Thursday, November 27, 2014

2014 Thanksgiving Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace


Most Reverend Larry Silva presided the 9 a.m. Thanksgiving Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace in Honolulu. Concelebrating with him were Vicar General Gary Secor, Rev. John Berger, and Fr. Gordon Combs, OFM. Assisting deacon was Deacon Scott Baier from the Diocese of Portland.

During offertory parishioners brought their gifts to the table.

In Bishop Larry's homily, he reminded us to give thanks to God for all blessings, focusing on God who is the giver of all gifts.








BEATITUDES FOR NURTURING CHURCH VOCATIONS IN THE FAMILY

Shared by Brother John Samaha, S.M.

Author unknown.

J.M.J.





Blessed are the children of parents who . . .

Witness love for their spouse, their children, their neighbor, and the world.

Talk freely about the presence of God in the joys and sorrows of their lives.

Remind their children that they are loved by God and have been given gifts to serve others.

Lead their family in prayer.

Speak positively about Sisters, Brothers, priests, and deacons.

Participate in the lay ministries and activities of their parish and community.

+  Invite a deacon, priest, Brother, or Sister to their home.

Encourage their children to consider priesthood and religious life as well as marriage.








2014 Thanksgiving Message of Bishop Larry Silva




Source: Office of the Bishop


Thursday, September 11, 2014

Monday, August 25, 2014

On What Makes a Good Priest


Click picture for better viewing.

Saturday, July 26, 2014

An Installation Mass for a Priest at his new Parish

The following photos were taken today at the installation Mass of the new pastor, Father Khanh at Saints Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church, by the bishop of Honolulu, His Excellency Bishop Larry Silva.















Friday, June 27, 2014

Beautiful Song - Our Priests

Joseph Lee Hooker - "Our Priests" via World Priest.

Friday, June 20, 2014

Prayer for the intercession of the Blessed Mother for our Priests



Dear Lord, we pray that the Blessed Mother
wrap Her mantle around Your priests
and through her intercession,
strengthen them for their ministry.
We pray that Mary will guide Your priests
to follow her own words,
"Do whatever He tells you." (Jn. 2:5)
May Your priests have the heart of St. Joseph,
Mary's most chaste spouse.
May the Blessed Mother's own pierced heart
inspire them to embrace all who suffer
at the foot of the Cross.
May Your priests be holy,
filled with the fire of Your love,
seeking nothing but Your great glory
and the salvation of souls.  Amen.

from a priest's ordination Mass program

Prayers for Pope Francis and all Priests



O Jesus, Eternal Priest,
Bless and sanctify Pope Francis,
the shepherd of our Catholic Church,
Who leads our priests of the future.

May You give all these men who
have dedicated their lives to
Your holy way strength and
perseverance in faith and devotion.

Anoint their hands which daily touch
Your Sacred Body and their words
that teach Your Gospel message.

Protect them from
the temptations of this world.

Consecrate their labors 
with abundant fruit.

Fill them with compassion for 
the conversion of souls.

Walk beside them as they minister
at home and in distant lands.

Keep them always within the shelter of 
Your Most Sacred Heart.

Amen.

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Rite of Ordination to the Priesthood for Ajit Baliar Singh, ss.cc.


The Rite of Ordination to the Priesthood for Ajit Baliar Singh, ss.cc. was held at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace in Honolulu on May 21, 2014, the 150th anniversary date of ordination of St. Damien de Veuster.

Most Reverend Clarence (Larry) Silva, Bishop of the Diocese of Honolulu, was the main celebrant. In celebration with him were Archibishop George Niederauer, Emeritus of San Francisco; Bishop Neal Buckon, Auxiliary of the Archdiocese for Military Services; Very Reverend Sudhir Nayak, ss.cc., Regional Superior, Region of India, US; Reverend Alphons Baliar Singh, Archdiocese of Bhubaneswar; priests of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary; and diocesan priests.

Here are some photos taken during the ordination of Fr. Ajit, courtesy of Dann Ebina:



Most Reverend Clarence (Larry) Silva


Very Reverend Johnathan A. Hurrell, ss.cc.


