One ‘Ohana
Please note that Father Lio and the Core Committee of One ‘Ohana are inviting all those who are registered for One ‘Ohana to join them on Sunday, Jan. 2nd at 1PM in the tent. Moms, in addition to bringing your children, please bring your favorite Christmas cookies to share. We will have punch and cookies. The One ‘Ohana will be over at 2:30pm. Father Lio is bringing a very special guest.
Full Participation
Congratulations to the following people who took the first step toward coming into Full Participation in the Catholic Church by making their First Communion. Along with other adults who are preparing, they will be Confirmed at some point during 2011. We request your prayers and support for them as they venture forward in their study of the Catholic Church.
Dec. 12 Jharmine Postrano, Jayson Racadio, Junnel Postrano, Almario Postrano, and John Postrano
Dec. 25 Alex McEwan
Baptism
Today, we welcome three new infant members into our community of faith. They are Ku’unela Patricia Lauronal, Hunter Richard Dubois, and Angelica Amazona Transfiguracion. We ask God’s special blessing on them and their parents.
Reminder to Parents
If you have a child preparing to receive First Communion (1st or 2nd year) or Confirmation (1st or 2nd year), please check your schedules and/or the bulletin for the dates and times of mandatory classes. Time is slipping by quickly. First Communion is scheduled for May 8 and Confirmation is on the calendar for Saturday, May 14 at St. Michael’s.
Our "Holy Kapa" quilters thank everyone who made our November bazaar a success. Many parishioners and people from Colorado, Nevada, California and Washington donated quilts and other items that were sold. Thanks to our generous parishioners and visitors, the net profit from the bazaar and quilt drawing was $12,932.35, which goes directly into St. Michael's Building Fund for the new Church. May our quilts keep you warm and loved.
Holiday Office Closures and Bulletin
The office will be closed on Thursday and Friday the week of Dec. 27th (for New Year’s). The bulletin will have to be run off no later than Wednesday, Dec. 29th. Please submit articles no later than Monday at 4PM. Thank you!
Book Club
As Fr. John said in his homily on the first Sunday of Advent, Advent is a time of preparation to put on something new. I would like to start our new year by organizing a new book club.
Each week last summer, Cynthia Taylor recommended books both fiction and non-fiction that focused on themes related to Catholic Social Teaching. We could read and discuss some of the books Cynthia recommended. At the October 31 One `Ohana we briefly discussed the contributions of saints both in our lives and officially recognized by the Church. I am currently reading a book I bought at the Gift Shop called, My Life with the Saints by James Martin. This book is often discussed at parish book clubs over more than one session. We could also read more about some of the saints we identified at One `Ohana and books that our members recommend.
Over the last several years, three groups of parishioners participated in the JustFaith program. JustFaith included 33+ weeks of reading as many as two books a week, discussing what we learned, participating in outreach activities and retreats. The book club would focus on Catholic Social Teaching just as the JustFaith program does but we only read one book a month. I think that we could all learn from our book discussions without having to make such a huge time commitment.
Are you interested? Email me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with your contact information and a couple of days of the week and times that are best for you. We would meet no more than once a month. You can also call me at 756-1633. An organizational meeting will be called once we have a group of people who would like to participate.
Free Parish Liturgical Calendars
These calendars are available to each registered family at the parish office. The calendars are also for sale at the Gift Shop for $5. These calendars were produced by the Heritage Committee with historical and recent pictures of our churches and parish events. Liturgical colors, saints’ feast days, parish events and information are also included on the calendars. The new liturgical year begins this month. Pick up your calendar while the supply lasts.
Golf Tournament 2011 UPDATE
The Golf Tournament Committee members will be available at the weekend Masses at St. Michael’s to provide entry forms, accept player registrations, sell meal tickets to non-players, and solicit volunteers and prize donations. As previously announced, the Golf Tournament, which will be held on Jan. 8, 2011, at the Kona Country Club (Ocean Course), is an opportunity for parish community building, in addition to raising funds for the new Church building. We look forward to your participation in the tournament as a player, donor, or volunteer.
We are also pleased to inform you of a major donation to the silent/live auction. Sam Choy will donate his services to prepare a meal for ten (10) people at the winner’s house (or somebody else’s house). The menu consists of a) Won Ton Poke Salad with Wasabi Cream Dressing, b) Tahitian Crabmeat Soup with Luau Leaf and Taro, c) Braised Short Ribs and Island Fresh Fish with Kapakahi Mash and Garden Veggies and D) Custard Cake with Haupia Sauce and Fresh Berries. Starting bid will be $1,000.
For more information, please contact Peter Callahan at 315-7609.
Grief Counseling UPDATE
Preparing for the holidays can be stressful, especially if you have recently lost a loved one. If you are grieving the death of a loved one, you don’t need to do it alone. You are invited to participate in a free and confidential Bereavement Group. The group offers a respectful and safe environment in which to share your story, express the many feelings that come with loss and learn about grief. Individual sessions with an experienced counselor are also available by appointment. There's no fee for participating in the group or individual ses sions.
For more information or to make an appointment, email Lisa Ferraro at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 808-345-6471. If you prefer to contact Lisa in person, you can find her singing at St. Michael’s Church every Sunday at the 4pm Mass. Also, more information will be available at our website soon!
