Bulletin Article: November 27

I thank the many volunteers who came together to make this year’s Fall Festival a success. I know this to be a good opportunity to bring our parish community together for fraternity. I am currently working with the Parish Pastoral Council to think of ways in which our parish can come together for fraternal events. We will also be forming a committee for the 2020 Fall Festival in the next couple of months,so that we can easily get everything in order before next year.

In the week ahead we will celebrate some very important dates. October 1 is the celebration of All Saints Day is is a Holy Day of Obligation. Our Mass schedule is as follows: Vigil at 7pm (Spanish), 6:30am (Extraordinary Form), 8:30am, 12:15pm, and 7pm. On November 2 we celebrate All Souls Day where Mass will be offered at 8:30am, 11am (Extraordinary Form), and 1pm in the cemetery.

Keep in mind that during this period of time that one may obtain a plenary indulgence for the souls in purgatory. This is granted each and every day from Nov 1 to Nov 8, who devoutly visit a cemetery and there pray, if only mentally, for the departed. To obtain an indulgence one must (1) do the work in a state of grace, (2) receive confession, (3) receive the Eucharist, (4) pray for the intentions of the pope, and (5) have no attachment to sin.

Lastly, I have decided to lead a monthly class on a topic of my choice. The first of these will be offered November 4 at 6:30pm in the school library. The first of these classes will be on the Mass.

In Christ,

Fr. Dustin Collins

Feast of Christ the King Homily (Extraordinary Form)

If we were to ever meet a king it would be proper for us to genuflect in his presence. Thankfully each and every Sunday we do have this opportunity to encounter a King. This King whom we encounter is Christ our Lord. This is why we normally genuflect when we enter a Church. We genuflect for the one who is present with us within the Tabernacle is Christ our King. If the Tabernacle is not placed in its proper place and is thus hidden in some alternate location one should not genuflect for our Lord is not present.

Therefore, on this Sunday we come to celebrate the Feast of Christ the King. In the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite this celebration will come on November 24th, but for us this celebration is made today.

We are a society which has its news at its fingertips. There is nothing which is seemingly left for us to figure out on our own. So many allow themselves to get caught up with this endless revenue of information to the point that it becomes harmful for their soul. It becomes harmful because they forget about Christ. They take their sight off of Him and begin to worry about things which are out of their control. When we think about it there is nothing which we are ultimately in control of.

This is precisely why this Feast of Christ the King is so important for us. We must allow Christ to be the center of our life. We must allow Him to be the One who calms all of our fears. We must allow Him to be the one whom we go to as the source and summit of our life.

This Feast was instituted by Pope Pius XI in order to remind Christians of their allegiance to their spiritual ruler in heaven as opposed to earthly supremacy. As we chase after Christ we must remember that His Kingdom is not of this world and thus we should come to elevate our sight upwards towards Heaven.

It would seem that many have lost sight of this direction as they come to push to the side Christ in order to chase after the world. Again we must be reminded that Christ is our King. We should be willing to submit to this just ruler. We should submit here all of our fears and worries. We should not let them overcome us, but submit them to Him. We should not chase after endless avenues of pleasure, but instead realize that it is Christ for which our heart longs.

As we come to celebrate this great Feast of Christ the King may we allow Christ to become the King and Ruler of our life. Let us submit to His Divine will and always be found willing to humble ourself in His midst.

30th Sunday of OT Year C Homily

The proud are those who constantly cast their head upwards to the point that they become the center of attention. The humble of heart are able to cast their head downward for they have realized that everything does not revolve around them. In Dante’s great work the Purgatorio the punishment of the proud is to have a stone hung around their neck. This stone keeps them looking down as they study the great moments of humility throughout the history of the world. The greatest of these lessons is found through our Blessed Mother and the Annuciation where she came to humbly say yes unto the angel Gabriel.

Our Gospel gives us an example of both of these realities. We discover the proud through the Pharisee and we come to discover the humble through this tax collector. Through his humility the tax collector was able to accept the fact that he was a sinful man who was in need of the infinite mercy of God while this Pharisee was so filled with pride that he could not profess that he was a sinful man who was in need of God’s mercy.

There are some who cannot fathom that they are able to sin. Nevertheless, we are told in the Book of Proverbs: “A righteous man falls seven times a day.” It was said of Saint John Paul II that he would make a confession every day of his life. If this was true he could not walk into the confessional and state that he was a perfect man, but instead he would have to come with the realization of his sinfulness and thus the sins which he had committed since his last confession.

