St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church Newsletter — Feb/Mar 2023

St. Anthony of Padua CATHOLIC CHURCH

FEB/MAR 2023

EPIC Young Adult Ministry

Offering a Place for Community and Fostering Empowerment in Christ

If we want our parish to prosper and for the Catholic faith to come alive for people, then everyone needs to have a place — whether that’s with a ministry, Bible study, or some other group. EPIC, or Ever Present in Christ, is that group for young people of Maui. The group meets three times per month and is open to 18 to 39-year-olds.

Cecilia Jacinto helped get EPIC Maui started about three years ago, along with coordinator Pua Kaialiilii. EPIC Oahu has been in existence for about 10 years.

“The Maui Vicariate youth ministers introduced us to each other about three years ago,” Cecilia says. “We had the same desire to share our love for our faith with a young adult community.”

EPIC, or Ever Present in Christ, meets three times per month and is open to 18 to 39-year-olds.

The group meets for one faith-sharing gathering, one holy hour, and one social event each month. They also have two small-group sessions annually — from fall to Christmas, and during Lent into Easter.

Cecilia acknowledges the wide range of ages for this ministry, 18-39, and recognizes this can be a time of many transitions.

“We want to have a young adult community that supports and prays for one another through all of these life transitions,” Cecilia says. “It is sometimes continued on page 5

Inside

2 Stewardship: The Church is More than a Building — It is Our Spiritual Home

3 A Letter From Our Pastor

4 Lay Marianists Missionaries of the Blessed Mother Bringing Hearts and Souls to Jesus

6 First Friday Devotion: A Time to Meditate on Christ’s Heart and His Love for Us

7 The Importance of Loving God More Deeply at Mass

CATHOLIC CHURCH

St. Anthony of Padua

STEWARDSHIP:

The Church is More than a Building — It is Our Spiritual Home

Where do you go to church? We’ve all answered that question hundreds of times before. But have you ever stopped to think about what it truly means?

“I go to our parish,” is the usual response, and rightly so, because we do “go to” the church to celebrate Mass together. But as Catholics and as stewards of God’s gifts, the Church is much more than a building within which we worship. The Church, as we understand it, is the universal body of believers, the society that Christ established to help us grow in holiness, to bring us closer to Him through the giving of our time, talent, and treasure, and to lead the world to the truth.

Before Jesus ascended to the Father, He commissioned the disciples, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Mt. 28:19-20). That is the Church’s mission in the world today — to make disciples of all nations, to bring all men to Christ.

Our parish plays a key part in that. As members of our parish, we are local representatives of the universal Church. Together, as members of this parish family, we work to carry out the Church’s mission on a local level. We worship the Lord at Mass, offering Him our praise and thanksgiving, and then we go forth on a mission to make disciples — to encourage our fellow parishioners in their lives of faith and to bring unbelievers into knowledge of the truth.

In addition to being a “local representation of the universal Church,” the parish is much like a family. We are communal beings, and we are created to live with others. So, as Catholics, we are members of the Church and, on a more immediate level, of the parish. As such, we gather together for the Eucharistic meal and we grow in faith together throughout the week, supporting one another through our participation in many parish ministries, through prayer, and through

the friendships that many of us share.

In a letter written to parish priests throughout the nation, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops explained the important place of the parish in the lives of Catholic faithful: “The parish is a privileged place to announce the Word of God. It includes a variety of forms and each of the faithful is called to take an active part, especially with the witness of a Christian life and the explicit proclamation of the Gospel to nonbelievers to lead them to the faith, or to believers to instruct them, confirm them and encourage them to a more fervent life.”

So, we ought to feel truly blessed to be a part of this parish family. We ought to make a conscious effort to be actively involved, to build relationships with our fellow parishioners and to celebrate the Mass together as often as possible — most especially every Sunday. We are then bound to grow closer to others, to grow deeper in faith and closer to Christ. Then, together as a parish family, we are bound to proclaim the Gospel to others, inviting them to a life of discipleship, thereby, building the kingdom of God.

As members of our parish, we are local representatives of the universal Church. Together , as members of this parish family, we work to carry out the Church’s mission on a local level.

