St. Barbara
Catholic Church
Black Diamond, WA

Fanning The Flame Our celebration of Pentecost last weekend gave us a wonderful opportunity to thank the Lord for fulfilling his promise to fill us with power from on high to face the challenges of discipleship. I am well aware, as I have stated in my homilies, that not every Catholic has experienced baptism in the Holy Spirit, which is a tragedy since God wants everyone to have this grace. Trying to live out our vocations without the grace of Pentecost is like trying to pl

The Promise of the Father - Pentecost You have heard me speak frequently about the importance of Pentecost and our ability to welcome the gift of the Holy Spirit into our lives to help strengthen and guide us through the joys and challenges of Christian discipleship. There are three things I would like to highlight regarding the grace of Pentecost. Let’s call them the three “P’s” of Pentecost. Power. Jesus told his disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they were empower

Wisdom from Thomas à Kempis A few weeks ago in my homily, I shared a passage from one of my favorite devotionals, The Imitation of Christ by Thomas A Kempis. I have been revisiting this well-loved devotional and wanted to share one of my favorite sections on regaining God’s grace. My child, “The LORD is good, a stronghold in a day of trouble” (Nahum 1:7). Come to me whenever you need help. The greatest hindrance to receiving consolation is your apparent reluctance to

A Blessed Weekend - Two Celebrations! This weekend we are privileged to celebrate two occasions. We are joined on Saturday evening by Archbishop Etienne for the celebration of Confirmation at Sacred Heart Parish. This wonderful sacrament is a reminder of the Lord’s promise to send the Holy Spirit to strengthen us in our inner being so we may live out our baptismal calling as followers of Jesus Christ. I remember my own Confirmation in 1987 and the many graces I received wit