Farewell Message for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time. “Go and do likewise” (Luke 10:37)

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Today’s Gospel (Luke 10:25-37) challenges us with the scholar of the law’s question to Jesus: “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 10:25). This question echoes in our hearts, reflecting our deep desire to live in communion with God and to fulfill His purpose for us.

The scholar, an expert in the Torah, sought to test Jesus, addressing Him as a teacher rather than recognizing His divine authority. Yet, Jesus, in His boundless mercy, responded with wisdom, drawing from the very Scriptures the scholar knew by heart: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27; cf. Deuteronomy 6:5, Leviticus 19:18). This is the heart of the Law and the path to eternal life—not a legalistic checklist, but a life of total love for God and others.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us that love is the greatest commandment: “The entire Law of the Gospel is contained in the ‘new commandment’ of Jesus, to love one another as he has loved us” (CCC 1970; cf. John 13:34). This love is not passive but active, calling us to imitate Christ’s self-giving heart.

Through the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus redefines who our neighbor is. A neighbor is not limited by proximity, status, or familiarity but is anyone who shows mercy to those wounded by sin, robbed of dignity, or abandoned on life’s journey. The Samaritan, moved by compassion, becomes the model of charity, tending to the broken with generosity and care (Luke 10:33-35). As the Catechism teaches, “The works of mercy are charitable actions by which we come to the aid of our neighbor in his spiritual and bodily necessities” (CCC 2447). To be a neighbor, we must notice others’ pain, act with generosity, and share unconditionally, placing the needs of others before our own.

Jesus’ final command, “Go and do likewise” (Luke 10:37), is a call to live as merciful neighbors, reflecting God’s love in our actions. This echoes the Beatitudes, where Jesus teaches, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (Matthew 5:7). By loving God and neighbor, we participate in God’s kingdom and draw closer to eternal life.

My dear brothers and sisters, this question—“What must I do?”—has guided my ministry among you for the past four years and seven months. I am filled with awe at what the Lord has accomplished here at Saint Joseph. Together, we have strived to live out the call to love, as St. Paul urges: “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). Your faith, generosity, and commitment to God’s kingdom have been a blessing to me, and I am grateful for the privilege of serving you.

The Catechism reminds us that our vocation as Christians is to grow in holiness through love: “All Christians in any state or walk of life are called to the fullness of Christian life and the perfection of charity” (CCC 2013). As I prepare to depart, I pray that we continue to pursue this call, trusting that “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6).

As a token of my gratitude, I share with you a small digital book highlighting ten lessons and key moments that have shaped my ministry and life among you. I hope you’ll read it with a cup of coffee and a heart full of mercy! Please pray for me as I pray for you, that we may always strive to “go and do likewise,” loving God and being merciful neighbors to all.

May the Lord bless you abundantly, and may we meet again in His time.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Anthony Huong Le 
P/S. Go in Peace!

Farewell Video of Father Anthony

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