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This Week at EPIC

12/5/2016

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EPIC ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR DEC 4-DEC 10:
1) "Meet & Greet" with Deacon Wally Mitsui at our Faith Sharing on Monday, December 5.  Deacon Wally and his wife, Aunty Gwen, have served at St. John Apostle & Evangelist in Mililani for many years and both have extensive ministry experience including working with youth and young adult ministry.  Deacon Wally has been appointed by Bishop Larry Silva to OLS effective December 1st.

2) Join us on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, this Thursday, December 8, at 7:00 PM at St. Patrick Church in Kaimuki for the Deacon Ordination of Bro. Jeremy Sabugo, SS.CC.  Bro. Jeremy is originally from St. Michael in Waialua where he was very active in various parish ministries including EPIC Ministry.

3) If you haven't reserved your spot to this year's Christmas Banquet, there are still spaces left.  Get a special GROUP RATE when you buy five (5) tickets.  Don't miss out on this night of 'ono food, live entertainment, games and prizes, a photo booth, and special presentations. CLICK HERE to reserve your tickets today!

4) The EPIC Food Fight is heating up! This week's "hot items" are:
  • BONUS = Canned fruits/vegetables
  • BOMBS = Mac & Cheese, Hamburger Helper, or other dry pasta mixes

5) THANK YOU to everyone who helped with our Adopt a Family project.  If you haven't turned in your donations, please do so as soon as possible.  CLICK HERE to see the sign-up list.  Contact Us if you have any questions.

6) Order the latest official EPIC dry-fit shirt today!  You can also order our original teal polo shirts as well.  See the bottom of our Home page  for more details.

7) The journey has begun...join us for our next EPIC Ministry young adult retreat, "JOURNEY," on February 10-12, at the St. Anthony Retreat Center.  Register by December 31st for a special early bird price.  CLICK HERE for more details or to sign-up.
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EPIC Food Fight 2016 - DECEMBER

12/1/2016

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OBJECTIVE:
  • To earn the most points based on the food items collected by each team.

CHALLENGERS:
  • Team 1 (Women)
  • Team 2 (Men)

TIMELINE:
  • ENDING DECEMBER 30, 2016

FOOD ITEMS AND POINTS:
  • Vienna Sausage (1 point)
  • Spam (3 points)
  • Corned Beef (3 points)
  • Tuna (3 points)
  • Canned Fruit (2 points)
  • Canned Vegetables (2 points)
  • Soup (2 points)
  • Pork & Beans or other beans (1 point)
  • Mac & Cheese, Hamburger Helper, or other pasta mixes (2 points)
  • Ramen or Cup of Noodles (1 point)
  • Rice (1- or 5-lb. bags) (3 points)
  • Cereal or oatmeal (2 points)
  • Peanut Butter (3 points)

MONTHLY BONUS POINTS (+5 points each):
  • December 1-15: Canned fruits/vegetables
  • December 16-30: Canned spaghetti/pasta

MONTHLY BOMBS (-5 points each):
  • December 1-15: Mac & Cheese, Hamburger Helper, or other dry pasta mixes
  • December 16-30: Soup

OTHER INFORMATION:
  • Food items must be left in the team bins at our EPIC Faith Sharings.
  • Points will be calculated and posted weekly, and one team will win the overall award at the end of the Food Fight.  The losing team will be required to perform a dance at the Christmas Banquet.
  • ALL FOOD ITEMS WILL BENEFIT THE OUR LADY OF SORROWS FOOD PANTRY.
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This Week at EPIC

11/27/2016

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EPIC ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR NOV 27-DEC 3:
1) Join us for our special Thanksgiving Community Night Monday, November 28, at 7pm at OLS in the parish hall. Bring a dish to share!

2) You have only a few more days left to use promo code "EPIC2016" to save $10 off your tickets to this year's EPIC Christmas Banquet. Code valid only until Wednesday, November 30. CLICK HERE to reserve your tickets today!

3) The EPIC Food Fight is heating up! This week's "hot items" are:
  • BONUS = Vienna Sausage, Canned Vegetables, Ramen or Cup of Noodles
  • BOMBS = Pork & Beans or other beans, or Canned Fruits

4) Your participation is still needed to help us complete our lists for the Adopt a Family service project. Go to http://bit.ly/2gMjcSF to make a donation today.

