Pictures from the Papal Mass

Sometimes finding a quiet place to pray in the Basilica of Saint Peter can be a difficult endeavor, what with the seeming hoards of tourists scampering about to take a picture of a holy water font - and often blocking access to it - or moving about with their fellow tourists in one large mass like a school of fish, darting this way that.  I find myself frequently wondering if a great many of the tourists have ever been in a church before.  Such, however, is not the case in the hours preceding a Mass at which the Pope presides when the Basilica is closed to the public.

At such celebrations the Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff always has need of priests to assist with the distribution of Holy Communion.  Because of security and logistical concerns, our tickets instructed us to be at the Blessed Sacrament Chapel in the basilica at 9:00 a.m., with the Mass beginning at 10:30 a.m.

Without the crowds bustling by from one place to another or a great murmur of voices constantly rising or the light of hundreds of cameras continuously flashing, the vastness of the basilica is most impressive, particularly when you are free to wander about largely as you please.  We were allowed to do so for about forty-five minutes before we were corralled back in the Blessed Sacrament chapel - where they also had a vest - for our instructions and taken to our seats in the Square at about 10:00 .m., which allowed for a good opportunity to take a few pictures:

The Papal throne.

The altar.

The Madonna and Child.

Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe.

When I took my seat I found myself sitting behind two or three rows of tall priests who did not sit very still (being short in stature does have some disadvantages, though not many), which made seeing the Holy Father - despite him being straight in front of me - somewhat difficult.  Still, I did manage to get a few good shots of him (when the priests leaned just the right way):

Pope Francis sits for the first reading as Msgr. Marini gives instructions.

Pope Francis prepares to listen to the proclamation of the Gospel.

Pope Francis professes the Creed while holding the relics of Saint Peter.

All in all, my seat wasn't bad.

Homily - 24 November 2013 - Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King of the Universe

The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King of the Universe

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Today brings to a close this Year of Faith, which His Holiness Benedict XVI proclaimed as “a summons to an authentic and renewed conversion to the Lord, the one Saviour of the world.”[1]  The Holy Father hoped that we would use this year “to rediscover the journey of faith so as to shed ever clearer light on the joy and renewed enthusiasm of the encounter with Christ.”[2]  He hoped this renewed conversion to the Lord and this renewed enthusiasm for the faith would “arouse in every believer the aspiration to profess the faith in fullness and with renewed conviction, with confidence and hope.”[3]

Looking back on this Year of Faith, we must ask the obvious questions: Have I used it well?  Have I come to a renewed conversion to Jesus Christ?  Have I found a renewed joy and enthusiasm for the faith?  Does a renewed conviction to profess the love of God now animate me?  If the answer to these questions is no, we are not without hope, because our King has made “peace by the blood of his cross” (Colossians 1:20).

It is on the Cross that we see the immeasurable depths of the Lord’s love for each one of us; it was by his cross that he “delivered us from the power of darkness” and enlightened us with his gift of faith, as the baptismal ceremonies so poignantly demonstrate for us (Colossians 1:13).  As with every gift, this gift requires a response; we are, of course, free to reject this gift and to live apart from God, but the correct response to this gift of faith is made in faith.  What do I mean?

The Catechism of Catholic Church reminds us: “By faith, man completely submits his intellect and his will to God.  With his whole being man gives his assent to God the revealer. Sacred Scripture calls this human response to God, the author of revelation, "the obedience of faith" (Romans 1:5).[4]  No other gift demands such a response, but no other is so great or cost so much.  As Benedict XVI reminded us, “Faith is choosing to stand with the Lord so as to live with him.”[5]

In the first reading from the Second Book of Samuel, we heard a brief account of the consecration of David, the shepherd who slew Goliath and so defeated the army of the Philistines, as King of Israel (II Samuel 5:3).  Many kings would succeed David and sit on his throne, but at the time of our Lord’s birth the throne of David was vacant, awaiting the fulfillment of the ancient promise given through the prophet Isaiah:

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called ‘Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.’  Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David, and over his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from this time forth and for evermore (4:6-7).

Soon we will enter the season of Advent, when we will reflect on these words in a particular way.  In the coming days, we will turn our thoughts to the One of whom the Archangel Gabriel declared: “He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:32-33).