The Word of God: Hearing It and Responding to It

Afew short weeks ago, we completed our Christmas season. We are now in what we call Ordinary Time –but as the month of February winds down, we will begin Lent with Ash Wednesday on Feb. 22.

The Gospel of John begins with the statement, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” We speak often of the Word in the Church. As most of you are aware, the first part of our Mass is called the Liturgy of the Word. What does that mean to us?

Basically, there are four parts of our celebration of Mass: Introductory Rites; Liturgy of the Word; Liturgy of the Eucharist; and Concluding Rites. My focus in this reflection is that second part – the Liturgy of the Word. The main parts of that are a First Reading, a Responsorial Psalm, a Second Reading, the Gospel, and a Homily.

We draw on Holy Scripture from the Bible for the readings. As Catholics, we do not consider that these readings are about God, or about the Church, or about our faith, or a history lesson, or a nice story from long ago. We consider them to be God speaking directly to us. Thus, our attentiveness to what is being proclaimed is important. Are we listening? Do we hear? And then, do we respond in

our lives? All of those should be facets of how we approach the Word of God. For us, the Word of God is the living Word. God is speaking to us as a community, and He asks us to be faithful to His Word. If we pay attention and truly listen, God can nourish our spirit, and Christ can be more real and present to us. The Homily, the Responsorial Psalm, the Profession of Faith, and the Intercessions develop the Word further and complete it. The Profession of Faith is our acceptance of God’s Word. However, the question for us is, how do we respond to the Word? Does it change our lives? Does it bring us to the conversion necessary to live lives of stewardship and service? It is not easy, I know. Being able to listen, to hear and then to act requires time, practice, commitment, and a desire to fulfill all of this. That is one of my prayers for us – that we can hear the Word, and that we can bring it to life in our own lives and in the lives of others.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Rev. Msgr. Terrence “Terry” Watanabe

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

Anthony

Padua Lay Marianists

Missionaries of the Blessed Mother

WhenMartha Haleakala was born on Sept. 8, the birthday of the Blessed Mother, God had a special plan for her life, which now she understands in a profound way.

“I have a special relationship with the Blessed Mother, and I have always felt a call to be close to her,” Martha says. “That’s why I thought that becoming a Lay Marianist would be a wonderful way to live out my Catholic faith and structure my prayer life. The Marianists are all about being missionaries of the Blessed Virgin Mary to the world.”

Martha joined the Lay Marianist group at our parish about 10 years ago and now serves as its leader.

“We had Marianist priests and brothers at our parish for 138 years, and now that they have left, I try to keep us together and meeting on a regular basis,” Martha says. “We are still active here and we feel blessed to be so!”

The Lay Marianists meet year-round on the first and third Monday of every month at 6 p.m. in the Deacon Borges Room. At their meetings, the members study various books and pamphlets about the Marianist way of life and reflect on what is expected of them in light of their charism.

“Lay Marianists raise families, are active in their neighborhoods and parishes, and have careers in all sectors of society,” Martha recently wrote for a pamphlet on the Marianists. “In each of these aspects of their life, they witness to the Gospel message of love, peace, and joy through our actions and words. The Marianist charism and spirituality

invites us to collaborate with Mary in her mission to make Christ present in the world. From Mary, we learn to trust the divine will, be attentive to the needs of others, sing of God’s solidarity with the poor, afflicted, and marginalized, and let the Holy Spirit work in us to bring Jesus and his ministry into the world.”

The Lay Marianists’ mission statement is as follows: “We, the ‘Ohana ‘O Malia Marianist Lay Community, are called in union with Mary to make Christ present in the world. Through Jesus, Son of God become Son of Mary, the source and foundation of our mission, we commit to be sensitive to the needs of our island community. Working together,

continued on page 5

“I have a special relationship with the Blessed Mother, and I have always felt a call to be close to her. That’s why I thought that becoming a Lay Marianist would be a wonderful way to live out my Catholic faith and structure my prayer life. The Marianists are all about being missionaries of the Blessed Virgin Mary to the world.”

