Bulletin Article: December 27

Merry Christmas! Let us not forget that Christmas is a season which stretches to the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord on January 10th.

On December 8th Pope Francis made this the Year of Saint Jospeh. This year stretches from December 8, 2020-December 8, 2021. There are two feast days attributed to Saint Joseph, Saint Jospeh the Worker on May 1st and the Feast of Saint Jospeh on March 19. I recommend Father Donald Calloway’s book, “Consecration to St. Joseph: The Wonders of Our Spiritual Father.” This book enters into history and devotion concerning Saint Jospeh and prepares one to make a consecration to him.

January 1st will be the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. Our Mass schedule will be: 7pm (vigil Mass), 10am, 12pm (Spanish), and 7pm (Latin). On December 31st and January 1st the church gives us the opportunity to receive two plenary indulgences. On December 31st one is to recite the “Te Deum” which gives thanks to God for the year. On January 1st one is to pray the “Veni Creator Spiritus” which asks the Holy Spirit to come upon us as we enter into the new year. In conjunction with the above work one must also pray for the intention of the Holy Father, make a confession, receive Holy Communion, and be detached from all sin including venial sin.

Finally, don’t forget that pick ups for our Parish Epiphany Dinner will be January 2nd from 5pm-6:30pm. We ask that you take a picture of your family enjoying this meal to send in, so that we can put together a slideshow of our parish family coming together for this event.

In Christ,

Fr. Dustin Collins

Sunday in the Octave of Christmas Homily

Merry Christmas!

During this Christmas season our heart is filled with joy at the good news concerning the birth of the Savior of the World. Nevertheless, we cannot lose sight of the cross of our Blessed Lord. On the days which follow Christmas we are reminded of this through Saint Stephen, the Holy Innocents, and Saint Thomas Becket. We are also reminded of this reality in the words of Simeon: “this child is set for the fall, and for the resurrection of many in Israel: and for a sign which shall be contradicted: and thine own soul a sword shall pierce.”

This prophecy ultimately leads towards the cross. It is a reminder that He is destined to die upon it in order that we may be redeemed. Thus it was upon the wood of the manger that He was laid as a child and the wood of the cross that He came to breath His final breath. He was wrapped in swaddling clothes in Bethlehem and a crown of thorns was placed upon His head at Calvary. If the Lord never came to die upon the cross there would be nothing for us to celebrate during this Christmas season. Therefore, we cannot allow ourself to take our sight off of the cross and it’s redeeming effect.

One Feast of the Blessed Mother is that of Our Lady of Sorrows. In this devotion there are seven sorrows which are present, one of which was accounted for us in our Gospel through Simeon’s prophecy. These seven sorrows begin with this prophecy and end with our Lord’s death and burial. Truly, the season of Christmas remains connected to the cross of our Lord. This is a reality that we cannot allow ourself to lose sight of.

Those who want to take their sight off of the cross dwell in a faith which is exempt from hardship and sorrow. They want to live for the joys of this life, but when hardship and sorrow come they so easily abandon the Lord. None of us here can allow ourself to take our sight off of the cross or we will fall into the same trap. The trap of a faith which is based upon feelings and prosperity and has nothing to do with Chris Jesus. As Christians we must dwell with the cross and the resurrection for from both of these realities spring forth the virtue of hope in the midst of all that we are called to endure within this life.

Truly the birth and death of the Lord are entwined. Our celebration of Christmas is an anticipation of the joy that is found at Easter through the Resurrection. Through our celebration of the Nativity we proclaim the reality that God became man and dwelt among us out of love and from that love He was willing to lay down His life for us upon the cross. At Christmas as well as from the cross we know that joy triumphs over despair and light triumphs over darkness. Through our celebration of these Sacred Mysteries may we be drawn into this life giving reality and truly be given reason to have courage and faith in the midst of all that we are called to endure within this life. From the manger extends the cross and towards these life giving realities may we always dwell.

Feast of Holy Family Homily

Merry Christmas!

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. The family is central to society and yet we have allowed this important institution to fade away in favor of modernism. This celebration of the Holy Family proclaims what it means to be a man and a woman, what it means to be a husband and a wife, what it means to be a parent and a child, and most of all what it means for Christ to be placed at the center of our life.

At this point it should be no secret that we are currently in the Year of Saint Joseph which started on December 8th, 2020 and will come to its end on December 8th, 2021. Through this year we have the opportunity to foster devotion to Saint Joseph who serves as the husband of Mary and the foster father of Christ. In the midst of a world which is in need of strong masculine role models we can find none greater then Saint Joseph.

The family is something which is always under attack by the forces of evil. As Sister Lucia stated: “the final battle between the Lord and the kingdom of Satan will be about marriage and the family.” Saint John Paul II said concerning the importance of the family: “The family has the mission to guard, reveal, and communicate love and in doing so become a living reflection of God’s love.”

As Saint Paul stated: “Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” Truly, for the family to be strengthened in the midst of a society which tries to rip apart the meaning of marriage, the family, being a man, or a woman it is important for us to put on Christ and place Him at the center of our life.

At the Nativity we discover the Christ child who came as God made Flesh to dwell with us in a family. At the manger His mother, Mary, was present as was Joseph. Mary and Joseph placed their gaze upon Him and gave Him every ounce of their love and attention. If we are to put on Christ and place Him at the center of our life we need to model ourselves after the virtues that and displayed to us by Saints Mary and Joseph.

Therefore, our households must become a dwelling place for Christ. We ought to surround ourselves with sacramentals such as a crucifix, statues, art, and holy water which raise our hearts and minds to Heaven. We should pray together within the household, so that together our gaze may be set upon Christ. We should frequent the sacramental life of the church which means attending Mass and frequenting the sacrament of confession.

The forces of evil will continue to attempt to destroy the family by destroying the sanctity of marriage, by attacking masculinity, and femininity. Nevertheless, in the Holy Family we find a true example of love which conquers all things. Lived out within the Holy Family is an example of being husband, a wife, a man, a woman, a married couple, and most of all allowing one’s gaze to be set upon Christ. As we continue our journey during this Christmas season may the Holy Family intercede for us that we may place our trust in God and be led along the path of holiness.