It is this Child, this King, whom we see today hanging on the Cross in order to save us from our sins.  It is to this King that we must give the obedience of faith.  If we hope to find the joy and enthusiasm of a renewed conversion, we must willingly submit to him in all things; we must seek to serve him, and not ourselves.

When Pope Pius XI decreed in 1924 the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, which we celebrate today, he wisely counselled, “When once men recognize, both in private and in public life, that Christ is King, society will at last receive the great blessings of real liberty, well-ordered discipline, peace and harmony.”[6]  His words are true not only for society, but for families and individuals, as well.  Do we not long for liberty, for peace, for harmony?  Then let us place ourselves of Christ the King!

Pope Pius XI explained, at some length, his motivations for ordering the observance of this solemnity.  I think you will find his motives no less true today than they were eighty-nine years ago:

…We shall minister to the need of the present day, and at the same time provide an excellent remedy for the plague which now infects society. We refer to the plague of anti-clericalism, its errors and impious activities. This evil spirit, as you are well aware, Venerable Brethren, has not come into being in one day; it has long lurked beneath the surface. The empire of Christ over all nations was rejected. The right which the Church has from Christ himself, to teach mankind, to make laws, to govern peoples in all that pertains to their eternal salvation, that right was denied. Then gradually the religion of Christ came to be likened to false religions and to be placed ignominiously on the same level with them. It was then put under the power of the state and tolerated more or less at the whim of princes and rulers. Some men went even further, and wished to set up in the place of God's religion a natural religion consisting in some instinctive affection of the heart. There were even some nations who thought they could dispense with God, and that their religion should consist in impiety and the neglect of God. The rebellion of individuals and states against the authority of Christ has produced deplorable consequences. We lamented these in the Encyclical Ubi arcano; we lament them today: the seeds of discord sown far and wide; those bitter enmities and rivalries between nations, which still hinder so much the cause of peace; that insatiable greed which is so often hidden under a pretense of public spirit and patriotism, and gives rise to so many private quarrels; a blind and immoderate selfishness, making men seek nothing but their own comfort and advantage, and measure everything by these; no peace in the home, because men have forgotten or neglect their duty; the unity and stability of the family undermined; society in a word, shaken to its foundations and on the way to ruin. We firmly hope, however, that the feast of the Kingship of Christ, which in future will be yearly observed, may hasten the return of society to our loving Savior. It would be the duty of Catholics to do all they can to bring about this happy result. Many of these, however, have neither the station in society nor the authority which should belong to those who bear the torch of truth. This state of things may perhaps be attributed to a certain slowness and timidity in good people, who are reluctant to engage in conflict or oppose but a weak resistance; thus the enemies of the Church become bolder in their attacks. But if the faithful were generally to understand that it behooves them ever to fight courageously under the banner of Christ their King, then, fired with apostolic zeal, they would strive to win over to their Lord those hearts that are bitter and estranged from him, and would valiantly defend his rights.[7]

What is more, Pius XI placed this Solemnity on a Sunday so that the laity “may in a spirit of holy joy give ample testimony of their obedience and subjection to Christ.”[8]

We know that the obedience we are to give to Christ is, ultimately, the same obedience that led him to the Cross.  He makes it clear that if we are to be in his service, we must take up cross each day – without exception – and follow him (cf. Luke 9:23).  Yet we also know that to those who pledge their obedience to him and take up their cross, Christ Jesus will say, “Amen, amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43).

The conversion the Lord desires is full and complete, one that continually calls out for the Lord’s mercy, one by which we allow ourselves to entirely his and his alone.  As we look upon Christ our King suspended on the Cross, our questions again return to us: Have I used the Year of Faith well?  Have I come to a renewed conversion to Jesus Christ?  Have I found a renewed joy and enthusiasm for the faith?  Does a renewed conviction to profess the love of God now animate me?  If the answer is no, there is still time for us to glory “in obedience to the commands of Christ” and “go rejoicing to the house of the Lord” (Prayer After Communion; Psalm 122:1).

---

[1] Pope Benedict XVI, Porta Fidei, 6.

[2] Ibid., 2.

[3] Ibid., 9.

