6th.Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year A. (Feb. 12, 2023): Sir 15:15-20, I Cor 2:6-10, Mt 5:17-37. “…If you chose you can keep the commandments…”, say the Lord. Today’s readings challenge us to choose freely and wisely to observe the laws given by a loving and caring God. Ask a group of high school students for their definition or understanding of obedience, and you will be greeted with lots of complaints and grumblings. Youth/children of this age, often feel like their loves are spent doing nothing, but obeying their parents, teachers, and older siblings. Being obedient to God/the Church, is one more requirement in their apparent rigid experience of life. Hence, to them, obedience is usually a list of rules-“DO’S AND DON’T’S”- that govern their every action. Perhaps even as adults this is our experience of work life or of religion, and right relationship with God. And as a result, many ardent and faithful Catholics have left the Catholic Church. In today’s gospel, however, Jesus smashes these expectations, and connotations, and sets the record straight. While the fear of being condemned to hell has motivated many Catholics to follow the Ten Commandments, and other pieces of the Catechism, the Church has slowly but surely, moved past fear and power-driven motivators, in favor of a focus on healthy relationships with oneself, the Community, Creation, and ultimately, God. LIFE MESSAGE: Q= What would our faith look like if our focus was truly on the motivation BEHIND, the rules and regulations, rather than the LAW, itself? To be clear, Jesus does not imagine a superhuman life without any emotion or temptation; instead, he describes how his disciples are called to defuse anger and pursue reconciliation in our broken relationships. Scripture Scholar, Barbara Reid writes: “Killing another person, is the epitome of broken relationships”. Thus when a relationship is beyond repair, broken rather than damaged, our anger is prone to be out of control and therefore damaging-not just to our neighbor, but to ourselves, God, and the entire body of Christ, to which we belong. Consider both the private and public spaces, in which anger is typically expressed! Whether expressed in a rant or text to a friend, or a post on social/print media, anger is both a symptom and a root cause of damaged relationships, psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually. Hence today, Christ challenges his followers to exercise detachment and healthy boundaries, so that emotions do not control us, and cause more harm in our lives. In short, if our anger or lust comes about and overwhelms us, that is a sign to examine our relationships and motivations. This means, obedience is not simply following a list of rules out of obligation; it springs forth from love, trust, and faithful relationship with another. Conclusion: Through Sirach, the Lord says: “If you choose you can keep the commandments. If you trust in God, you shall live. To whichever you choose, FIRE OR WATER, stretch forth your hand! God’s grace enables us to ‘observe’ his law and keep it with all your heart.” This means, we stretch forth our hands to the Fire of the Holy Spirit, and to the Water of our baptism, letting our “YES” mean “YES”, and “NO” mean “NO”. Eventually, those whose refuse to let lust master them; who are quick to reconcile with their brother or sister; and who teach and obey the Commandments, will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. This, for Jesus, is the “RIGHTEOUSNESS” that surpasses that of the Pharisees!

February 18th 6 pm in the Parish Hall Live Music & Dinner Tickets will go on sale: January 21st and 22nd January 28th and 29th

Sunday January 29th Come join the Knights of Columbus for good food and fellowship after both of the morning masses. We will have ham 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 included improvement to St. Barbara Church, coats for kids, sponsoring our seminarian and our scholarship fund. See you there.

Donuts and Fellowship Please join us in the Parish Hall for donuts, coffee and fellowship following the 8 a.m. & 10 a.m. masses on January 22nd.