Christmas Mass at Midnight Homily

Merry Christmas!

Throughout this past year we have had a lot of changing to do with our plans. Due to snow this night also follows suit. Therefore, I also welcome all those who may be watching this Mass from home. For many attending the Midnight Mass is a tradition and at least through the use of YouTube this important tradition can continue. Hopefully next year you will be able to once again follow this tradition in person.

In our Gospel the angels sang a very familiar hymn and so they sang: “Gloria in excelsis Deo” “Glory to God in the highest.” This hymn is familiar for we hear it throughout the year when we assist of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Whenever we hear it at Mass our minds should be taken to the Nativity of the Lord. You see within the crib is not just any child, but God who takes on our human flesh and dwells with us out of love. You see this hymn points the way towards the Lord who continues to come among us in the form of bread and wine which through the words of consecration become the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ our Lord.

The words of the angel are very important to us in this day and age: “Do not be afraid.” So often we allow ourself to be filled with fear. At these moments we take our sight off of the Lord for we lack faith. The angel’s statement should make us realize that everything that our heart could ever long for is discovered within the manger and thus too within the Eucharist. We should not be afraid because God is love and came to dwell with us out of love.

Do we desire to enter into this love of the Godhead or would we rather twist love to the point that is no longer love that we express? Christ came to conquer the sin of Adam. That sin that came about due to the lies of Satan who lead the way to love being twisted. Christ is an outpouring of perfect love for this is the love of the Trinity and the love that dwelt among us and eventually came to embrace the wood of the cross.

Thus in our society we see so many who are looking for truth in all the wrong places. Therefore, it should be no surprise that the sanctity of marriage is under attack, or life within the womb, or the family, what it means to be male and female and created in the image and likeness of God the Father. Therefore, let us be not afraid, let us place us trust in Christ and have faith, let us be bold in our proclamation of Christ and living out what we preach with our lips. 

This beautiful night a bright light shines for the whole world to see. To this light the angels sing “Glory to God in the highest. May we too desire adore our Lord and keep our sight place upon Him. Therefore, frequent confession and time spent with the Eucharist. Through these two sacraments you are present with the Lord and His mercy which endures forever. On this Christmas night May we realize the need for this great light and through Christ and His presence among us may ever fear be taken away. May we be stirred out of our slumber always remain true disciples of the Lord no matter the trial, temptation, or hardship which might befall us.

Christmas Homily

Merry Christmas!

From the Gospel of Saint John we are instructed: “And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” Therefore, on this Christmas Day we rejoice at the fact that God’s love is so great that He was willing to take on our human flesh and dwell among us. This is not just a child who is born, but it is He who is both fully human and fully divine. As important as His humanity may be we cannot allow ourself to forget about His divinity.

It was for this reason that shepherds came to do Him homage, that angels came to rejoice, and magi came from afar to adore. The manger becomes the scene where the great light which is Christ the Lord shines forth for the whole world to see. With all that we have been through this past year we are in need of this great light which shines forth from the darkness. We need this glimmer of hope which is manifested by the one who comes to dwell among us.

The Church will remind us on the days following Christmas that to be a Christian is not easy and therefore we must embrace our faith not with complacency, but with fervor. On these days following Christmas we will celebrate the Feast of Saint Stephen who was the first Christian martyr, we will have the Feast of the Holy Innocents who were slain due to Herod’s fear, and we will commemorate Saint Thomas Becket who died if defense of the church. Likewise, just because we celebrate Christmas and profess Christ with our lips does not mean that our walk of faith will be easy. Therefore, no matter what may lie ahead for us we must always stay close to Christ.

There are some who would state that this world would be so much better if Christ was still present with us. We cannot forget that Christ remains present with us in the gift which is the Most Holy Eucharist. You see what we celebrate this day is one and the same with the Eucharist.

As was stated by Saint John Paul II: “Bethlehem! The city where Jesus was born in fulfillment of the Scriptures, in Hebrew means “house of bread.” It was there that the Messiah was to be born, the One who would say of himself: “I am the bread of life.” In Bethlehem was born the One who, under the sign of broken bread, would leave us the memorial of his Pasch. On this Holy Night, adoration of the Child Jesus becomes Eucharistic adoration. We adore you, Lord, truly present in the Sacrament of the Altar, the living Bread which gives life to humanity. We acknowledge you as our one God, a little Child lying helpless in the manger!”

With that we should continue to flock towards the light of the manger which is Christ’s Eucharistic presence. There will come moments of difficulty, but with Christ all things are possible. The shepherds and magi came to the manger to be spiritually fed by He who is the Bread of Life and we come to communion in order to receive Him into our life. Year round we have the opportunity to adore our Lord present in the Most Holy Eucharist, but so often leave Him unattended as we believe that we have something more important and pressing. In this year ahead let us dwell with Christ as the shepherds, magi, and angels did and in return may our fears, temptations, and hardships be calmed as we place our trust in Christ our Lord who is the Word made Flesh.

Bulletin Article: December 20

Today marks the final Sunday of Advent and very soon we will encounter the Word made Flesh at Christmas. This year our parish will offer two vigil Masses on December 24th, 4pm and 6pm. For Christmas, December 25th, we will have Mass at 12am, 8am (Latin), 10am, and 12pm (Spanish). There is not a need to make a reservation as I feel the addition of an extra vigil Mass will offset the demand on December 24th.

Please remember that orders for our Parish Epiphany Dinner are ongoing until December 28th. The dinner costs $10 and consists of pork tenderloin with an orange glaze sauce served on the side, roasted potatoes, green beans, a roll, and desert. This dinners will be picked up January 2nd from 5pm-6:30pm. We encourage those who participate to submit a picture of their family enjoying the meal in order that we can put together a slideshow of our parish family coming together for our Epiphany Dinner.

In Christ,

Fr. Dustin Collins  

4th Sunday of Advent Homily (Extraordinary Form)

It is hard to believe that we are already at the 4th Sunday of Advent and in a matter of days we will arrive at our celebration of the Nativity of the Lord. Thus we need to be reminded that there is an urgency concerning our preparation for Christ. We cannot give the excuse that we have an infinite amount of time to prepare for Him and thus we can get around to it later when it is more convenient. No, prepared or not Christmas will come. We will celebrate the birth of the Word made Flesh, He will come to us in the Most Holy Eucharist, and He will come again at the end of time.