[4] Catechismof the Catholic Church, 143.

[5] Pope Benedict XVI, Porta fidei, 10.

[6] Pope Pius XI, Quas primas, 19.

[7] Ibid., 24.

[8] Ibid., 29.

Pope to the Equestrian Order: Be witnesses of the light that faith gives

An English translation of His Holiness Pope Francis' address to the members of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem is now available via Zenit, with my emphases and comments:

Lord Cardinal,
Members of the Grand Mastery and Lieutenants,
Dear Brothers and Sisters!

I give my welcome to you all, who represent the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem. In particular, I greet Cardinal Edwin O’Brien, Grand Master of the Order, and I thank him for the words he addressed to me on behalf of all. I greet the Grand Prior, His Beatitude Fouad Twal, Patriarch of Jerusalem of the Latins.

You are gathered in Rome on the occasion of the Order’s World Consultation, which is convoked every five years to reflect on the situation of the Catholic community in the Holy Land, to assess the activities carried out and to establish directives for the future. Held contemporaneously is the International Pilgrimage, which witnesses the participation of more than 2,000 people [as the number of pilgrims continued to grow, it would seem an updated figure was not provided to the Holy Father; the first number I had last week was 3,000; yesterday the Grand Magisterium was aware of more than 3,500 Knights and Ladies, out of a total of 23,000 members worldwide]. I thank you for your visit and wish to express my appreciation and encouragement for the initiatives of solidarity that the Order promotes in favor of the Holy Places, and which in the last years have been developed and expanded. In this Year of Faith, your pilgrimage to the Tomb of the Apostle Peter is marked by prayer and catechesis on the subject of faith. Beginning from these elements, I would like to be guided by three words, which I already proposed at the beginning of my ministry, but which can offer motives for reflection also to the activity of your Order. The three words are: journey, build and confess.

Journey. You are living the experience of pilgrimage, which is a great symbol of human and Christian life. Every one of us can be “errant” [during the audience, the live translator used the word "rambler" to express one without direction] or “pilgrim”: either errant or pilgrim. The times we are living witness many “errant” people, because they are deprived of an ideal of life and are often incapable of giving meaning to events of the world. With the sign of pilgrimage, you show you will not to be “errant.” Your journey is in history, in a world in which the boundaries are ever more widened, many barriers fall and our ways are linked ever more closely to those of others. Be witnesses of the profound meaning, of the light that faith gives; know how to preserve the great richness of values, of the wisdom of the past, but living intensely in the present, committed in our today, with a look to the future, opening horizons of hope with your work to give a human face to society.

And here is the second word: build. To journey to build the community, above all with love. The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem has an almost age-old history: yours is one of the most ancient still active welfare and charitable Orders. Instituted for the custody of the Holy Sepulcher, it has enjoyed special attention from the Bishops of Rome. To build with charity, with compassion, with love. And, in fact, your pilgrimage also has a charitable end, in favor of brothers and sisters of the Holy Land, especially the neediest, of those who are living moments of suffering, tension and fear. And also of our Christian brothers who suffer so much. To them I address with great affection a greeting and embrace; to all – Christians and non-Christians --, I assure my daily prayer.

However, your journey to build stems from confessing the faith ever more profoundly; it grows from the constant commitment to nourish your spiritual life, from permanent formation for an ever more genuine and coherent Christian life. This is an important point for each one of you and for the whole Order, so that everyone will be helped to deepen his/her adherence to Christ: the profession of faith and the witness of charity are closely connected and are the qualifying and forceful points – points of force – of your action. An ancient bond links you to the Holy Sepulcher, perennial memorial of Christ crucified who was laid there and of the Risen Christ who conquered death. May Jesus Christ crucified and resurrected really be the center of your existence and of every personal and associative project. May you believe in the redemptive power of the Cross and the Resurrection, to offer hope and peace. In a particular way, the Land of Jesus is not so needy! Faith does not remove us from the responsibilities to which we are all called to assume, but on the contrary, it triggers and drives to a concrete commitment in view of a better society.

May the Lord help you to be always ambassadors of peace and love among brothers. He it is who will always render your work more fruitful. May the Virgin of Nazareth assist you in your mission to guard with love the Places where Christ passed doing good and healing. May my Blessing also accompany you, which I impart to you and to the whole Order.

