Sunday, April 28th Following 8:00 a.m. & 10:00 a.m. mass Parish Hall Come join The Knights of Columbus for good food and fellowship after both of the morning masses. We will have ham, Sausage, eggs, fruit and, of course, Basha's famous pancakes! Don't miss out on the good meal and helping us support our worthy charities which include improvements to St. Barbara Church, Coats for Kids, sponsoring our Seminarian and our Scholarship fund. See you there!

Treat your little ones to pizza, games, a fun project, and a movie, $5 suggested donation, but not required to participate. It's a fantastic opportunity for them to have a blast with friends while you focus on strengthening your bond as a couple. Date: Saturday, April 27th Time: 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm Location: St. Barbara Parish Hall RSVP by April 22nd Please RSVP Link

6th.Sunday of Easter (Year B). May 5, 2024 Acts 10:25-26,34-35,44-48;1Jn.4:7-10; John 15:9-17. Do you wish to be fruitful and abound in the love of God? What does it mean to be a friend of God? Friendship with God certainly entails a loving relationship which goes beyond mere duty and obedience. The distinctive feature of Jesus' relationship with his disciples was his personal love for them. Remember, “Jesus loved his own to the end” (John 13:1). His love was unconditional and wholly directed to the good of others. His love was also sacrificial. He gave the best he had and all that he had. He gave his very life for those he loved, in order to secure for them everlasting life with the Father. Life Message: Do you wish to be fruitful and to abound in the love of God? The Lord Jesus tells us that he is our friend, he loves us whole-heartedly and unconditionally. He wants us to love one another just as he loves us, whole-heartedly and without reserve. His love fills our hearts and transforms our minds and frees us to give ourselves loving service to others. Thus, our love for God and our willingness to lay down our life for others is a response to the exceeding love God has given us in Christ. Hence, in life, if we always open our hearts to his love and obey his command to love our neighbor, then we will bear much fruit in our lives, fruit that will last for eternity. Conclusion: The Lord Jesus gives his followers a new commandment - a new way of love that goes beyond giving only what is required or what we think others might deserve. It is a love to the death - a purifying love that overcomes selfishness, fear, and pride. It is a total giving of oneself for the sake of others - a selfless and self-giving love that is oriented towards putting the welfare of others ahead of myself. Indeed, “…Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends”, says the Lord. Do you wish to be fruitful and to abound in the love of God? Then, “beloved let’s love one another, because love is of God…Whoever doesn’t love, doesn’t know God, for God is Love” (1Jn.4:7-8). AMEN!!

5th. Sunday of Easter (Year B). (April 28, 2024): “I am the true vine…My Father prunes every branch that doesn’t bear fruit, so that it bears more fruit…” Introduction: Today’s Scripture selections emphasize the need for Christians to abide in Christ as a condition (condictio sine qua non) for producing the Spirit’s fruits of kindness, mercy, charity, and holiness. Life Message: True Story: In the late 1980s, a fire destroyed a building on the lower East side of Manhattan. An alarm was sounded, and the trucks and personnel arrived in plenty of time to fight the fire. The people got out of the building quickly and in order. However, When the firemen arrived, and with their hoses ready to jump into action, it was discovered too late, that the city water line had never been connected to this part of the system- a deadly oversight indeed! Today’s Gospel explains why Jesus must be the pivotal point in our lives, through the little parable of the vine and the branches. This metaphor is an invitation to stay close to Jesus, but be aware that, there is a need at times to for us to be pruned to bear more fruit abundantly. In short, to live a human life disconnected from the living God is tragic as well. Jesus did more than come to live among us. He is the life-giving vine, and we are the branches. And so he says today: “I am the true vine…My Father, the dresser, prunes every branch that doesn’t bear fruit, so that it bears more fruit…” Conclusion: St. Paul experienced this reality. As Saul, he had been on top of the world, but God had another plan that required him to be trimmed back. Thus, the Lord intervened in his life, blinded him temporarily, and eventually converted him to the new way of life. Despite all this Paul didn’t have life on a silver platter. All of us have had the experience of being cut back, pruned by God, but what has been our reaction? Have we grown angry, thrown in the towel, and given up? Young people in school are cut back when they fail to achieve their goals. General life challenges-ill health, financial problems, and addictive behavior-are ways God prunes us back. Bottomline, we must all allow God to cut us down-a reality that is hard to accept! Hence strengthened by the Eucharist, may we be open to the action of the vine grower, and thereby stay strongly attached to Jesus, apart from whom we can do nothing, but connected to whom we can find eternal life. For, “I am the true vine…My Father, the dresser, prunes every branch that doesn’t bear fruit, so that it bears more fruit…”

