Feast of Pentecost (Year A). MAY 28, 2023. Acts 2:1-11; 1Cor.12: 3-7,12-13; John 20:19-23. “As the Father sent me, so I send you: Receive the Holy Spirit…” Today is Pentecost Sunday and is often described as the birthday of the Church, and for that matter, Christendom. When the Spirit came upon the Apostles and the disciples, the Church was born. Just as Jesus was anointed with the Spirit at the beginning of his ministry, so the disciples needed the anointing of the Holy Spirit to carry out the mission entrusted to them by Jesus. The Holy Spirit is given to all who are baptized into Jesus Christ to enable us to live a new way of life - a life of love, peace, joy, and righteousness (Rom. 14:17). The Spirit is the source and giver of all holiness. Isaiah foretold the seven-fold gifts that the Spirit would give: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord (Isaiah 11:2). Life Message: These gifts of Pentecost - the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and the spiritual gifts and blessings of God - are made possible through the death, resurrection, and ascension of the Lord Jesus. After his resurrection Jesus "breathed" on his disciples and gave them the Holy Spirit. Just as God breathed life into Adam, so the gift of the Holy Spirit is an impartation of "new life" for his people. Hence, with the gift of the Holy Spirit a new creation begins- i.e. Jesus’ gift of peace which includes the forgiveness of sins and the fullness of everything good. In the Christian community the Holy Spirit came to transform the disciples from fearful and weak persons into bold and fearless proclaimers of Jesus Christ. From that day, the disciples were equipped by the Holy Spirit to gather people from everywhere to God starting from Jerusalem to the end of the earth. Let’s note that, this indwelling of the Spirit, i.e., God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, does not take over us and our freewill but advocates for us in all situations. It allows us to freely accept or reject his advances. Conclusion: The Spirit came to tend carefully the infant church like a strong wind, or fire that could not be stopped even as the church struggled to find itself in a chaotic world. This Spirit was there to encourage when the going became difficult. It comforted and strengthened when weakness set in, and throwing-in-the-towel looked tempting. For some of us, fear compels us to barricade ourselves behind doors of uncertainties in life. They make us crouch in our own cocoon stages in life. Yet, even though we might have a good reason to fear the Lord, having abandoned him at the darkest hour, Jesus offers us peace and tells us that his wounds are offered, not as a reproach, but evidence that he is with us to strengthen us. Indeed today, we hear the Holy Spirit speak a universal language of love as we hear him in our “native language” and social status. The Spirit reminds us of the various charisms gifted to us as a Church and community for our benefit. With fire lit in our belly, the spirit helps us not to grow weary or disillusioned, but to shed light in the darkness where love can grow. Consequently, today as we celebrate the birthday of our Church, may the Holy Spirit, our guiding force, empower us to reconcile and forgive one another with the peace we have received from Jesus Christ. Amen!

Pascal Candle By: Carol Morgan We are nearing the end of the most important of all liturgical times, the season of Easter. There are 50 days of this season beginning with the First Sunday of Easter and ending with the observance of Pentecost. If we go back to the celebration of the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday, you will remember the ceremonial blessing and lighting of the Pascal Candle. It is the first candle to be lit with a flame from this sacred fire, representing the light of the risen Christ coming into the world, as a symbol of light and life, dispelling darkness, and death. It is also a reminder of the pillar of fire that led the tribe of Israel through the desert into the promised land. The Paschal candle represents the Paschal mystery, which pertains to all the things that God sent Jesus to accomplish on earth, his passion, death, and resurrection. This mystery is at the center of Catholic faith and explains why the Paschal candle takes prominence during the Easter season. It is a symbol of the very basis of the Catholic Church and our beliefs. The Pascal candle is the largest candle in the Sanctuary and takes a place of distinction to the side of the altar. It is lit along with the altar candles, becoming part of the mass celebration, throughout the 50 days of the Easter season. On Pentecost Sunday, the Pascal Candle is extinguished just after the final Gospel symbolizing the ending of the Easter Season. The Candle is then moved to its traditional place near the baptismal font and will only be lit during those celebrations that emphasize the sharing of the light of Christ. The first would be during the sacrament of the Baptismal rite, when a small candle is lit by the Godparent and given to the newly baptized. The second is when the Paschal candle is lit and placed near the casket or urn during the funeral services such as the Mass of Repose and the Mass of Requiem. The candle signifies the hope of the resurrection into which Christians are baptized. And finally, we have the parents of our First Communion candidates light a small candle from the Pascal Candle to symbolize the communion of Christ within each of them. Only Christ, the true Light, can dispel darkness. As we gaze upon this “pillar of flame” may the Light of Christ flood every corner of our souls. As Catholics seek to restore the sense of the sacred, may we who have received the Light of Christ in Baptism be bright lights of Christ before the world. So, after the reading of the Gospel at the 10 a.m. mass on Pentecost Sunday, the Pascal Candle flame will be extinguished. This symbolic act will remind us of the risen Christ’s ascension and the transfer of his light as a continued presence in our church and within us. As we seek to welcome the sense of the sacred, may we who have received the Light of Christ in Baptism be bright lights of Christ before the world. May our hearts burn brightly with this flame like the disciples who walked along the Emmaus road with our Lord.