Very Reverend Gary Secor, 
Vicar General, Diocese of Honolulu



Reverend Ajit Baliar Singh,
our newly ordained priest of the
Congregation of the Sacred Hearts
of Jesus and Mary




Relic of St. Damien de Veuster
Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace


Sunday, May 11, 2014

Happy Mother's Day! Happy Good Shepherd's Sunday and World Day Prayer for Vocations



Happy Mother's Day to our wonderful and dedicated Spiritual Moms!  We hope you have a very wonderful day.  Your spiritual sons are very blessed to covered under our Lady's motherly mantle and your loving spiritual care.

Today is also Good Shepherd's Sunday and we pray for all our spiritual sons, all our priests, all seminarians, specifically those in our own diocese of Honolulu, our bishops, especially bishop Larry, our Holy Father Pope Francis and our Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.



And, on the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, please pray for more vocations to the priesthood and religious life.



Diocese of Honolulu Prayer for Vocations


Heavenly Father,
your divine Son taught us
to pray to the Lord of the harvest
to send laborers into His vineyard.

We earnestly beg you
to bless our Diocese and our world
with many priests and religious
who will love you fervently and gladly
and courageously spend their lives
in service to your Son's Church,
especially the poor and the needy.

Bless our families and our children,
and choose from our homes those who you desire for this holy work.

Teach them to respond generously
and keep them ever faithful
in following your Son Jesus Christ,
that under the guidance of the Holy
Spirit
and with the inspiration of
Blessed Damien and Blessed Marianne
the Good News of redemption
may be brought to all.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Pope Emeritus' Reflection on his Priesthood

Picture source

"...Bound up with this was naturally the question of whether I would be able to remain celibate, unmarried, my whole life long...I often pondered these questions as I walked in the beautiful park of Fürstenried and naturally in the chapel, until finally at my diaconal ordination in the fall of 1950 I was able to pronounce a convinced Yes."
- Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

via Magnificat

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Damien’s vocation story by Fr. Sudhir Nayak, SS.CC.





St. Damien 
Servant of God, Servant of Humanity 

Damien’s vocation story 
by Fr. Sudhir Nayak, SS.CC. 
Sunday, May 4, 2014 2:30- 5:30 pm 

For anyone reflecting on the call to Religious Life 
St. Anthony Retreat Center - Bishop Libert Hall 
3351 Kalihi Street Honolulu Hawaii 96819 

RSVP/information: 
Sister Ivy Yim, ss.cc. (808)845-4353 ext 239 
Father David Lupo, ss.cc. at lupo.david@yahoo.com 
www.sistersofthesacredhearts.org www.sscc.org 

Sponsored by St. Anthony Retreat Center 



Tuesday, January 28, 2014

THE VOCATION OF A BROTHER

Although this blog was created as a way of supporting our priests, we wanted to share the following article on what it means to be a religious brother.  It was written by Brother John Samaha, a Marianist.


                THE VOCATION OF A  BROTHER

                    Brother John M. Samaha, S.M.  

     What is a Brother?  Have you ever met a Brother?  Do you know any Brothers?  What do Brothers do in the Church?  These and similar questions are frequently voiced.  Such thoughts indicate a serious lack of understanding of the Brother’s vocation.

     Recalling that St. Paul envisioned the totality of all the faithful in the living image of the Mystical Body of Christ, we are reminded that different persons, each created for a particular purpose, comprise the Church, just as the human body consists of a variety of parts to perform different functions.  This helps us to comprehend the role of the religious state and the Brother’s vocation within the Church.

     When we celebrate Liturgy we are doing the work of the People of God.  The Fathers of the Church, both East and West, taught us that liturgy is nothing less than the ongoing saving work of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, still present and operative among us now through the Holy Spirit.  The great Latin Father, Pope St. Leo the Great, in the fifth century explained it in this way: “What was visible in our Redeemer has passed over into sacraments.”  In other words, what Jesus did historically during his earthly life, he continues to do sacramentally through the liturgical mysteries he celebrates in and with his Church.  Remember that sacraments” in the language of the Fathers refers to the mysteries of the  whole, visible, ministry of the Church, not just the seven sacraments in the popular, technical sense of the term.  This reminds us that Jesus is working in us and through us.   In effect, each of us is a sacrament of Christ.