5) Join us for EPIC's "An Evening with Christ" on Saturday, December 3, at the Pauline Books and Media Chapel in downtown. Eucharistic Adoration with Praise & Worship at 7pm, followed by a walk through the Honolulu City Lights.

6) Order the latest official EPIC dry-fit shirt today! See Josh or Christine to reserve your shirt for $35. Below, Josh is modeling the new design.
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EPIC Food Fight 2016 - NOVEMBER

11/1/2016

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OBJECTIVE:
  • To earn the most points based on the food items collected by each team.

CHALLENGERS:
  • Team 1 (Women)
  • Team 2 (Men)

TIMELINE:
  • ENDING DECEMBER 30, 2016

FOOD ITEMS AND POINTS:
  • Vienna Sausage (1 point)
  • Spam (3 points)
  • Corned Beef (3 points)
  • Tuna (3 points)
  • Canned Fruit (2 points)
  • Canned Vegetables (2 points)
  • Soup (2 points)
  • Pork & Beans or other beans (1 point)
  • Mac & Cheese, Hamburger Helper, or other pasta mixes (2 points)
  • Ramen or Cup of Noodles (1 point)
  • Rice (1- or 5-lb. bags) (3 points)
  • Cereal or oatmeal (2 points)
  • Peanut Butter (3 points)

MONTHLY BONUS POINTS (+5 points each):
  • November 1-15: Spam
  • November 16-30: Vienna Sausage, Canned Vegetables, Ramen or Cup of Noodles

MONTHLY BOMBS (-5 points each):
  • November 1-15: Tuna
  • November 16-30: Pork & Beans or other beans, or Canned Fruits

OTHER INFORMATION:
  • Food items must be left in the team bins at our EPIC Faith Sharings.
  • Points will be calculated and posted weekly, and one team will win the overall award at the end of the Food Fight.  The losing team will be required to perform a dance at the Christmas Banquet.
  • ALL FOOD ITEMS WILL BENEFIT THE OUR LADY OF SORROWS FOOD PANTRY.
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"Have You Loved?"

3/25/2016

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by Nolan Chang

As some of you may know, I joined the Catholic Church in 2015, as Ester is Catholic, and when we got married I wanted to have a united household.  I like it, as it gives me a different perspective and I’ve been learning a lot.  We’ve also been getting involved with the children’s ministry and EPIC Young Adult (and not so young adult) Ministry here at Resurrection of the Lord in Waipio.
 
Last night on Holy Thursday, we visited three churches with EPIC Ministry on a small pilgrimage and got to spend time in quiet prayer and adoration at each.  I got three things from this experience: one was a playback of my personal life, second was that I should write to the people in my life that mean something to me, and the third is the following that was revealed to me.   
 
I had watched a show previously that hinted that when we pass away and move on from this life, we get a broader understanding of why things happened the way they do.  Things like evil and strife disappear, and all that is left is love—the love that we shared and experienced in our lifetime.  I had heard something similar before that at the end; when you are standing before God, the question you will be asked is, “What have you done with my Son Jesus that I sent to you?” And also, “Have you Loved?”
 
So during the pilgrimage, it came to me that in the end, if things like anger, jealousy, etc., all fade, and all that is left is love, then there are three ways that we can live our life:
 
3.  We can spend our lives building up our personal empire, getting rich, getting ahead at work, or even doing evil.  But in the end, all that fades, so we are left with nothing, and none of that is really going to matter anyways.
 
2.  But most of us don’t focus on that, so the real revelation to me is this: if we are just good, follow the rules, stay on the sideline, and don’t get involved, just staying busy in our own little world, most of that will fade away too, and you will also be left with nothing.  If you do nothing in this life and don’t love, in the end you will be left with nothing, if all that is left is the love that you share.
 
1.  What’s really going to matter in the end is the love that we shared with others—family, friends or strangers—whether it be taking time in our lives to really spend time with them, or something small like taking the time out to help someone when you feel that nudge to do so. 
 