Pope Francis receives the Equestrian Order

This evening the Holy Father Pope Francis received some 3,500 Knights and Ladies of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem in an audience the Paul VI Hall.  The Knights and Ladies have gathered in Rome for an international pilgrimage to pray at the tombs of the Apostles Peter and Paul, to make a public profession of the Creed, and to renew their fidelity to the Church and to the person of the Successor of Peter in this Year of Faith.

Following an conference given by His Excellency Archbishop Salvatore Fisichella, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evanglization, His Eminence Edwin Cardinal O'Brien, Grand Master of the Order, addressed the Holy Father and present the Knights and Ladies to him.

His Holiness briefly addressed the members of the Order (the Italian text has been posted; I would work on a translation, but at the present moment I'm out of energy), hearkening back to the three words he proposed just after his election to the See of Peter: walking, building, and professing.

Relating the walking of the Knights and Ladies to this earthly pilgrimage, His Holiness brought together his three words, saying, "your journeying in order to build is born of [your] professing the faith ever more profoundly, it grows from ongoing efforts to nourish your spiritual life, from a lifelong Christian formation for an ever more authentic and coherent Christian life."

The Equestrian Order has, as one of its chief aims, the support, maintenance, and growth of the Church in the Holy Land by providing for all of the needs of the Patriarch of Jerusalem and, following a recent decision of the Order, throughout the Holy Land.  To this end, the Order funds the work of the Church, builds schools, and helps support Christians financially in their daily struggles.  The building done by the Order is, however, not only physical; each of the Knights and Ladies promise to pray daily for their brothers and sisters who live in the land where the Savior himself walked.

Pope Francis concluded his remarks by urging the Knights and Ladies to "believe in the redemptive power of the Cross and the Resurrection."  It is this belief, strengthened in these days of pilgrimage, that have led the members of the Order to devote themselves to the work of charity, conscious of what His Holiness Benedict XVI wrote in Porta Fidei: "Faith without charity bears no fruit, while charity without faith would be a sentiment constantly at the mercy of doubt.  Faith and charity each require the other, in such a way that each allows the other to set out along its respective path" (14).

The feel of the audience with Pope Francis was notably different than the audiences with Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, a difference that may be attributed to the different personalities of the two Popes or to the make-up of those in the audience.  I need to ponder this a bit more in the day or so before putting more thoughts together.

The days of pilgrimage have come

In his Apostolic Letter Porta Fidei in which he announced the present Year of Faith, His Holiness Benedict XVI wrote: "Religious communities as well as parish communities, and all ecclesial bodies old and new, are to find a way, during this Year, to make a public profession of the Credo "(8).  He also wrote that, "Profession of faith is an act both personal and communitarian" (10).

With these words in mind, the Grand Magisterium of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem announced an International Pilgrimage of the Order to Rome to pray at the tombs of the Apostles Peter and Paul and public recite together the words of the Creed. The Order was one of the first to take up the Holy Father's summons to this Year of Faith.

The more solemn events of the pilgrimage begin tomorrow morning with the Holy Mass offered in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls.  As I understand it, the opening Mass was to have been celebrated in the Basilica of St. Mary Major, but the number of pilgrims has became too great.

Tomorrow afternoon, the Holy Father Pope Francis will received the 3,000 or so Knights and Dames - there are 23,000 members in the Order worldwide - in an audience in the Paul VI Hall, which will be preceded by a conference given by His Excellency the Most Reverend Salvatore Fisichella, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization.

On Saturday we will gather for prayer in the Basilica of St. John Lateran and offer the Mass in the Basilica of St. Peter, while on Sunday we will tour the Vatican Gardens and conclude the pilgrimage with the Holy Mass again in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls.

His Eminence Edwin Cardinal O'Brien, Grand Master of the Order, will preside at the Masses.

Writing to the Knights and Dames in the pilgrimage the Governor General of the Order offers a helpful reminder of the two-fold significance of this pilgrimage to the tombs of the Apostles Peter and Paul:

1. to strengthen our faith through a trip which is physical route [admittedly, mine will be rather short] but is also and more importantly a spiritual path; and,
2. at the same time, in the wake of generations of pilgrims who came to Rome to worship at the tombs of the Apostles, to restate our unswerving loyalty to Peter's successor, in the person of Pope Francis, and to his teachings.

