& Church. Annunciation. Ascension Mission. It s no surprise that our young parishioners enjoy VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL. Discoveries Await at

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1 Annunciation MAY/JUNE 2018 & Church Ascension Mission Enjoying snacks outside during last year s Vacation Bible School. One of the activities at Vacation Bible School was re-enacting Bible stories. Sharing in fun art projects during last year s Vacation Bible School. Discoveries Await at VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL It s no surprise that our young parishioners enjoy Vacation Bible School, and this year will be no different when they attend Surprise! Stories of Discovering Jesus! July at Annunciation Church. Middle school English teacher Julie Camarillo is leading the session, along with a team of adult leaders. Children currently in kindergarten through fifth grade may attend. The fee is $25, but if families cannot afford the cost they may apply for financial aid. The program will run from 9 a.m. to noon each day. We ll be doing little vignettes re-creating the Bible stories, and creative art activities related to the readings, as well, Ms. Camarillo says. We sing and do a lot of role playing with the kids. One of the highlights of last year s session was the game, Go Fish. The youngsters used fishing poles and cutouts of Jesus and his followers to represent Jesus being a fisher of men and bringing followers into His teachings. We ll have snacks, and these will be related to what Bible stories we are studying, Ms. Camarillo says. For example, with the Go Fish game last year, we had goldfish crackers. While the children are enjoying themselves with the activities and snacks, they are, at the same time, learning more about their faith, and how they can live it daily. continued on back cover PO Box 301 Kamuela, HI

2 Annunciation Church & Ascension Mission STEWARDSHIP Living in Love od is love, and he who abides in love Gabides in God and God in him (1 Jn 4:16). As Christ s disciples, we are called to live lives of love. When asked which commandment is the most important, Jesus answered, Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. He immediately followed this command with, Love your neighbor as yourself. No commandment is greater than these (Mk 12:29-31). The life of a Christian is, essentially, all about love! This doesn t mean that Christ preached an abstract Gospel, or that we need to love simply because it feels good. The reality is quite the opposite. Indeed, Christ s Gospel of love is one of dramatic action, and living in that love calls each of us to action. What is this love, then, of which Christ speaks? How are we to live it out today? Christ, the God who, as John tells us, is love Himself, came to Earth out of pure love for us. So that we might have everlasting life, Christ took the punishment for our sins. He, the Lord of all creation, was mocked, scourged and ultimately murdered on the cross to atone for the sins that we, His creatures, have committed. Now, that s love! And it is the love that we are called to imitate throughout our lives. Notice the selfless nature of Jesus act. He gained nothing in return for what He did, and He calls us to love in the same manner. How do we do that here and now? Do we die on our own personal crosses? The answer, in a way, is yes. We don t necessarily die on the wood of the literal cross as Christ did, but we must die to self for the sake of others. That is the love of Christ, and that is the love He calls us to every day. If we want to truly love God, we must love others. God Himself showed us the reality of this need when he commanded that we love our neighbor just as we love Him. And then Christ explained, Whatever you do to the least of those, you do to me. If we are called to love God, then we are called to love our neighbor, for Christ resides in each one of us. It must be a love like Christ has shown us one of selflessness. We should want for nothing more than the good of our neighbor. There are many ways that we can show our love to others, particularly through prayer and service. Here at our parish, there are many ministries that offer us the opportunity to serve our neighbors. If we offer a little bit of time, we can help out in the parish office doing seemingly menial yet important tasks, such as stuffing inserts into the bulletins so that fellow parishioners are aware of news and events within the parish. Those of us with an aptitude for teaching may be called to serve others through RCIA or our Religious Education program. There is also always a need for more lectors and Eucharistic Ministers to aid the priest in bringing Christ to other parishioners at Mass. These are but a few of the countless opportunities we have to serve our parish and local community. However we are called to do so, one thing is for certain: the love of Christ calls us to action. How will we show our love for God this year? Remember, Whatever you do for the least of those, you do for me. There are many ways that we can show our love to others, particularly through prayer and service. Here at our parish, there are many ministries that offer us the opportunity to serve our neighbors. 2

3 MAY/JUNE 2018 A Letter from Our Pastor WE CANNOT BE PART-TIME CHRISTIANS Dear Parishioners, May is traditionally celebrated in the Church as the month of Mary, our Blessed Mother. As the Mother of the Church, she provides us with an example of what it means to be a servant of God and our fellow humans, as well as how to obediently fulfill the promptings of the Holy Spirit. As Catholics, we are called to model the life of Jesus. That can be difficult, and there are certainly challenges to living as a disciple of Christ. But living stewardship and discipleship brings intense contentment and joy to those who take that risk. After Jesus Himself, we look to our Blessed Mother as an ideal steward and an example of what stewardship means. As the Mother of Christ, she lived her life and her ministry in a total spirit of faithfulness and service. She responded to the call to be a disciple. For us to be disciples, we also need to be good stewards of the gifts we have received. Our Church and our parish are gifts to us from God. At no point in Holy Scripture does Jesus tell us that following Him is easy. We know it is not always simple and effortless. It requires dedication and commitment. Pope Francis has said on more than one occasion, We cannot be parttime Christians and Catholics! We should seek to live our faith at every moment of every day. I suspect that is how Mary lived her life from that moment she turned it over to God and His Will. So, let us vow together during this month of Mary to follow her example, and seek to be the good stewards that will help us to grow in our faith while making our faith community even stronger and more effective. I pray that we all can find the strength to live and practice our faith as we should. This means being faithful to the sacraments and looking for ways to help and serve one another. We have a great parish let us make it even greater. Pray for me, as I pray for you. Sincerely yours in Christ, Reverend Stephen Macedo Pastor 3