Saint John the Baptist’s message is not to take your time or get around to it when it is convenient. Rather, the message of Saint John the Baptist comes with great urgency. Thus he instructs: “Prepare ye the way of the Lord: make straight His paths: every valley shall be filled: and every mountain and hill shall be brought low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways plain: and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

So what does all of this mean for us? It means that we shall take every valley and hill of our life which is the many difficulties and crosses that we are called to embrace and not allow them to overcome us, but rather move towards the Lord. If one were to make a road they would need to fill it in order that the treacherous may become possible. Likewise, we must let nothing come in the way of the Lord and if an obstacle is found we must turn towards God and His grace in order that we may move forward. Just too we are told that that the crooked shall be made straight and the rough ways plain. Thus there is a need for us to turn away from those sins to which we are attached to and all those ways and actions which are contrary to the Gospel and to the Church.

Again there is a great urgency for all of this because none of us will escape the passing of time and the reality of death. Prepared or not we will celebrate the Nativity of the Lord, the Lord will come again, and we will behold Him in the Most Holy Eucharist. We must realize that what we should be moving towards is truth itself for what we are moving towards is an encounter with Christ and thus truth itself. As Christ instructed in the Gospel of Saint John: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No man come through to the Father, but by me.” As Christ would go onto state in the Gospel of Saint John: “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

This brings us to our Gradual which states: “The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon Him: to all that call upon Him in truth.” To this truth it was said in 1st Timothy: “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, Who will have all men saved, and to come to the knowledge of truth. For there is one God, and one mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”

As we prepare for the celebration of the Nativity of the Lord we must ask ourself if we are open to truth. In our day and age so many want to form a religion in their own image and likeness and not in the image and likeness of God. Truth is something that does not change while we are changing all the time and are not the basis of truth. We now prepare the way for the Lord; let us do so by coming to accept and follow the way of Truth. We begin to make straight the ways of the Lord by staying in search and being exceptive of Truth. This is the truth for which we must prepare during this Advent season.

4th Sunday of Advent Year B Homily

It is hard to believe that Friday will be Christmas and that next Sunday will be our celebration of the Feast of the Holy Family. In our Gospel we have the three members of the Holy Family present: Mary, Joseph, and Jesus within the womb of His mother. I would therefore like to note Saint Joseph and the fact that Pope Francis has named this the Year of Saint Joseph. This Year of Saint Jospeh will stretch from December 8, 2020-December 8, 2021. I am hopeful that we will use this year that lies ahead to learn more about Saint Joseph, to foster devotion to Saint Joseph, and to emulate the many virtues of Saint Joseph.

This Gospel taken from Luke largely concerns itself with Mary and her yes to the Angel Gabriel. Through her yes given to God she bares within her womb God made Flesh. During this season of Advent we prepare for this same encounter with the Lord. The Gospel of Saint Matthew also accounts for the Annunciation by simply stating: “When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.”

Joseph was therefore left with a great surprise to find that his wife was with child. Saint Matthew’s Gospel goes onto state: “Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly.” This verse reveals a lot about Saint Joseph because we are told that “he was a righteous man.” A little later in this passage we are told, “When Jospeh awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him.”

Therefore we can say that Saint Joseph was righteous because he was obedient. Saint Joseph serves as a model to all of us because of his obedience to God in all things no matter how difficult. It is for this reason that he serves as a model man, a model husband, a model father, a model worker, and most importantly a model servant of God. In our world we can see the need to have a model for fathers, a model for men, a model for husbands, a model when it pertains to work, and a model when it comes to being found in service to God.

Saint Joseph was not just some guy who randomly wondered into the Nativity story. This can be seen from the flowering staff that Saint Joseph is often depicted as holding such as the statue that we have here in the church. To this sprouting staff the Book of Numbers states: “And the rod of the man whom I choose shall sprout.” Legend holds that this staff sprouted for Saint Joseph when he went to visit Mary who would be his wife in order to show that he had been chosen by God for this task.

Today’s O Antiphon instructs us: “O Key of David, opening the gates of God’s eternal Kingdom: come and free the prisoners of darkness!” From the Gospel of Saint Luke we are told that Joseph is of the line of David: “And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judaea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David.” Saint Joseph then was not a random figure, but was a righteous man who connected Christ to the royal lineage of King David.

As we continue this Year of Saint Jospeh it is my hope that we will be inspired to grow in our devotion to Saint Joseph. Through our devotion to this holy man may we receive the grace to unite the interior with the exterior life, receive the grace to grow in our imitation of love for Jesus and Mary, and may we receive the grace of a happy death.

Saint Joseph, pray for us.

Bulletin Article: December 13

Our Eve of Saint Celebration was held this past Saturday. We had close to 50 who were in attendance for the event. I thank all those who helped especially Judy and Jim Holt who provided music in English, Raymond Issac and the Spanish community for providing music in Spanish, the Knights of Columbus for taking for of the distribution of hot chocolate, those who baked cookies, and of course Saint Nicholas for making an appearance.

On December 19th we will hold our parish Advent Day of Recollection. I thus welcome Sister Maria Juan Anderson, RSM who will lead our day of recollection. This event will be held in the church from 9am-11am. From 11am-12pm we will have a Holy Hour with confessions to conclude the retreat. Please note that due to events going on at our parish in the afternoon and the desire to start promptly at 9am that Saturday morning Mass will be at 8am. Also, please note that there will not be confessions at 9am.

On January 2 our parish will hold an Epiphany Dinner. This dinner will be offered as to go meals and we encourage that those who participate take a photo of your family together enjoying this meal, so that we can put a slideshow together of our parish family coming together. Meals can be preordered now until December 28 and are to be picked up on January 2 from 5pm-6:30pm. The meal will cost $10 and consist of pork tenderloin with an orange glaze sauce served on the side, roasted potatoes, green beans, roll, and desert. To order please fill out the slip at the back of the church and drop it into the box.

