This past Monday, I received two phone calls I will never forget.

The first was from a friend in Texas, still shaken by the devastation that had unfolded. Her voice trembled as she told me how her family had narrowly escaped the deadly flooding that swept through their region. They had planned a family trip to the Guadalupe River for the Fourth of July holiday weekend. But at the last minute, her husband realized he needed to take care of something.

Frustrated, they delayed their departure by one day. That day—the very day they were supposed to be on the road—was when the storm struck. The highways they would have traveled were flooded. Cars were swept away. Lives were lost. “Father, we could have been among the victims,” she said softly. Her voice was filled with both gratitude and sorrow. Saved by chance, yet heartbroken by the loss of so many people—families grieving, lives washed away, and many still missing. “Why us, Lord?” she whispered. “Why were we spared?”

Her question lingered in my heart. After the call, I reached out to another friend who lives in the area hardest hit by the flooding. She answered after a few rings—but there were no words at first, only the sound of tears. Finally, she spoke. Her voice was thin, fragile. “Father… our daughter is missing. She was on that road. We haven’t heard from her.” They had lost all communication. “I’ve been trying to contact you for days,” she said. “I didn’t know how to reach you. I just needed someone to pray with me.” There was nothing I could say—only silence as I listened to her grief. The fear of not knowing. The anguish of a mother imagining the worst. The cry of a heart breaking open.

These two phone calls—one of near escape, the other of heartbreaking uncertainty—brought the Gospel into sharp focus for me as I reflected on the Sunday Gospel of Luke 10: 25-37. The parable of the Good Samaritan is not just a story we read each year. It is a real life we are called to live. A man lies wounded by the side of the road. Others pass him by. But one stops. One sees. One is moved with compassion—and acts.

Right now, many of our brothers and sisters in Texas are lying by the roadside. Some are still trapped or missing. Others mourn the loss of loved ones, homes, and stability. Many feel forgotten. Will we pass by? Or will we stop, like the Samaritan—drawn by compassion, moved by love? Let us join in prayer for the victims of the flood, for those still missing, and for all the families waiting in anguish. But let us not stop at prayer. Let us also respond with the hands of Christ and the heart of His Church through donations that bring relief.

Therefore, we will take up a special collection this weekend (July 12-13) for families affected by the central Texas flood. A collection box will be available at the church entrance, and you are invited to contribute whatever you can. All donations will be sent to Catholic Charities of Central Texas.

This is our mission. This is what it means to be missionary disciples of Christ—to bind wounds, to lift the fallen, and to bring hope where there is despair.

Let us not walk past.
Let us be the hands of Christ, and the hearts for Texas.

Fr. Long Phi Nguyen, SVD
Pastor

BACK TO LIST