THE ASCENSION OF OUR LORD (Year A). May 21, 2023. Acts 1:1-11; Eph 1:17-23; Mt 28:16-20. “…You will be my witnesses to the ends of the earth…” Today’s Gospel tells us that, with his return to the Father, Jesus completes his mission on earth. But just before his Ascension, Jesus entrusted to the disciples the mission of preaching the Good News and evangelizing the whole world by bearing witness to him through their words and lives. Hence, Jesus' last words to his disciples point to the key mission and task he has entrusted to his followers on earth - to be his witnesses and ambassadors to the ends of the earth so that all peoples, tribes, and nations may hear the good news that Jesus Christ has come to set us free from sin, Satan, and death and has won for us a kingdom of peace, joy, and righteousness that will last forever. Life Message: How can we be effective witnesses/Ambassadors for Christ? Jesus told his disciples, "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you - and you shall be my witnesses... to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8). Paul the Apostle reminds us that we are called to be ambassadors for Jesus Christ. Just as ambassadors are appointed to represent their country and to speak on behalf of their nation's ruler, we, too are appointed by the Lord Jesus to speak on his behalf and to bring others into a close and personal encounter with the Lord and Ruler of heaven and earth. Conclusion: This is the great commission which the risen Christ gives to the whole church. All believers have been given a share in this task - to be heralds of the good news and ambassadors for Jesus Christ, the only savior of the world. Significantly, the Ascension is most closely related, in meaning, to Christmas. In Jesus, the human and the Divine become united in the Person and life of one man Who is also True God. That's Christmas. At the Ascension, this human being – the person and the resurrected living body of Jesus – became for all eternity a part of who God is. That is what the Ascension, along with the Incarnation, is here to tell us – that it is a good thing to be a human being; indeed, it is a wonderful and an important and a holy thing to be a human being. And it is, indeed, such an important thing that God did it!! And thankfully, we have not been left alone in this task, for the risen Lord works in and through us by the power of his Holy Spirit, promising us that: “You will be my witnesses to the ends of the earth.” And, assuredly, “I am with you always; yes, to the end of time” (Mt 28-20).

6 th.Sunday of EASTER. (Year A) (May 17, 2023): Acts 8:5-8, 14-17, I Pt 3:15-18, Jn 14:15-21. “If you love me, you will keep my commandments”. In the Garden of Eden, Eve asks Adam: “Do you love me? Adam answers: “Of course, Eve! You are my one and only love.” Adam was smart enough to give the right answer. But with God, we are often tempted to let other things take a higher priority in our lives than God, such things as sports, pleasure, money, our own ego etc. In today’s very short Gospel, Jesus uses the word “LOVE” five times. In our culture today that word, “Love” conjures up romantic love images-which is good! For without it, the entire human race would have become extinct long ago. But in our culture, it is overdone- “Romantic Love” is, the most written about, portrayed in movies, poetry, soap operas, and music. However, Jesus’ word “Love” connotes a higher meaning. In Greek, there are three different words for love: a) ”Eros”- Romantic Love; b) “Philia”-Friendship/philosophical love; and “Agape” love-used mostly in the Scriptures, which means esteem, affection, giving and caring kind of interest in one another. Life Message: Thus, when Jesus speaks of “LOVE”- “If you love me keep my commandments” (Love one another as I have loved you “, Jn.13:34-35)- he means “Agape” Love. In other words, it is characterized not so much by the kind of feelings it gives us, which are sometimes warm and affectionate, full of gratitude and peace, having a sense of God’s presence. But sometimes our feelings are those of doubt, darkness, emptiness, which are experiences, which even Saints have. This is a reality that is true in all our relationships. When we love others with an agape love, we are willing to go an extra mile for them, be concerned about them, and visit, spend time, and help them. Admittedly, we can’t measure our love for God by our feelings. But today, Jesus gives us a way of knowing whether we love God: “If you love me, keep my commandments”, he tells us. Conclusion: Consequently, born human, in the image and likeness of God, we have within us capacities to love, learn, choose, work and so on. But we need the help of parents, teachers and friends to activate and develop these capacities so that we can reach our full human potential. For, “God sent his beloved son, the Lord Jesus Christ, into the world, not to condemn it, but to redeem it from the curse of sin and death” (Jn. 3:16-17). That is why we need the Holy Spirit and why Jesus promised to ask the Father to send Him to us: “I will ask the Father and He will give you another Paraclete – to be with you always; to remain with you and be within you.”

