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by Kainoa Fukumoto  Whispering is an intimate action. Recently, I was in adoration and I found myself whispering the words to the Anima Christi, a prayer I often say during adoration or after receiving communion. As I gazed intently upon the monstrance holding the Blessed Sacrament, I whispered slowly and deliberately, "Soul of Christ, sanctify me." I continued praying every word and phrase in the same manner.
A thought entered my mind. Whispering is an intimate action. We often whisper when we want to communicate something to someone without being heard by others. Friends and lovers often whisper to each other secrets. Whispering is an intentional act that requires us to move closer, sometimes very close, to the person we desire to speak with. In our prayer, do we "whisper" to our God who draws near to us everytime we call upon Him? Does our heart desire to move deeply and closely to Him? Do we reveal our deepest, perhaps even darkest, secrets to Him and not just trust Him to keep it, but transform it? This month, we align our faith sharings with the Sunday Gospel readings on the Bread of Life. There is no action more intimate than receiving Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. But for many of us who are unable to receive Holy Communion daily, perhaps challenge yourself to "whisper" to God in your daily prayer life, and may that prayer lead you more deeply and intimately in Christ.
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by Kainoa Fukumoto  My kids often drive me nuts. The worse is when all three decide to throw tantrums at the same time. Those are the moments I go searching for that bottle of whiskey I must have stashed somewhere. You don't need to have kids to realize that life can be crazy at times. And truth be told, it's in those moments that the true test is given--how do you handle it?
There's a story in the Gospels about Jesus almost nonchalantly drawing on the ground while a mob was gearing up to stone a sinner woman to death. That had to be a crazy moment. Yet, Jesus didn't react in the same way the people were. He calmly said, "he who is without sin cast the first stone." And almost immediately, the situation was diffused. In another scene, while the disciples are in a boat with Jesus, a storm is raging. The disciples are freaking out because the wind and waves were tossing that boat around like a toy in a tub, and there was Jesus just snoozing away. When the disciples called on the Lord, He basically told them to relax and then told the storm to relax too, both of whom listened to Him. It's been critically important in my life to take a breath in those crazy moments and relax rather than react. When my kids are driving me nuts, I try to stay calm and relax in the midst of that situation. Then again, I try to do that in any crazy situation. Stay calm and relax. I find that it's less draining and more fruitful. And most importantly, I need to constantly rely on the Lord who is able to calm any storm in our lives. I am not always the perfect father, but I know that I have a perfect Father in heaven that I can call upon in my crazy moments. My kids may drive me nuts, but I'm sure I drive my Heavenly Father nuts too. And just as I love my kids through it, God loves us through it all as well. Happy Fathers' Day to all our EPIC dads. Sincerely yours in Christ, KAINOA FUKUMOTO President & Founder of EPIC Ministry  Thank you for joining us on this Adoration Pilgrimage! Over the next couple of hours, we at EPIC Ministry would like to challenge you to spend these moments like pilgrims on a journey rather than tourists on a trip.
This journey will take us to Jesus and help us in our final preparation for Easter. We will be visiting several different altars of repose. Along the way, we encourage you to maintain a prayerful setting and keep the events of Jesus' Passion at the forefront of your mind. To aid you in this, we have picked out the following excerpts from Dynamic Catholic's "Best Lent Ever" series. Feel free to reflect on these videos and discuss them with your fellow pilgrims along the way! Have a blessed Triduum! OLGC - ROL http://dynamiccatholic.com/bestlentever/lent-reflections-2017/world-changing-days/ Reflect on Matthew’s invitation to pick a word to define your Triduum experience. Choosing a word will bring focus and intentionality on this Pilgrimage. ROL-OLS http://dynamiccatholic.com/bestlentever/lent-reflections-2017/learning-to-listen/ Pray: Lord, help me to listen to your voice. I know if I do, I will go out focused, energized, and invigorated. OLS-SM http://dynamiccatholic.com/bestlentever/lent-reflections-2017/resisting-god/ Reflect on this quote - "God wants you to be happy even more than you want it for yourself." How have you stopped "resisting God?"  EPIC ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR JAN 15-21: 1) BISHOP BARRON: The much anticipated presentation by Bishop Robert Barron will be on Monday, January 16, at 7:00 PM at the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa. Bishop Barron is a prolific Catholic speaker whose many online videos are often used at our Faith Sharing nights. You can expect this event focus on the "Seven Keys to the New Evangelization" to be nothing short of intriguing and engaging. If you can't make the Monday evening event, Bishop Barron will also be the keynote speaker at this year's Red Mass on Tuesday, January 17, at 9:00 AM at the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace. 2) THE ANNUAL MARCH FOR LIFE happens this Friday, January 20, coincidentally the same day as the Inauguration of President-Elect Donald Trump. Join us anytime from 3:00 PM - 8:00 PM at the Hawaii State Capitol as we stand together for the right to life from conception to natural death. Following the March for Life, we will be heading over to Honolulu Beerworks for this month's Catholic Beer Club (see below for more info). 
