Hawaii Catholic Herald

Newspaper of the Diocese of Honolulu

Reflection: The power of presence

by

By Anthony Selvanathan Special to the Herald There are moments when words fail us. Someone we love receives devastating news, a friend loses someone close to them, or a family finds itself overwhelmed by circumstances beyond its control. We want desperately to say something that will make things better, only to discover that sometimes there […]

Reflection: Lifelong formation with Christ

by

By Anthony Selvanathan Special to the Herald Across Hawaii, students are returning to classrooms with new teachers, fresh notebooks and high hopes for the year ahead. Parents are settling back into familiar routines, teachers are preparing lesson plans and campuses are once again filled with anticipation. The beginning of a new school year reminds us […]

Reflection: Michael our bishop

by

By Anthony Selvanathan Special to the Herald This weekend, something will sound different at every Catholic Mass throughout the Diocese of Honolulu. For the first time, during the Eucharistic prayer, many island Catholics will hear the words, “Leo XIV our pope and Michael our bishop.” It may seem like a small change in a familiar […]

Reflection: A year to reflect, prepare

by

By Anthony Selvanathan Special to the Herald A year from now, Catholics across Hawaii will celebrate 200 years since the arrival of the Catholic faith in these islands. Yet the bicentennial begins not next year, but now. Important celebrations rarely begin on the day they are observed. The church has long understood that moments of […]

Reflection: On holy transitions

by

By Anthony Selvanathan Special to the Herald There are seasons in life when it seems as though everything is changing at once. Students close their textbooks and step into summer, carrying both relief and uncertainty about what comes next. Families celebrate graduations and prepare for new beginnings. Another school year gives way to a different […]

Reflection: On long Lenten journey, steadiness is key

by

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

by

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?

by

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 […]