— MARTHA HALEAKALA

The Lay Marianists meet year-round on the first and third Monday of every month at 6 p.m. in the Deacon Borges Room. At their meetings, the members study various books and pamphlets about the Marianist way of life and reflect on what is expected of them in light of their charism.

Mother Bringing Hearts and Souls to Jesus

with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we promise to hand on our Catholic faith to everyone we meet, especially the youth and those in most need.”

The official vision of the Lay Marianists is to bring everyone they encounter to Jesus through Mary. The Marianist tradition emerged in the wake of the French Revolution as a way to reinvigorate both the Church and the world in the style of the Blessed Mother of Jesus. This way is grounded in the idea of community and a discipleship of equals and promotes these ideals through works of faith and social justice. The Marianist charism was developed by its founders — William Joseph Chaminade, Marie Thérèse de Lamourous, and Adèle de Batz de Trenquelléon — who sought out a

EPIC Young Adult Ministry

missed because it is an evolving time in a person’s life and it can be difficult to provide the right opportunities that would interest a wide age range.”

The faith-sharing meetings have made an impact on Cecilia. She has learned something new each time and has been touched by the testimonies of group members.

“EPIC’s mission is to empower young adults to follow Christ through spiritual, social, and service paths,” Cecilia says. “We’re here to give young adults a community and to become their church family.”

Cecilia loves the community that has formed through this ministry. The members have developed lifelong friendships, and they are there to pray with and for each other. She is very thankful to have other people her age with whom she can share her faith. Cecilia was also grateful to have a group to call on when her baby was born prematurely about a year ago.

“Our ministry has prayed for multiple people’s prayer intentions — from births, family conflicts,

new way to live the Gospel amid radical changes in society and the Church.

The Marianist Lay Community of North America (MLC-NA) is the lay branch of the Marianist Family in North America. MLC-NA is made up of Lay Marianists and Marianist Lay Communities (MLCs).

There are currently about a dozen Lay Marianists at our parish and over 5,000 worldwide. To those who may be thinking about joining, Martha ensures that it is worth a try.

“We are all about inviting new people!” she says. “We are a very welcoming group, and we are more than happy to have guests come to our meetings and find out who we are.”

new jobs, school assignments, sicknesses, deaths, and more,” Cecilia says. “We’re here to be a prayer community and family. If you have any prayer intentions, reach out. We’d love to pray for you.

Members have developed lifelong friendships, and they are there to pray with and for each other.

St. Anthony of Padua

First Friday Devotion: A Time to Meditate on Christ’s Heart and His Love for Us

Heart of Jesus, burning furnace of charity, have mercy on us. Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus was formalized back in the 17 th century when Jesus revealed his Sacred Heart to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. But through all of Church history, the heart of Jesus has been a place of repose and consolation for the faithful. Today, the devotion is strong around the world and in our own parish.

The First Friday of every month is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It was on a Friday that Christ died on the cross and His heart was pierced by the lance. It is a time to meditate on Christ’s heart and the love that He pours out for us with the blood and water that poured from His heart.

On the morning of the first Friday of each month, at 7:45 a.m., parishioners meet in the church after the 7 a.m. Mass. First, the Blessed Sacrament is exposed and O Salutaris Hostia is sung. Then the Litany to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is prayed together. The Litany walks through many titles and attributes of Jesus and His Sacred Heart, offering so much to reflect upon. A short time for silent prayer follows before the Blessed Sacrament is reposed as attendees sing Tantum Ergo.

Deacon Steven Maglente began attending the First Friday Devotion after he retired. He has always admired this group of parishioners who have been so devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

“As I get older, I realize how important God is in our lives and I cannot imagine life without Him and without the Holy Family,” Deacon Steven says. “I go to the First Friday of each month for personal reasons. I ask for healing, for a miracle. I have experienced so much in my walk with the Lord and He’s given me strength.”

Having served as a deacon for 20 years, 15 of them here at St. Anthony, Deacon Steven has

had his share of challenges in his ministry and in his own life. Now, with his experiences as a deacon, father, and grandfather under his belt, he brings his needs to Christ in prayer, and the First Friday Devotion is an opportunity to do that. Though the time is short, lasting less than an hour, He values the quiet time spent in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.