Confession is a beautiful gift that has been entrusted to the Church’s care by Christ our Lord. Nevertheless, so many never make use of this infinite font of our Lord’s mercy. To think that in the Garden God came to Adam and Eve and asked them to confess their sin. They could not be humble of heart and they thus did not fess up to what they had done. The same can be said of Cain when he slew his brother Abel. He was unable to fess up to the sin that he had committed.

Sin has nothing to do with our social status. The lowly as well as the haughty are inclined to sin. Nevertheless, we do not have to stay in this state. All of us are invited by our Blessed Lord to chase over holiness in our everyday life. We can only chase after holiness when we perfect the virtue of humility to the best of our ability. Nothing can be perfected within us without the assistance of the Lord. If we humble ourself in His sight we let go of that pride which blinds our eyes to the point that we cannot see clearly.

In her autobiography Saint Therese of Liseux states the little way that we can grow in holiness. The secret to the perfection of the Little Way is humility. The Little Way makes one realize that their actions to not need to be seen for their to be value. Her Little Way makes us see that unjust criticisms against us aid us in humility. Saint Therese leads us to glance downward with this tax collector and cry out in a true spirit of humility.

May we come to foster this important virtue within our life thus allowing the Lord to take hold of us. It is pride to think that we can do anything independent from our Blessed Lord. It is humility which aids us in allowing our Blessed Lord to take ahold of our life. May we too cry out to the Lord in a spirit of humility and prevail ourself to His infinite mercy which endures forever.

Bulletin Article: October 20

I thank all of those who work in the medical field for all that they do to serve our community. On November 10 we will celebrate the Green Mass at 10am. The Green Mass is for all those who have served in the military.

On October 26 our parish will have a busy day because we will hold our annual Fall Festival. I invite you and your family to attend this event thus helping to build up community at our parish. The Festival will run from 11am-5pm. Following our 5pm Mass we will even have a special appearance by Elvis as our celebration continues in the basement of the church.

In Christ,

Fr. Dustin Collins

19th Sunday After Pentecost

In our Gospel we were presented with the issue of being present at the marriage feast without wearing the wedding garment which is proper.

In the Sacrament of Baptism the one to be baptized receives a white garment. In the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite the priest says: “Receive this white garment, which mayest thou carry without stain before the judgment seat of our Lord Jesus Christ, that thou mayest have life everlasting.”

In the words of the Psalmist we are made aware of the effects of baptism by the receiver. And so we are told: “Cleanse me with hyssop, that I may be pure; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.” Thus it is through the Sacrament of Baptism that the receiver is made whiter then snow.

The traditional garment of the baptized then becomes the “alb.” This is the white garment that the priest wears at every Mass which is celebrated. The word “alb” comes from the Latin word “albus” which in English means “white.” Thus this garment calls to mind the reality that is set forth through the reception of this sacrament.

Upon every baptism preparation class that I give I always ask why the parents why they want their child to be baptized. There are many answers to this question, but one answer that I expect is the fact that it cleanses the receiver of all sin which includes original sin. It is very serious that original sin be washed away because orignal sin keeps us from the orignal innocence which was intended from the very beginning. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church states: “Baptism, by imparting the life of Christ's grace, erases original sin and turns a man back towards God.”

Despite the importance of baptism and thus too the reception of this white garment I more and more hear about those who refrain from baptizing their child. Some see no urgency in its importance while others desire to wait for their child to choose their faith for themself. It is a very serious sin if a parent decides to withhold baptism from their child and this should be confessed in the Sacrament of Confession with the resolve to baptize their child if it has already not been carried out.

Our Gospel gets the point across concerning this sacrament and may we thus propelrly provide it to the children who have been entrusted to our care. Likewise, may we come to see the importance of this white garment and thus come to protect it as best we can.

The smallest of sins stains this garment which has been entrusted to our care, but our Lord in His infinite mercy lifts us out of it. May we thus continue to entrust ourself to the infinite mercy of the Lord. Through the Sacrament of Confession we purify ourself and the stains that we have made in our baptismal garment which should be found to be whiter then snow.

Let us protect this white garment and commit ourself to the life of faith each day by entrusting ourself to the merciful care of our Blessed Lord.

Bulletin Article: October 13

Next Sunday, October 20, we will have the White Mass at 8am. The purpose of the White Mass is to pray for those who serve in the medical field. I know that our parish community is blessed with many who serve in this capacity. Please consider joining us for this Mass and inviting your friends and family who may belong to this field to join us.