5 th. Sunday of EASTER (Year A) (May 7, 2023): Acts 6:1-7, 1Pt 2:4-9, Jn 14:1-12. "If you believe in me, you will do the work I do." Introduction: Today’s readings tell us how the early Church accepted the challenge of keeping Jesus’ memory alive in the Christian community by fashioning it into a serving and worshipping community (Acts 6:1-7), allowing God to make of them ”living stones” and build them into a “spiritual house”, to be a “holy priesthood” to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ,” with Jesus Christ as the “Living Cornerstone.” (I Pt 2:4-5), thus becoming the Father’s House (John 14:1-12). Life Message: Linking the first two readings to each other and to the Gospel, the Refrain of today’s Responsorial Psalm (Ps 33) has us sing “Lord, let Your Mercy be on us, as we place our trust in You,” because His Divine Mercy is the Source and binding power of our unity in Him here and hereafter. Thus, today’s Gospel gives us the image of the Church as a Church in glory in the Father’s House. It also reminds us of the great truth that Jesus is the Way to God, that Jesus is the Truth of God, and that Jesus is Life of God, through Whom we receive God’s own Life. Consequently, today’s readings demand from us real Faith not only in God the Father but also in Jesus precisely because he is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (Jn. 14:6), and he instructs us, “You have faith in God; have faith also in Me” (Jn. 14:1). Conclusion: Jesus says, "If you believe in me, you will do the work I do." This is the work he's talking about: creating safe, secure, happy places for one another in which the really important work of life -- transformation and big-family building -- can happen. We can help one another “get a life” in the same way Jesus did: by receiving frequently his Body and Blood (Holy Communion) -Spiritual Food for the journey; by recognizing the powerful effect we have on one another, for good or ill; and by consciously deciding to make even our smallest choices add up to safe, secure, happy spaces where every member of our big Parish family can grow whole. Let me, therefore, end with a quote from Thomas a Kempis in his famous book, ‘The Imitation of Christ’: "Without the Way, there is no going. Without the Truth, there is no knowing. Without Life, there is no living."

On my way into the office each day, I drive with the radio on. I don’t listen to the news, it hurts my heart too much and besides, I still read a newspaper. I don’t listen to Catholic Radio either, as it doesn’t come in very well in this area. (I have a FM radio, no satellite radio.) Given the circumstances, I’ve chosen to listen to a local Christian Station that has very little interruption to the music. No traffic updates, no news, no ads and very little talking from radio hosts. Primarily just music. A week ago, on Thursday morning, a song came on the station and it’s one that I’ve heard for several years and I found myself singing along. Some of you may know the song, “I Can Only Imagine” by Mercy Me. The premise of the lyrics wondering what it would be like to be in the presence of Jesus. The lyrics include: “Surrounded by Your glory, what would my heart feel? Will I dance for You Jesus or in awe of you be still? Will I stand in Your presence or to my knees, will I fall? Will I sing hallelujah? Will I be able to speak at all? I can only imagine.” The words got me thinking, and I realized how fortunate I feel to be Catholic. I really don’t have to imagine what I would do if I was in the presence of Jesus, so much as I need to realize that I am in the presence of Jesus. One of my heroes, Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta, often quoted Matthew 25: 40, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ As Catholics we are given the corporal works of mercy—feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, visit the imprisoned,shelter the homeless, visit the sick, and bury the dead. We know that by performing these works, we recognize Jesus in our brothers and sisters. We know that every time we participate in a Sacrament, we have an encounter with Jesus. We are in the presence of Jesus. Jesus is all around us all the time, we need to have the eyes to see, to recognize and to realize his presence. So, I asked myself, what do I do when I realize the presence of Jesus in my life? Often, I speak a word of gratitude. I will smile. I’ll laugh or cry from delight or tenderness or sorrow. My heart will feel like it’s going to burst, or sometimes my heart just breaks for the other. Sometimes it’s just a quiet moment. The recognition of Jesus brings me to the moment, to the other, to myself, and to God. If I could just realize it more often. How about you? How does your heart feel when you recognize you are in the presence of Jesus? Do you dance? Do you stand? Do you kneel? Or can you only imagine?