These are important spiritual goals for any pilgrimage to Rome, but especially so for the members of our Order.

I am very much looking forward to this pilgrimage and am beginning to grow excited in anticipation of the blessings that will come from it.  I am especially happy that two of my fellow Knights and two Dames have come to Rome from the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois to join the pilgrimage, with whom I had dinner the other night.

Please remember us in your prayers in these days of pilgrimage, that having visited to the tombs of the Apostles Peter and Paul and renewed our own professions of faith, we may return home - they to Illinois and me to the other side of Rome - strengthened in fidelity to the Lord and his Church, and in charity for our Christian brothers and sisters in the Holy Land and throughout the Middle East.

I ask you to pray especially that, in the words of the Governor General, this pilgrimage will become for us "the image of Christian life itself, of man, a pilgrim on earth, waiting to reach his heavenly destination."

Thank you, and know that you will be remembered in my prayers at the tombs of the Apostles.

All is ready for the pilgrimage

This morning I set out for the Piazza di San Calisto to collect my bag and badge for this weekend's International Pilgrimage of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem to Rome for the Year of Faith proclaimed by His Holiness Benedict XVI.

Since my registration was made only late last week, I did have some concern as to whether or not everything would be ready upon my arrival and was very happy to find that indeed it was.

The bag provided for the pilgrimage is simple, yet should be useful for carrying papers and books, an iPad (a laptop might be too heavy) or, thinking like a priest, an amice, alb, cincture, and stole (and perhaps a surplice and mozetta).

The pilgrimage book is very helpful with a letter of welcome from His Eminence Edwin Cardinal O'Brien, Grand Master of the Order; an introduction about Christian pilgrimages to the Eternal City; the text of the Pope Emeritus' Apostolic Letter Porta Fidei; a brief write-up about the four Papal Basilicas; the text of the Creed and the texts for the various Masses; and two prayers particular to the Order.

One of the happy things about living in Rome is that you are always noticing something new, an unexpected sight here and a surprise there.  As I walked along this morning an inscription above a door caught my attention:

You alone are Lord.

This is a good reminder for us everyday; Rome is filled with such reminders.

In the vicinity of the Piazza di San Calisto a sign outside of a restaurant caught my attention, not so much as a spiritual reminder but as a good bit of humor:

 

I may have to give this place a try.

Mere words, or deeply held belief

Pope Benedict XVI, in his Apostolic Letter Porta Fidei, has described the purpose of this Year of Faith in this words:

To rediscover the content of the faith that is professed, celebrated, lived and prayed, and to reflect on the act of faith, is a task that every believer must make his own, especially in the course of this Year (9).

Pondering the words of the Creed, and delving deeply into their riches, is an excellent way to keep the Holy Father's admonition.

With this in mind, I offer you this video from Outside Da Box, which I hope you will seriously consider as you prepare for Sunday Mass:

Bishop Silva to surfers: "The search for the 'sweet spot' on perfect wave is really a search for ultimate happiness"

As I look forward to my next return to Hawai'i next month, I can't help but think of the many sunsets I have seen as I watched the surfers catch their waves they ride as masters of the waters.

Watching the grace and skill of the surfers against the setting sun not only brings great joy but also provides a opportunity for reflection on the spiritual life.

Earlier this month, His Excellency the Most Reverend Clarence "Larry" J. Silva, Bishop of Honolulu, issued a Pastoral Letter to Surfers for this Year of Faith in which he invited surfers to enter more fully into a life of faith.

The text of his pastoral letter follows, with my emphases and comments:

“Mightier than the thunders of many waters, mightier than the waves of the sea, the LORD on high is mighty!” Psalm 93:4 (RSV) 

Aloha, Surfers! 

Surfing is a sport of kings that captivates the hearts of the dedicated participant and the spectator alike. 

Surfers are unique. Perhaps part of your attraction is your marvel of the sea, so you spend much time in the ocean at beautiful locations.  

