Ke ahiahi kalikimaka The Eve of Christmas Manaʻolana - Hope

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1 Ke ahiahi kalikimaka The Eve of Christmas Manaʻolana - Hope Christ is Our Manaola: Our Power of Life and Healing By Dr. Kerri-Ann Hewett Fraser Education Officer, Kealakūlia, Kūamahi Community Education Heluhelu Baibala / Scripture Reading Luka 2: 1-12 Eia kekahi mea ia mau lā, hoʻolaha ʻia aʻela ke kauoha a Kaisara ʻAugusato, e kākau ʻia i ka palapala ko ke aupuni a pau. I ke aliʻi kiaʻāina ʻana o Kurenio ma Suria, ka hoʻomaka ʻana o kēia kākau mua ʻana. Pau nō i ka hele i kākau ʻia ai i ka palapala o kēlā mea kēia mea i kona kūlanakauhale iho. ʻO Iosepa kekahi i piʻi aʻe, mai Galilaia aʻe, mai loko mai o Nazareta ke kūlanakauhale a hiki i Iudea, i ko Dāvida kūlanakauhale i kapa ʻia ʻo Betelehema, (no ka mea, no ka hale ia a me ka ʻohana a Dāvida,) I kākau ʻia ai me Maria ka wahine i hoʻopalau ʻia nāna, e kōkō ana. A ʻoiai lāua ma laila, hiki kona manawa e hānau ai. Hānau ihola ʻo ia i kāna makahiapo kāne; wahī ihola iā ia i ke kapa keiki, a hoʻomoe ihola iā ia ma kahi hānai holoholona, no ka mea, ʻaʻole wahi kaʻawale no lākou ma loko o ka hale hoʻokipa. Aia i kēlā ʻāina he mau kahu hipa e noho ana i ke kula, a e kiaʻi ana i kā lākou mau poʻe hipa i ka pō. Aia hoʻi! Kau maila ka ʻānela o ka Haku i o lākou lā, a hoʻomālamalama maila ka nani o ka Haku iā lākou a puni, a makaʻu loa ihola lākou. A ʻōlelo maila ka ʻānela iā lākou, Mai makaʻu ʻoukou, no ka mea, eia hoʻi, ke haʻi aku nei au iā ʻoukou i ka mea maikaʻi, e ʻoliʻoli nui ai e lilo ana no nā kānaka a pau. Christmas Eve Devotional / 1

2 No ka mea, i kēia lā i hānau ai, ma ke kūlanakauhale o Dāvida, he Ola no ʻoukou, ʻo ia ka Mesia ka Haku. Eia hoʻi ka hōʻailona no ʻoukou, e loaʻa auaneʻi iā ʻoukou ke keiki ua wahī ʻia i ke kapa keiki, e moe ana ma kahi hānai holoholona. Luke 2: 1-12 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethleham the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths, and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. Manaʻo / Thoughts Ah, Manaola is finally here! The soft, crackly voice on the other end of the phone was Kahu Abraham Akaka who was announcing the name of my newly born baby nephew a name that Kahu chose for this long awaited new born, a gift from God sent for the purpose of returning the power of life and healing to our ohana. Manaola, the power of life, the power of healing. That is his name! I ran back to the delivery room to exclaim with joy the name of this beautiful baby that was only five minutes old Kahu said his name is the power of life, the power of healing for all of us. Manaola is his name! M-A-N-A-O-L-A, Manaola, I said. Christmas Eve Devotional / 2