So the question to ponder is this: if in the end, love is all that is left, what are we spending our daily time and energy on?  Through the busyness of life, what are we doing with His Son, and the example of love He has given us?
 
Thank you for being someone who has influenced my life, and have a Happy Easter weekend.
 
- Nolan
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Members of EPIC Ministry in adoration and prayer in front the altar of repose at Resurrection of the Lord during the Holy Thursday Adoration Pilgrimage.

Nolan is a member of ROL EPIC Ministry and is married to Ester, Assistant Coordinator of ROL EPIC.
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Reflection by Josh Kapika

11/24/2015

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Saints Inspiring Saints

10/1/2015

 
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by Arthur Rapada, Jr.

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Junior next to a mosaic of St. Marianne in Kalaupapa
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Members of EPIC Ministry at the cross on top the crater in Kalaupapa
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Sr. Alicia Damien Lau, OSF
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St. Marianne Cope
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St. Elizabeth of Hungary
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St. Francis of Assisi
Nestled in the humble town of Kalaupapa lies the St. Elizabeth Chapel and next to it the St. Elizabeth Convent; here’s a little background on how the St. Elizabeth Chapel and Convent came to be, Saint Marianne Cope along with 6 of her Sisters of the Third Order Regular of Saint Francis founded the St. Elizabeth Chapel & Convent, and the cottages of Bishop Home for Women and Girls in the 1880’s. The Convent is not only where the Sisters lived but also where they tended to the women and girls who were orphaned with Leprosy.

Here is where we, those of us who went on this E.P.I.C. Ministry retreat, learned about the works of the Franciscan Sisters and St. Marianne and how their works influenced the world from Sister Alicia. While talking with Sister Alicia in front of the Chapel she gave us homework. She wanted us to find the similarities of St. Francis of Assisi, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, and St. Marianne Cope.

Through a little bit of research here are some of the similarities:

They all left their old lives to do God’s calling, and they didn’t hesitate to do God’s will.
When St. Francis of Assisi was in his 20s he had chosen to abandon his rich and lavish lifestyle for an austere and holy life. While praying in church one day he heard Jesus Christ on the crucifix speak to him saying, “Francis, repair my church.” He took it literally and repaired the church he was praying in; in foresight what Jesus was really saying to St. Francis was to “Repair My Church”. Through his actions in helping the poor and needy St. Francis coincidently founded the Franciscan religious order where in just 10 years the brotherhood grown to 5,000! Till this very day the Franciscan is continually growing in numbers and still serves our brothers and sisters who need it most.

At the age of 16, St. Elizabeth of Hungary learned of St. Francis of Assisi and his profound compassion and works for the poor, this is when she decided she wanted to work with those who needed help the most, but it wasn’t until her husband died that she decided to leave her wealthy lifestyle and made arrangements for the care of her three children to become a tertiary of St. Francis and make working with the sick her life. 

By the time St. Marianne Cope was 24 years old she decided to pursue a religious life and joined the Sisters of the Third Order Regular of Saint Francis in Syracuse, New York. She became a teacher in the New York and later a principal for immigrant children. She also helped open two Catholic hospitals in New York. St. Marianne pioneered in medical field e.g. patients were allowed to refuse treatment, she allowed medical students to work at the hospitals, she was very strict with ever worker to have good hygiene.

They loved the poor and the sick.
When St. Francis was a young lad one day he came across a leper along the countryside at first he was disgusted with the way the leper looked and smelled, but something inside him led him to embrace and kiss the leper. When the leper returned his act of compassion, St. Francis was filled with Joy. When St. Francis gave up on his old life, he started preaching about God and his love for us. He preached for the rich to give to the poor, for us as apostles to take nothing on the journey, and to take up our cross daily. St. Francis wanted to “live by the Gospel” and this is what he did.

St. Elizabeth had so much compassion for the sick she built a hospital from her own personal wealth when she was 19 years old! She wanted to make sure the patients in her hospital were taken care of, so twice a day she would bring food to the feed the people in the Church she built. Before she died at the age of 24, St. Elizabeth built two churches for the sick and poor.

