 Br. Thich Van Ngo, OP
Twenty-three years ago I left the Dominican Order, after fourteen years as a postulant,
novice and student brother. 23 + 14 = 37 years. In those 37 years, how many
people died in Vietnam war? How many people lived without dignity? How many people died
and suffered by escaping from Vietnam to the Freedom? 37 years, I'm alive,
healthy and especially, I'm a Dominican. Is it a mystery ? I was born and grew up in a
small village, converted to Catholicism. In 1985, hoping for a new and free life, I
escaped from Vietnam to Malaysia, where I eventually got an entry visa to Canada.
Can you imagine starting your life over in another country without family, friend,
nor money? Where everything is new for you--language, mentality, life style, value,
thinking, and weather?
For this chance at freedom, I worked and studied very hard, sometimes day and night, 7
days a week. I did everything that would help me to earn a living and support my family in
Vietnam and that would eventually help to bring them to Canada. I worked in a hotel, in a
laundry, in a factory, for the government, in a convenient store, so many jobs!
Luckily, in June 1998, I was finally able to retire. I had free time, I had money
to do what I wanted to do. I had a beautiful life.
Upon learning that having a web site is important and helpful, I taught myself to use
computer and to make my own web site. I created a web site for the Vietnamese community.
In this web site, I enjoyed serving my Vietnamese Dominican family. We shared all the
occasions of our lives: good news, bad news, including marriages, ordinations, feasts,
deaths, and sickness.
I visited my Vietnamese Dominican family. Finally, it was they who encouraged me to
return to Dominican Order. And, they promised to pray for my vocation. In August 2000, I
made a pilgrimage to honor Holy Mary in Missouri, and there, Holy Mary guided me to
Dominican life. Twenty-three years ago, I left the Dominicans, and twenty-three
years later, I'm Dominican again. Apparently, God does not want me to retire. God
wants me to serve Him and His people. So, God sent me to the novitiate in Oakland. Oh, my
God, why not in the French province? Quebec would have been easy for me, because I speak
French.
Oakland is much harder as I do not know much English. Now I
have to work, and study hard! You know how God answered my worries? He said: No
problem, don't worry, go, I'll help you. I have not come to call respectable people, but
sinners, not strong people but weak. Is it a mystery? Yes, my vocation and each of
your vocations, like the vocation of marriage, is a mystery. It is due to God's
grace, surpassing all human knowledge. It is due to the prayers and sacrifices of
our parents, and of many people. If we look upon our life, we see all things are
gifts of God: our life, our skill, our parents … because God loves us. He loves us
and calls us by name. God sent his beloved Son to become human, to die on the cross for
our salvation, for the forgiveness of our sins. |
