Bill Hao

The Divine Mercy of Christ In the 1930’s, a Polish nun named Maria Faustina Kowalska wrote a diary which communicated to the world the great message of God’s mercy and revealed the way of Christian perfection based on trust in God and on an attitude of mercy toward one’s neighbors. On April 30, 2000, the day when Sr. Faustina was canonized a saint, Pope John Paul II proclaimed the 2nd Sunday of Easter as Divine Mercy Sunday. God’s mercy has…

The month of May is dedicated to Mary. The traditional practice of crowning an image of Mary is done on the first of May; however, the Holy Name of Jesus Chinese Catholic Mission will celebrate the May Crowning on Sunday, May 4, 2024 at the 10:30 am Mass.    Why is May dedicated to Mary? It is probably because several feast days which honor the Blessed Virgin Mary occur in May; for example: Our Lady of China (the Saturday before…

We are a hopeful people. We always hope for something to look forward to or something to live for. Some people hope for success, while some hope for security; some hope for the best for their children, while some hope for peace. Christians hope for the same things that most people hope for, but Christian hope is quite different because it has been confirmed and strengthened by faith in Jesus Christ; the Son of God who was born of a…

40 Days of Lent March 5, 2025 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…

In addition to being the foster-father of Jesus and the spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph was a carpenter. Through his work of manual labor, he provided for the Holy Family and had a role in the divine plan of salvation. St. Joseph is mentioned in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, and briefly in the Gospel of John. Probably by the time Jesus began His public life, St. Joseph had already died, although we don’t know exactly…

The candle of the First Sunday of Advent is called the Prophet’s Candle, which symbolizes HOPE. The prophet Isaiah foretold the birth of Christ the Lord: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, a young woman shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14) This prophecy gave hope to a people who have been longing for a Messiah. For Christians, this prophecy has been fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who came into…

MAR 5, 2025     ASH WEDNESDAY MASS & STATIONS OF THE CROSS   12:00PM CHINESE MAR 7, 2025     FRIDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY MASS & STATIONS OF THE CROSS   12:00PM ENGLISH MAR 9, 2025     FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT MASS 10:30AM CHINESE, 2:00PM ENGLISH   MAR 12, 2025   WEDNESDAY OF THE 1ST WEEK OF LENT MASS & STATIONS OF THE CROSS   12:00PM CHINESE MAR 14, 2025   FRIDAY OF THE FIRST WEEK OF LENT MASS & STATIONS OF THE CROSS   12:00PM ENGLISH MAR 16,…

May you have a prayerful Advent and Blessed Christmas!

On November 1st, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of All Saints, a Holy Day of Obligation, honoring all the Saints in heaven. Throughout the month of November, the Catholic Church also remembers the faithful departed. Offering Mass and praying for the dead has always been practiced since the early Church. 2Maccabees 12:42-45 (c164 B.C.) gives the earliest account that prayers (v. 42) and sacrifices (v. 43) for the dead are efficacious. There is also ample evidence of the custom of…