In Christ,

Fr. Dustin Collins

3rd Sunday of Advent Year B Homily

This third Sunday of Advent is known to us as Guadete Sunday which means “rejoice.” This is taken from the Introit of this Mass which states at its beginning: “Gaudete in Domino semper” or in English, “rejoice in the Lord always.”

As a world we probably ask what exactly do we have to rejoice for. After all, our Christmas plans have come to be greatly altered by the pandemic. Our hospitals are beginning to be full of COVID patients. Maybe we have recently lost a loved one or fear for their life. Other areas of our country head back into lockdown and we must fear for the same.

We cannot forget that Advent is a time of hope. This is a time of hope for we are a people of faith and we know that God’s love is so great that He took on our human flesh and dwelt among us. Very soon our celebration of Christmas will come and we will celebrate the birth of a Savior, we will anticipate His second coming at the end of time, and we will prepare for our encounter with Him in the gift which is the Most Holy Eucharist.

So often our hope and reason to rejoice is lost for we desire to place ourself at the center of attention and just make everything about us. Instead we must look outward and begin to see the bigger picture of salvation history. No matter what seems to be taken away from us Christ cannot be taken away. We must be a people of faith who always proclaim Christ Jesus and who attempt to orient our life after His.

One bodily posture that has not been done away with by the Church is that of offering Mass ad orientem. It is here that the priest stands with the people in prayer and worship. This orientation places our sight not upon the priest, but more fully upon Christ. Cardinal Sarah remarked: “Since ancient times, Christians have faced the east during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass to remember to keep watch for Christ.” He went on to say: “Today, at a time when it is easy to forget that Christ is coming -and easy to be complacent in our spiritual lives and in the work of evangelization that Christ will come.” The crucifix on the altar reminds of this orientation for together we stand gazing upon it to “recall the importance of watching for his return.”

It is for this reason that we must come to orient our life towards the coming of Christ by frequenting the sacraments of the church. To make a good confession of our sins is reason for us to rejoice. To receive the Eucharist in the state of grace is a reason for us to rejoice. To spend time in prayer before God is reason for us to rejoice. Each of these actions turn ourself away from our desires and orient our mind and heart towards that of God and preparing ourself for the return of the Messiah.

I do not know what the future may hold for us. Even outside of this time of pandemic the same would hold true. I do know that we are given every reason to have hope and every reason to rejoice. The question always points back to us and if we want to open up our heart and soul for our encounter with Christ. We must remember that without Christ we can do nothing, but with Him nothing no matter how difficult will prove to be impossible.

Saint John the Baptist did not dwell in darkness, but he instead came to testify to the light. Likewise, we are to orient our life towards His coming among us by setting straight the way for this encounter.

Immaculate Conception Homily

In 1858 the Blessed Mother appeared to Saint Bernadette at Lourdes and announced: “I am the Immaculate Conception.” This dogma of the Immaculate Conception came to be infallibly defined by Pope Pius XII in 1854. Prior to this the Immaculate Conception was already celebrated in the East since the 7th century and in the West a feast was already established which was celebrated in certain parts of the world. The fears concerning this dogma have nothing to do with Mary sinning or not, but with how it would be possible to say that she was in need of a Redeemer while being without sin.

Therefore, two questions came to be raised which I think are questions often raised in the minds of our non-Catholic brothers and sisters. These questions are:

1. Was Mary in need of redemption if she had been conceived without stain of original sin?
2. When, in the course of her conception, was Mary preserved from the stain and effects of original sin?

These are questions that were left unanswered by the likes of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Augustine, Bonaventure, and Anselm to name a few. It was Saint John Duns Scotus who died in 1308 who would develop these answers in detail. He would write: “He who is the most perfect mediator must have a most perfect act of mediation in regard to some person on whose behalf he exercises the mediatorial office. Now Christ is the most perfect... and he had no more exalted relation to any person than to the Blessed Virgin Mary... This could not be if he had not merited for her preservation from original sin.”

To sum up what Saint John Duns Scotus was getting at in simple terms is that Mary serves as a witness to Christ’s saving power. It is true that she was conceived without sin and was thus never touched by sin even original sin. At the same time it was also true that she was in need of a Redeemer. Our Lord preserved her and redeemed her from the cross and this grace was applied to her in anticipation of that redemption upon the cross.

If we delve further into devotion to the Blessed Mother we would hear that one of the titles often attributed to her is that she in the New Eve. It was from the Book of Genesis that we were told, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” When the Blessed Mother appeared to Saint Bernadette she described to her the Miraculous Medal which was to be made. If you look at this image you would see her standing upon the serpent for she crushes the devil under her feet for she is the new Eve who brought the New Adam into this world.

At the Annunciation the angel Gabriel came to her and exclaimed, “Hail full of grace.” She did not become full at grace at that moment, but was already found to be so perfectly full of God’s grace that it was flowing over for Mary is the new Ark of the Covenant for she was the pure and spotless vessel which would bring forth Christ our Lord. It we look at the hands of Mary, in the Miraculous Medal, we would see the rays which pour forth, for these represent to us the fact that she is the Mediatrix of All Graces. 

Therefore, as we come to celebrate this Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception may we foster devotion to our Blessed Mother. She is indeed this pure and spotless vessel which was chosen to bear the Word made Flesh. Through our devotion to her may we draw closer to her Son, Jesus Christ. She is the Mediatrix of All Graces, which is to say, that we should pray for her intercession that we may come to more perfectly be open to the gift of God’s grace. Let us foster this devotion and in return open heart to be more like the heart of Christ.

Bulletin Article: December 6

Prior to the start of Advent our parish held its last open forum. There were roughly 25 users who logged into the forum. Various topics which were brought up was our parish’s need for volunteers especially to our youth ministry program which has been struggling to find them, the desire to have a young adult group, need for newer technology on our campus, and outreach to those who are in need especially the homeless. The Parish Pastoral Council has set the next date for our Parish Open Forum for February 8th from 6:30pm-7:30pm.

This week we will come to celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. Within the Diocese of Knoxville there is not currently an obligation to attend any Masses due to COVID-19, but I believe it very important to offer ample opportunity to attend Mass. Therefore, the vigil Mass will be December 7th at 7pm (Spanish) and on December 8th Mass will be offered at 6:30am (Latin), 8:30am, 12:15pm, and 7pm.