Captain James Cook captured this attraction in 1777 when he observed a surfer and wrote: “I could not help concluding that this man felt the most supreme pleasure while he was driven on so fast and smoothly by the sea” [that's my thought every time I see them]. 

Surfers are always trying to get their friends into the waves. The exhilarating feeling they experience cannot be put into words but needs to be experienced. Some see surfing  as ‘mystical’ and an experience of the presence of God. The spiritual parallel is eloquently captured by St Thomas Aquinas:  “To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.” 

Just as you search for waves, do not be afraid to search for truth. Do not let the many competing voices cause you to give up on the possibility of discovery.  Jesus said “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.” [John 14:6] As Pope Benedict XVI encourages:  “[T]he happiness you are seeking, the happiness you have a right to enjoy has a name and a face: it is Jesus of Nazareth.” (World Youth Day, Madrid, 2011)  

Surfers know the meaning of risk but still have the courage to set out into the mighty waters.  For some there is the concern that following Jesus is a big risk. Yet as the Pope goes on to say: "If we let Christ into our lives, we lose nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing of what makes life free, beautiful and great. No! Only in this friendship are the doors of life opened wide. Only in this friendship is the great potential of human existence truly revealed. Only in this friendship do we experience beauty and liberation." 

A relatively unknown but truly remarkable connection to Christianity is that twenty of the last thirty surfing World Champions have had a secret Christian symbol, the fish, on their boards. In Greek the word for fish is icthos, and this is an acronym for: Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Savior. Not many other sports can make such a claim and be so connected to the sea. 

There is a tendency in surf culture to see surfing as a religion: to settle for creation rather than Creator.  Yet the ocean is an “icon of God”. The beauty, awe, and joy you experience should lead on to the Author of the universe: our loving God (Rom 1:19-20). The search for the “sweet spot” on perfect wave is really a search for ultimate happiness, which leads us to God, because nothing else totally satisfies that desire. As St. Augustine put it: “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” 

In what can sometimes be a self-absorbed sport, one of the greatest icons of surfing is Eddie Aikau. He heroically sacrificed his own life in an attempt to save those on the capsized Hokulea by paddling for help to the island of Lanai. As his plaque reads at Waimea Bay: "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" [John 15:13]. Eddie, who grew up as an altar boy, is a timely reminder of the noblest of human actions. 

Eddie’s heroism happened south of Molokai Island, where St. Damien, affectionately known as the Leper Priest, ministered to those with Hansen’s Disease. We can learn much from this great Saint of Hawaii, a missionary priest who spent 16 years caring for the poorest of the poor before contracting the disease himself.  St. Damien is a witness to “authentic love,” modeled by Jesus himself, which is the purpose of human life, the key to lasting marriages, and the path to joy and inner peace that each heart desires. 

While there are many redeeming aspects of surf culture, it would be naive to pretend that it did not have a darker side. The polluted waters of drugs, partying, hedonism, and immodesty come readily to mind. As Christian surfers you are called to be the “light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). As unofficial ambassadors of Aloha, I implore you to stand up for truth, for the right to life, and to be the hands and feet of Christ in a world that needs to hear the Good News.  Powerful currents want to drown the truth, but you, with the help of God, are called to help us all rise above the waves and move according to God’s plan. 

If you have drifted away from living the Catholic faith, remember that our Heavenly Father is waiting with outstretched arms, seeking to heal and transform you through the Sacrament of Penance (John 20:23) and the Eucharist (John 6). A short drive to your local parish is all that it takes to reconcile with God through a sincere confession. Just like surfing, progression in the spiritual life involves commitment and escaping our comfort zone. 

To our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who are separated from the Catholic Church: You may be surprised to find that early Christian writings (such as Ignatius, Clement, Irenaeus and the Didache) contain what Catholics believe today. Unity with the Church, which Sacred Scripture describes as the ‘pillar and foundation of the truth’ [1 Timothy 3:15 NAB] is vital in building the Kingdom of God and a culture of life.  

May Mary, Star of the Sea and our spiritual mother (John 19:27), be a shining example of faithfulness to God and a sure guide through the stormy waters of our earthly pilgrimage. 

Sincerely yours in Christ, 

Most Reverend Larry Silva 

Bishop of Honolulu