By Patrick Downes
Hawaii Catholic Herald
The Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace will host “24 Hours for the Lord,” a full-day offering the sacrament of reconciliation, eucharistic adoration and a variety of prayer sessions celebrating the Lenten season during the Jubilee Year of Mercy initiated by Pope Francis.
The event, from the evening of March 4 through the evening of March 5, corresponds with the same event being celebrated at the Vatican and in dioceses around the world.
The rector of the cathedral Father Gary Secor and other cathedral priests will preside at the penance service and liturgies during the 24 hours, which opens with the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and ends with the Saturday vigil Mass.
Lay groups, such as the Knights of Columbus, the Legion of Mary, the Basic Christian Community, parish youth groups and parish prayer groups, will lead versions of the rosary, the Divine Mercy chaplet, praise and worship sessions, and other communal prayers. There will also be a significant amount of time for silent personal prayer.
According to the “Bull of Indiction of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy,” Pope Francis’ April 11, 2015, proclamation of the holy year, the emphasis of “24 Hours” is the sacrament of reconciliation, or confession.
“The initiative of ‘24 Hours for the Lord,’ to be celebrated on the Friday and Saturday preceding the Fourth Week of Lent, should be implemented in every diocese,” the pope wrote.
“So many people, including young people, are returning to the Sacrament of Reconciliation; through this experience they are rediscovering a path back to the Lord, living a moment of intense prayer and finding meaning in their lives,” he said.
“Let us place the sacrament of reconciliation at the center once more in such a way that it will enable people to touch the grandeur of God’s mercy with their own hands,” Pope Francis said. “For every penitent, it will be a source of true interior peace.”
Besides “24 Hours for the Lord,” Pope Francis has named other special days of jubilee throughout the year for different groups, including youth, workers and volunteers of mercy, prisoners, deacons, priests, the sick and persons with disabilities.
24 Hours for the Lord
Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace
Events
Friday, March 4
- 5-6 p.m.: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament followed with silent adoration and private prayer
- 6-7 p.m.: Divine Mercy chaplet, rosary, Scripture meditation (home school group)
- 7-9 p.m.: Penance service and reconciliation followed by adoration and prayer
- 9-10 p.m.: Patriotic rosary (Knights of Columbus)
- 10-11 p.m.: Night prayer followed with silent adoration and prayer
- 11 p.m.-midnight: Praise and worship (Epic Ministry)
Saturday, March 5
- Midnight-1 a.m.: Praise and worship (St. John Apostle and Evangelist Parish Youth and Young Adult Ministry)
- 1-2 a.m.: Praise and worship (Cathedral Basilica Youth and Young Adult Ministry)
- 2-3 a.m.: Scriptural rosary (Cathedral Basilica Youth and Young Adult Ministry)
- 3-4 a.m.: Divine Mercy chaplet and private prayer (Cathedral Basilica prayer group)
- 4-5 a.m.: Adoration and private prayer (That Man Is You)
- 5-6 a.m.: Rosary for the unborn (Rachel’s Vineyard)
- 6-7 a.m.: Adoration (St. Anthony Church group)
- 7-8 a.m.: Mass
- 8-9 a.m.: Adoration (Mary, Star of the Sea Parish prayer group)
- 9-10 a.m.: Adoration (Basic Christian Community)
- 10-11 a.m.: Reconciliation and adoration and private prayer
- 11 a.m.-noon: Adoration (Visayan community)
- Noon-1 p.m.: Mass
- 1-2 p.m.: Rosary (Cathedral Basilica Damien Prayer Group)
- 2-3 p.m.: Prayer (Sts. Peter and Paul Parish Legion of Mary)
- 3-4 p.m.: Divine Mercy chaplet (Blessed Sacrament Parish)
- 4 p.m.: Benediction
- 5 p.m.: Vigil Mass