On December 12th we celebrate another Marian Feast. This time the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Mass will be held in Spanish for this occasion on December 11th at 7pm and in English at 8:30am on December 12th.

Please continue to be attentive to confession being heard 30 minutes prior to Sunday obligation Masses. These new times are Saturday at 4:30pm and Sunday at 7:30am, 9:30am, 11:30am, and 1:30pm. If you desire to make a confession at these times please be in line on time. Also, be aware that Sister Maria Juan will join us on December 19th to offer our Parish Advent Day of Recollection from 9am-12pm.

In Christ,

Fr. Dustin Collins

2nd Sunday of Advent Homily

There are people who desire to hear what they want to hear. Imagine that. The last thing they would want of church is to be given a message which challenges them and their desires. On this Second Sunday of Advent we are given a glimpse into Saint John the Baptist who is the forbearer to Christ. He brings with him a message of conversion and repentance by calling people to make straight the path of their life. Through our encounter with him, his message, and this Advent season may we be stirred out of our slumber and allow our minds and hearts to be taken unto the Lord.

From our encounter with Saint John the Baptist we know that there were those who were drawn to him, but also those who would turn against him when they did not hear what they wanted to hear. Time and time again this was true of the prophets for they were put to death for giving a message that many did not want to hear because it challenged them out of there complacency. As Christ instructed from the Gospel of Saint Mark: “Amen I say to you, that no prophet is accepted in thy own country.” Saint John the Baptist spoke against Herod for having married his brother’s wife and entering into adultery with her and thus he was arrested and eventually beheaded. Likewise, there were those who would not follow Christ and desired to put Him to death. They became offended and filled with fear that He was willing to challenge the conceived status quo.

Saint John the Baptist and his message of repentance are an important model for us as we continue this journey throughout this Advent season. We ought to be preparing for our encounter with Christ which should call us out of our compliancy and towards a spirit of conversion. What we encounter at Christmas is a great light which should illuminate the darkness of sin, doubt, and despair. When we arrive at our celebration of this joyous occasion we should not allow our heart and mind to be left unchanged to the point that it is unable to behold the splendor of this great light.

As our Collect attested: “that through His coming we may deserve to serve Thee with purified minds.” This statement attests to the fact that our interaction with Christ has to change us and thus we cannot be slothful in our pursuit of faith. It is not enough for us to claim to know Christ, but to care less about Him when we it comes to how we choose to order and live our life. Everything that we do must be influenced by our love for Christ. Christ does not always give us the Gospel that we want to hear, but the Gospel that we need to hear. Likewise, the Church challenges us out of attachment to sin and towards the freedom which springs forth from Christ.

Nevertheless, there are those who don’t want to be challenged nor purified for they believe to know better than Christ and the Church. To these people GK Chesterton would instruct: “I don’t need a church to tell me I’m wrong where I already know I’m wrong; I need a Church to tell me I’m wrong where I think I’m right.”

Therefore, may each us remain attentive and on guard during this Advent season. May we allow this Advent season to stir us out of our slumber and move us towards the Lord with spirit of conversion and purification. May we dare to heed the message of Saint John the Baptist and make straight the way of the Lord.

Anniversary of Dedication of Church Homily

Today is a very special day in the life of the local Church of Johnson City for we celebrate the Solemnity of the Dedication of our Church. This parish has a rich history within this city which heralds all the way back to 1906 when this parish was founded. Of those 114 years we have spent 20 of them within this church which we currently use.

If we take a moment to reflect upon the evolution of these past 114 years we will realize the growth of Catholicism throughout this area. As time went by this parish has grown and with it the people of this parish were faced with the need to build a new church. When we look around this place in its vastness we should realize the need to evangelize and to be sent forth to lead others into a relationship with Christ. If that task was not done by those who came before us we would not be in the building that we are in today.

The Church reminds us of the instruction of Christ: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” You see within these hallowed walls we come to encounter Christ who is present with us in the Eucharist. We come to worship God especially as we enter into the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. We are reminded that independent from our worship of Him that it is impossible for us to be sent out as disciples for there is nothing that we can do when it is done independent of Christ.

As we continue this celebration may we as the people of God continue to come together in our worship of God. From our worship of Him may our hearts be transformed to better reflect Him to those whom we encounter within this life. Truly from our interaction with this holy place we are sent forth to live out our faith and to draw others into relationship with God. It for this reason that we celebrate this great joy which is the anniversary of the dedication of this church.

St. Mary’s Men Evening of Recollection Sermon XIII: Patience

We are now in the season of Advent and we thus prepare for Christ’s coming as Word made Flesh at the Nativity, His second coming at the end of time, and His coming among us in the gift which is the Most Holy Eucharist. Throughout the liturgical year it is so easy to loose sight of where we are headed and to move onto something else. We cannot allow the season of Advent to rush by and leave us unchanged. We instead need to remain “patient” and allow the Lord to always be found at work within us.

Therefore, this evening I move onto “patience” which is the 5th of the 7 virtues which I have been covering for the last few months. Patience finds its opposite in the vice of anger. As mentioned by Christ: “In your patience you shall possess you souls.” Concerning this virtue Saint Josemaria Escriva reminds: “From the hidden life of Jesus you must draw this further consequence: not to be in a hurry... even when you are!”

As a generation we always seem to be in a hurry. Do to our rush we never allow ourself to slow down and reflect. Patience forces us to look inworldy upon ourself and to let the work of the Lord to be made manifest within us. As Saint Josemaria Escriva would remind: “There is a remedy for those anxieties of yours. Be patient, have rectitude of intention and look at things from a supernatural perspective.”

If we are to look at things from a supernatural perspective we must calm our heart and turn our attention towards God. Therefore, being to pray in order that you may obtain this virtue. We should allow ourself to dwell with the life of Christ especially to mediate upon His Passion. Through these opportunities we turn towards God and allow the actions of our life to become reflective of His especially in those difficult moments with require the virtue of patience from us.