Are you curious to explore and deepen your Catholic faith? Join us on a meaningful journey where we gather to discuss and reflect on our beliefs in the context of today's world. Together, we'll draw from the wellsprings of scripture, tradition, faith narratives, Catholic social teachings, the wisdom of saints, and various other enriching resources. When: Every Wednesday evening, from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM Starting: September 13, 2023 Where: Lower level of the church, Room L No registration is required. Feel free to attend one, some, or all gatherings. For questions, Contact: Valerie Winston Healy Pastoral Associate Email: paa@stbarbarachurch.org Phone: 360-886-2229, ext. 227 Come and join us in this space where Catholics come together to discuss and deepen their understanding of their faith.

4th. Sunday of EASTER (Year B) (April 21, 2024): Acts 4:8-12; I Jn 3:1-2; Jn 10:11-18 The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. Today, on the Fourth Sunday of Easter, we celebrate Good Shepherd Sunday. It is a day when we reflect upon the tender image of Jesus as the Shepherd of us all. It is also a day set aside to pray for more shepherds within our Church who will shepherd God’s flock with the Heart of Christ. Life Message: Our Gospel today is Jesus’ commentary upon the actions of the Pharisees in contrast to His own. The Pharisees, as religious leaders, were not shepherds. They were “thieves and robbers” who came to “steal and slaughter and destroy.” Jesus, however, came so that those who listened to His voice “might have life and have it more abundantly.” Consequently, the Gospel passage quoted above explains why the Pharisees were not true shepherds. It was because they “work for pay” and have “no concern for the sheep.” Hence, the Pharisees worked for their own self-importance—a fleeting and worldly reward. In other words, they saw themselves as the true teachers and interpreters of the Law and saw anyone who did not follow them as a threat. Hence, these Pharisees clearly perceived Jesus as such a threat to them. Conclusion: To “take refuge in the Lord”, the Good Shepherd, requires that we first face up to our own powerlessness, our limitations, and our need to follow someone if we want to experience true fulfillment in our lives. Unlike literal sheep, we are aware of the risk that our shepherd takes: “A good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep”. And so, we exclaim, “See what love the Father has bestowed on us…” “He is the stone rejected by the builders, who has become the cornerstone”. And so, more than merely knowing the shepherd’s voice, we know his name, “by which we are saved.” Because we agree to be sheep, “we are God’s children now.” Therefore, as priests and lay faithful, laying our lives down is an act of sacrificial love that enables us to look only at the needs of those around us. Remember, that pride and selfishness must disappear, and the good of the other must become our only goal. Reflect upon how well you do this and pray that the Good Shepherd will use you to shepherd those in your life who need it the most. Prayer: Divine Shepherd, you came to lay down Your life for us all so that we might have life and have it to the fullest. Help me to receive and imitate Your love so that I will lay my life down for others, leading them to You, their holy Shepherd. Jesus, my Good Shepherd, I trust in You.

Official Pastoral Assignment Letter from Archbishop Etienne Select desired file below for download to view Get more information about Partners in the Gospel on the Seattle Archdiocese website.

