Sunday, May 31, 2020

Pentecost Homily

It has been a long time since our last public celebration of Mass, welcome back! I am sure that many of you have been filled with great anticipation to be reunited with our Eucharistic Lord. This is a fitting day to resume our public celebration of Mass for Pentecost is known as the birth of the church. With that, through our interaction with the Holy Spirit it is my fervent hope that each of us will come to be renewed in our life of faith.

When we consider the Holy Spirit we should take note of the Acts of the Apostles where the Holy Spirit is described as being “a strong driving wind.” This is an important lesson for us to reflect upon for there is nothing stagnant to be found concerning the Holy Spirit. Thus too the Holy Spirit sends us forth into the world to be animated in our practice of faith.

We know that each of the apostles had their own difficulties in coming to understand and accept the reality of the Lord’s Passion. It was through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that they were sent forth into the world to lead other souls towards the Lord. We too are touched by our own difficulties and fears. This present with us in our everyday life. Nevertheless, we cannot allow excuses to overcome us. We too are to be touched by this strong driving wind that is the Holy Spirit and be sent forth into the abundant harvest of the Lord as true witnesses to Christ Jesus and His Church on this earth. May we be sent forth from here filled with this true missionary zeal that sent forth the apostles to proclaim Christ Jesus throughout all the world.

Monday, May 25, 2020

Bulletin Article: May 24

Some quick notes concerning the opening of our parish:

-Masses will resume May 25 with our normal Mass schedule going forward.
-Our parish office will be staffed starting May 26. Those who need to enter will have their temperature taken before entering.
-Mass intentions can be requested beginning June 1.
-The scheduling of parish facilities continues to be closed until further notice.
-Confessions continue at the regular times of Wednesday at 6pm, Saturday at 9am, and Sunday at 1:30pm. Please note that those standing in line and making their confession must now wear a mask.
-I have posted a video to our parish YouTube page in English and Father Jesus has posted a video in Spanish walking the parish through the new procedures for Mass. Please watch this if you able.

I look forward to next weekend and our public celebration of the Mass and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. 

In Christ,
Fr. Dustin Collins

Sunday, May 24, 2020

Ascension of the Lord Homily

Today we come to celebrate the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord.

The Ascension of the Lord is the climax of the Pascal mystery. The sacrifice begins in the Upper Room and doesn’t end with His Passion upon the cross as some may believe, but instead it reaches its climax through His Ascension. As is stated to us in the Roman Canon: “Therefore, O Lord, as we celebrate the memorial of the blessed Passion, the Resurrection from the dead, and the glorious Ascension into heaven of Christ, your Son, our Lord.” I point this out because the Ascension continues to reflect the reality of the Lord’s sacrifice and every opportunity that we have to assist at the Holy Mass is to be present for this sacrifice. Very often we allow ourself to forget that the Mass is sacrifice. In doing so we lesson the importance of what is taking place around us.

It was on the Day of Atonement that the high priest would enter into the holy of holies and it was there that he would offer sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people of Israel. This is something that he would have to do year after year. Through our Lord’s Ascension the Day of Atonement is being fulfilled. As is stated in Saint Paul’s Epistle to the Hebrews: “For Christ has entered, not into a sanctuary made with hands, a copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.” This verse is reflective of the Day of Atonement and the fact that through the Ascension of the Lord this offering comes to be made.

Through His Ascension into Heaven He returns to His Heavenly Father, He comes to be seated at the right hand of the Father on His Heavenly throne, but He also goes to offer the sacrifice of Himself to the Father for all eternity once and for all time. We must realize that through His Resurrection He rises again from the grave both body and soul. We must also realize that through His Ascension He is taken into Heaven body and soul. It is through the Ascension that He enters into eternity itself where He no longer comes to be bound by space and time.

All of this comes to be beautifully summed up for us in the Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 662: “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.” The lifting up of Jesus on the cross signifies and announces his lifting up by his Ascension into heaven, and indeed begins it. Jesus Christ, the one priest of the new and eternal Covenant, “entered, not into a sanctuary made by human hands...but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.” There Christ permanently exercises his priesthood, for he “always lives to make intercession” for “those who draw near to God through him.” As “high priest of the good things to come” he is the center and the principal actor of the liturgy that honors the Father in heaven.”