We Remember Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI I loved Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. He is the only Pope that I had ever wanted to see in person. He amazed me. Here was a man who had been at most, if not all the sessions of Vatican Council II. He had been instrumental in helping to write most of the major documents from the Council. He was the impetus behind the Catechism of the Catholic Church. What an amazing man, what an amazing life. His writings lead me on a journey of knowing more about my Catholic Faith, about the writings of people like Augustine, Bonaventure, and Little Teresa. More important than anything, he taught me that having a relationship with Jesus was the point to life. Let me share with you three of Benedicts quotes that have given me direction over the years. . . Maybe Benedict can help you on your journey. Give him a try. “God is no longer just in heaven…he is now also the One who is near us, who has become identified with us, who touches us and is touched by us, the One whom we can receive and who will receive us.” (God and the World.) “The purpose of our lives is to reveal God to men. And only where God is seen does life truly begin. Only when we meet the living God in Christ do we know what life is. We are not some casual and meaningless product of evolution. Each of us is the result of a thought of God. Each of us is willed, each of us is loved, each of us is necessary.” (Let God’s Light Shine Forth) “Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person (Jesus Christ), which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction.” (Encyclical Letter ‘Deus Caritas Est’—God is Love) - Valerie Winston Healy A Prayer for Pope Benedict XVI O God, true shepherd of all the faithful, look with kindness on your servant Pope Benedict XVI, whom you set as head and shepherd of your Church. We give you thanks for your grace at work in him as he has led us by word and example: in his teaching, in his prayer, and in his great love. Grant him your strength in frailty, comfort in sorrow, and serenity amid the trials of this world; and guide your Church, built on the rock of Peter, with the power of your Spirit as we continue on the path that leads to you. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

If you are an experienced painter and available to help update our hall Jan 5th & 6th 9 am to 5 pm, please contact Zack Midles at zmidles@gmail.com You can come for all or part of the day, time slots available. Lunch will be provided.

January 14th 6:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall You are invited to a Parish Spaghetti feed hosted by the Knights of Columbus. Please bring a dessert to share if you are able.

St. Barbara Catholic Church follows the Tahoma School District weather advisories. If the school is closed during the week, there will be no weekday celebrations. Please use your best judgement when attending church in winter weather. If you can not get to mass safely, feel free to watch our 8 a.am. Sunday mass on livestream.

Solemnity of Mary, The Mother of God Numbers. 6:22-27; Galatians 4:4-7; Luke 2:16-21. The LORD bless you and keep you! The LORD let his face shine upon you and be gracious to you! The LORD look upon you kindly and give you peace!” Introduction: Since we celebrate the Feast of Mary, the Mother of God, on New Year’s Day, may I take this opportunity to wish you all a Happy and Peaceful New Year. Indeed, the Church puts this solemnity on the first day of the New Year to emphasize the importance of Mary’s role in the life of Christ and of the Church. This means, in celebrating her special feast day, we acknowledge this great gift for the Church and world; we call on her to be actively involved in our daily life; we imitate her virtuous life as a great inspiration; and we cooperate with all the graces we get through her.” In short, I pray that the Lord Jesus and His Mother Mary may enrich your lives during the New Year with an abundance of God’s blessings. Life Message: Hence, on this first day of January 2023, let’s turn things around and start the day with a benediction, which is called Aaron’s Blessing, from the Book of Numbers. In fact, this is one of the most powerful blessings in the Bible, that all of us have heard many times at the end of Mass: “The LORD bless you and keep you! The LORD let his face shine upon you and be gracious to you! The LORD look upon you kindly and give you peace!” What’s the Point? To us Christians, this powerful prayer, is very reassuring and filled with deep hope and promise. Just imagine that our Lord is there to watch over and keep each of us safe each moment of our lives. That Christ is looking down on us and sharing his infinite grace with us. And, that the Lord is there to give us the peace we all seek and so desperately need. What a truly wonderful gift we have received? What more could we ask from our God as we journey together into this new year? Perhaps the more pressing question is, what do we do with this wonderful gift? Do we smugly go about our daily routines knowing the Lord is watching out for us? Or do we realize that gifts of this magnitude are meant to be shared, and that we should use this wonderful gift to energize our lives? Perhaps, with courage and conviction, we should go out and share the Lord’s gift to us with others. If we are molded in God’s image, should we not strive to emulate God in how we comport ourselves? What a better world it would be if we thought of and treated our family, coworkers, neighbors and even strangers the way God does us. …If we were to let our faces shine upon those in need and let them know we were there for them, willing to serve and assist them. …If we were kind and gracious to all and shared our peace with each of them, so they might know that the world is not filled with the wicked people and acts of brutality that dominate our news. …If we shared the same compassion and forgiveness that God pours down upon us in an unending stream, on those who have wronged us. Conclusion: Therefore, this year, in addition to the usual exercise more, lose some weight, learn new language resolutions, let’s resolve to make one to be more conscious about sharing the infinite blessings we receive from God with everyone whom we come in contact with. Happy New Year!