It was no secret that St. Marianne loved the poor and the sick. For the beginning part of her religious life she taught as a teacher and then later became a principal for immigrant children. Then later in life she focused on giving medical care for poor in the hospitals of New York. In 1883 at the age of 45 the King of Hawaii, King Kalakaua himself requested St. Marianne to help treat the leprosy patients of Kalaupapa, Moloka’i. St. Marianne helped establish the Malulani hospital in Maui, and helped reform the management of hospitals on Oahu.

They help build Hospitals/Churches for the physically sick and spiritually sick. 
St. Francis of Assisi, St. Elizabeth of Hungary and St. Elizabeth all had the heart to serve those in most need, the poor, the broken, and the sick. They helped build Churches for those whose souls needed healing and Hospitals for those were also physically sick. They taught us about God’s love; and more importantly they taught us that through loving actions inspired by God we can truly heal the world. Even in death their influence and works resound till this day.

Place Where Outcasts Meet
The starry skies was never clearer,
The water never tasted so sweet,
Even time seemed to be slower,
This place where outcasts meet.
Was this really a place where the diseased were abandoned?
Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide?
Chaos was rampant, until the Saints arrived.
Saint Marianne and the Franciscan Sisters,
Saint Damien and Brother Dutton.
They did not see Leprosy patients,
But our sisters and our brothers.
They did not see outcasts,
They saw God’s sons and daughters.
Their faith, hope and love will never be forgotten.
And the greatest of these is love, will remain certain.
The starry skies was never clearer,
The water never tasted so sweet,
Even time seemed to be slower,
This place where outcasts meet.
A place where God sent his Saints.
Where God’s love is still present.
Kalaupapa, Molokai the place I felt I belonged,
The place I long to be.

"Want to be a saint?  Then prepare to die!" – A Reaction to the SCOTUS Ruling on Same-Sex Marriage

6/26/2015

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by Kainoa Fukumoto

Ok, a little dramatic of a title for a blog in response to the Supreme Court of the United States’ landmark ruling on legalizing same-sex marriage…but there is truth to it.

If you’re just waking up and checking Facebook for your daily news (I guess that’s what we do now days), you might have discovered that the Supreme Court had narrowly made a decision that same-sex marriage must be legalized in the nation, which effectively overturned any state laws that banned same-sex marriage.

Now, as an opponent of the same-sex marriage movement, I could go off on why this is contrary to our faith and the Bible.  I could rant about facts about how this destroys children, families, and ultimately society.  I could talk about the further legitimizing of sexual sin.  But I’m not.  Mostly because we’ve heard the arguments and pretty much all that could be said has been said.

But what I do want to talk about is our response, as Catholics, to those who will label us as “haters” and “bigots” because of our opposition.  I want to talk about the repercussions that Catholics will undoubtedly face in light of this ruling.  To me, the battle is not lost, but it has become much more difficult to fight as well as to live out our faith openly.

Accepting Jesus’ teachings and following him whole-heartedly is hard for even us Christians to do.  It requires a complete trust in him that is nothing short of divine intervention.  And when we don’t walk the talk, it’s much simpler for others to call us out on it.

It isn’t easy being Christian because we get in the way of ourselves.  We value our selfish needs over our personal relationship with God.  We spend more time outside of prayer than within it.  And the more time we spend away from God, the more we tend accept things that are contrary to him.

So what do we do?  We live like a saint of course!  And if you know anything about the saints, it’s that they weren’t perfect.  They were sinners just as much as all of us are.  But what makes them unique and holy is they continually emptied themselves from that life of sin and aligned their hearts with the hearts of Jesus and Mary.  Not just once or twice, but over and over again.

Sometimes, that required major sacrifices.  Sometimes, that required speaking the truth of the gospel even when it was not easy, acceptable, or popular.  And sometimes, that required making the ultimate sacrifice.

Jesus says, “Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you, and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man.  Rejoice and leap for joy on that day!  Behold, your reward will be great in heaven. For their ancestors treated the prophets in the same way.”

Want to be a saint?  Then prepare to die!  Maybe not literally, but spiritually...in order to be a saint, we must die to ourselves and our selfish needs and our desire for self-preservation, and instead, put on the mantle of Christ.  As St. Paul said, “I no longer live but Christ who lives in me.”