4 Annunciation Church & Ascension Mission Making the Faith Come A The retreat offers indoor and outdoor activities, art projects, and time for prayer and individual reflection. If our parish youth are truly going to make the Catholic faith their own, it has to become more than a mere obligation or responsibility. Beginning with our children s Baptism, our role as parents and adult members of the community is to help our youth encounter the Person of Jesus Christ to assist them in forming Christcentered relationships and to show them how fun Catholicism can be. It s important that our youth have experiences that are fun, yet faith-filled, says Larry Denis, one of Annunciation s Youth Ministers. Being among their peers in a Christ-centered context helps them build those positive relationships that can really help them in life. Annunciation s annual high school retreat uniquely achieves this blend of faith and fellowship. Taking place this year from July 10-12, 2018 at the Kilauea Military Camp located in Hawai i Volcanoes National Park, this retreat allows teens to come together for a few days of fun and formation. Our theme this year is Fun with Son: Summer Extravaganza! Larry says. This retreat will provide youth with fun ways to beat the heat and make new friends, all the while growing closer to God. To do this, the retreat will incorporate teambuilding opportunities, both indoor and outdoor activities, art projects, and time for prayer and individual reflection. Coming off the success of last year s retreat, Larry hopes to continue building relationships both amongst the youth themselves and between them and the priests, seminarians, and adult volunteers. This helps further anchor teens into 4 Teens participating in an egg toss game. Through the retreat, our teens can feel a great encouraging them to examine their own unique g

5 MAY/JUNE 2018 live AT THIS SUMMER S YOUTH RETREAT the faith community and provides them with Christian role models. It also helps them realize that being a good disciple doesn t always have to be serious there s plenty of room for just plain, old fashioned fun. And as Larry notes, priests from participating parishes will also take part in the retreat. It s good for the youth to see our priests outside of church, having fun alongside them, he says. We look forward to another fun night of bowling with the priests. This was something the kids really enjoyed last year, and it got pretty competitive in a fun way, of course! The hope is that through these experiences, the teens will feel a greater sense of belonging to the Catholic Church, encouraging them to examine their own unique gifts and how they can be used for God s glory. By going on retreat, it s our hope that the youth will not only grow in our faith, but will also realize what gifts or talents they have, Larry says. We hope to help them find a way to use those talents to build our Church up. The youth are the future of our Church. One day, they will be the ministers and churchgoers, and through retreats like this and Vacation Bible School for our younger youth we hope to build a strong church for our future. The retreat is open to high school youth between ninth and 12th grades, and only costs $20. Registration is currently under way and spots will be filled on a first come, first served basis. To sign up, please visit bit.ly/2018kmcsignup and deliver cash or a check made payable to Annunciation Catholic Church no later than June 1. During last year s retreat, the bowling evening was one of the favorite events. er sense of belonging to the Catholic Church, ifts and how they can be used for God s glory. At the end of last year s retreat, each teen received a poster that was signed by their peers and adult volunteers. This gave them a tangible reminder of the good friends and memories made during the weekend. 5

