8 August 2024
It has been one year since the devastating wildfires on Maui, and the state continues to suffer pain. In many ways, the fires were so devastating because they ripped open the wounds of many other problems that are plaguing our Islands. The high cost of living, homelessness, over-dependence on tourism, and environmental issues have all been acerbated by what happened. I remember how during the pandemic I saw a graphic that showed two tsunamis symbolized by waves. The first wave was the pandemic, and it was small. It was followed by a much larger second wave, and that wave was climate change. Who knew that this graphic would be a future tragic reality for Hawai'i?
During these summer Sundays at the masses, we are hearing the Bread of Life discourse from the Gospel of John. Again and again, we hear how people are hungering for true meaning in life, and in the hospitality of Jesus they find authenticity, truth, and faith. We see how the people are without a shepherd much of the time, and thus they chase after Jesus, yearning for the hope that only he can provide. Is it really any different for us today? With the problems we are facing as a society, can you imagine not having the foundation of Christ to help us with the predicaments of our world?
This coming Thursday we celebrate the great feast of the Dormition and Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is a resurrection feast in which we see the inheritance that Christ lavishes upon all who love him. In the life of Mary we see a disciple who faced insurmountable odds, and yet she always remained faithful to her beloved Son. For her faithfulness, she is crowned with resurrection life. The parallels for today are convincing. People face all sorts of obstacles daily in their lives, and yet they remain faithful to God, and like Mary, Christ yearns to crown all of his children with resurrection life.
Furthermore, in Mary, as outlined in her Magnificat, we see how the resurrection life of Jesus Christ is not something only for the next world. It is to be enjoyed right now in our current lives. This is why the church works for peace, justice, and healing, whether it is in these Islands, Gaza, Sudan, or wherever people are facing trauma and pain.
Please make every effort to join us for the High Mass of the Assumption. The choir will sing, and a reception follows the mass in the Parish Hall. However more than this, we come together to worship, so that we might be changed by the Gospel, to be agents of healing action for the people hurting among us. We worship so that we may be equipped with the Gospel to face the problems of our world. Come worship the Christ who crowns his mother Mary for her discipleship, and by doing so, build up your own faith and discipleship, so that you become a blessing to those who need your help and your faith.
Father Paul Lillie +
