July 23, 2023. 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Wis 12:13, 16-19; Rom 8:26-27; Mt 13:24-30). Introduction: Today’s readings tell us about a very patient and compassionate God Who is hopeful that the socalled “weeds” among us will be converted. They warn us that we should not be in a hurry to eliminate such elements from the Church or society, or the family based on unwarranted and hasty judgment. Scripture lessons summarized: The 1 st . reading from the Book of Wisdom shows us a merciful and patient God, rather than the disciplining and punishing God presented in the book of Genesis. The 2 nd . reading, taken from Paul’s letter to the Romans, reminds us that the Spirit of God constantly empowers us in our prayers and in our weakness. So, we should be patient with ourselves and with others. Finally, in the Gospel parable of the wheat and the weeds, Jesus presents a wise and patient God who allows the good and the evil to coexist in the world until the harvest, and blesses the evil ones for the little good they may have done, so that they may come to conversion before their time ends: “Let the wheat and the weeds [darnel] grow together till the harvest time.” In other words, God is “delaying” the end of the world for repentant sinners, giving them more time, and offering them the graces of strength and good will so that they may get reconciled with Him. God calmly recognizes that there is evil in the world, but He sees that evil is no excuse for the good people not to do good with the power of God at their disposal. Through the parable of the wheat and the weeds in today’s Gospel, Jesus calls us to be patient with those who seem to us to fail to meet the high ethical standard expected of a Christian. Life message: This parable was told so that we might not go around judging others as “weeds” or wheat. Judgment is the function of God the Father and His angels. Instead, the parable asks us to take a close look at our own life with the understanding that, with God’s grace, one can judge one’s own heart, then repent and bear good fruit. It is a time to look at our own sins and at the way we conduct our own life, then to make a decision about our own repentance so that, with God’s grace, we can turn around and bear fruit for Jesus. In God's field, we have two responsibilities: to grow in grace, God’s favor, and to share His Word and love with others. So, we should be patient with ourselves and with others. Conclusion: We need, therefore, to practice patience and show mercy. By this I mean, let us patiently and lovingly treat the “weeds” in our society as our brothers and sisters and do all in our power to put them back on the right road to Heaven, especially by our good example, encouragement and our fervent prayer for their conversion. Let us remember that most of us have been “weeds” in God’s field more than once, and God has showed us mercy. God is so merciful that He allows evil to exist in order that what is good may grow. He allows evil to exist also because He can turn it into good. Through the power of the Spirit, God can change even the ugliest thorn into a blossom of Faith. Hence, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock, says the Lord. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door to me, I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me.” (Rev. 3:20). And so, “…Let them grow together until harvest time…”

15th.Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A). July 16, 2023. What is the best and easiest way to help people understand God's kingdom? Like the rabbis of his time, Jesus very frequently used parables - short stories and images taken from everyday life - to convey hidden truths about the kingdom of God. In other words, Jesus’ parables are like buried treasure waiting to be discovered (Matt. 13:44). Life Message: How do you listen to God's word? Jesus' parable of the Sower is aimed at the hearers of his word. There are different ways of accepting God's word and they produce different kinds of fruit accordingly. There is the prejudiced hearer who has a shut mind. Such a person is unteachable and blind to what he or she doesn't want to hear. Then there is the shallow hearer. He or she fails to think things out or think them through; they lack depth. They may initially respond with an emotional reaction; but when it wears off their mind wanders to something else. Another type of hearer is the person who has many interests or cares, but who lacks the ability to hear or comprehend what is truly important. Such a person is too busy to pray or too preoccupied to study and meditate on God's word. Then there is the one whose mind is open. Such a person is always willing to listen and to learn, in order to understand. He or she is never too proud or too busy to learn. God gives grace to those who hunger for his word that they may understand his will and have the strength to live according to it. One thing is sure, as God’s creatures, we have the potential, the freedom to be good, rich, and productive soil! Conclusion: The parables of Jesus will enlighten us if we approach them with an open mind and heart, ready to let them challenge us. However, if we approach them with the conviction that we already know the answer, then we, too, may look but not see, listen but not understand. One lesson from this parable is clear: the harvest is sure to come. While some seed will fall by the wayside and some fall on shallow ground and never come to maturity, and some be choked to death by the thorns; nonetheless a harvest will come. The seed that falls on good soil, on the heart that is receptive, will reap abundant fruit. God is always ready to speak to each of us and to give us understanding of his word. Do you allow anything to keep you from submitting to God's word with joy and trusting obedience?