Next weekend, we will also be joined by a deacon from an organization known as Food for the Poor. He will preach each Mass that weekend concerning this organization and their work among those who are in need.

Finally, please remember that October 26 is the date of our Fall Festival. As we prepare for this important date we will have a parish clean up day on October 19 from 9am to 3pm. Please consider assisting because the joining together of many hands make for lite work.

In Christ,

Fr. Dustin Collins

18th Sunday After Pentecost Homily

It is truly sad when a person gives into despair. It especially sad when a person approaches their deathbed and is concerned if their sins have been forgiven or not. We should not despair concerning the infinite mercy of God. We must come to trust in the Sacrament of Confession and the reality that through the words of absolution that one’s sins have been forgiven.

After all our Blessed Lord came to state in today’s Gospel: “Thy sins are forgiven thee.” He then goes onto to say: “that the Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins.” If our Lord instructs us as such and goes on to leave us the Sacrament of Confession who are we to doubt these words?

The important thing for us to do is to place our trust in these words. We must not only trust in these words, but we must also come to embrace the infinite mercy of God. This is why partaking in the Sacrament of Confession is so important for us. If we have been stained by the reality of mortal sin we do not have to live in despair, but return to God’s mercy. Even under venial sin we should embrace God’s mercy for the smallest of sins is an offense against God.

From Sacred Scripture we are told: “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.” What is this sin against the Holy Spirit which is so serious for our Gospel speaks about the mercy of God and Christ’s ability to forgive sin. Dominum et Vivifanctem, the Lord and Giver of Life, answers this question in clear words: “it consists rather in the refusal to accept the salvation which God offers to man through the Holy Spirit, working through the power of the cross.”

In other words, there is nothing that Christ cannot forgive except that which we do not want him to forgive. We have to desire the forgiveness of sins. We have to not avoid the Sacrament of Confession, but flock towards it with the realization that all of our sins can be and are forgiven through a good confession.

Elsewhere in Sacred Scripture we are told: “there will be rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Truly, there is nothing that cannot be forgiven if we allow Christ to forgive it. Not only that, but all of Heaven rejoices at the moment that we make a good confession. We can say that with a good confession God remembers nothing concerning our sin.

Therefore, I invite each of us to make frequent use of the Sacrament of Confession. In the words of Pope Francis we must remember: “God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking his mercy.”

Let us continue to seek out mercy and then we too can hear the words extended in our Gospel: “They sins are forgiven thee.”

28th Sunday of OT Year C Homily

The Lord bestowed a great gift upon these ten lepers who were found in our Gospel, but only one of them was willing to return to Him in order to give thanks. Likewise, our Blessed Lord has bestowed so many gifts upon us. We should not allow ourself to depart from here without first giving thanks for the many gifts that have been poured out upon us.

The word “Eucharist” comes from the Greek word “eucharisteo” which means “to give thanks.” I can think of no greater gift that can be bestowed upon us then the gift of the Eucharist. After all, the Eucharist, is the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ our Lord. I do not say this in a symbolic way, but enforce the reality that Christ is truly present with us in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar.

When we have the opportunity to assist at the Holy Mass it is a common practice to arrive early in order to prepare oneself for what they are about to receive. Following the Holy Mass it is common practice to remain for a moment of prayer made in thanksgiving for the great gift that has been received. Again, what we receive here is not a symbol of God’s presence, but the reality of God’s presence. If we truly believe that the one who we encounter here is God made Flesh we would not rush into what we receive and we would not rush out the door without first giving thanks.

Nevertheless, what is often encountered is an attitude of rush. After all we are a society which is in rush to its next event. We never allow ourself to slow down. We are in a rush that the priest end Mass within the hour. We are in a rush that we be the be the first one out the door. With all of this rush of our everyday life it seems that the only rush that does not exist is being at Mass before it begins if one is to even come at all.

We must remember that lepersy separated one from the confines of the community. The only way for them to be reconciled with the community was that they be healed. Christ grants them this ability to be reconciled with the community. Of these ten only one is willing to stop and give thanks for the great gift which has been received.

This day as we behold our Blessed Lord in Holy Communion may we come to allow nothing on this earth to be more important then this encounter with our Lord. Through sin we have been hurt, but through Christ’s mercy we are reconciled and can live. Truly, through the Eucharist we receive a great gift that we should never take advantage of.

