St. Barbara
Catholic Church
Black Diamond, WA

The True Essence of Christmas   When I was a child, Christmas was one of my favorite times of the year. We spent Christmas with my grandparents in Tacoma, and I have many happy memories of the time we spent with them and other family members.   In 2001, while I was serving as pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Enumclaw, I had a very unique Christmas. In some ways, it was a very difficult Christmas, as my grandmother was in the nursing home, and I had been trying to help my gran

"Hymns of Hope: Embracing the Spirit of Christmas"   One of my favorite things about Advent and Christmas is the traditional hymns that we sing and hear.   My favorite Christmas song is “O Holy Night,” and I actually composed a homily entirely based on and inspired by this song. It is so packed with theology and meaning.   Recently, I was scrolling through YouTube and found a performance of “In the Bleak Midwinter.” I looked up the lyrics and found them to be incredibly power

I Learned The Truth at Seventeen   Shortly before my seventeenth birthday, I had major surgery to try and correct a serious problem that was wreaking havoc in my life. This surgery would be the first of many others to attempt to correct this issue.   In 1975, singer/songwriter Janis Ian wrote a very popular song titled “At Seventeen.” The song reveals the torment of a teenager trying to find acceptance and love through human affirmation.   While the conclusion of the song (in

Waiting in Hope: The Heart of Advent   As we step deeper into the season of Advent, the Church invites us to rediscover one of its most essential themes: waiting. But this waiting is not passive or empty; it is an act of hope. Advent teaches us how Christians are meant to live in time: alert, expectant, and confident that God is at work, even when His presence remains hidden. Jesus uses many parables to show us what this hopeful waiting looks like: servants watching for the m

Partners in the Gospel Listening Sessions   Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,   I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who participated in the parish family listening sessions, with a special word of thanks to those who facilitated and took notes. I was able to attend most of the listening sessions and found the process to be helpful in discerning our future as a parish family.   We will have additional listening sessions as we move forward, and I would li

The True Face of Holiness: Grace Purifying Our Human Nature In our pursuit of a perfect world, we sometimes cling to an ideal of holiness free from sin and fault. We envision holiness as untouchable, pure, and unblemished. This view can lead to harsh judgments and rejection of people. Yet, Scripture and the life of Christ reveal a different truth: true holiness is not about separation, but union; not about judgment, but love that seeks to redeem. St. Augustine taught that gra