14th.Sunday in Ordinary Time. (Year A) (July 9, 2023). Zec 9:9-10; Rom 8:9, 11-13; Mt 11:25-30. “Come to me you who labor and are burdened…My yoke is easy and my burden light”. Introduction: During the U. S. Independence Day celebrations on July fourth, most Americans probably heard all, or part of the Emma Lazarus poem inscribed on the base of the Statue of Liberty: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…. Send these, the homeless tempest-tossed to me.” Today’s readings, especially the Gospel, give the same message in a more powerful way: "Take my yoke . . . and you will find rest" (Matt. 11:29). Scriptures: In the first reading, the prophet Zechariah consoles the Jews living in Palestine under Greek rule, promising them a “meek” Messianic King of peace riding on a donkey, who will give them rest and liberty. The Resp. Psalm (Ps 145) praises and thanks a kind and compassionate God Who “raises up those who are bowed down” (Psalm 145:14), under heavy burdens. In the Gospel, Jesus offers rest to those “who labor and are burdened” (Matt. 11:29), if they will accept His “easy yoke and light burden” (Matt. 11:30). By declaring that his “yoke is easy,” Jesus means that whatever God sends us is made to fit our needs and our abilities exactly. The second part of Jesus’ claim is: "My burden is light.” Jesus does not mean that the burden is easy to carry but that it is laid on us in love, that it is meant to be carried in love, and that love makes even the heaviest burden light. Life message: We need to unload our burdens before the Lord. One of the effects of Worship for many of us is that it gives us a time for rest and refreshment, when we let the overheated radiators of our hectic lives cool down before the Lord. This is especially true when we unload the burdens of our sins and worries on the altar and offer them to God during the Holy Mass. Hence, he says: "Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens and I will give you rest" (11:28). This is because, unlike the burdens we bear, his yoke is easy and his burden light. The yoke of Jesus is the love of God. By telling us: "Take my yoke . . . and you will find rest" (11:29), Christ is asking us to do things the Christian way. When we center in God, when we follow God’s commandments, we have no heavy burdens. Our burden becomes light and easy when we remember that our burden is to love God, both directly, and by loving others, seeing God living in them. Conclusion: There is nothing quite like coming to the Lord and setting aside our burdens for a while - nothing quite like having our batteries recharged, our radiators cooled down, and our spirits lifted. Jesus promises us rest from the burdens that we carry -- rest from the burdens of sins, legalism, and judgment, from the weight of anxiety and worry, from the yoke of unrewarding labor, and from the endless labor for that which cannot satisfy. The absolution and forgiveness, which, as repentant sinners, we receive in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, take away our spiritual burden and enable us to share the joy of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, “Take my yoke and learn from me. . . and you will find rest" (Matt. 11:29),

Join us for our Parish Picnic on August 6th, following 9:30am morning mass and enjoy family fun, food and fellowship. Begin the celebration with mass on the lawn at 9:30am. Pray the Rosary in the main church following the 9:30 am mass. Celebrate with lunch and games starting at 11 am hosted by the Knight of Columbus. Please bring a personal lawn chair for use during mass. If you are able, please bring a dessert or side dish to share.

Dear St. Barbara Families, Registration for 2023 Vacation Bible School: Stellar Stars is now open! We have 50 spots this year. Please complete the registration form linked below and pay the fee via our parish website or a check brought to VBS to claim your spot(s). VBS is open to all those ages 3 years-through 5th grade. VBS is July 17-21st from 9-Noon at the parish. Cost: $30.00 (one child), $50.00 (two children) or $75.00 (three or four children) Registration Link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1ol9Z1eiAtLwd1PSie1nUUIqNWtihiMvb8itw8yryKQ8/viewform?edit_requested=true Online Pay link (or pay via check): https://osvhub.com/stbarbarachurch/giving/funds/st-barbara-faith-formation Please let me know if you would like to volunteer Can't help in person? Consider supporting us by purchasing directly from our Amazon gift registry Or see if you want to help by providing things on the list below: The below wish list are items that can be returned to you after camp is over. Please drop off items to the church no later then July 12th. Items can be pick up starting July 22nd. GAMES Parachute Water Foam Balls Tennis Balls (1) Spray Bottles (2) CRAFTS Washable paint (gold and silver) SNACKS Any snacks for kids OPENING & CLOSING Laser pointer Handheld mirrors (7) Flashlights (7) Foam craft boards (5) Tote bags (6) Balloons (10) Lemons (2) Twinkies (2) Tall glass vases (4) Food coloring Alka seltzer Tonic water with quinine Salt packets (5) Black light Black light keychains (5) Empty 20oz water bottle Leaf blower .5in dowel BIBLE STORIES Plush Sheep Cardboard boxes (sized to use for boulders/rocks) Flashlights Wicker Laundry Basket God Bless, Allison Ramirez allison@stbarbarachurch.org Pastoral Assistant for Faith Formation St. Barbara Church