“Try it and see what it’s like,” Deacon Steven says. “If you’re going through something, come. If you need help, the best thing you can do is get on your knees and pray.”

“I go to the First Friday of each month for personal reasons. I ask for healing, for a miracle. I have experienced so much in my walk with the Lord and He’s given me strength.”

— DEACON STEVEN MAGLENTE

The Importance of Loving God More Deeply at Mass

Whenyoung people see a person that intrigues them, that attraction becomes the topic of conversation at every opportunity. This attraction alters behavior so that we become enthralled with the other and desire to share our enthusiasm.

Imagine if we were more enthralled with the presence of Christ in our lives. Imagine if we fully recognized that Christ is truly present to us in His precious Body and Blood, and present as well in the proclamation of His Word and in the gathering of our community, praying and singing (see Sacrosanctum Concilium [Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy], para. 14). Recognizing the living Christ in all these ways would awaken in us the desire to be with the One who is the object of our most fundamental, pure, and holy attraction to our merciful, loving, and gracious Savior.

If we were to recognize the presence of Christ in these beautiful ways, wouldn’t our desire to be more completely in His presence increase? Surely our desire to be better stewards of our time with the Lord would grow. Our attention to the readings and other prayers of the Mass would bring about within us deeper communion with the One who suffered and died for us. If I recognized that God is the answer to all my pangs of hunger, that Christ is my way to the Father, and that the Holy Spirit works

to convert my heart and soul every day, would I not seek to fill that hunger at the banquet of the Lamb?

While active participation in Sunday Mass is an obligation for Catholics, we also will do well to see the lovely, motherly care the Church shows us in establishing that requirement. The Code of Canon Law states clearly in paragraph 1247, “On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are bound to participate in the Mass.” Sometimes, we might hear that as an overbearing rule. But it might more correctly be understood as our Mother, the Church, helping us learn what is best for us. At Mass, we hear the living Word of God proclaimed. He speaks to us. We receive as hungry, needy sinners, the precious Body and Blood of Christ. We encounter Christ’s living presence in our brothers and sisters worshiping God with us. If we truly understood that amazing truth, then how might it affect our lives? How might it affect our relationships? How might it impact our decision to bring our children along to Mass? How might it awaken within us a deeper attraction, fascination, desire for the Lord?

Generally, when we find ourselves fascinated with someone, we do not decide to spend as little time as possible with them. We do not ration our time with them. We want to spend time with them,

St. Anthony of Padua

1627 Mill Street

Wailuku, Maui, Hawaii 96793

Church Office: (808) 244-4148

www.stanthonymaui.org

Loving God More Deeply at Mass

to see them, to listen to them, to get to know them, to develop a healthy, loving relationship with them. Considering our reliance on the Lord of life and love, our fascination with His mercy, His goodness, His willingness to call us to Himself, maybe we should ask ourselves about what happens in us at Mass. As I prepare to come to Church, do I find my mind turning to a receptive welcome of the Lord, just as I’ll be welcomed at the door of Church? Have I dressed for the important weekly (or daily) moment of meeting my King? Do I expect some profound wisdom from God in the readings? Am I open to correction, to challenge, to affirmation in the readings of God’s Word? Do I intently pray along with the priest presider throughout the Mass? Do I make an offering of my life, along with the bread and wine? Do I genuinely hunger for the Body and Blood of Christ? And do I long for that blessing

continued from page 7

that sends me on my way with the mission to build the Kingdom?

Instead of worrying about what “counts” when it comes to Sunday Mass, maybe we should work hard at fostering our love for the Eucharist, our desire for eternal life, our attraction to the Master who calls us into a life of active discipleship. Instead of a merely heavy-handed requirement, maybe we can see more clearly that being at Mass together helps nourish us for a whole week of building God’s Kingdom. Coming with those expectations, desires, and hopes, leaving early when unnecessary would disappear as a temptation instantly. Coming late because other things have taken priority would not typically happen, other obligations notwithstanding. Christ desires our company at Mass, from beginning to end. Let’s draw near to Him.