In the face of opposition, whether it be against same-sex marriage or abortion or anything else contrary to life and religious freedom, the Church is in need of more saints.  The Church needs YOU just as much as you need the Church.  And more than ever, we need you today.

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Growing Up Catholic

6/5/2015

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by Kainoa Fukumoto

After the Baptism of his baby brother in church, little Johnny sobbed all the way home in the back seat of the car. His father asked him three times what was wrong. Finally, the boy replied, "That priest said he wanted us brought up in a Christian home, but I want to stay with you guys."


One of the biggest challenges our Catholic Church is facing in today's world is the lack of whole family involvement in the life of the Church.  On several occasions, I have asked relatives, "why don't you go to church anymore?"  And often, it would surprise me that they would respond, "because we got you to go pray for us."  But the faith community exists as a community of believers who come together to pray as a unified body in Christ, not as a corporation of people who have others go in their place as a proxy representative.

Too often we rely on Religious Education or Faith Formation programs to "teach" the faith to our children.  But, as the old proverb goes, "it takes a village to raise a child."  It is not up to our parish programs to pass on the faith to our children; it must happen through our homes and by the example of our lives.  Parental and family involvement is not simply important; it is essential and vital in order to sustain the faith of our future generations and bring them up with a strong love for Jesus.

Some of you are not married nor do you have children.  But I can almost guarantee that each of you have some kind of contact or interaction with little ones.  Ask yourself this question: how are you helping that child know Jesus by your words, actions, and life?  And even more, how are you helping that child's parents and family become stronger Christians?

Hopefully EPIC Ministry is helping you strengthen your faith so that you can help preserve and pass on that same faith to the next generation and generations to come.

Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
-Matthew 19:14

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"It takes a village to raise a child."
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From Mass to Re-Conversion

4/2/2015

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by Malcolm Zara
Growing up, my mother raised me to be a “good Catholic.”  I learned my prayers, went to a Catholic school, and I went was dragged to church every Sunday and the other Holy Days of Obligation. If there was such thing as “Catholic Extra Credit,” I was convinced I earned it. Whenever there was a special Mass held, she would bring us to those too. We would do feast days, novenas, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s, Holy Week, and everything in between. (It’s remarkable though that I had never been an altar server.)

Back then, I was super thankful that Mass was only an hour long.
There was only so much of going through the motions that I could take. Sit. Stand. Kneel. Respond. Get in line. Say Amen. However, there was one Mass a year that really tried my patience. It was the Easter Vigil. One that I attended went on for almost 3 hours. I was on the verge of becoming an atheist.
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Something changed. As I “re-converted” to Catholicism, I began to fall in love with the way we worship. I started to perceive the motions I used to go through as a response to God’s love for us. The readings became the Living Word. The Eucharist became healing and nourishment. Mass finally meant something, and the Easter Vigil had much, much more to offer than fake extra credit points.
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I grew to realize that the Easter Vigil Mass was comprised of some of the most profound and spiritually moving hours of the year. When your mind wanders, you miss out on some of the beautiful poetry that happens. Take the first few minutes of that Mass for example. Imagine the darkness we start the night in as being in the tomb that Jesus’ body was laid in. As light from our candles fill the room, Jesus slowly rolls the stone-seal away. The light that enters is the hope that Jesus’ return brings to the entire world.

Then, we have the readings. These words from Scripture are meant to captivate us with stories from our history. They are stories of creation, war, trials, and rescue that span different eras and generations. They remind us of the long and winding journey that we all take and that culminates in the Resurrection.
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It is moments like these that deepen both my understanding of our faith and my relationship with God. I no longer go to Mass because someone told me too but because I want to. Mass is a real-life encounter with the risen Jesus. My favorite one is now the Easter Vigil and I hope it can transform your life like it does for me.
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Malcolm Zara is Assistant Coordinator of EPIC Ministry.

Malcolm works full-time at St. Michael School as the P.E. and Elementary Religion and Science Teacher.  In his spare time, he enjoys procrastinating and finding loopholes in life.  (Just kidding...mostly.)

Favorite Scripture:
"Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and the door will be opened unto you." Matthew 7:7
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