Hawaii Catholic Herald

Newspaper of the Diocese of Honolulu

Reflection: On long Lenten journey, steadiness is key

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By Anthony Selvanathan Special to the Herald As Lent settles in, something quiet often shifts. The clarity we felt on Ash Wednesday softens. The sacrifices we chose now meet the steady rhythm of daily life. What once felt purposeful can begin to feel ordinary. And somewhere along the Lenten path, enthusiasm gives way to something […]

Reflection: Strive for true surrender during Lent

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By Anthony Selvanathan Special to the Herald We tend to approach Lent the way we approach a new year: with plans, goals and quiet strategies for improvement. We decide what to give up, consider what we might add, and resolve to pray more faithfully or to fast more seriously. There is nothing wrong with these […]

Reflection: Who is our outcast?

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By Anthony Selvanathan Special to the Herald In the Gospels, those afflicted with leprosy are not only ill; they are also outcasts, pushed to the edges of society and kept at a distance. They are often reduced to a condition rather than welcomed as people. When Jesus encounters them, what is most striking is not […]

Reflection: Ordinary Time marks period of patience, steady faithfulness

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By Anthony Selvanathan Special to the Herald Happy New Year, dear readers of the Herald! By the time you read this, the poinsettias will have begun to wither, Christmas trees will have been hauled away or packed into storage, and parish life will feel noticeably quieter. The Epiphany house chalking is still faintly visible above […]

Reflection: Give the present of presence this Christmas

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By Anthony Selvanathan Special to the Herald Christmas arrives each year with light, music and celebration, but beneath all the joyful noise rests a mystery so profound it reshapes human history: God chose to be with us. In the quiet of Bethlehem, the long-awaited Word of God, promised by the prophets and yearned for by […]

Reflection: Advent is a time of holy waiting

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By Anthony Selvanathan Special to the Herald Advent has always struck me as one of the church’s most counter-cultural seasons. Even its name pulls us into a different way of seeing the world. The word “advent” comes from the Latin word “adventus,” which means “arrival” or “coming.” In the early church, Advent carried the sense […]

Reflection: A pilgrimage of gratitude

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By Anthony SelvanathanSpecial to the Herald This year, I spent more time on airplanes than I ever expected when I said “yes” to helping with the diocesan Office of Evangelization and Catechesis’ Jubilee Days of Study. The plan sounded simple enough on paper — teach people about the Catechism of the Catholic Church, creed, sacraments […]

Reflection: A local renaissance of faith

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By Anthony SelvanathanSpecial to the Herald Something sacred is stirring in the life of the church today — a quiet but unmistakable renaissance of faith. Across our islands, pews once half-empty are filling again with song, with prayer and with the sound of children’s laughter echoing in our churches. The Holy Spirit is breathing anew […]

Official notices: Oct. 10, 2025

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Bishop’s schedule Clarification In the Sept. 26 article “Hawaii welcomes Knights of Peter Claver chapter,” Anthony Selvanathan is inaccurately identified as a new member of the Knights of Peter Claver. Selvanathan was a member of Council 35 in San Antonio, Texas, and transferred his membership to the new Council 419 in Hawaii.