LOS ANGELES BISHOP IN HAWAII

Mass on Sunday

This week in Hawaii my favorite bishop ( this does not include archbishops!). was in Honolulu. I introduced Karen (our Oblate here in Hawaii) to him last year and she is an avid fan. She thought it would be a great idea to fly over to Oahu to hear and meet him, but things did not quite work out. We were able (after a bit of effort) to stream the lecture and Mass.

(The photos were taken from his Facebook)

Bishop Robert Barron was the speaker at the diocesan Red Mass, Jan. 17 at the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace in downtown Honolulu. His topic was “The Noble Project: Law, Politics, and the Gospel.”

Bishop Larry Silva presided at the annual public liturgy that is the Church’s prayer to the Holy Spirit for wisdom and guidance for the islands’ public servants. Present were members of the state’s executive, legislative and judicial branches, city and county officials, faith leaders, and others.

Bishop Barron's talk addressed “the natural law,” which, according to St. Thomas Aquinas, “is a reflection of the eternal law of God and is, in turn, the ground for all of our positive laws.”

“When the relationship between God’s law, the moral law, and political law is lost, our society suffers,” the bishop said. “Human law at its best participates in the lawfulness of God and is in service of love and justice.”

A tradition in Hawaii since 1955, the Red Mass is customarily celebrated in January, to mark the opening of the state legislature. The Red Mass was introduced in the United States early last century from Europe where it has been celebrated for 700 years. It is an annual event in Washington, D.C., and other major mainland cities. The Mass is named for the color of the vestments used for a Mass of the Holy Spirit.

Mass in Kalaupapa (St. Damien's Church)

The night before Bishop Barron gave a talk on the 7 Keys to New Evangelization.

At the Mass on the 17th Bishop Barron said the highlight of his trip was the pilgrimage to Kalaupapa to visit the site of Hawaii's two great saints: Damien and Marianne. Mahalo and Aloha!