Through all of this we can see that Christ is the Eternal High Priest. When we attend the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass we participate in this reality. Here we come to united with this reality and join with all the Masses that have been said, are being said, and will said for the rest of eternity. Through the Mass with join with the priest who comes to offer sacrifice on our behalf by joining into this eternal sacrifice being offered by the Eternal High Priest, Christ our Lord. May we come to appreciate this sacrifice, pray for and appreciate our priests, and come here to the Mass to abandon our needs before Christ the Eternal High Priest who offers the sacrifice of Himself to the Father for all eternity once and for all time.

Monday, May 18, 2020

Bulletin Article: May 17

Public Masses will resume Pentecost weekend (May 30/31). When you return parish life will be different then what we are used to, but eventually everything will become routine. Hopefully, soon we can return to our normal way of life.

As we return to public Mass is important that you be patient with our ushers and do as you are asked. They will tell you where you are to sit and when you are to leave following Mass. They will help enforce the rule that you must wear a mask when you are in the church for Mass. If you are not wearing a mask you will be asked to leave. They will help to guide the communion lines which will be different then our norm. Prior to receiving Communion one will take off their mask, clean their hands at a hand sanitizer station, receiving Communion, and put their mask back on. There will be a lot for us to get used to, but eventually we will adapt and do so.

On May 21 will fall the traditional date of the Ascension. On this day I will offer a 6pm Mass in the Extraordinary Form in order that the Ascension may be observed on Thursday. This Mass will be streamed to our parish YouTube page.

In Christ,
Fr. Dustin Collins

Sunday, May 17, 2020

6th Sunday of Easter Year A Homily

On this Sixth Sunday of Easter we come to anticipate our Lord’s Ascension and the eventual pouring forth of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles at Pentecost. As a local church we anticipate the coming of Pentecost for with it we will resume our public celebration of Mass. I cannot wait until we have that opportunity to once again gather inside of this church. In these past months we have endured a lot, but despite how we might of felt none of us have been left alone.

Our Gospel passage comes prior to the events of the Lord’s Passion, Resurrection, and Ascension into Heaven. As our Lord instructs: “I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live.” Saint John Crysostom puts this into context by stating: “The death of the cross shall not separate you from Me forever, but only hide Me from you for a moment.”

In these past couple of months each of us has had a lot stripped away from us. There are some who have lost their jobs. There are some who haven’t seen certain family members in person for quite some time. There are some who fear getting sick and do everything in their power to avoid it overcoming them. There are some who know someone who has gotten this virus and even died from it. There are some who have lost the freedoms that they are used to enjoying and very soon there will be a whole list of mandates that will be asked of us if we are to return to the public celebration of Mass.

In the midst of everything that has befallen us it is very easy to think that we have been left alone. I have heard some state that they feel as if the church has abandoned them during this time of turmoil. I am sure that the apostles felt abandoned at the time of the crucifixion and afraid at the Ascension. Nevertheless, no matter how we might feel concerning these events and what we have endured may we never be tempted to believe that we have been abandoned.

Pentecost is known as the birth of the church. It was at Pentecost that the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles like a strong driving wind. The Holy Spirit led the apostles into the world to spread the faith to all the world’s corners. Despite their fear and shortcomings they were never left alone, but strengthened by this great gift.

The same continues to be true for us in this day and age. There are many that want us to stay caught up in doom and gloom. They want us to lose our sense of hope. We cannot allow this negativity to win. For we too have received this great gift that came upon the apostles and hopefully we continue to trust in the Holy Spirit and allow the Holy Spirit to lead us forth into the world no matter the difficulty that may be encountered there.

Again none of us have been left abandoned. We must trust that our Lord died upon the cross in order to free us from the weight of sin. We must trust that despite the hardships of the cross that He has risen from the dead in order that we too may anticipate this hope in the midst of all hardship. He was taken up to Heaven in the Ascension in order to show us where we are now oriented, the Kingdom of Heaven. The gift of the Holy Spirit has been poured out upon us to guide us through all these turbulent times. Truly none of us have been left as orphans.