It should be no secret that there are those who are difficult for us to get along with. Maybe you even find yourself dwelling in anger concerning them or simply lash out at them whenever they irk us. Concerning our interaction with these individuals Saint Josemaria Escriva remarks: “Never correct anyone while you are still indignant about a fault committed. Wait until the next day, or even longer. And then, calmly, and with a purer intention, make your reprimand. You will gain more by one friendly word than by a three-hour quarrel. Control your temper.”

Therefore, let us grow in patience by being found humble of heart. We must remember that none of us are perfect and therefore we even irk others with our imperfections. Likewise, we should practice going against our anger. This means when we are tempted to lash out in a spirit of unkindness, impatience, or simply being mean to another let us learn to stop and do the opposite of our intent. In this manner, we grow in our charity and humility towards them and teach ourself to grow patient.

As we now come closer to the season of Christmas let us remain patient and be prepared to rejoice at the Good News of the birth of the Savior of the World. It is through our encounter with Him that every heart will find it’s rest.

Bulletin Article: November 29

I hope that each of you had a blessed Thanksgiving. Please remember that we will not have a Parish Advent Service this year. Therefore, we now have confessions prior to each Sunday obligation Mass as well as our normally scheduled opportunities. If you wish to make a confession prior to Mass please be on time because I will only hear confessions in so far as there is a line. These new confession times are Saturday at 4:30pm and Sunday at 7:30am, 9:30am, 11:30am, and 1:30pm.

On December 2nd our parish will celebrate the Solemnity of the Dedication of the Parish Church with a special Mass at 6pm. On December 5th I will celebrate a Rorate Caeli Mass at 6:30am. This Mass will be by candlelight and will be in the Extraordinary Form. On the Eve of the Feast of Saint Nicholas, December 5, we invite you for the lighting of our nativity star and nativity scene following the 5pm Mass. During this event we will enjoy hot chocolate and cider as we enjoy a few hymns to prepare us for the Advent season and our encounter with Christ’s coming as Word made Flesh. Saint Nicholas might even make an appearance to take social distanced photos with those present.

I thank Jena Bitler, a parishioner who works with www.doxologydesign.com, for working with me and the communications committee to help design a new parish logo which is located on the front of the bulletin. It is my hope that we will begin to use this logo to brand our parish within the community at large and to remind us of who we are as a parish community.

This logo makes use of the “M” which can be found within the miraculous medal. This “M” represents Mary as Mother our Mediatrix. From the “M” extends the cross which reminds us of the cross of Christ which brought about our redemption. The “M” and the cross are intertwined reminding us of a sign of their union. Under the “M” is the year 1906 which reminds of the year that our parish was established. 

The 12 stars remind us of Revelation 12:1, “A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.” This verse points towards devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe who is patroness to the Americas as well as very important in the life of our Spanish speaking people. These 12 stars also reminds us of the 12 apostles who were first called by Christ to be fishers of men. Likewise, each of us have been called by Christ towards the missionary journey to evangelize other towards Christ and His Church on this earth. These stars have 7 points which remind us of the importance of the seven sacraments (baptism, confirmation, Eucharist, confession, anointing of sick, marriage, and holy orders) and the seven fruits of the Spirit (wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord). May we fully enter into the sacramental life of the church and live out these fruits of the spirit within the world.

Below all of this, we find the mountains which are used within the Johnson City logo. These mountains remind us of the city to which we belong and to which we are sent forth to live out our life of faith. Mountains are very important throughout the course of Sacred Scripture and are mentioned within it some 500 times. The mountains are seen by the people of Jewish and Christian cultures as bringing them closer to God. From the mountain tops God gave Moses the ten commandments and from a mountaintop Christ gave us the Beatitudes which call us into service to God and one another. Likewise, may we strive to be closer to God in this life and to bring others with us on this journey. 

Within this logo we find the use of three colors blue, green, and white. Blue is a color which is associated with Mary who is the patroness of our parish community. This is a color which is associated with purity and so the Blessed Mother was most pure and through devotion to her we will be brought into relation with Christ. White represents purity, holiness, and virtue. We must always be reminded of our missionary awareness and commitment which is rooted in the grace of baptism The color green is seen within the Johnson City logo, but is also the color that we see during Ordinary Time. The Church clothes herself in green vestments to express her joyous, lively hope of the ever lovely and eternally verdant meadows of the heavenly paradise, of the incorruptible inheritance and the unfading crown of glory in Heaven.

In Christ,

Fr. Dustin Collins

1st Sunday of Advent Year B Homily

Thanksgiving is now over and many have already started to move onto the Christmas season. In a world of Christmas trees, music, and lights we find a far different reality proclaimed to us within the Church. Here we find a somber tone for the church is not decorated with flowers nor trees, we make use of the liturgical color of violet which reminds us of the need to do penance, and our music reflects somber moderation for we do not yet sing Christmas carols and do not sing the Gloria until we see sing it anew with the angels who rejoice at the birth of a savior.

With the message that the world now proclaims it is so easy for us to loose sight of this o’ so important season within the life of the Church. Our readings do not tell us about mistletoe and holly, but the need to be watchful and alert. This season is about two things: it is about preparation for the Nativity of Jesus at Christmas as well as His second coming at the end of time. It is towards both of these realities that we must now remain watchful and alert for we must make straight the way of our life towards our encounter with the Lord.

Despite this need to be watchful and alert for our encounter with the Lord it should be no secret that we do not like to wait. We instead want everything without delay. So often this attitude is reflected by many throughout the Advent season for they push it to the side in order to celebrate Christmas without first preparing for it. We must Remember that the people of Israel waited generations for the coming of the Messiah. Despite having to wait they longed for the reality of the Lord’s coming to which Saint John the Baptist foretold: “Behold the Lamb of God.” We too must allow this great anticipation to give rise within us as we prepare to behold such a wondrous gift.

As the Catechism attests concerning this great season: “When the Church celebrates the liturgy of Advent each year, she makes present this ancient expectancy of the Messiah, for by sharing in the long preparation for the Savior's first coming, the faithful renew their ardent desire for his second coming. By celebrating the precursor's birth and martyrdom, the Church unites herself to his desire: "He must increase, but I must decrease."