13th.Week in Ordinary Time (Year A). (July 2,2023) 2 Kgs 4:8-11, 14-16a; Rom 6:3-4, 8-11; Mt 10:37-42. “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me…” Introduction: The common theme of today’s readings is the witnessing mission given to Christ’s followers to love God and our brothers and sisters through hospitality, generosity, commitment in humble service, and the practice of corporal and spiritual works (acts) of mercy (charity). Moreover, they remind us of the sacrifice demanded of Jesus’ disciples and the suffering they will endure for their Faith when they bear witness to Jesus. Scripture lessons: In our 1 st . reading, we see, the welcome given to the prophet Elisha by an elderly, childless couple who lived in Shunem. The wife recognized the holiness of Elisha. She showed him reverence and hospitality by inviting him to dine with her and her husband and by arranging an upper room of their house so that Elisha might stay with them when he visited the area. In response, Elisha promised her, "This time next year you will be fondling a baby son." The promise was fulfilled by God. Today's Gospel lesson concludes Jesus' great “missionary discourse” in which he instructs the twelve apostles on the cost and the reward of the commitment required of a disciple. The first half of these sayings of Jesus details the behavior expected of his disciples, and the second half speaks of the behavior expected of others towards the disciples. Jesus assures his disciples that whoever shows them hospitality will be blessed. Those who receive Jesus receive the One who sent him. Also, those who help the "little ones," (believers) and the poor, the sick, and the needy will be amply rewarded. Life message: We need to be hospitable and generous: Hospitality means acknowledging the presence of God in others and serving Him in them, especially those in whom we least expect to find Him. We, as individuals and as a community, are to look for opportunities to be hospitable--and, of course, there are plenty of ways of offering hospitality. Maybe hospitality is offered through a kind word to a stranger - or even a smile. A kind smile or a “hello" to someone waiting with us in a grocery line may be the only kindness that person encounters all day. Conclusion: We become fully alive as Christians through the generous giving of ourselves. What is more important than the sending of checks for charitable causes is the giving of ourselves to people, primarily in the way we think about them, for from that spring will flow the ways we speak to them and about them, forgive their failings, encourage them, show them respect, console them, and offer them help. Such generosity reflects warmth radiating from the very love of God.

12th. Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A). June 25, 2023. Jer. 20:10-13; Rom.5:12-1; Matt.10:26-33. Fear Not - You Are of More Value Than Many Sparrows. Fear and being afraid are featured prominently in today’s Scripture readings. God and Jesus are well acquainted with the human capacity for fear because they understand how humans can sometimes get so overwhelmed by fear that we can become paralyzed or silenced or willing to go along with something we know is so very wrong. Perhaps that is what is behind Jesus’ question: “Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your father’s knowledge. Even all the hairs on your head are counted. So do not be afraid: you are worth more than many sparrows.” Fear is a powerful force. Yet, Jesus and God do not want us to live our lives in fear. Life Message: Today’s Gospel passage is taken from the end of Jesus’ instruction to his disciples as he sends them forth to carry on his mission of preaching and healing. He asks them to live simple lives and to expect opposition, rejection, and persecution. Despite all this, Jesus encourages his disciples to stand firm. Three times they are urged, "Do not fear!" "Do not be afraid!" In other words, instead of shrinking from their task, they are to proclaim the Gospel boldly and not fear their persecutors, because they will be protected, just as Jeremiah was assured of God's protection. Jesus then presents before them the image of the sparrow to reinforce the disciples’ trust and hope in God. Hence, the readings hint at the opposition we future Christians will encounter as we carry on the work of Jesus in the world, and they encourage us to persevere in doing the work of Jesus. They assure us that we will be successful, despite the opposition we encounter. Conclusion: Therefore, we need not be afraid because our life is in the hands of a loving God. Sometimes we are afraid that we will make a wrong decision. At other times, we are afraid of what others will think when we speak up for Jesus. We are afraid of what the future will bring to our children. We are also afraid of growing old. Sometimes we are afraid of what declining health will bring us. At the root of these fears, is the fear of loss! Every fear we have is grounded in the knowledge that we have something or someone to lose. I can lose my job, family, house, money, reputation, health, and even life itself. But we forget one thing: whatever trouble or crisis affects us, we know that God understands it better than we ourselves do. Our Heavenly Father knows exactly what is happening, that our life is in the hands of a loving God! The next time fear grips us we need to remember that being faithful to Christ wherever we meet him in this life is much more important than our fear of loss or rejection by others. Also, let us take a moment to recall some of the great promises of God, that we are each a dear child of His, and He cares for each of us. Therefore, "Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." The last verse of Psalm 27 sums it up nicely: "Trust in the Lord. Have Faith; do not despair. Trust in the Lord."