3 There was an amazing joy that prevailed. The grief of the loss of my brother was no longer with us. Manaola was finally here. There he was, in a swaddling soft white blanket and my dad was holding him. We went close to adore him and to welcome Manaola to the world, specifically to our family. God presented this perfect little creature to us with his eyes open wide and a semi frown on his brow sweet, smooth, soft chubby marshmallow cheeks and silky dark brown hair a square face such as the Hewett moʻokuauhau would dictate he wasn t even crying; he just remained quiet my heart was exploding with love. I observed my family sister, dad, mom and myself all of us were drowning in an overwhelming joy! We were delivered from our grief. We were consumed in love. Manaola was gifted to us to heal us and to give us life. I imagine this experience to be the same for the shepherds that Christmas night. They came to see the baby Jesus and found him asleep on the hay. These shepherds, the same who were told of his name by the angels, observed and adored, and were completely taken by this beautiful, perfect little creature. This was the Christ, the manaola the power of life and of healing that the prophets of our biblical past told of as the coming of the Savior, the Messiah, the Prince of Peace, the King of the world! I can only imagine the excitement and joy, the overwhelming love, all consuming, as they were amazed to see and welcome the baby Jesus to their family and to the world. I m certain that they cried Hosana! as they praised God for what they were witnessing. Christ is our manaola. He is our power of life and healing. Gifted to us as God s only begotten son, we are consumed in His love every day. This beautiful baby with the humblest of all beginnings came to us to be the king in our life. The love that a new born baby overwhelms us with is liken to the same love that God has for each of us unconditionally. Christmas Eve Devotional / 3

4 To drown in the love of Christ is to know and understand that He is our power of life and healing. It is a love that is deep and soothing; warm and comforting; joyful and exciting; endless and great; amazing and infallible; forgiving and free! When I equate that experience of Manaola s birth night and the magnificence of the love that I felt for him, to that of Christ s love for me and you, I am over-themoon happy! Just thinking of it makes me shiver with happiness and excitement. To know and understand the love of Christ is to know that we are loved. You and I know the capacity we have to love and to be loved. We need to also understand in full that God s love to us through His son, Jesus Christ, is greater than anything. We celebrate Christ tonight as we sing Away in a Manger so that we are reminded that our manaola our power of life and healing was born in a humble manger and lay asleep on the hay. We sing Hosana Nui Iā Iesū with the shepherds who cried, Hosana when they praised God for the coming of their Savior. We praise God on this Christmas Eve for His deep and abiding love sent to us as manaola the power of life and healing. Questions to Ponder What does manaloa the power of life, the power of healing mean to you? Can you explain what it means to know and understand the love of Christ? Are there any special details and circumstances of your own birth moʻolelo? What moʻolelo and manaʻo do your inoa (Hawaiian, other given names) convey? Pule / Prayer Mahalo e ke Akua for gifting us with manaola the power of life and healing. On this Christmas Eve, we are reminded of your love sent to us in the form of a beautiful baby lying asleep on the hay. Bless us all to know your aloha (love), and to be consumed by your lokomaikaʻi (grace) and hauʻoli (joy) every day. Give us your aloha, and maluhia (peace) and hauʻoli (joy). Ma ka inoa o Iesū, In Jesus name, ʻĀmene. Christmas Eve Devotional / 4

5 Keiki Activities Have a conversation about the birth of Jesus and the birth of your keiki or haumāna while coloring the image below. Talk about those special ʻohana, time, place and circumstances of their birth and naming. Other coloring images can be found on Sermons4kids.com. Sing both hīmeni posted Away in a Manger and Hosana Nui Ia Iesu together as a family. Think of a creative opportunity to make a mini-nativity diorama out of simple, natural materials from the ʻāina and around the hale. Christmas Eve Devotional / 5

6 Nā Hīmeni / Hymns Away In A Manger (He Kapu Hānai) By James Murray He kapu hānai, ʻo ia ka moe No ke kama iki e hiamoe ai Nānā mai la nā hōkū mai luna mai Iā Iesū ka Haku e moe laʻi ana Away in a manger, no crib for his head The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head The stars in the sky looked down where He lay The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay Source: Text "Little Children's Book for Schools and Families 1885, Translated by Mary Pukui Hosana Nui Iā Iesū (Hosana To Jesus) By Makua Laiana Hosana me ka hoʻomaikaʻi Iā Iesū ko ke ao mōhai Kaulana e mai ʻō a ʻō Ko ia la aloha ano hou Hui: Nani nani mele pū E ko ka lani ko ke ao Hosana, hosana Hosana nui iā Iesū Christmas Eve Devotional / 6

7 Hosana, give praise To Jesus, the world's savior He is famous, from the ends of the earth His holy love is known Chorus: Glory, glory, sing On Heaven and on earth Hosana, hosana Hosana to Jesus Christmas Eve Devotional / 7