

Basing yourself on Scripture andon the Fathers of the Church, as well as on your personal experience and, inparticular, your years spent in prison for Christ and his Church, you havebrought to light the power of the Word of God which is, for the disciple ofChrist, "the strength of faith for her sons, the food of the soul, thepure and everlasting source of the spiritual life" (Dei Verbum, n. 21).

Through your fraternal andstimulating words, you have guided us along the way of hope which Christ openedto us when he renewed our humanity, made us new creatures, and called us to an ongoing personal and ecclesial renewal. May the IncarnateWord give to every person who, even today, suffers so that Christ may be knownand loved, the strength and the courage to announce the truth of Christian loveto all people and in every circumstance!

Dear brother in the episcopate, Ientrust you and your ministry to the maternal intercession of the Virgin Mary,Mother of Hope, so that through it you may contribute in a specific manner, inthe name of the Church, to the establishment of justice and peace among people.May you receive the abundant grace of the Son, the Word Incarnate!

With all my heart, I impart anaffectionate apostolic blessing, which I willingly extend to all those dear toyou.

JOHN PAUL II

From the Vatican March18, 2000

THE BOOK OFTHE GENEALOGY OF JESUS CHRIST

Before the Mystery of God

I, Francis, servant ofJesus Christ, the least of the successors of the Apostles, here before you, donot believe that I know many things except Jesus Christ crucified. Obedient tothe mandate of the Holy Father and with his blessing, I greet you, dearbrothers, in osculo sancto ("with a holy kiss"), and I invite you, in the name of God, to beginthe spiritual exercises of the year 2000 with this introductory meditation.

The genealogy of Christ

The Evangelist Matthew opens histestimony on Jesus Christ, the Son of God, with these words, "An accountof the genealogy of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham..." (Mt1:1).