Our Donut Sundays have become increasingly popular and we are happy and thankful to see so many people socializing after Mass. We are soliciting for families willing to host and serve donuts on these weekends. We also need a coordinator to lead this ministry. This is a wonderful opportunity for those who would like to volunteer to help meet parish needs but with a minimal time commitment. Donuts are currently served in the parish hall two Sundays each month following the 8:00 and 10:00 masses. We also need people who can provide refreshments and staff the table on Saturday evening to continue offering refreshments after the 5:00 pm Mass. Reimbursements for donuts and other refreshments is available. We need enough volunteers to build a monthly schedule. More volunteers will allow us to spread out the frequency in which volunteers will host. Please contact Polly March at 425-432-7685 if you are interested in assisting with this valuable ministry.

June 14th at 6:00 p.m. Tacoma Rainier's vs Albuquerque Isotopes Game Come watch the Tacoma Rainer's play. Ticket options range from $20 to $55. Dinner is included with your reserved seat. Please reach out to Young Kim for more details. oldkim@aol.com R.S.V.P required by May 12th

June 10th from 9:00 - 11:30 March with St. Barbara'sin the Maple Valley Days Parade! All ages are welcome! We will have float for our smaller parishioners to ride in, and be handing out candy to the community. If you would like to decorate the float, or march in the parade, please contact Zack Midles at zmidles@gmail.com

Join us for a wonderful afternoon of community and connection at our Women's Afternoon Tea Time on June 11th from 1-3 pm. All women of the parish are welcome to attend and enjoy refreshments, conversation, and fellowship with other women in our community. Don't miss this special opportunity to build relationships and make new friends. Be sure to pick up an invitation on your way out of church and then head to our Tea Time Page to RSVP and let us know you're coming. We look forward to seeing you there! https://www.stbarbarachurch.org/teatime

FATHER'S DAY (in U. S. A.) Message: June 18, 2023: Happy Father's Day to all who are fathers or grandfathers or stepfathers! Five weeks ago, we observed Mother's Day and offered Mass for our moms. Today, on this Father's Day, we are doing the same – offering our dads, living or dead, on the altar of God during this Holy Mass and invoking our Heavenly Father’s blessings on them. The Father's role in society: According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the vital importance of the father’s role comes from the fact that, with his wife, he cooperates with God the Creator in bringing a new human life into the world. Children who are raised with fathers present in the family have much lower rates of delinquency, drug and alcohol use, teen pregnancy, and so on, than those with absent fathers. The father's presence is also a significant positive factor in the children’s getting a college education, finding a satisfying job, and making a lasting marriage. A girl's choice of partner and satisfaction in marriage is often directly related to the relationship she has had with her father. A day to remember our Heavenly Father and our Rev. Fr. Pastors: Father's Day is a day to remember, acknowledge and appreciate the "World's Greatest Dad," OUR HEAVENLY FATHER (Rom. 8:15, Gal. 4:6) Who is our spiritual Daddy, actively involved in all areas of our lives. It is He on Whom we lean in times of pain and hurt; it is He on Whom we call in times of need; it is He Who provides for us in all ways -- practical, emotional, and spiritual. Many of us pray the “Our Father” day after day, without paying attention to, or experiencing, the love and providence of our Heavenly Father. Let us pray the Our Father during this Holy Mass, realizing the meaning of each clause and experiencing the love of our Heavenly Father for us. May all earthly fathers draw strength from their Heavenly Father! On this Father’s Day, please don’t forget to pray for us, your spiritual Fathers, – men who are called to be Fathers of an immensely large parish family through the Sacrament of Holy Orders.