Holy Family Catholic Church

830 Main Street, Honolulu, Hawaii 96818

Telephone: 422-1135 Fax:423-0389
Email: HFC830@gmail.com and Sebchacko@hawaii.rr.com
First Sunday in Lent

Mass Schedule

PASTORS CORNER

Monday-Saturday: 7:15 AM
Saturday Vigil: 5:00 PM

Our Readings this week-end focus on Temptations. Mel

Gibsons Film: The PASSION of the Christ, that was
released in 2004, gave us many opportunities to watch
and see how the devil uses people, creatures and situations in life to tempt us to do things that we would not
normally do. Judeo-Christian beliefs start with God creating all things and man the supreme earthly creature
was tempted and fell. And we as children of Adam and
Eve are constantly exposed to that stain right from the
beginning of our lives.

Sunday: 8:30 AM, 11:00 AM &

7:00 PM
1st SundaySamoan Mass-4 PM
3rd Sunday-Pohnpeian Mass-4 PM
Confessions Saturday:
4:004:45 PM
and after daily Masses
First Friday of the Month
Benediction

2015
THE YEAR
OF GRACE:
CONSECRATED LIFE
Come Follow me.
Matthew 4:19

WEBSITES
1.
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4.
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6.
7.

Feb 22, 2015

Holyfamilyhonolulu.org
Hfcahawaii.org
Catholic.com
Catholic.net
Catholic.org
Hictv.com & Cable133.3
Catholictv.com

In the First Reading, God sets up a covenant with Noah

and his descendants, making a covenant, a solemn promise to keep them from succumbing to temptation and destruction, if mankind kept Gods instructions.
In the second Reading, Saint Peter explained that the
waters that destroyed and purified mankind, during the
Flood is used to purify us from our sins in the Sacrament
of Baptism.
In the Gospel, we are told that Jesus too was tempted.
Jesus was the Word of God, that became Flesh. So as a
child of Adam and Eve, even though he was free from
the stain of Original Sin, He was yet tempted like all human beings. Gods humility and His desire to make us
behave like Christ in overcoming temptations is the core
of our Scriptures today. We can prevail over the Devil,
if we choose to keep Gods Covenant and not our human
nature that is vulnerable and fall prey to Satans tricks.
May Lent help us practice virtue and avoid sins. Fr Seb.

JESUS WAS TEMPTED BY SATAN

February 23

Saint POLYCARP - Bishop and Martyr

Polycarp, a disciple of the Apostles, Bishop of Smyrna (now called Izmir, in Turkey) and a friend of Ignatius of Antioch, went to Rome to discuss the question of the Date of Easter with Pope Anicetus. He suffered martyrdom about
155, burnt to death in the amphitheater of Smyrna. Smyrna is one of the seven Churches mentioned in the Book of
Revelation.
The controversy was about whether Easter should be celebrated on a Sunday or on the 14th day of Nisan (Jewish
month). Polycarp argued that Saint John had observed it on Nisan 14. But the Popes wanted it on Sunday. Since Jesus
rose on a Sunday (the First day of the week, as written in the Gospels).
We still have people arguing about everything in the Bible. For us Catholic Christians, the Bible plus Traditions do
matter.

Mark Your Calendar

Monday 23Novena/Bible Sharing at 6.30 PM
Thursday 26 Mandatory Vicariate Meeting at
Kamiano Centre with the Bishop
Friday 27
Task Force to meet with Bishop
For the purchase of St. Georges

- I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND

THE LIFE.
- TAKE UP YOUR CROSSES AND FOLLOW ME
- UNLESS A GRAIN OF WHEAT
FALLS TO THE GROUND AND DIES,
IT CANNOT BEAR FRUIT

Our Weekly Offerings

January 11, 2014
Thank you for your generous
contribution for the past weekend.
5:00 PM
8:30 AM
11:00 AM
7:00 PM
Ash Wednesday

$1,193.26
$1,894.31
$888.25
$1,517.55
$1,752.36

GRAND TOTAL $7,245.73

STATIONS OF THE CROSS.

Please join the Community at 7 PM on Fridays for
Stations of the Cross. Soon we hope to install our
new stations of the Cross. This can also be a way
for us to do penance for our many sins.
RICE BOWLS
Families are encouraged to take a CRS Rice Bowl.
This is to be filled with the money you save from
sacrifices that you make as individuals and families.
Your savings will go to many parts of the world to
feed the hungry and educate the poor.
ST GEORGES LAND
We will be meeting with our Bishop to explore the
possibility of buying the land at St George, that is
located at the end of the Main Street. It has a
Church, a Rectory and facilities for Day-care and
Kinder Garten. Please pray that we can buy it for
the successful expansion of our activities in the
Academy and our Parish.
RCIA ENROLLMENT
There are more than 195 RCIA candidates who will
be enrolled on Oahu at St Theresas Church this
Sunday at 2 PM. We have Eleven from our Parish.
Their names were published two weeks ago. Please
pray for them and those from other Parishes as they
will go before the Bishop and express their desire to
join our Church. They will be baptized on Easter
Vigil.