4 th. Sunday of Easter (Year A). April,30,2023. Acts 2:14a, 36-41; Ps. 23: 1-3a, 3b4, 5, 6. John 10:1-10. “I Came That They May Have Life… Abundantly”. Introduction: On this Good Shepherd Sunday and the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, the Church reminds us of our call to become good shepherds of God’s flock and good sheep of His parishes and invites us to pray for vocations to the priesthood, the diaconate, and the consecrated life. Both the Old and New Testaments use the image of a Shepherd and His flock to describe the unique relationship of God with Israel and of the Christ with Christians. So, for instance, the Old Testament speaks of God as shepherd of his people, Israel: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want” (Ps. 23:1). The Messiah is also pictured as the shepherd of God's people: “He will feed his flock like a shepherd, he will gather the lambs in his arms” (Isaiah 40:11). In the New Testament, Jesus says, “I am the Good Shepherd who will risk his life to seek out and save the stray sheep” (Matt.18:12, Luke 15:4). Indeed, he is “the Shepherd and Guardian of our souls” (1 Pet. 2:25). Life Message: What can shepherding teach us about God and our relationship with him? In today’s Gospel, two brief parables show us Jesus, the first, as a selfless, caring “shepherd” who provides for his sheep protection and life itself, and the second, as our unique gateway ("sheep gate"), to eternal salvation. In other words, besides guiding his flock to Eternal Life as the Good Shepherd, Jesus is himself the gateway to Eternal Life. At the end of each day the shepherd brought his sheep into shelter. They knew the voice of their shepherd and came at his beckoning. So familiar was the shepherd and his sheep, that each was called by a distinct name. Thus, today, Jesus is sharing some basic earthly truths that have a heavenly meaning, by making connections between sheep, shepherds, thieves, and robbers, and applying these earthly observations, as guides to our spiritual lives. Conclusion: In fact, the Bible compares us to sheep in many places. Ps. 119:176 says, "I have strayed like a lost sheep." The prophet Isaiah in chapter 53:6, said, " We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” In fact, if you consult anyone who raises sheep, they will tell you that if you give sheep an opportunity to make trouble, they will take it and can be very destructive. We, like sheep, know that it is simply impossible for us to stay perfect. But our Shepherd provides the gate and the path, hence the assurance that, “I Came That They May Have Life, and have it more Abundantly” (Jn10:10). Therefore, we need to become good sheep in the fold of Jesus, the Good Shepherd. We Pray: Good and gracious Lord, we thank you for your role as gate and shepherd. We are blessed to be your lambs led on the path of everlasting life in You. Through Your death we have eternal life, free from the grasp of robbers and thieves. Thank you for being our “GPS” to get us to our desired destination. AMEN!

