Holy Family Catholic Church

830 Main Street, Honolulu, Hawaii 96818

Telephone: 422-1135 Fax:423-0389
Email: HFC830@gmail.com and Sebchacko@hawaii.rr.com
Third Sunday of Advent

Mass Schedule

PASTORS CORNER

Monday-Saturday: 7:15 AM
Saturday Vigil: 5:00 PM

The theme of our Mass is JOY. We shall have the third

candle of the Advent wreath lit. The color is rose or
pink, to show the joy in our hearts, as we have only one
more Sunday to go.

Sunday: 8:30 AM, 11:00 AM &

7:00 PM
1st SundaySamoan Mass-2 PM
3rd Sunday-Pohnpeian Mass-2 PM
Confessions Saturday:
4:004:45 PM
and after daily Masses
First Friday of the Month
Benediction

2015
THE YEAR
OF GRACE &
CONSECRATED
LIFE
Come Follow me.
WEBSITES
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

December 14, 2014

Holyfamilyhonolulu.org
Hfcahawaii.org
Catholic.com
Catholic.net
Catholic.org
Hictv.com & Cable 133.3
Catholictv.com

Our First Scripture Reading is once again from Isaiah.

He asserts that the Spirit of the Lord is with me, and I
rejoice heartily in the Lord.
Saint Paul writing to the Thessalonians wishes all the
Christians, to be preserved body, mind and heart from
any blemish or sin. This state of purity will make them
truly rejoice.
In the Gospel Saint John the Baptist while baptizing people in Bethany, proclaims that he was not the Christ; but
somebody is already among them, who will baptize with
water and the Spirit..which we can say implies both
the outside of the body (with water) and in the inside
(with the Spirit), a thorough cleansing that can make the
body and mind and soul rejoice like never before.
We know through our Faith and Catechism, this cleansing is effected through a good Confession. Many of us
follow the modern trend, a trend promulgated by the
Protestants that only God can forgive sins..Yes only
He can! However, God became Man and Jesus the Man
granted that power to His Followers, chosen to be Apostles and Priests of the New Testament. We have all been
baptized. We have all received the Spirit. It is only
through Confession and the experience Gods Mercy and
Forgiveness that we can truly REJOICE IN THE LORD.

REJOICE IN THE LORD

St. John of the Cross

John is a saint because his life was a heroic effort to live up to his name: of the Cross. The folly of the cross came to
full realization in time. Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me (Mark
8:34b) is the story of Johns life. The Paschal Mysterythrough death to lifestrongly marks John as reformer, mysticpoet and theologian-priest. Ordained a Carmelite priest in 1567 at age 25, John met Teresa of Jesus and like her
vowed himself to the primitive Rule of the Carmelites. As partner with Teresa and in his own right, John engaged in the
work of reform, and came to experience the price of reform: increasing opposition, misunderstanding, persecution, imprisonment. He came to know the cross acutelyto experience the dying of Jesusas he sat month after month in his
dark, damp, narrow cell with only his God. Yet, the paradox! In this dying of imprisonment John came to life, uttering
poetry. In the darkness of the dungeon, Johns spirit came into the Light. There are many mystics, many poets; John is
unique as mystic-poet, expressing in his prison-cross the ecstasy of mystical union with God in the Spiritual Canticle.
COMMENT: John in his life and writings has a crucial word for us today. We tend to be rich, soft, comfortable. We
shrink even from words like self-denial, mortification, purification, asceticism, discipline. We run from the cross. Johns
messagelike the gospelis loud and clear: Dontif you really want to live!
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Dec.17-Confession 7:00 PM
Dec 19 Fr Sebastians 38th Anniversary of
Priestly Ordination
Dec. 25-The Nativity of the Lord (CHRISTMAS)

PENANCE SERVICE. Jesus came to save

us from our Sins. Our Parish Communal
Penance Service is scheduled for Wednesday December 17th. If you cannot attend,
please call Father Sebastian to schedule an
appointment for your private Penance Service.
BAPTISM CLASSES will be on Sunday,
12/21 and Baptisms will be on 12/28. Please
contact Father Sebastian 422-1135 or
Chris Malins at 423-9611.

