“Let the islands rejoice!” (Psalm 97)
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
As we enter the bicentennial of the arrival of the Catholic faith in Hawaii, the uplifting prayer of Psalm 97, “Let the islands rejoice!” captures the moment. Two centuries after Holy Mass was first celebrated on Hawaiian soil by missionaries of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, let us recall why King David sang of “the islands’ joy” in composing this inspired Psalm, and why the joy which he envisioned can truly be said to be ours. David foresaw that the furthest reach and ultimate sign of the Kingdom of God on earth would occur on “distant isles,” where the Lord God would be joyfully acknowledged as Sovereign of all peoples and His justice and righteousness would reign supreme.
A thousand years after the Psalm was first sung, when Jesus Christ, Son of God, was born to us, Jesus revealed that in His teaching, life, death and resurrection, the Kingdom of God had arrived — it is “at hand,” He declared as He called the disciples — and that all who followed Him would be graced to share in the life of His Father and enlighten the world with the Good News of salvation.
Embarking as we now are on this bicentennial, we can see in the strength and vitality of our Diocese — which so graciously spreads the truth of the Gospel, nourishes the sacramental life of the faithful and performs countless acts of charity, justice and mercy every day — we can see that the Kingdom of God has indeed arrived, it is “at hand,” and for this, “let the islands rejoice!”
As your new bishop, I humbly ask that you pray that I may worthily shepherd the Diocese of Honolulu so that the Kingdom of God that Jesus announced continues to be revealed and, like the mustard seed, to grow in our midst. In this light, and in joining my prayers with yours, I have chosen as my episcopal motto, “E Hiki Mai Kou Aupuni” — from the Hawaiian “Our Father” — “Thy Kingdom Come.”
As we know from even a glance at the newspapers or news websites, there remain yet challenging, even tragic, aspects of human society at large, so we must take King David at his word that the faithful of the islands have a vital role to play in revealing God’s Kingdom to the world. Indeed, given the current climate of polarization and of emboldened threats to human dignity, our role in spreading the Gospel has an added urgency. The Word of God spoken in the Psalms, the Prophets and the Gospels instructs us in just what the building of God’s Reign entails: healing the wounds of sin and division wherever we encounter them, showing mercy not vengeance, caring for the poor and the brokenhearted, building a more just and humane society, and ultimately, loving with the selfless love of God that transcends death itself.
Following these commandments draws us into fuller communion with our infinitely compassionate and loving God, who humbles Himself in Jesus Christ to be one with us, and so brings true and lasting joy.
Far from being daunted by the demands of discipleship, we can rejoice that, by virtue of our belonging to the Diocese of Honolulu, these commandments and values of the Kingdom of God are not far from us. Indeed, close reflection reveals that they dwell within us! For the heart of aloha, in its most profound sense and expression, is selfless love. And what is “ohana” — my revered predecessor Bishop Larry Silva’s favored image of the Church — if not a family united in love and respect, even in and through its diversity, in which no one is left behind?
We are truly blessed that, by virtue of inhabiting these beautiful islands, our very way of being becomes infused with aloha and ohana, even while our diverse cultures and languages contribute to the rich tapestry of the Church in Hawaii. Thus, sent as ambassadors of God’s Kingdom, and united to Christ in the sacraments, we need not look to the sky to set about our mission; we can discover the way, the truth and the life of the Gospel beating in our hearts and flowing through our veins.
And as your shepherd, I want to walk with you in this journey of holy discovery. For I believe that knowing and affirming the graced relationship between all that makes us who we are and the Gospel of Jesus Christ which heralds God’s Kingdom can only strengthen and encourage us in performing the vital works of Catholic education, evangelization, ministry to youth, care for the least in our society — in short, the life of the Church — and thereby heighten the joy of the world.
Finally, dear brothers and sisters, I want to thank you for your aloha and for your prayers for me as I begin serving as your bishop. Be assured of my prayers for you and your families and for the continued flourishing of our wonderful Diocese. Through the intercession of Our Lady of Peace, St. Damien of Molokai and St. Marianne Cope, may Almighty God bless you always, and may the arrival of His Kingdom bring us all true and lasting joy, on earth and in heaven.
Devotedly in Christ,
+Michael Castori, SJ