Bill Hao

The Easter Vigil is one of the most important celebrations in the liturgical year. In the Catholic Church, catechumens are baptized and received into full communion with the Church at the Easter Vigil. The liturgy consists of four major parts. The first part is the Liturgy of Light or Lucernarium; the celebration begins outside the church after sunset, where the Paschal Candle is blessed. The Paschal Candle is then processed into the church. Inside the church, smaller candles held by…

St. Augustine once said that there is nothing great in believing that Christ died, because non-Christians also believe it, but the great thing is in believing the Resurrection of Christ, which is the foundation of Christian faith. For the Christian, the Resurrection is the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise when he said, “I have the power to lay down my life, and I have the power to take it up again (Jn 10:17-18),” and “destroy this temple and in three days…

40 Days of Lent February 18, 2026 is Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of the Lenten Season. The practice of imposing ashes on the foreheads of the faithful is normally done during Ash Wednesday, reminding us that it is a special time for repentance. According to the Gospels, Jesus Christ spent 40 days fasting in the desert, where he endured temptation by Satan; accordingly, the Lenten Season was first observed as a period of fasting for 40 days in…

Palm Sunday commemorates the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem: When they drew near Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find an ass tethered, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them here to me. And if anyone should say anything to you, reply, ‘The master has need of them.’ Then he will send them at once.”…

Happy Chinese New Year! Chinese New Year begins on Tuesday, February 17, 2026 with the year of the horse and culminates with on March 3 with the lantern festival. At the beginning of each Lunar New Year, there is a great sense of joy and hope for what the New Year will bring. At the Holy Name of Jesus Chinese Catholic Mission, the Holy Mass for Chinese New Year will be at 10:30am on February 15. This Eucharistic celebration gives…

The Blessing of Throats is a Catholic sacramental celebrated on February 3 – the feast day of St. Blaise. The purpose of this blessing is to pray for God’s healing and protection against throat ailments and other illnesses through the intercession of St. Blaise. As the priest or deacon invokes this prayer, he puts two crossed, unlit candles on the throat of the person being blessed. The practice of this blessing demonstrates a sign of faith in God’s protection for…

February 18, 2026 is Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of the Lenten Season. Mass in Chinese and the imposition of ashes will begin at 12 noon, followed by Stations of the Cross in Chinese.  The practice of imposing ashes on the foreheads of the faithful is normally done during Ash Wednesday, reminding us that it is a special time for repentance.

February 2 is the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. This special feast day was first celebrated in the Roman Catholic Church in the 6th century. It was first called the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which was accompanied by solemn blessings and processions with candles; hence, it was popularly called Candlemas. In the Bible, according to the Mosaic law, a woman who had given birth to a male child was considered unclean for seven…

December 8 is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, which is a holy day of obligation. This year, the Mass will be celebrated on Monday at 12:00 pm in Chinese. The Immaculate Conception is the patronal feast day of the United States. All are invited to attend. To become the mother of the Savior, Mary “was enriched by God with gifts appropriate to such a role.” The angel Gabriel at the moment of the annunciation salutes her as “full of…