 4) EPIC RETREAT: 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. CLICK HERE for more details or to sign-up. 5) NEW SHIRTS: EPIC shirts have been ordered for those who had placed their orders. HOWEVER, we do expect to put in our next order in March or April, so if you were not able to order this time around, you can put your order in on our homepage for the next shipment!  6) ADOPT-A-SEMINARIAN: Our seminarians are back at school once again, and EPIC Ministry is teaming up with the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa's Young Adult Ministry for their Adopt-a-Seminarian Project. The two seminarians we are sponsoring are Deacon Alfred Guerrero and Romple Emwalu. Drop off any donations (as listed above in the flyer) to Kainoa by January 31. We will also accept monetary donations which will go towards purchasing goodies.
by Kainoa Fukumoto  This past year, 2016, has been both a year full of blessings as well as challenges for EPIC Ministry. Many of you are very much aware of the great things EPIC Ministry does in continuing its mission of “empowering young adults to follow Christ.” Some of you have even been there since its inception four years ago. Throughout the short time this ministry has existed, we have seen tremendous growth and countless hearts turning toward the Lord. And I thank each and every one of you for your continuous prayers and support of EPIC Ministry.
EPIC ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR DEC 25-JAN 1: 1) A special farewell to Fr. Chris Kaitapu, ss.cc., and our EPIC Community Night at St. Michael on Monday, December 26, from 5:00 PM to whenever. 2) If you haven't reserved your spot to this year's Christmas Banquet, there are still spaces left. Don't miss out on this night of 'ono food, live entertainment by Jelayne Shelton & Annette Oasay, games and prizes, a photo booth, and special presentations. CLICK HERE to reserve your tickets today! HELP US SELL TICKETS: If you sell tickets for the Christmas Banquet, you have a choice of one of these awesome incentive prizes for every five (5) tickets you sell:
3) If you've been thinking about your vocation or are curious about what different types of vocations there are for you, then come to the Vocational Awareness Retreat Day being sponsored by the Benedictine Monastery of Hawaii on Tuesday, December 27, from 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM.  4) Join us for our Faith Sharing at Resurrection of the Lord on Wednesday, December 28, on "Holy Innocents" with dinner at 7:00 PM. Hope to see you there for our last Faith Sharing of 2016! 5) The Women of EPIC ("WEPIC") are hosting their Christmas Gathering at the ROL Rectory this Thursday, December 29. All young women are encouraged to join them! Contact Us for more details. 6) Our young adult friends from Our Lady of Good Counsel are hosting their Christmas Celebration on Thursday, December 29. Click Here to RSVP TODAY!  7) The EPIC Food Fight is heating up and wrapping up! The FINAL DAY for donations will be Friday, December 30 (you can bring your items to the banquet where the final tallies will be done). This week's "hot items" are:
8) 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. 9) VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!!! Please volunteer to help remove and store the diocesan City Lights display on Monday, January 2, at 10:00 am. Lunch will be provided at St. Stephen Diocesan Center. If you are able to assist, please Contact Us today. 10) 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. EPIC ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR DEC 18-DEC 24:
1) We enter into the final week of Advent which means Christmas is just days away! Join us at our Faith Sharing on Monday, December 19, at 7:00 PM at Our Lady of Sorrows. Using the readings as our guide, we will be looking at the Nativity of the Lord with hopefully new eyes and a deeper reflection on the "reason for the season". 2) If you haven't reserved your spot to this year's Christmas Banquet, there are still spaces left. Use promo code "4ADVENT" for a $5.00 discount until Monday, December 19 (online only), or get a special GROUP RATE when you buy five (5) tickets until Friday, December 23. Don't miss out on this night of 'ono food, live entertainment by Jelayne Shelton & Annette Oasay, games and prizes, a photo booth, and special presentations. CLICK HERE to reserve your tickets today! HELP US SELL TICKETS: If you sell tickets for the Christmas Banquet, you have a choice of one of these awesome incentive prizes for every five (5) tickets you sell:
3) The EPIC Food Fight is heating up! This week's "hot items" are:
4) 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. 5) VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!!! Please volunteer to help remove and store the diocesan City Lights display on Monday, January 2, at 10:00 am. Lunch will be provided at St. Stephen Diocesan Center. If you are able to assist, please Contact Us today. 6) 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. EPIC ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR DEC 11-DEC 17:
1) On December 12, the Church celebrates the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Come to our Faith Sharing on Monday, December 12, at Our Lady of Sorrows, to learn more about this incredible appariation of our Blessed Mother, St. Juan Diego, and the impact this miraculous event had on the faith of the Americas. Dinner at 7:00 PM, followed by our interactive discussion on Our Lady of Guadalupe. 2) Got sin? Clean it up with confession! Advent is a perfect time to "repent" and "prepare the way of the Lord" (as St. John the Baptist reminds us). There are a few Advent Communal Reconciliation Services happening in our Vicariate this week:
3) "I Don't Wanna Wait in Vain: A Young Adult Guide to Advent" continues to enhance our journey through this season of Advent. How do we connect more deeply to this awesome season? Join us at our Faith Shaing on Wednesday, December 14, at Resurrection of the Lord, from 7:00 PM. 4) The final Catholic Beer Club (CBC) for 2016 is happening this Friday, December 16, from 7:00 PM. CBC rejoices as we move into the Advent season! Join us at REAL A GASTROPUB for some high quality pints and even higher quality fellowship. We love discussing the true, the good, and the beautiful as we prepare a way for the Lord in our hearts this Christmas. Come out, join us in celebration, and bring a friend! All are welcome! 5) 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! We also have incentive prizes for those who help in selling five (5) tickets or more...Contact Us for more details. 6) The EPIC Food Fight is heating up! This week's "hot items" are:
7) 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. 8) 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. 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:
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.  OBJECTIVE:
CHALLENGERS:
TIMELINE:
FOOD ITEMS AND POINTS:
MONTHLY BONUS POINTS (+5 points each):
MONTHLY BOMBS (-5 points each):
OTHER INFORMATION:
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