Therefore, I invite each you to enter fully into this season that has been set before us. Please do not let it rush by as if it were just another day among days. Rather, this season serves as an important opportunity to prepare for the Lord’s coming in order that room may be found within the inn for Him to come and dwell with us. I implore you to use this season to dare to enter into silence, to begin to pray more fervently, to study and pray with Sacred Scripture, and to enter fully into the sacramental life of the Church. To practice these four steps will aid you in remaining watchful and alert for the Lord’s coming.

May we all have a fruitful Advent season. May we realize its importance for we truly need to “behold the Lamb of God” by how we come to order our life on this earth towards Him. Remaining watchful and alert during this sacred season assists us in undergoing this conversion for the sake of the Kingdom and letting go of that which detracts us from Christ in order that we may allow Him to increase within us. Let this season be a time of hope for we now prepare for our encounter with the Word made Flesh who is Christ our Lord. He who is present with us in the Most Holy Eucharist. May we always prepare our heart and soul to encounter Him.

Bulletin Article: November 22

This Sunday we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King. When we gather next Sunday we will begin the Advent season and begin a new Church year. It is the purpose of Advent to prepare the way for the Lord’s coming at Christmas.

As we move into the Advent season and prepare for Christmas I wish to highlight the following events:

-On December 2nd we will celebrate the Solemnity of the Dedication of our Church with Mass taking place at 6pm.

-On December 5th we will celebrate a Rorate Caeli Mass at 6:30am. This Mass is in Latin and completes before sunrise and is done by candlelight.

-On December 5th following the 5pm Mass we will light our outside lights and gather in front of the school for hot chocolate and hot cider while we enjoy a few hymns on the Eve of Saint Nicholas. Saint Nicholas might even make an appearance.

-On December 8th we observe the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception with the vigil Mass at 7pm (Spanish) and Masses of the day at 6:30am (Latin), 8:30am, 12:15pm, and 7pm. 

-Our Spanish speaking community will observe the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 11th with Mass taking place at 7pm. 

-On December 19th from 9-12pm Sister Maria Juan will present our Advent Day of Recollection on being watchful and conversion. This retreat will take place in the church and we will live stream it to our parish YouTube page.

-Christmas Masses will be 4pm and 6pm for the vigil and 12am, 8am (Latin), 10am, and 12pm (Spanish) for Christmas Day.

-Masses for the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God will be celebrated with a vigil Mass at 7pm and then Masses at 10am, 12pm (Spanish), and 7pm (Latin) on January 1st.

-The evening of January 2 our parish will celebrate an Epiphany Dinner which will be distributed from 5pm-7pm. More information will follow on this event in the near future.

Our parish will not hold a Advent Penance Service this year. Our parish offers confession each Wednesday at 6pm and Saturday at 9am. During this season of Advent I will also hear confessions beginning 30 minutes prior to a Sunday obligation Mass and ending 5 minutes to the start of Mass. Therefore confessions will also be heard Saturday at 4:30pm and Sunday at 7:30am, 9:30am, 11:30am, and 1:30pm. You can also always schedule a confession by appointment.

Finally, our bishop has updated his mandates concerning the celebration of Mass in the Diocese of Knoxville. Beginning next Sunday we will resume singing at Mass. Those who wish to receive communion on the tongue will now be able to do so once Mass ends. During Mass in the Extraordinary Form communion will be given on the tongue during Mass. After each communicant the priest will clean his hands prior to distributing when doing so on the tongue.

In Christ,

Fr. Dustin Collins

Last Sunday after Pentecost Homily

Today is the Last Sunday after Pentecost and when we gather next week we will be in the season of Advent and we will be moving towards the coming of Christ as Word made Flesh, not only as the Christ Child, but also at the end of time.

As we reflect upon this past year we can think of a lot that we have had to endure. The expectations of life as we know it have changed a lot due to COVID-19, but at the end of the day Christ remains unchanged. Sadly, people put faith in other realities then that of our Blessed Lord. They allow the ways of this world to tug at them until they become lost from the path which leads to Heaven or with the abundance of stress found in everyday life they begin to lose the virtue of hope.

False Christs and false prophets are all around us. They attempt to move us away from this o’ so important path which leads to Heaven. One of the ways in which this becomes manifest is through the reality of division. As Christ said elsewhere in Sacred Scripture: “And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.”

This verse is important because Satan does nothing more then attempt to divide. We thus loose faith in the Church established by God because we have instead trusted in earthly voices. No matter the earthly voice let us our faith not falter, but instead may it always stand firm. No matter the trial and tribulation which lies ahead we must continue to trust in God and place our trust in Him and not the ways of this world.

As this liturgical year comes to its end, so to will a new one spring forth in its place. Thus too from every hardship, trial, and tribulation must we set our sight upon His Cross and Resurrection. From these realities the virtue of hope is always being made manifest as we orient our sight upon Him. Instead of embracing the cross and resurrection we so often rebuke these realities to give into the allures of worldly pleasures and the voice of false prophets. Again let us not be led astray and into despair, but as we transition into a new Church year may we come to be a people who manifest the virtues of faith and hope.

If faith and hope are to be made manifest and we are to turn away from these worldly allures let us remain open to the grace that God constantly pours out upon us and let us make full use of the sacramental life of the Church which means receiving Holy Communion in the state of grace and making use of the sacrament of confession. These realities open us up to true love itself and set our heart on fire for Christ which counteracts the worldly prince who does nothing more then turn us inwardly upon ourself.

Truly, the year that lies ahead will be a year of grace if we allow God to be at work in our life instead of trusting in the voices of false prophets and worldly allure which do nothing more then attempt to rip us away from Christ and His Church. As we close out this year and enter into a new one may our faith never falter and may we live out the virtues of faith, hope, and charity.

Christ the King Year A Homily

As we come to celebrate this Solemnity of Christ the King let us be reminded that there are two kingdoms, that of Heaven and that of earth. It is Christ who is the King of Heaven and Satan who is known as the worldly prince. As we come to the end of this liturgical year it is a fact to state that we have been through a lot, but with the knowledge that Christ is our King everything that we might be called to embrace should not be too much for us to withstand.