     The New Testament Scriptures call all followers of Jesus “disciples.”  And so we are.  From time to time the question is raised, “What’s in a name?”  The name “disciple,” or the name “religious, or the title of address, “Brother,” is a symbol of the reality.  These names capture the essence of our being.

     The First Letter of John offers a criterion of faithfulness.  He admonishes us to demonstrate our belief in Jesus Christ in action by loving and serving as he commanded.

     This understanding is the foundation for the dynamic metaphor of the vine and the branches tended by the vine grower presented in the Gospel of John.   This figure of a living organism is used to indicate our union with the Redeemer in the Mystical Body of Christ.  The wide ranging variety of clergy, religious, and laity comprise the many and diverse organs functioning in union with the  head to form the Whole Christ, St. Augustine’s apt description of the Church.  Though many, we are one in Christ, each of us filling a God-given, specific purpose in the living organism of human society.

     In this context, what can be said of the religious Brother’s vocation?  Of all the vocations to religious life, the Brother’s vocation is the least understood.  The generality of human society, Catholics and non-Catholics alike, usually catch the idea of what a priest is and what a religious Sister is.  But what a Brother is remains a puzzle to most, especially if they have never known a Brother.  Many think Brothers have failed the test for the priesthood, or have gone only “half-way;” that they washed out of some seminary.  Puzzlement and confusion are common regarding the Brother’s vocation.  One teacher described a Brother as a male nun.  Frequently such people, when speaking of religious vocations, mention priests and Sisters and unwittingly omit any mention of Brothers.  This happens because they do not correctly understand the religious state of life; they do not understand Brothers.  Brothers are much fewer in number, are less visible.   Recall that founders of some great religious orders were Brothers and not priests; for example, St. Benedict and St. Francis of Assisi.  

     When discussing the three states of life, the meaning of marriage and the single life are easily evident.  But to understand religious life as a state of life and a way of life is more challenging, and many lack close contact or conversation with religious.  Some erroneously think all priests are religious.  But the priesthood and the diaconate are offices belonging to Holy Orders, a function of service.   The call of a Brother is to a way of life, not to an office or service.  Like Sisters and Brothers, some priests embrace the religious state and enter a way of life based on a particular spirituality.

     But all Brothers enter the religious state to accept a distinctive way of life in a Church-approved congregation.  All religious -- Sisters, Brothers, and priests -- dedicate themselves to a way of life characterized by the evangelical vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience lived in community.  The vows, common life, and community life are the hallmarks of the religious state.  The works of charity they perform are secondary to being dedicated persons of prayer and sacrifice.  The essence of religious life is being someone consecrated to God, not doing a particular work.  Being is more important than doing.  It is necessary to see the Brother’s vocation as a call to being totally Christ-centered in a particular way of life in the religious state.  This is the distinctive place of the Brother in the life of the Mystical Body of Christ.  Our call from God is to a special way of life, not to a special work.

     It is important to value the religious state as Blessed William Joseph Chaminade, founder of the Marianists, observed: religious life is to the Church as Christianity is to civilization.

     Religious triads like the Holy Trinity and the Holy Family are common in Christian life.  If we liken the priestly and religious vocations to the Holy Family, we Brothers can say, “We are Joseph.”

     For all of us -- lay, religious, and cleric -- Jesus calls us to share his life and to collaborate with him.  He invites us not to imitate his life or to reproduce his life, but to participate in his life.

     We Brothers thank God for the gift of our vocation.  We ask God to make us proclaimers of his Gospel by our holiness of life.

     We continue to wonder who will take our places.  We need to be resolute in explaining more clearly the way of life we have entered, and more active in inviting the young to consider God’s call to serve in the religious state.

     Let us all--- religious and lay branches of the true vine -- glorify God by bearing much fruit as his disciples.  Heeding the counsel of St. Francis of Assisi, let us always and everywhere preach the Gospel, using words if necessary. 



               





Saturday, January 25, 2014