Kamehameha Schools has created a series of Hawaiian-focused devotionals for Advent, to honor the deep Christian faith of our founder Princess Pauahi. The devotionals were designed to be used by staffers, students and others to celebrate the coming of Christmas, so please feel free to share them.

Heluhelu Baibala
A i ke ono o ka malama, ua hoʻouna ʻia mai ʻo Gaberiʻela, mai ke Akua mai, i kekahi kūlanakauhale i Galilaia, ʻo Nazareta ka inoa, i ka wahine puʻupaʻa i hoʻopalau ʻia na kekahi kanaka, ʻo Iosepa ka inoa, no ka ʻohana a Dāvida; a ʻo Maria ka inoa o ua wahine puʻupaʻa lā. A komo ka ʻānela i ona lā, ʻī maila ia, Aloha ʻoe, e ka mea i aloha nui ʻia, ʻo ka Haku pū me ʻoe. Pōmaikaʻi loa ʻoe i waena o nā wāhine. A ʻike akula, hopohopo ihola ʻo ia i kāna ʻōlelo, a nalu ihola i ke ʻano o kēia aloha ʻana. ʻĪ maila ka ʻānela iā ia, Mai makaʻu ʻoe, e Maria; no ka mea, ua loaʻa iā ʻoe ka lokomaikaʻi ʻia mai e ke Akua. Eia hoʻi, e hāpai auaneʻi ʻoe, a e hānau i ke keiki kāne, a e kapa iho ʻoe i kona inoa, ʻo IESŪ. E nui auaneʻi ʻo ia, a e kapa ʻia aku, ʻO ke Keiki a ka Mea kiʻekiʻe loa; a e hāʻawi hoʻi nona ʻo Iēhova ke Akua i ka noho aliʻi o Dāvida ʻo kona makua kāne. E mau loa nō hoʻi kona aliʻi ʻana ma luna o ka ʻohana a Iakoba; a ʻo kona aupuni ʻaʻole ia e pau. A laila, nīnau akula ʻo Maria i ka ʻānela, Pehea lā uaneʻi ia mea? No ka mea, ʻaʻole au ʻike i ke kāne. ʻŌlelo maila ka ʻānela, ʻī maila iā ia, E kau mai nō ka ʻUhane Hemolele ma luna iho ou; a e hoʻomalu mai ka mana o ka Mea kiʻekiʻe loa iā ʻoe, no ia mea lā hoʻi, e kapa ʻia ka mea hemolele āu e hānau ai, ʻo ke Keiki a ke Akua. Aia hoʻi, ʻo ʻElisabeta ʻo kou hoahānau, ua hāpai aʻe nei i ke keiki kāne i kona wā luwahine; eia hoʻi ke ono o ka malama o ka wahine i ʻī ʻia aʻe he pā. No ka mea, ʻaʻohe mea hiki ʻole i ke Akua. ʻĪ akula ʻo Maria, Eia hoʻi ke kauwā wahine a ka Haku; e like me kāu ʻōlelo, pēlā e hana ʻia mai ai noʻu. A laila, hele akula ka ʻānela mai ona aku.
Luka 1:26-38

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; [a]blessed are you among women!” But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I [c]do not know a man?” And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.” Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Luke 1:26-38

He manaʻo o ka limahana
KS Cultural Specialist Hau‘oli Akaka
In our loina kapa inoa, Hawaiian naming customs, He mana ko ka inoa. We believe that there is power imbued in every name as in every huaʻōlelo. What mana do we find ma ka inoa ʻo IESŪ?
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When the Lord’s ʻānela Kapeliela (Gabriel), appeared to Maria (Mary) to reveal that she had God’s favor and would bear and hānau i “ke Keiki a ke Akua” (the Son of God), Kapeliela also came to Iosepa (Joseph) revealing to him ka inoa ʻo IESŪ (YESHUA, JESUS), meaning “God saves, rescues” – Hoʻōla ke Akua (Mataio 1:21).

Long before His birth, ke Akua’s plan was established, ua wānana ʻia (prophesized) by His saints like Isaia (Isaiah). In our ʻōlelo, “kō, hoʻokō” means “to fulfill, to come to pass.” Like His earthly mākua Maria and Iosepa, IESŪ also did hoʻokō His kuleana a ke Akua. By His birth, His crucifixion and His resurrection, ua ola kākou, we are “saved and rescued,” thus fulfilling the will of His Makualani (Heavenly Father) and the manaʻo of His inoa.

When we consider the legacies of some of our own meʻe kūpuna like ʻŌpūkahaʻia, Timoteo Haʻalilio and Bernice Pauahi, perhaps by their exemplar faith and their relationship with Iesū Kristo, they embraced  their own welo (inherited traits) to hoʻolohe (listen and obey), to noho pono (abide) and hoʻokō kuleana o ke Akua – fulfill divine duty. Ma ka inoa ʻo IESŪ, ola!

He manaʻo o ka haumana
Jordyn Koki KSK’23
Sometimes God’s will for us doesnʻt appear straightforward or clear. It may be difficult to see the purpose behind His intentions. Although we may not know all He has planned, it is our responsibility to trust in His word. Letʻs remember even if we experience trial or hardship, His promises will be revealed. As the angel Gabriel came to the Virgin Mary, he told her she will conceive and give birth to the Son of the Most High, Jesus. His Word was fulfilled through Mary, who trusted fully in God, even if she did not know what His word meant at the time. To trust in His plan, we must have complete faith in His Word. This Advent, let the willpower of God’s love and light guide the path He created for us. Despite doubt or even fear, letʻs remember the angel Gabriel’s promise, “No word from God will ever fail.”

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