There were 35 Vietnamese bishops present along with others from neighboring countries and further abroad. Auxiliary Bishop Dominic Luong of the Diocese of Orange, California and Archbishop Philip Wilson of Adelaide, Australia were among the concelebrants, who joined by over a thousand priests, more than one-third of all those in the nation.
In his French-language homily, Cardinal Dias said that it was no accident that the Jubilee's closing was planned for Jan. 6 when the Church celebrates the Epiphany, welcoming "the light" of the birth of Christ.
The loving God who revealed himself through the birth of his son 2,000 years ago, still shows himself to all those who seek him, the cardinal said.
He then quoted from the Gospel of John, saying, "those who believe in his name, who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man's decision but of God." The cardinal said it was an occasion for Vietnamese Christians to thank God that they are among those chosen from the nearly seven billion people on earth. Gratitude is due to the generous teaching and courage of missionaries who brought them the Gospel message, he said.
The Epiphany, he explained, is a reminder of the great gift of God and an invitation to share this "gift" with others. The cardinal called on Vietnamese Catholics to remember all of those who built the Church with their "blood, sweat and tears" and to be inspired by the Jubilee to live their faith.
The anniversary celebrations should be an inspiration to live the faith more sincerely individually and as a community to put into practice Christ's mission to "go and make disciples of all nations," he added.
In Vietnam, where 94 percent of the people are not Christian, the cardinal said this mission remains pressing.