6 Annunciation Church & Ascension Mission It is ironic that today, with all of the freedom of religion that we enjoy in the United States, many of us wonder why we must go to Mass on Sunday. However, if we really understood what the Mass is and how we participate in the celebration, we would instead be asking why we are, as sinful human beings, blessed with the opportunity to participate in the holy Mass. If we simply understood and recognized that God s infinite goodness allows us to do so, we would be eager to go to Mass on Sunday and every other day of the week. It is true, however, that all Catholics are obliged to Keep holy the Lord s Day by sharing in the Mass. But why are we obliged? The Eucharistic Liturgy is the center of our faith. It is the summit toward which all activity of the Church is directed and it is the font from which all her power flows (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy 10). It does not exhaust the activity of the Church, but is most certainly her greatest work. The sacrifice of Christ on the cross is literally re-presented to the Father during Mass, and Christ allows us to join with Him in offering that sacrifice. Imagine our Lord and Savior dying on the cross for us right up the street. Imagine knowing that Mary is sitting at the foot of the cross with St. John, witnessing her Son giving Himself to the Father for the sake of all of us. Would we not run to be there? Would we not desire to share in His sacrifice, just as Mary did? Believe it or not, the sacrifice of Calvary is really, truly happening at our parish, every time the Mass is offered. Our participation in Mass gives us the strength and the graces we need to live our lives as Christ s disciples. So, what does this mean for us? This means we have a front row seat to the sacrifice of Calvary. Given such a gift, how can we not accept it? We also have a chance to join in Jesus sacrifice by offering our own prayers and petitions. As an example, what better gift could we give deceased THE Blessings OF THE CATHOLIC MASS loved ones than the offering of prayers for their souls in purgatory? Most importantly, we have the opportunity to receive the Eucharist, followed by quiet time, when we offer sincere thanks and allow God s graces to fill us. Think of all you are missing when you do not properly prepare yourself to receive the Holy Eucharist. We ought to joyfully head to Church each Sunday, eager to give God glory in the greatest way we can! Attending and actively participating in Mass every Sunday is our obligation as Catholics. But we should not allow the fact that our attendance is required to stop us from going. Nor should we allow our laziness to overshadow the amazing privilege and the many blessings that lay before us in the Mass. The pope and the bishops direct us to participate in the Eucharistic Liturgy every Sunday because they know there is no better way to keep holy the Lord s day giving God thanks for all He has done for us in the most powerful way possible. They know that, through the Mass, we gain the graces necessary to live our lives in this world. Our ability to participate in the Mass is a wonderful gift, not a great burden. May Christ enlighten our minds and hearts to clearly see the wonders of the celebration, and give us great enthusiasm and eagerness to participate. 6

7 MAY/ JUNE 2018 FINDING GOD IN COMMUNITY AND SERVICE Meet Brooks Kaniho In a world where many young people lose their faith, Brooks Kaniho is going against the tide. A senior at Kamehameha High School, who loves biology, music and surfing, Brooks is a recent recipient of the Bishop s Island Treasure Award. A lot of people fall away from their relationship with God in high school I ve seen it in many of my peers, Brooks says. In my eyes, I really see God as not only my faith and religion, but also as the values of love and genuine kindness. That s what I receive in this community. For Brooks, whose family became involved in the parish when he was in elementary school, taking an active role in the parish has strengthened his faith. He has been an altar server since the fifth grade, is involved in the Youth Group, and is the youth representative to the Parish Council. Youth Group is really important for my relationship with God, Brooks says. The community here is so great. We have good role models to show us how it s done. The role models are really positive and really committed. They set a really good example for us. Knowing you re not alone, as a youth in the Catholic Church, and there are other people in the Church who are there and relate to you, he adds. That s why I like to make Youth Group a priority. Participating in service opportunities through Youth Group has been a positive and formative experience for Brooks. You can see how you brighten people s day, Brooks says of one of his favorite service experiences, bringing gifts to a senior center. It was really heartwarming to be able to do that. When you do things for the community it can change your outlook. It makes you a better person, he adds. It gives you the opportunity to serve and live the life that Jesus wants us to live. Brooks encourages other young people to find ways to become involved in service and community. Make a priority of serving others, he says. Not only does it make you feel better as a person, but it also brings the community up slowly by doing small acts of kindness. I think that s the goal we should strive for. The world will be a better place if we could all serve one another and treat our neighbors as ourselves. Through the Church and through praying, you can find a lot of positivity in your life and that can set you on the right path, he adds. People can find meaning in their life through this, through having a strong connection with God and their Church and community. While his plans for college are still taking shape, Brooks plans to study wildlife biology, in hopes of taking over the family ranch someday. He asks for our community s prayers as he proceeds on the next steps in his journey, and thanks his fellow parishioners for their faith and examples. Pray for me to stay on my path and accept yourself as a good role model for others, Brooks says. When I know there are people showing the way, it keeps me going and makes me want to be a good role model and leader. Brooks Kaniho is a recent recipient of the Bishop s Island Treasure Award. 7

8 Annunciation Church & Annunciation / Ascension Parish PO Box 301 Kamuela, HI Ascension Mission Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage Paid MAILED FROM ZIP CODE Permit No. 3 Vacation Bible School continued from front cover We have a lot of fun, Ms. Camarillo says. We learn about being more loving, spiritual human beings through Bible stories, and singing and dancing. It s more of the light side of religious education. We can focus on activities, crafts, and the musical aspects. Parents are most welcome to volunteer to help with the program. It s a good way to share their faith and be part of the community, Ms. Camarillo says. It s a way to be energized with the younger kids who really want to learn about God, Jesus, and our faith. For more information and to sign up, visit the kiosk or bit.ly/vbs2018 or you may Larry Denis at Lbd3 s@gmail.com. During last year s Vacation Bible School, our youngsters learned about Jesus s love for us and how He brought His followers to Him. MASS SCHEDULE Saturday Vigil: 5 p.m. (Waimea) Sunday: 8 a.m. (Waimea) & 10 a.m. (Puako) Confession: Saturday 4 p.m. (Waimea)