Courtesy Anthony Selvanathan
By Anthony Selvanathan
Special to the Herald
Happy Valentine’s Day, dear readers of the Herald! To mark the occasion, I wanted to reflect on love in the broader context of our community, rather than love within individual relationships — the typical focus of Valentine’s Day.
Looking around our islands, it is easy to see how negativity often outweighs positivity; the aloha spirit that many of us cherish seems to be fading. Whether it’s the daily stress of rush-hour traffic; the high cost of living (just look at the price of eggs); the challenge of homelessness in Hawaii; or the impact of social media on our youth and young adults and their mental health — it’s easy to feel like the world is lacking hope.
Even seeing Mass attendance decline can make it seem like things are getting gloomier.
On this day when we remember St. Valentine, who gave his life for his faith, and liturgically honor Sts. Cyril and Methodius, who worked to evangelize Europe, we are reminded of the importance of putting our faith into action.
This is especially significant during this Jubilee Year of Hope. As Catholics are still the largest Christian denomination in Hawaii, we have the collective power to make a positive difference in our community.
You may wonder, how do we go about doing that? Here are a few ideas.
First of all, we can start at home, with our families. My mom often reminds me that “charity begins at home.” By taking time to reflect on Sunday readings together or pray the rosary together as a family, we can strengthen our faith in simple, actionable ways that bear fruit in our lives.
We can also bring the Gospel to life through acts of service. These could include helping out at the parish food pantry or assisting our kupuna with chores — no matter what they are, small acts of kindness can have a significant impact.
We can also work on leaning more actively into the sacraments — and not just by attending Mass each Sunday. Regularly going to confession, for example, helps cleanse my spiritual life and brings me closer to Christ.
We can play a big part in being agents of evangelization by inviting others to join us at church, especially those we know who might not have been to Mass in a while. The simple act of invitation can have great value and deep impact in today’s world.
Finally, we can help restore the spirit of aloha by living out Christ’s love in our daily actions. Sometimes that’s easier said than done. But we should remember what Jesus says in the Gospel of John: “As the father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love.” (Jn 15:9)
If we remain in the love of Christ, we can contribute to building a community where love is nurtured and shared. As we continue our journey through this Jubilee Year of Hope, let’s strive to live more deeply in Christ’s love and work to bring the aloha spirit back to life in our islands.
Viriditas2: Soul Greening is on a temporary break.