1st Year Confirmation Classes UPDATE
Jan. 16, 2010 Retreat (starts with the 8AM Mass at Immaculate Conception followed by activities in the Hall. 8AM-3PM. Lunch and snack will be provided.
Mar. 20, 2011 2nd Class; Kamiano Hall, 1:30PM-3PM
Reflection
Christianity is never more itself—and never more counter-cultural—than when it faces cultural icons and expectations like those in every one of today’s Readings. Most of the texts (including the Psalm) echo a paternal society, in which the father is always head of the household. Only the Letter to the Colossians confronts cultural patterns, even as it seems to include them in its practical advice. “Wives, be submissive” was what the culture expected; “husbands, love your wives” was a radical suggestion, promoting equality of the sexes and a whole new way of looking at relationships.
How often do we take cultural expectations for granted, rather than challenging them by living in accord with the “new way” of the Gospel? That way includes “heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,” bearing with and forgiving one another as the Lord has forgiven us, and, above all, love as the “bond of perfection.” Quite a challenge as we end one calendar year and begin a new one!
Prayer
Perfect One,
We sing Your praise in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Teach us to walk in Your ways, seeking the perfection of communion with You, doing everything in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Anonymous
Psalm 128
Concise as it is, Psalm 128 is a lovely tribute to family life and ideally suited to today’s celebration. Many editions of the Bible label it a psalm of ascents, meaning that it was among the songs sung as God’s people walked up the roads to Jerusalem for the observance of the pilgrimage feasts. The thought of family groups striding along and bonding through this kind of prayer song makes a charming picture.
The first line should not be misinterpreted. “Happy is the one who fears the Lord” in no way implies abject terror of God. A better translation might be “awe” (Blessed is the one who is in awe of the Lord). There is also a sense of obedience in that term, meaning that those who obey the Mosaic Law, the covenant between God and His people, set themselves up for a worry-free existence.
The psalm is intended to be led by the male head of the household in conformity with the culture of the time, but is certainly as applicable today as it was then even if family life is often somewhat differently structured.
The final verse, “May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life” returns to the notion of ascending the roads leading into the Holy City. Might Jesus and His family [have] sung this song as they climbed toward the city’s annual commemoration of Passover? It’s entirely possible, again making this an ideal choice for today’s solemnity.
Virginia Smith © 2007, OCP. All rights reserved.
Treasures From Our Tradition
“Octave” comes from the Latin word for “eight,” and since eight is one step beyond seven, the number of days in a week, it has long been seen as a symbol of perfection, completion, and new beginnings. Early Christians called Sunday the “eighth day,” since it was the day after the Sabbath and a day of resurrected life, the Lord’s Day. By the seventh century, people regarded the eight days after Easter Sunday as one great day, an octave, one glorious feast when people were forbidden to fast or kneel. In the seventh century, Pentecost acquired an Octave, too. Christmas didn’t claim the honor of a continuous feast, but it did get an Octave Day. January 1 is the oldest Marian feast, the Octave of Christmas. It was originally a feast of the motherhood of Mary, although for centuries until 1969 it was called the Feast of the Circumcision. Our reformed calendar follows the earlier tradition of celebrating Mary as Mother of God.
Today’s Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph is a modern one, instituted in 1921. Strains on family life then, with the world emerging from the first “Great War,” were enormous. From its inception, this feast was clearly intended to inspire people with an image of family harmony even amid difficulties.
In 1969 the Feast of the Holy Family was moved to its present position, the Sunday within the Octave of Christmas. When Christmas falls on a Sunday, this feast is bumped to December 30, but is not a holy day. The Gospels chosen in 1969 all depict stressful times in the life of the family of Jesus: the Presentation (with the warning of future sorrow), the flight into Egypt, and Mary and Joseph’s frantic search for their Son in Jerusalem. The feast’s former place in the calendar is taken now by the Baptism of the Lord.
Rev. James Field, © Copyright, J. S. Paluch Co.
Stewardship Report - Dec. 18-19
|
|
ATTENDEES |
CONTRIBUTIONS |
|
St. Michael’s |
|
|
|
Saturday 5pm |
210 |
$2,673.00 |
|
Sunday 7am |
223 |
$1,731.00 |
|
Sunday 9am |
347 |
$5,883.00 |
|
Sunday 11am |
145 |
$661.00 |
|
Sunday 4pm |
101 |
$483.00 |
|
Sunday 6pm |
288 |
$342.00 |
|
Immaculate Concept’n |
53 |
$331.00 |
|
Holy Rosary |
44 |
$425.00 |
|
St. Paul’s |
— |
— |
|
Subtotal |
Collections = |
$12,529.00 |
|
Retirement Fund ... |
... For Religious |
$70.00 |
|
Global Solidarity |
|
$3,275.00 |
|
Heritage Comm. Books |
|
$135.00 |
|
Heritage Comm Calend’r |
|
$5.00 |
|
Quilt & Craft Bazaar |
|
$235.00 |
|
Golf Tournament |
|
$165.00 |
|
Christmas (inc. Flowers) |
|
$804.00 |
|
Simbang Gabi |
|
$54.00 |
|
Building Fund |
*Excludes pledges |
$5,380.00 |
|
Totals |
1,411 |
$22,652.00 |
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
