4 June 2025
This Sunday we celebrate the fiftieth day after Easter, the Feast of Pentecost. The vestments change from white to red, the color of the Holy Spirit, and many St. Markers will wear red this weekend. Pentecost is a feast of incredibly high prominence, second only to Easter Day.
This Pentecost is noteworthy, because we will be celebrating the Vigil of Pentecost for the first time at St. Mark’s on Saturday at 4:00 pm. The Pentecost Vigil is similar to the Great Vigil of Easter, but smaller in scope, which is appropriate, for the Easter Vigil is the most important liturgy of the year. If you come on Saturday and Sunday, you will experience the richness that the Solemnity of Pentecost offers.
Pentecost is often the feast that is the easiest for the Church to understand. When we come together to worship as the Body of Christ, we experience the presence of the Holy Spirit in our worship - in the proclamation of the Holy Scriptures and in the celebration of the Sacraments of Holy Baptism and Holy Communion. We also know the Holy Spirit is present when we care for one another, and when we work together for God’s justice. At Pentecost we witness the birth of the Church, and it is in the Body of Christ that God’s divine presence becomes alive for us.
When we gather for the Pentecost Vigil this Saturday, we will hear in Holy Scripture how the Holy Spirit has been at work throughout creation from the beginning. When we gather at the font for the Renewal of Baptism, we will celebrate how the Holy Spirit descended upon each of us to save us. As the Body of Christ we will share the Eucharist, once again celebrating the Spirit’s presence in the Sacrament of Holy Communion. A potluck feast follows the Vigil in the Parish Hall, and again, through community and fellowship the Holy Spirit will be present among us.
CORPUS CHRISTI PROCESSION
Earlier this week the Liturgy and Formation Ministry met, and I am pleased to share that on Corpus Christi Sunday, June 22, we will have a neighborhood procession at the High Mass, assisted by a police escort. Due to the increased speed on Kapahulu Avenue, along with the removal of the crosswalks, pedestrian safety is a concern in our neighborhood, causing us to discontinue various outdoor procession routes. However, thanks to Sandy Leialoha’s patient determination, we will now have a police escort, and thanks to Randy and Jeanie Furushima, we also have neon yellow vests for our ushers. The banner, torches, cross, incense, birettas, vested choir, ombrellino, and monstrance will be a site to behold on Corpus Christi Sunday. Considering the strange sites and exotic people of our Kapahulu neighborhood, we will appear tame. Do not forget that in addition to Corpus Christi Sunday, High Mass with Benediction will also be celebrated on Corpus Christi Thursday, June 19, at 7:00 pm.
SUNDAY RETREAT
I want to share news about an opportunity of growing fellowship. On Sundays there is a dedicated team of approximately twelve people that worships at High Mass, helps with the Aloha Hour, and forms the nucleus for Vespers and Benediction. Each Sunday this team enjoys lunch together in the Parish Hall, and due to talented cooks in the parish, these lunches have been delicious. Menu items have included quiches, casseroles, chicken parmesan, frittatas, and fajitas, along with a variety of beverages, and sometimes gourmet desserts. A freewill donation is taken. Lunch begins around 1:30 pm, and at 2:30 pm the Church is re-opened in preparation for Vespers and Benediction. Sundays have become retreat days of prayer, beginning with the Holy Rosary and High Mass and ending with Vespers and Benediction. In our frenetic world where people struggle to find meaning in life, we are blessed by liturgies and fellowship that anchor us to discover meaning in the Triune God’s sacred embrace.
Father Paul Lillie +