Monday, May 11, 2020

Bulletin Article: May 10

It is currently the plan to resume to pupils celebration of Mass on the weekend of May 30/31. This is the Solemnity of Pentecost where the Holy Spirit came came upon the apostles in the Upper Room. In the days ahead our bishop will give parishes direction on how resuming Masses will look in this diocese. Once we receive those guidelines we will find ways to put them in practice at this parish.

We are currently looking for new members for our Parish Pastoral Council and Parish Finance Council. Members should already be active in our parish and Catholics who are in good standing with the church. For the Parish Finance Council we need members who are familiar with finances. If you are interested in either of these councils please contact me.

Finally, happy Mother’s Day to all of our mothers. May our Blessed Mother continue to be your guide.

In Christ,
Fr. Dustin Collins

Monday, May 4, 2020

Bulletin Article: May 3

Let us continue to pray for all those throughout the church who have had their reception of sacraments delayed.

I especially direct my attention towards those in our RCIA, first communion, and confirmation programs. Please remember that these sacraments are not canceled, but postponed. Once our parish is able to function again with public Masses I will quickly work on rescheduling these postponed sacraments.

Please also remember that the reception of baptism is very important. Can.  867 §1Parents are obliged to takecare that infants are baptized in the first few weeks; as soon as possible after the birth or even before it, they are to go to the pastor to request the sacrament for their child and to be prepared properly for it.” If you have have a child who needs to be baptized please contact me and I will work out the details concerning your child receiving this important sacrament. Baptisms will be limited to 10 individuals which includes the minister, child, parents, and godparents.

In Christ,
Fr. Dustin Collins

Sunday, May 3, 2020

4th Sunday of Easter Year A Homily

In the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite this Fourth Sunday of Easter is commonly known as “Good Shepherd Sunday.” 

It is important that sheep learn the voice of their shepherd. Thus wherever the voice of the shepherd leads the sheep will follow. And so we were told in our Gospel “the sheep hear his voice, as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” Further we were told: “But they will not follow a stranger; they will run away from him, because they do not recognize the voice of strangers.”

In our world it is very easy for us to get caught up in many activities which cause us to forget about Christ. It is easy for us to push Him off to the side and thus we fail to make use of prayer. For example the priest cannot go through life without prayer by simply using the excuse that I have offered Mass and prayed the Liturgy of the Hours and therefore have done my part. We must do more then the letter of the law. Under ordinary circumstances there would be the obligation to attend Mass each Sunday and Holy Day of Obligation, but we must do more to enter into relationship with the Lord. There is the necessity for us to pray in order that the voice of the Lord may become apparent for us.

Depending on how we choose to order our life on this earth has an effect upon our ability to hear this voice of Christ the Good Shepherd. If we give ourself the excuse to enter into sin we will muffle this voice from our ears. If that sin is deemed to be mortal in nature it will go as far as to destroy that voice from being heard. For this reason we must come to cultivate virtue in our life, for the more we cultivate virtue the more we will come to hear and follow after the voice of the Lord.

In this period of separation from the Eucharist and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass it is important that we evaluate our practices of prayer. In what ways have we been too caught up in activities at home that have come to push prayer away in favor of something else? What ways have you or your family come together in this period of separation in order to keep the flame of faith alive and well? Again it is important that we hear and follow the voice of Christ the Good Shepherd.

On this Good Shepherd Sunday it is my hope that our homes will become places of prayer. Places where the Lord comes to be glorified above all things. Places where souls are not lead towards eternal damnation, but everlasting life. Let us come to know and follow this voice of Christ the Good Shepherd. Let us not lose hope, but trust in His voice. Very soon these difficult times will come to pass and we will be reunited with our Lord in Holy Communion. In the meantime continue to cultivate this relationship with the Christ the Good Shepherd who leads us by His voice. Let us never muffle or worse yet mute the voice of the Lord from our life.