Hawaii Catholic Herald FIRST SUNDAY On the first Sunday of Advent, the family gathers to bless the wreath. The leader, usually the father, sprinkles the wreath with holy water. Leader: Our help is in the name of the Lord. All: Who made heaven and earth. Leader: Let us pray. O God, all things are made […]
How to make the most of Advent
By Anthony Selvanathan Special to the Herald Have you ever noticed how much time you spend waiting during the day? Whether it’s being stuck in traffic, standing in line at the store, waiting for your computer to turn on or waiting for the latest Netflix show to load, it’s easy to feel impatient. I imagine […]
Sherry Hayes-Peirce: Online sites make Advent prayerful
CHURCH SOCIAL TIPS Dec. 8 is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and for many Catholics there is confusion around if the conception is Mary’s or Jesus’. To be clear, the Immaculate Conception is about the Mother of our Lord being conceived in the womb of her mother without the stain of original sin. […]
O Come, O Come: Liturgical musical recommendations for the season of expectation
O Come, O Come: Liturgical musical recommendations for the season of expectation St. John Vianney Parish, Kailua, music minister and composer Robert Mondoy and St. Michael School, Waialua, principal and musician Kainoa Fukumoto shared with the Hawaii Catholic Herald why Advent is their favorite time in the liturgical year for music plus a few of […]
Sherry Hayes-Peirce: Digital tools to share your Advent
SOCIAL CHURCH TIPS Digital tools to share your Advent By Sherry Hayes-Peirce One of the most visible symbols of the Advent season is the wreath we place in our homes, lighting a candle on it for each of the four weeks on the journey to Christmas. Creating a unique Advent wreath every year with your […]
Sherry Hayes-Peirce: Five ways to find peace during the Advent season
CHURCH SOCIAL TIPS The season of Advent is a time we are called to be filled with the expectation of the coming of Christ into the world. A time to reflect on the themes of hope, peace, joy and love. One of the most elusive themes for most is to find peace. “Peace” is defined […]
Commentary: What are you seeking this season?
By Anna Weaver Hawaii Catholic Herald My four-year-old knew instantly that Mary was missing when she started playing with our Little People Nativity in early December. “Where’s Mary?” she said a bit anxiously as she found me in another room. At first, I had no idea what she was talking about. But when I realized […]
Purple, purple, pink, purple: Catechesis by Advent wreath
By Anna Weaver Hawaii Catholic Herald In case you need a refresher on why Catholics and other Christians use Advent wreaths as a way to prepare for the birth of Christ, we turned to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ website for a quick summary. “The Advent season is a time of preparation that […]
Advent wisdom — Thomas Merton: Christ is already here!
By Mike Nelson Catholic News Service Waiting has always been a central theme of Advent. But who is it we wait for? The Messiah? Is Our Lord Jesus not already here? Before his death in 1968, Trappist monk Father Thomas Merton — in several of his spiritual writings — suggested that the purpose of Advent […]
Advent wisdom — Henri Nouwen: spiritual patience
By Jonathan Lewis Catholic News Service What are you waiting for this Christmas? We have spent so much time in the last two years waiting. Waiting fearfully to see if we or a family member will get sick. Waiting for a vaccine shot or a test result. Waiting to visit family after months or years […]