Nevertheless, instead of placing our trust in the healing mercy of God and the Kingdom which is to come we so often allow ourself to dwell in the here and the now. We must be reminded that we are not called to follow after this worldly prince, but instead to chase after the Kingdom of Heaven. No matter how much we strive for this world to be a reflection of Heaven it will always fall short, but we are still called to be sent forth as disciples of the Lord to spread the Good News of the faith. In doing so we live in service of the Kingdom of Heaven and not the kingdom of this world.

As disciples of the Lord we must never allow the voice of faith to be silenced. Throughout the world’s history there are those who have tried to silence this voice, but they have always failed. They failed because the faith is truth itself and because Christians were so convinced of this reality that they were willing to lay down their life in defense of this truth. I would hope and pray that we will not have to face the plight of martyrdom, but we do have to head into the world to allow the flame of faith to shine brightly.

When we fail to live for Christ and His Heavenly Kingdom we are allowing the prince of lies to overcome us to believe that we are to live for the here and now. To live for the here and now is to live for the amassment of earthly pleasures without ever having to embrace the cross which leads us to an encounter with Truth. We have just passed through another election year, I for one am happy that we only have to go through this process every four years and not more often. So often it seems that we place the political process over our trust in God. This be true not only in politics, but even with COVID-19 that we have had to deal with for this past year. Instead of worrying about something that is out of our control and stressing over what is on our television screen we should place our trust in God.

With all that seems grim around us let us be a people of hope. It is a fact that our liturgical year comes to a close, but it is also a reality that a new year will begin. The same holds true with everything that is taking place around us. From the cross and resurrection of our Blessed Lord always springs forth a great hope if only we would be open and listen to God. After all we must remember that Christ is the Good Shepherd who tends His flock. In other words He provides for all of our needs. We can see this made manifest through the grace that is constantly being poured upon us and through the gift that is the sacraments especially the Most Holy Eucharist and the sacrament of confession.

With that I invite you to make use of the new confession opportunities during the Advent season. I will hear confessions 30 minutes prior to each Sunday obligation Mass which means I will hear confessions at 4:30pm, 7:30am next week, 9:30am, 11:30am, and 1:30pm next week. I will remain in the confessional until the line is finished or until 5 minutes before the start of Mass, whichever comes first.

As we come to the end of this liturgical year and soon embark upon a new one may we be filled with hope concerning what lies ahead. May we always serve Christ our King and the Kingdom of Heaven for this Kingdom is a kingdom which will never pass away.

Long live Christ the King!

Bulletin Article: November 15

I thank all those who participated in our Parish Stewardship Weekend which was held a few weeks ago. There were a total of 75 households which responded out of our 1,486 registered families. This is a response rate of 5% from our parish. Of those responses $230,000 was committed to our parish for this year. Of those responses 5 committed to increasing their prayer for the good of the parish. 10 of the respondents desired information on specific ministries. Next year I would like to expand our response rate and goal to getting it a close to 100% as is possible.

The Diocese of Knoxville promotes a program known as #iGiveCatholic which coincides with Giving Tuesday which is December 1st. This year our parish will use any funds given to properly fix the guttering on the school which will prevent building damage and allow us to improve the look of the front of the school. One can give beginning November 16th all the way up to December 1st. For more information please look up the #iGiveCatholic website and look up our parish’s page under the Diocese of Knoxville.

Finally, I remind you of our Parish Open Forum which will be held on Monday from 6:30pm-7:30pm.

In Christ,

Fr. Dustin Collins

Resumed 6th Sunday after Epiphany Homily

We are in such a rush to see results that having patience is often difficult and yet through patience we see so much become manifest. Our Gospel comes to document three of these realities for us. Firstly, we are told about the mustard seed which seems to be small in size and yet through the passing of time wields a tree. Secondly, we are told about the leaven which when left to sit begins to grow. Finally, we are told about parables which do not always have an obvious meaning, but instead challenge us to think more deeply about a given issue. Nevertheless, we can see the need to have patience and to work at something because without patience we will never dare to wait and see the fruit which will give rise.

 The spiritual life is something that cannot be progressed in if we are not willing to have patience and allow time to pass by. If one wants to pray they so often fail to have patience and to work at this relationship. Instead of working at it with a spirt of patience they instead grow upset when they don’t get what they want or don’t find the pleasure that lies behind it for which they had at first hoped. If we find ourself in this realm of spiritual dryness we must endure and realize the true fruit which springs forth from prayer. This is the same as the true fruit that springs forth from the passing of time which leads a seed towards becoming a tree, leaven growing, and parables which bring forth recollection and thought.

Very soon we will be entering into the season of Advent which will help prepare for the Lord’s coming among us as God made Flesh. As we enter into this sacred season it is important that we enter into this season with a spirit of true faith and hope. We must remain patient and invest ourself fully into the life of the Church for through doing so we will grow close to God even if it feels as if that is not the case.

33rd Sunday of OT Year A Homily

Next Sunday we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King which brings us to the conclusion of our liturgical year. Our readings echo the reality of that which currently surrounds us; the fact that time is quickly coming to its conclusion. As we glance around we see this theme reflected for it draws dark so early. We also see this for the liturgical year is coming to its close.

Some Christians allow themselves to be transfixed upon the sign of the times and thus they are always proclaiming that the end of the world is nigh. With all that is currently going on within our world and own country we may even believe this to be ringing true. Nevertheless, we should not be transfixed upon these end of time prophecies, but instead upon that reality that will ultimately come to claim each of us, our own mortality.

If we know that our own mortality is lying in wait for us then we should heed our Epistle and thus “stay alert and sober.” By staying “alert and sober” we allow ourself to be prepared to encounter the Lord who is merciful and just. Nevertheless, there are so many who have fooled themselves into believing that they will live for ever. Even in the midst of this pandemic they have not woke up to reflect upon this reality which will ultimately befall them.

Let us thus be reflective of all that we keep pushing off when it pertains to faith and morals. The ways that we have failed to make time for God through prayer, the times that we have decided that we will not participate in the Sacrament of Confession, the ways in which we have explained away sin or have grown lazy in staying in guard against it. Truly, we are called to “stay sober and alert” for we will soon encounter the great light which springs forth from Christ our Lord.