2 nd.Sunday of Easter (Year A) (April 16, 2023) Acts 2:42-47, I Peter 1:3-9, John 20:19-31. (Divine Mercy Sunday) “Jesus, I trust in you” Introduction: The readings for this Sunday show us our need for God’s Divine Mercy, through the celebration of the Sacraments (especially the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the Holy Eucharist) when we receive them in trusting Faith. Origin: St. Faustina Kowalska and the Image of Divine Mercy: St. Faustina of Poland is the wellknown apostle of Divine Mercy. On the 30th of April, 2000, on the Second Sunday of Easter (Divine Mercy Sunday, the Feast requested by Jesus in His communications with St. Faustina), Pope St. John Paul II celebrated the Eucharist in Saint Peter’s Square and proceeded to the canonization of Blessed Sister Faustina Kowalska. And she invites us by the witness of her life to keep our Faith and Hope fixed on God the Father, rich in mercy, who saved us by the precious Blood of His Son. During her short life, the Lord Jesus assigned to St. Faustina three basic tasks: 1. to pray for souls, entrusting them to God's incomprehensible Mercy; 2. to tell the world about God's generous Mercy; 3. to start a new movement in the Church focusing on God's Mercy. At the canonization of St. Faustina, Pope St. John Paul II said: “The cross, even after the Resurrection of the Son of God, speaks, and never ceases to speak, of God the Father, Who is absolutely faithful to His eternal love for man. ... Believing in this love means believing in mercy." “The Lord of Divine Mercy,” a drawing of Jesus based on the vision given to St. Faustina, shows Jesus raising his right hand in a gesture of blessing, with His left hand on his heart from which gush forth two rays, one red and one white. The picture contains the message, "Jesus, I trust in You!" The rays streaming out have symbolic meaning: red for the Blood of Jesus, which is the life of souls, and white for the water of Baptism which justifies souls. The whole image is symbolic of the mercy, forgiveness and love of God. Life message: We need to accept God's invitation to celebrate and practice mercy in our Christian lives: One major way the Church celebrates God’s mercy throughout the year is through the Holy Mass and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Finding time for Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is another good way to receive and give thanks for Divine Mercy. But it is mainly through the corporal and spiritual works of mercy that we practice the Mercy we have received, in our daily lives and become eligible for God’s merciful judgment. Conclusion: Therefore, as Christians, we must endeavor to share in the Divine Life of Jesus by frequenting the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Holy Eucharist. St. Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa) presents it this way: “If we pray, we will believe; if we believe, we will love; if we love, we will serve. Only then we put our love of God into action.”

Beginning Ash Wednesday, the Knights of Columbus will be collecting can goods in the Narthex. Thank you for your donations.

Continue your Lenten journey with Stations of the Cross Every Friday at 7:00 p.m. in the Main Church. February 24th, March 3rd, 10th, 24th & 31st Special Children's Station of the Cross March 17th at 5:00 p.m. in the Main Church Children are welcome to learn about the stations of the cross during thisspecial event geared specifically toward our parish youth. Potluck meal to follow in the Parish Hall. Please Contact Allison Ramirez allison@stbarbarachurch.org for questions

Catholic Relief Services Rice Bowl Collection This Lent, commit to our global human family through daily prayer, weekly fasting and almsgiving. Rice Bowls can be found in the Narthex all through Lent. Thank you for your donation.

We are now officially in the Easter season, and the first Sunday after every Easter is known as Divine Mercy Sunday. The Divine Mercy image has become an iconic reminder of the unfathomable mercy that Jesus desires to lavish upon any and all who ask. This image was the result of a vision of Jesus that Sister Maria Faustina experienced in 1931. In her vision, Jesus appeared to her wearing a white robe, his hand raised in blessing. His other hand touched his robe at the level of his heart from which two rays flowed out. The red ray represents his love which is life for souls, and the white ray represents water to cleanse souls. Under his image he asked for the words: Jesus I trust in you, to be placed. He instructed Sister Faustina to have an artist paint the image of him as she had seen it, and that the first Sunday following Easter be dedicated to particular devotion to the mercy of Jesus. This weekend, we also celebrate our five Confirmation youth who have been preparing for and are now receiving the sacrament of Confirmation. Confirmation is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. What is a sacrament? The Catechism in article 1131 defines sacraments as“efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us.” In other words, the sacraments are visible signs of an invisible grace –the divine life of God—who is there to meet us in each of the sacraments. The Holy Spirit descended as of tongues of fire upon the heads of the apostles at Pentecost, a Jewish feast celebrated fifty days after Jesus resurrection, equipping them with the courage and conviction to bravely and boldly share the gospel and defend the faith. The Holy Spirit is our comforter, counselor, encourager, and cultivator of the fruits and gifts that enable us to grow in virtue. In Confirmation, specifically, we are anointed as priest, prophet, and king to confidently serve others, proclaim the gospel, and build up Christ’s kingdom here on earth using our gifts and talents to the benefit of all God’s people under the direction of the Holy Spirit. Those newly confirmed are called to go forth into the world, always with the words Jesus trust in you’ on their lips, faithful dispensers of Christ’s unfathomable mercy which we celebrate today. As taken from St. Maria Faustina’s diary, “Oh Savior of the world. I unite myself with your mercy. My Jesus, I join all my sufferings to yours and deposit them in the treasury of the Church for the benefit of souls” (Dairy, 295). “Suddenly, I saw the Lord Jesus, who said to me, Be at peace, my child. See, you are not alone. My heart watches over you” (Diary, 316).