Therefore make frequent use of the Sacrament of Confession for this sacrament extends to the Eucharist. When we receive Christ in the Eucharist may we never be in a hurry, but come to contemplate fully the gift that we are about to receive. When we worthily receive our Lord in Holy Communion let us fall down in adoration and thanksgiving for the gift that we have received.

Let us join with this leper this day and fall down at the feet of Jesus and give Him thanks.

Bulletin Article: October 6

I thank those who serve our community as government officials and those of our juridical system. May we continue to pray for each of them that the Holy Spirit may come upon them to lead them in wisdom and truth. As a reminder on October 20th at 8am we will offer the White Mass for all those who serve in the medical field. Please spread the word among your family and friends.

May we remember that Monday falls the Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary. This is an important Marian Feast which calls to mind the importance of praying the rosary. At Fatima our Blessed Mother appeared and proclaimed: “Pray the Rosary every day, in order to obtain peace for the world, and the end of the war.” I believe it is important that we take up the praying of the rosary especially within our families. To pray the rosary is to allow one to center upon the life of our Blessed Lord. In reference to the rosary I recommend the book, “Secrets of the Rosary,” by Saint Louis de Montfort.

Seeing that this month is dedicated to the rosary a community rosary will be held on October 13th at the outside statue of Our Lady of Fatima. If weather is bad this rosary will instead be held in the church. October 13th was the date of the closing of Fatima and is a fitting day for our parish community to join together as one in prayer.

In Christ,

Fr. Dustin Collins

Our Lady of the Rosary Homily

Today we come to celebrate the External Solemnity of Our Lady of the Rosary. As we find ourself in the midst of the month of October may we be reminded that this month is dedicated to the rosary. On October 13, which is next Sunday, the apparitions of Fatima came to their conclusion through what is known as the Miracle of the Sun. On this day I invite you to a community rosary which will be held at 3:30pm. If weather permits this rosary will be held at the statue of Our Lady of Fatima which is found outside. I find it very important that this parish continue to move forward through a spirit of prayer and our Blessed Mother’s intercession.

The rosary is related to the praying of the Psalms. The clergy and members of religious orders are bound to pray the Liturgy of Hours. This is something that I recommend for all the lay faithful to pray. Traditionally the Roman Breviary would cover all 150 Psalms in the period of one week. In its’ current form this takes four weeks and a few of the Psalms are even excluded. 

I bring this up because the Rosary is sometimes referred to as being the Psalter of our Lady. This is made in reference to the Roman Brevary and the praying of the 150 Psalms. If you take the traditional mysteries of the rosary and add up the Hail Mary prayers which are made between the decades you will arrive at 150 Aves which are prayed. To pray the rosary gave an individual the opportunity to spend time with each of these Psalms.

The Rosary then becomes a very powerful prayer that needs to be rediscovered in the life of the faithful. Saint John Paul II went as far as to say of it: “The revival of the Rosary in Christian families, within the context of a broader pastoral ministry to the family, will be an effective aid to countering the devastating effects of this crisis typical of our age.” To think of the many issues which run rampant within the world which includes the realm of the family. How different would the world in which we live be different if we came to heed these words?

With that let us consider what led to the creation of this celebration of Our Lady of the Rosary. It was in the year 1571 that victory was won for Christians at Lepanto which was attributed by Pope Pius V to the praying of the rosary on the behalf of the faithful. The Christians were greatly outnumbered and had this city fallen to Turkish invaders which would of been catastrophic for Christiandom. Nevertheless, the faithful banded together in prayer and Our Lady of the Rosary granted a great miracle on that day.

The rosary is thus a great spiritual weapons against Satan and all evil spirits. Let us remember that many in religious orders wear their rosary to their left thus reaching for it with their right hand. This is equal to a knight, who when headed into battle, reaches for his sword with his right hand finding it on his left side.

Let us then come to heed the faithful praying of the rosary in our everyday life including in our home when among our family. Our Lady of Fatima stated: “Pray the Rosary every day in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary to obtain peace in the world.” May we heed this request and forever take up the weapon of the Most Holy Rosary.

Our Lady of the Rosary, pray for us.

27th Sunday of OT Year C Homily

Our Gospel speaks to us about doing what we have been obliged to do. When it comes to the realm of religion there are some who ignore the importance of this word. They would rather live their life in comfort then allow themself to be moved away from self and towards God.

We are thus obliged to follow the Ten Commandments and the moral teachings of the Church. The Catechism of the Catholic Church also lists five precepts that we are obliged to follow. Despite these obligations there are some who don’t know of them or worse yet choose to disobey.