THE MEANING OF LENT

Lent is a solemn religious observance in the liturgical calendar of many Christian denominations especially the Catholic Church. It begins of Ash Wednesday and covers a period of
six weeks and ends on Palm Sunday. This year, from February 18 till March 29. 11 days in
February and 29 days in March, give us exactly 40 days. Easter is preceded by a Holy
Week, that follows immediately after Lent.
The traditional purpose of Lent is preparation of the believer through prayer, penance, fast,
abstinence and almsgiving to REPENT. Christ came to forgive us our sins. We call Him,
Savior. He saves us from our sins, through repentance.
Self-denial and seeking through acts of penance and mortification for forty days have been
in practice in many religions throughout centuries, even before Christianity. The forty days
of rain and darkness during Noahs time, the forty days of fasting proclaimed by Jonah to
the Ninevites, the forty years of wandering of the Israelites in the desert before they
reached the holy land and Jesus own forty days of prayer and fasting on the Mountain before His Baptism in the river Jordan are the Biblical foundation of our custom and practice of Lent.
The Hindus, the Muslims and other religions too have forty days of preparation for great
common and individual events in the year.
The Stations of the Cross ever since the Muslims took control of Jerusalem and prevented
Christians from making a pious trip there, in the foot steps of Christ is very common in
many Catholic Parishes, all over the world. In our Parish we do it on Fridays at 7 PM. Experiencing the journey of Christ and understanding Gods loving mercy for us, through the
carrying of the Cross by Jesus, can make us repent and reform ourselves.
Most Catholic Churches do not use flowers or decorations during this period to highlight
not only simplicity, but a period of mourning till the Lord rises from the dead on Easter
Sunday.
As individuals and families, we need to make some Lenten resolutions and keep them to
connect ourselves with the sufferings of Christ. We are ever reminded also of the need to
make a Good Confession during Lent. First Communicants, the Confirmation Youth will
have mandatory Confessions. Every Catholic should make a Confession and sincerely profess his/her faith in the mystery of salvation effected by Christ dying on the Cross for us.

NEW PARISHIONERS: Newcomers are encouraged to register with the parish and are welcome to participate in
all parish activities and ministries. Registration forms are available in the back of the Church.

HFCA NEWS
The Lenten Journey began for Holy Family Catholic
Academy students and Faculty. Before the start of
the 40 day period prior tp Easter Season known as
Lent, every one celebrated Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras)
with delicious Krispy Kreme donut treats, courtesy
of the PTG. Then on Ash Wednesday, the Students
gathered for a simple Service in the Church and received ashes on their foreheads in the shape of a
Cross, as a sign of repentance and humility.
During Lent, the students will learn more about
PRAYER, FASTING, ABSTINENCE and SHARING, as ways to grow ever closer to God. Our School
will also be participating in the CRS, RICE BOWL,
a Faith Formation Program that helps students experience our Catholic Faith and Lenten Spirituality
and help people in need around the world. Each child
received a cardboard CRS Bowl in which to put their
Lenten monetary sacrificial gifts to benefit those
people in our world who do not have enough to eat
each day.
Students can download the CRS Rice Bowl app for
daily Lenten Reflections and a Lenten Calendar to
use with their Family members to prepare themselves
for forty days of Lent ahead. May Lent be a wonderful season of preparations for a joyous Easter.

70% OF MY EARNINGS
DONATED TO CHARITY
WHEN I REPRESENT YOU
to Buy or Sell Real Estate

EdYost@ccim.net
PHONE: 722-9678
Midpac INTERNATIONAL Realty

DIOCESAN NEWS
There will be a Mandatory Vicariate Meeting with
the Bishop on February 26, at 6.30 PM. Our Parish Representatives are: Jerome Andrade, Chet
Malins, Christina Malins, Jade Butay, Tom Grant
Aida Javier, Diane Fujinaga, Sandy Icchihara-Abe
Tony and Debbie Fikac, and Tony and Wika Iese.
The results of the Meeting will be published in the
next Bulletin.

WORLD NEWS
A new Catholic Coptic Church has been dedicated for worship in the Sinai. During the Mass
the Catholic Coptic Bishop thanked and praised
the 21 Coptic Orthodox Christians who were martyred in Libya by the Islamic terrorists.

Many news channels have reported that the Vatican gave VIP treatment for the LGBT representatives. The fact is that the Vatican never denies access to the VIP area for any group that asks
for it well in advance. An nun and a Priest who
minister to the LGBT Group had asked for permit
and they were given the permit. That does not
mean that they were given VIP treatment by
the Vatican. The media always sensationalizes
and misleads while broadcasting half-truths. They
are trying to confuse Catholics and present the
Pope as breaking away from tradition and Catholic teaching. This is not true. The Vatican has
clarified this for us.
While addressing the Priests of the Diocese of
Rome, the Pope explained that there are many
priests who have left the priesthood and got married and now want to return to the priesthood. He
also reiterated that there can be no endorsement
of their actions. But that the Church will seek
ways to understand them and their situation.