Mar. 1, 2019

Contributed by Nadine Lagaso

Kamehameha Schools has created a series of Hawaiian-focused devotionals for the season of Lent, to honor the deep Christian faith of KS founder Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop. The devotionals were designed to be used by students, staffers and others to celebrate the coming of Easter. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, March 6 and ends on Easter Sunday, April 21.

“John the Baptist the earthly cousin of Jesus reminded all of us of our proper stance of worship to Jesus, ‘He must increase, but I must decrease (John 3:30),’” said KS Hawai‘i Kahu Kaunaloa Boshard.

“The Lenten season is a reminder for us to focus on taking our thoughts captive those beliefs or feelings that are burdensome and to place them at the throne of Jesus and make them obedient to our King. Lent is not about shrinking from our faith in order to see what our Savior will do next, it is about diminishing our self-reliant attitudes and instead looking to the real source of e ola (life), Iesū Kristo!

“Our hoʻonaʻauao Kalikiano (Christian education) invites all of our Kamehameha ʻohana to read, meditate and enjoy the devotionals meant to bring you words of life – I ka ʻōlelo no ke ola.”

Kahu Boshard, KS Maui Kahu Kalani Wong and KS Kapālama Kahu Sherman Thompson, KS Kapālama Assistant Kahu Barret Awai, and KS Cultural Specialist Hauʻoli Akaka teamed up to create this year’s devotional series.

Each devotional will include a scripture reading in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi and English, and staff and student reflections. The first devotional will be sent to staffers via email on Ash Wednesday, and weekly devotionals will be sent every Friday until Easter.

Kamehameha Schools Hawai‘i Kahu Kaunaloa Boshard and Keiki Kahu Daniel Serville will share their mana‘o on Ash Wednesday, March 6 in the first of nine Lent email devotionals.