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The Christmas Spirit of Aloha

December 16, 2024

(Jaime Salamanca / Shutterstock.com)

From the Office for Social Ministry

“For everyone, may the Jubilee be a moment of genuine, personal encounter with the Lord Jesus, the door of our salvation, whom the Church is charged to proclaim always, everywhere and to all as our hope.Let us help each other discover this encounter with Christ who gives us life and let us set out on a journey as pilgrims of hope to celebrate that life.” Pope Francis on the Jubilee Year 2025 theme ~ Pilgrims of Hope

Hope is an important hallmark of the Catholic Church mission to share the light of God’s love through encountering Christ with others, especially those experiencing difficult situations. This Christmas Eve, Pope Francis invites us all to celebrate the opening of the Jubilee Year 2025 which embraces the theme: Pilgrims of Hope. “To hope is to welcome this gift that God offers us every day to savor the wonder of being loved, sought, desired by a God who has made Himself flesh and blood, history and days, to share our lot. Hope is also a task that Christians have a duty to cultivate and put to good use for the sake of all their brothers and sisters.”

Pope Francis emphasizes that the Jubilee Year 2025 calls Christians to be living “signs of hope” through compassionate actions including becoming closer pastorally to all people “in difficult situations.” He speaks specifically about service with prisoners, the poor, the sick, the young, the elderly, and migrants fleeing from violence. In his Jubilee message, he sensitively reflects: “I think of prisoners who, deprived of their freedom, daily feel the harshness of detention, its restrictions, and lack of affection.” He lovingly echoes his 2023 Christmas message to marginalized individuals: “Christ is born for you! Rejoice, you who have abandoned all hope, for God offers you His outstretched hand. He does not point a finger at you but offers you His little baby hand, in order to set you free from your fears, to relieve you of your burdens, and to show you that, in His eyes, you are more valuable than anything else.” The Jubilee 2025 officially begins on Christmas Eve, with the opening the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican immediately before the pope celebrates midnight Mass. Pope Francis will also open a Jubilee Holy Door on December 26 at the Roman Rebibbia prison where he has previously celebrated Mass and washed inmates’ feet on Holy Thursday.

Recently, we were blessed to witness beautiful moments of hope at the annual Star Light, Star Bright Christmas celebration at the Women’s Correctional Community Center (WCCC) on windward Oahu. Organized by the Pūʻā Foundation and supported by the Diocese of Honolulu, this event brought together dozens of volunteers from Catholic Diocese to create a day of ‘Ohana Christmas sharing for women incarcerated at WCCC. Volunteers raised funds to transport the families of these women from Maui and the Big Island.The celebration began in Waimanalo with volunteers from St. Georges parish providing a local-style ono breakfast and live Christmas music for the neighbor island keiki and caregivers, who then joined other families from Oahu in an emotional heartfelt reunion with their loved ones inside WCCC. Families shared the tears of joy, hugging and laughter along with a puppet show by Chaminade Marianest lay associates, Christmas carols lead by a choir of Sacred Hearts nuns and a prayerful Hula by students from Sacred Hearts Academy. These activities reflected the inter-generational composition of the volunteers as well as of the reunited families with keiki, Moms, Dads, Aunties and Kupuna. A luncheon feast was blessed by Bishop Larry Silva and provided by a former WCCC inmate who now owns a successful catering business. She shared her story of transformation as an example of hope. Another speaker was also a former inmate who is now a college graduate with multiple degrees in criminal justice and a peer counseling specialist serving as a leader in her community. Families spent three-and-a-half precious hours together, playing games, decorating Christmas cookies, taking pictures with Santa and blowing bubbles, while just savoring quality time with ‘ohana. It was a profound reminder of the hopeful healing  Christmas brings. Christmas reminds us that we all belong to a loving family—children of God, sisters, and brothers all united in Christ. The Holy Family’s humble gathering in a stable exemplifies how God fully embraces our vulnerability, sending his Son Jesus to be born as a very vulnerable child in a very vulnerable family. God’s unconditional love can transform shared vulnerability into the guiding light of hope.  “Star Light, Star Bright,” which is a phrase from a popular poem, expresses the silent wishes and hope that dreams really can come true. Star Light Star Bright is an experience of the Christmas gift of ohana aloha that God makes possible for all families.

The Christmas spirit of ‘ohana aloha can profoundly help participation in the Jubilee Year 2025. To learn more about the Jubilee Years and ways to be involved as signs and pilgrims of hope with others, please visit the Vatican’s website at www.humandevelopment.va. Let us begin this sacred Christmas time with Pope Francis’ prayer: “May the grace of the Jubilee reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope, to spread the joy and peace of our Redeemer throughout the earth. Amen.” Mahalo ke Akua, and Mele Kalikimaka to all!