Our Weekly Offerings

December 7, 2014
Thank you for your generous
contribution for the past weekend.
5:00 PM
8:30 AM
11:00 AM
7:00 PM

$1,038.75
$1,736.50
$1,153.69
$1,368.78

TOTAL

$5,297.72

CHRISTMAS ANGEL TREE.

Please make sure you turn in all the Gift
boxes by the 19th. The absolute cut off day
is next Sunday December 21. We thank individuals and Families that have already
turned in their gifts. May the Child Jesus
bless your generosity.
Christmas Mass Schedule
24th 6.00 PM - Divine Mercy Choir
Midnight -OLRosary Choir
25th 8.30 AM - 8.30 Choir
11.00 AM - International Choir

Church Bulletin: EditorJoe Padron, Phone 423-2439. Bulletin deadline is Tuesday 12:00 noon. Please
email notice and picture if applicable to pad.ronjoe@gmail.com

Alofa ma le Faaaloalo Love and Respect

The Samoan Community held their Annual Mass and Christmas Carol Competition last Sunday at 1:30 pm. Choirs from St.
Joseph of Waipahu, Our Lady of Good Counsel of Pearl City, Sacred Heart Waianae and our own Divine Mercy and Holy
Family OL of the Rosary Choirs participated in the competition. Photos of the Pearl City and Waianae Choirs will appear in
the next Bulletin

NEW PARISHIONERS: Newcomers are encouraged to register with the parish and are welcome to participate in all parish activities and ministries. Registration forms are available in the back of the Church.

Advent Wreath Ritual

The Advent wreath is a powerful
way to focus our prayer during
the Advent season. It consists of
a wreath of greens laying flat
with four candle usually three
purple and one pink, the latter lit beginning on the Third
Sunday of Advent. The never-ending circle of greens
reminds us of Gods unending love, the source of our
hope.
Third Week: The third candle reminds us of the love
and joy that surrounded the shepherds at the announcement of the birth
of Jesus.

Catechism
Who can forgive sins? God alone can forgive sins.
Jesus could say Your sins are forgiven (Mk 2:5)
only because he is the Son of God. And priests can
forgive sins in Jesus place only because Jesus has
given them that authority.

70% OF MY EARNINGS
DONATED TO CHARITY
WHEN I REPRESENT YOU
to Buy or Sell Real Estate

EdYost@ccim.net
PHONE: 722-9678
Midpac INTERNATIONAL Realty

NEWS FROM
HOLY FAMILY
CATHOLIC
ACADEMY &
ELC

The season of Advent has the students and faculty at the Academy & ELC preparing their hearts and their spirits for the
blessed anniversary of Jesus birth. It is very
easy to be distracted by all the frantic shopping and burdensome expectations that mask
the real meaning of the holyday ahead. At
Holy Family Catholic Academy we hope to use
the few weeks before Christmas to make ourselves ready for Christs coming. Students will
learn about being Advent-keepers and work
at practicing kindness, generosity, and appreciation for others.
Our journey toward Christmas will entail a number of activities, events, and service projects to
help us prepare: blessing of the classroom Advent Wreaths; the K-3rd Christmas Musical A
World of Music; the Performing Arts Winter
Concert featuring the Glee, Band, and Hawaiian Music students; students caroling at a senior citizens home and packing goodie bags for
Holy Family Orphanage in Osaka, Japan; and
opportunities for our 3rd-8th graders to go to
Confession with Fr. Sebastian +and Fr. Pat.
By patiently observing Advent we hope we can
avoid getting too caught up in the secular qualities of the holiday and present a lived Christmas experience for HFCA studentsone all the
more special and all the more holy.