As we enter a New Year, it is an excellent time to reflect on how our lives have been moved by our Lord Jesus Christ. Have we welcomed God into our lives? Have we taken time to speak with God each day? Have we put God first? With the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives, it can be hard to make time for God, but we can look to others for inspiration. What steps can we take to improve our relationship with God throughout the year? It is almost serendipitous that we celebrate the first true disciple of Jesus right when the new year begins. Today we honor the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ. She is the first true follower of Jesus Christ. The one who said “Yes” to God when the angel came to her that fateful day. She, of true faith and love, gave her life to God the Father and the Son. What devotion she must have had to take on such a challenge. We cannot all be as devout as Mary, but maybe we can learn from her perseverance and faithfulness. If we could give but one moment each day to God, compared to what Mary gave her entire life, we may be able to grow our relationship with our Lord and King. Not only did Mary say “Yes” to bring Jesus into this world, but she also raised Jesus. She experienced all the challenges of motherhood and suffered the loss of a child, the ultimate fear of every mother. Even through all these trials, Mary still stayed true to God and dedicated her life to her faith. What if, instead of just one moment of prayer each day, we took our dedication to our faith even further? Praying at home alone and with our family is a perfect way to start our journey, but bringing Christ to your community is even better. Volunteering at church or for local charities is such a vital part of our faith. We are called, as disciples of God, to bring Christ to others. Spending time volunteering in your community can be quite a challenge when we live such busy lives, but when you compare it to the discipleship of Mary, it doesn’t seem so difficult. Many of us make New Year’s resolutions after the clock strikes midnight. Perhaps this year, your resolution could be for your faith. Let us take a new step forward, as an entire parish, to put God first in our lives and in the lives of those we love. If that is something you have already successfully done, then go one step further and give the gift of Christ to your community. Let us say “Yes” to God, just as Mary did so long ago. - Katie Baker

New Bible Study Starting January 5th Thursday 6:00-7:30pm in the Lower parish classrooms. Parishioners 18+ who would like to dive deeper into the Old Testament Prophets are welcome to join. Each participant will receive their own study book. Come grow in your faith with food and fellowship! Contact Allison Ramirez to register. allison@stbarbarachurch.org Discover the Messages the Prophets Have for You If God’s people had stayed close to him, there might have been no need for the prophets. God sent prophets at critical times to call the people back to their covenant relationship. Prophets proclaimed the consequences of continued sin, called people to repentance, and declared God’s faithful love. They also spoke of the future to shed light on current events and to reveal God’s plans and purposes. It is nearly impossible to understand the work and the message of Jesus without the prophetic books. In The Prophets: Messengers of God’s Mercy, presenter Thomas Smith examines who the prophets were, their role during their time, and the meaning of their messages for our own time. Discover how God is constantly calling you to a deeper relationship as well as the ways you are called to be the voice of God to others.

The Cemetery Prayer Service began in January 2022 and will continue on January 5th 2023. We meet at the Black Diamond Cemetery on the 1st Thursday of each month from 3:00-3:30pm. Please join us as we pray for all those who have died and/or those in purgatory. We start with some prayers, following with the Rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet, or Stations of the Cross, which we alternate each month, while we walk the Black Diamond Cemetery. Northwest Catholic recently did an article about the service, Check It Out. Please contact Allison Ramirez for more information allison@stbarbarachurch.org