3 rd.Sunday of EASTER (Year B) April 14, 2024. Acts 3:13-15, 17-19; I Jn, 2:1-5a; Lk 24:35-48. The common theme of today’s readings is a challenge to our Faith in the living presence of the risen Lord. That Faith should strengthen our Hope in His promises, call us to true repentance for our sins, and lead us to bearing witness to Christ by our works of Charity. Does our Faith do that for us? The readings also remind us that the purpose of Jesus’ death and Resurrection was to save us from our sins. Hence, they invite us to make our witness-bearing to the risen Lord more effective by repenting of our sins, renewing our lives, and meeting Jesus in the Word of God and at the Eucharistic Table. Significance: Today’s Gospel tells us that Jesus had to convince the disciples that he wasn’t a ghost. He had to dispel their doubts and their fears. He showed them his hands and his feet. He invited them to touch him and see that he was real. And he even ate a piece of cooked fish with them -- all to prove that he was alive and not a ghost or spirit. He stood there before them, as real and alive as he had been over the past three days. Life message: We need to share the apostles’ "Upper Room Experience" in the Holy Mass: The same Jesus who, in the Upper Room, the Cenacle, prepared the disciples for their preaching and witnessing mission, is present with us in the Eucharistic celebration. In the "Liturgy of the Word” of God, Jesus speaks to us. In the "Liturgy of the Eucharist," Jesus becomes our spiritual food and drink. Thus, today's Gospel scene is repeated every Sunday on our parish altars. And so, like the early disciples, we come together to repent of our sins, express our gratitude for blessings received, listen to God’s word, and offer our lives to God along with our petitions and His gifts of consecrated Bread and Wine. We also consume the spiritual food Jesus supplies, thus gaining the strength necessary for sharing Christ’s message with the entire world, mainly by living transparent Christian lives. Conclusion: Jesus needs Spirit-filled followers to be his eyes, ears, hands and feet so that we may bear witness to his love, mercy and forgiveness by exercising these gifts in our compassionate loving service of all our brothers and sisters. The Church desperately needs dedicated witnesses: priests, deacons, Brothers, Sisters, parents, teachers, doctors, nurses, old folks, young folks – all of us. The essence of bearing witness is to testify by our lives that the power of the risen Jesus has touched and transformed us.

Community Soup Suppers in the Parish Hall Every Friday at 6pm, before Stations of the Cross Stations of the Cross in the Main Church Every Friday at 7pm during lent February 16th February 23rd March 1st 5:30 p.m. Children’s Stations of the Cross, Potluck following March 8th March 15th March 22nd March 29th Good Friday Stations of the Cross

March 31st Join us for a hopping good time, after our 10:00 a.m. mass, on the parish grounds. Children of all ages are invited to participate in the annual Knights of Columbus Easter Egg Hunt. Bring a basket and get ready for this joyous Easter tradition.

2 nd.Sunday of EASTER (Year B) (April 7, 2024) Divine Mercy Sunday (Acts 4:32-35, I John 5:1-6, John 20:19-31) Introduction: The readings for this Sunday show us our need for God’s Divine Mercy, which is offered to us through the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the forgiveness of our sins, and through each celebration of the Sacraments (all instituted to sanctify us), when we receive them in trusting Faith, and in the state of Grace. The opening prayer addresses the Father as "God of everlasting Mercy." In first section of the Resp. Psalm (Ps 118), we repeat three times, “His mercy endures forever!” This means, God revealed His mercy, first and foremost, by sending His only begotten Son to become our Savior and Lord by His suffering, death, and Resurrection. Scripture lessons (exegesis): The 1 st . reading (Acts 2:42-47) tells us how the early Church grew every day because of the acts of mercy -- sharing, sacrificial agápe love -- practiced by the early Christians. In the 2 nd . reading (1 Pt 1:3-9), St. Peter glorifies God, the Father of Jesus Christ, for showing us His mercy by granting His Son Jesus Resurrection from the dead and a glorious Ascension into Heaven, thus giving us the assurance of our own resurrection. Today’s Gospel vividly reminds us of how Jesus instituted the Sacrament of Reconciliation, a sacrament of Divine Mercy. Then the risen Lord gave his Apostles the power to forgive sins with the words, “Whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain, they are retained" (Jn 20:19-23). Add to this, presenting the doubting Thomas’ famous profession of Faith, “My Lord and my God,” the Gospel illustrates how Jesus showed his mercy to the doubting apostle and emphasizes the importance of Faith for everyone. Life message: We need to accept God's invitation to celebrate and practice mercy in our Christian lives: One 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, and Devotion to the Divine Mercy, are yet another good way to receive and give thanks for Divine Mercy. And last but not the least, it is through the corporal and spiritual works of mercy that we practice in our daily lives the Mercy we have already received and become eligible for God’s merciful judgment. Conclusion: Let us, therefore, ask God for the Faith that culminates in self-surrender to God and leads us to serve those we encounter with agape love. For, living/active Faith enables us to see the risen Lord in everyone and gives us the willingness to render to each other our loving service. 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.”