The first and fourth of these are related and are as follows one “shall attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation” and one “shall keep holy the holy days of obligation.” Nevertheless, there are those who do not see the necessity to honor the Lord’s day in such a manner by gathering together to commemorate the Resurrection of the Lord. It is sad for me to hear the confessions of children and to hear that they do not go to Mass. This tells me that their parents do not see this relationship to God to be a priority in their life or their family.

The second of these is that one “shall confess their sins at least once a year.” Despite this precept I run across many Catholics who pride themself in the reality that they have not been to confession in years. To go to confession is to receive the mercy of our Merciful Savior. To go to confession is to realize that our Blessed Lord is the one who instituted all of the sacraments and thus confession is His gift to us. Who are we to go against His will to deny such a wondrous gift?

The third of these is that one “shall humbly receive your Creator in Holy Communion at least during the Easter season.” This precept does not state that we are to receive Holy Communion at every Mass that we attend. Instead if we have committed a sin which is found to be mortal in nature we should refrain from receiving. By setting the minimum times of receiving communion at once per year we are being reminded of how confession and communion go hand in hand. To be reconciled in God’s infinite mercy prepares our heart and soul to receive such a wondrous gift as the one which is God made Flesh. Realizing that the one who we receive in Holy Communion is God made Flesh we should be taken to this spirit of humility each time that we receive our Blessed Lord in Holy Communion. 

The fifth and final of these is that one “shall observe the prescribed days of fasting and abstinence.” Fasting in the words of the Catechism “help us acquire mastery over our instincts and freedom of heart.” Therefore, to fast is to further purify our heart and soul in order that we may remain close to God at all times.

Finally, this section of the Catechism requests that we provide for the material needs of the Church. This final statement is very important because through our continued stewardship we help to build up God’s Church on this Earth. 

Let us become true stewards of all that God has handed down to us and let us put it into practice the fullness of our faith by realizing that we are unprofitable servants who desire to do all that we have been obliged to do.

St. Mary Men Evening of Recollection Sermon II: Most Holy Rosary

Last month we took up the topic of the universal call to holiness. If we seek to be holy and to follow after our Blessed Lord we need to foster proper Marian devotion within our life and family. Most fittingly the month of October is devoted to the Rosary. The Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary falls on Monday, October 7th. For those who attend our 2pm Mass in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite this will be the feast which will be celebrated on Sunday.

From Saint Josemaria Escriva concerning the rosary: “Become little. Our Lord hides Himself from the proud and reveals the treasures of His grace to the humble. Never fear if, when thinking on your own, daring and childish words and affections escape from you. Jesus wants this. Mary encourages you. If you say the Rosary in this way, you will learn to pray well.”

In the words of our Blessed Mother at Fatima: “Pray the Rosary every day in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary to obtain peace in the world.” These are important words from our Blessed Mother’s lips and yet so many do not heed her command. Saint John Paul II stated concerning the rosary and the family: “The revival of the Rosary in Christian families, within the context of a broader pastoral ministry to the family, will be an effective aid to countering the devastating effects of this crisis typical of our age.”

Many monks and religious sisters wear the rosary hanging from their side. When they reach for their rosary they take their right hand and stretch it to their left hip. The is like a knight who heads into battle taking their right hand and stretching it to their left hip where their sword is found. The rosary becomes our sword for we must undergo spiritual battle everyday.

How sad to know that our Blessed Mother has asked that we pray the rosary everyday and yet so many Catholics do not heed her words. How sad to hear those who do not know their typical prayers especially when it is children. This tells me that the family does not foster a spirit of prayer together. We must remember that the father becomes the spiritual head of the household and must be concerned with this role.

In our modern world so many marriages end in divorce. In our modern world so many children grow up to stop practicing their faith. What would be different if we were so convinced of the importance of praying together as a family especially that of the rosary as was suggested by Saint John Paul II?

The rosary allows us to enter into the life of Christ. Through it we have the opportunity to mediate on his birth, life, death, and resurrection. Through this prayer we seek out the Blessed Mother’s intercession and allow our heart to dwell with her Son.

In the words of Saint Josemaria Escriva: “Take the Holy Rosary, one of the most deeply rooted of Christian devotions. The Church encourages us to contemplate its mysteries. She wants to engrave upon our heart and our imagination, together with Mary’s joy and sorrow and glory, the spellbinding example of Our Lord’s life, in his thirty years of obscurity, his three years of preaching, his ignominious Passion and his glorious Resurrection. To follow Christ — that is the secret.”