Morning Star

"Hello ma'am, I am calling on behalf of Representative Linda Harper Brown," rang a clear voice over the phone. "No thank you," I replied firmly. Although the high peak of the voting season is far away, we have been getting a huge number of solicitations. Many fail to realize we were a convent because we are listed as Mary Queen. When we go out to vote, it is as individual citizens and with individual voting cards. Last fall, when Sr. Jacinta Ngân received her card, we weren't quite sure if she would be allowed to vote. Under gender, she was listed as "U". "U"?!?! "U" for "Unisex"? "Unidentified"? "Unwanted"? It was too late to send in the corrections and we went with her to the precinct anyways. No fuss was made. She sent in the correction later. The card came. She is still a "U". ps. Photo from wikipedia.com

"Praises go up and blessings come down," Mack declared. We smiled in appreciation at SoupMobile's assistant warehouse manager. It was our first time at the Dallas mobile soup kitchen and he glowingly invited us to a particular poster at the sign-in counter. Intrigued by his enthusiasm, and 30 minutes until our volunteer shift, we began reading the Dallas Morning News article. 15 years homeless. Rape conviction. "Mayor" of cardboard village. Mack Choice. "Thank you for sharing your story," I told him in the kitchen, as he finished getting the food ready. Twenty minutes later, Soupmobile's staff and about 10 of us volunteers were busy serving 200 meals to homeless people. I wondered how many of them would like to turn their lives around. I wondered how many of them would be given the opportunity. I wondered how many would have the courage. Some are homeless in body. Many more are homeless in spirit. Praises go up and blessings come down. Because we ...

Po could care less about making noodle soup. He wanted to be the greatest kung-fu warrior in all of China. Although he is a very chubby panda bear. Luck and destiny lands him the guidance of Master Shifu and the Dragon Scroll. The scroll promises limitless power because it holds a sovereign secret. Upon opening it, Po and his friends discover it is blank. And the enemy, Tai Lung, is upon them. Po returns to his father, a noodle shop owner. Mr. Ping is ecstatic that Po has given up his kung-fu dream and reveals the secret ingredient to his successful noodle soup. "The secret ingredient is...... nothing!" "Nothing!" Po repeated in disbelief. "Nothing," cackled Mr. Ping enthusiastically. "To make something special, you just have to believe it's special." With this realization, Po unravels the mystery of the Dragon Scroll and defeats Tai Lung. "Kung Fu Panda" is reminiscent of another "secret ingredient". "What ever did ...

"Here you go," Sr. Leslie proclaimed jubilantly. A clear parcel of yellow round kernels. "Oh I paid dearly for them.. those vendors knew I was a tourist," she exclaimed. She had just gotten back from her Holy Land pilgrimage. "There they are, the size of our faith! I won't mind paying an eye for it except our chaplain kept laughing at me and told me to buy my mustard seeds in the US." "Thanks Leslie... now I have this visual aid to help me explain faith to the youth... but you know the mustard seed is not the least of the seeds," I commented. She saw the twinkle in my eye and waited for my explanation. "The mustard seed is 1/20th of an inch, the begonia seed is 1/50th of an inch, the petunia seed is 1/100th of an inch, while the orchid seed is so small, you need a 10 to 30 power microscope to see it... and so, the point isn't to prove Jesus wrong, but that faith is present in the small ordinary things of life." "Wow! I wi...

7 months and 16 days. The littlest Tran in the Tran clan. This is why he rules. Long ago, Tiffany (the oldest niece) knew that the Tran family had one abiding rule: the littlest one reigns. It matters little the issue. Or the person. Even if it is dad in his most fiery moment. A little whimper would melt his seething logic in mid-sentence. For this, my brothers and sisters would forgive dad in all his fickle temper. It is enough that dad's heart could still be melted by vulnerability. ps. Photo of Stephen as a 5-day newborn. ps2. Tran is a common Vietnamese last name. ps3. "See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father." (Mt 18:10)

Sr. Mary Catherine glowered at me. We were late to religion class again. It was really not my fault. My brother, Phil, was suppose to be watching the clock since class began at 4pm. Most days, he did a good job. The episode of "Smurfs" bowled us over and we continued to keep the TV on. Until something didn't feel right. The convent was a 10 minute walk from home. It was a three-minute run that day. And 30 minutes on our knees for the rest of class. (Corporal punishment was still practiced in those days.) I wish I could've told the sisters that the Smurfs also taught us how to be good. Smurfs were blue peaceful creatures who wore white trousers. But they had a habit of not being content with enough. They always wanted something else and this was the hilarious plot to the cartoon. In "Avatar", it was the humans who had this shameless habit. While the blue creatures, the Na'Vi, lived in harmony with each other and the world. I see you. This is the Na...

Water. The thought would not leave. 2:15pm. No time to stop by home. Or a gas station. I consoled myself that there was a fountain outside the Eucharistic Chapel. I had just left the hospital and due to a friend's house in 70 minutes. The water fountain was turned off. A leak in the plumbing. I stepped into the airy coolness of the chapel. And knelt in my favorite spot. A hidden alcove next to the bookcase. Jesus' eyes beheld me. I glanced to my left. A brand-new unopened water bottle sat on the shelf. I didn't get a sip of water until three hours later. I didn't drink that water bottle either. My thirst was already soothed. ps. Photo from the Franciscan Chapel in Independence, Missouri.