Bulletin Article: June 28

Slowly our campus is getting back into a routine. We now have Mass and the ability to have meetings/gatherings. Hopefully very soon we can loosen some of the restrictions allowing us to have more activities. The new school year will begin at the start of August which should help to bring some normalcy to our campus.

As we begin to embark upon this new chapter in the parish’s history I have decided to hold a Parish Open Forum on Zoom. This will be held on June 29th from 6:30pm-7:30pm. The focus of our discussion will be parish life that has developed out of the pandemic. Hopefully this discussion can help clear up any misunderstandings or develop new ideas for ways our parish can be effective during this period of time.

Finally, please keep Matthew Donahue in your prayers as he will be ordained a deacon at 11am on June 29th at Saint John Neumann Parish in Knoxville. Also, please mark your  calendars for the ordination of Deacon Zach Griffith which will be held August 29th.

In Christ,

Fr. Dustin Collins

13th Sunday of OT Year A Homily

Saint Francis of Assisi is a very interesting figure in the life of the church. He comes from the foundation of earthly pleasure and luxury, but after heading into war and being injured brings about a close to this chapter of his life. From here he led a gradual life of conversion which eventually brought him to the church of San Damiano. It was here that he prayed before the crucifix and the Lord spoke to Him from the cross, “rebuild my church.” Francis would take these words literally and he would rebuild the church of San Damiano for it had fallen into disrepair. Later he would hear the words which would predate our Gospel passage and so he heard, “And as you go, preach the message, “the Kingdom is at hand!...Take no gold, nor silver, nor money in your belts, no bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor a staff; for the laborers deserves his food. And whatever town or villa you enter, find out who is worthy in it, and stay with him until you depart.” From here Saint Francis was able to put into practice this command to “rebuild my church.”

So many hold to devotion of Saint Francis solely for his love of animals, but they more importantly forget about his radical love for the Lord. Saint Francis abandoned everything that he had in order to serve the Lord and to rebuild the church. This rebuilding of the church was not the structural reality, as important as this may be, but this rebuilding of the church was to live a missionary zeal which would attract others to the authentic living out of the Gospel. Indeed this is a task which is not easy if one cannot abandon their self out of love for Christ and His Church.

And so from our Gospel we heard some challenging words which coincide with the life of Saint Francis: “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.”

To put all of this into context we must proclaim within our heart that Christ makes a great command of us. We need to acknowledge that Christ is the Lord, that He is the absolute value, that He is the supreme good, and that He is the pearl of great price. There are so many who proclaim to be Christian in name only, but not in the practice of their daily life. How full would this Church be, if under normal circumstances, if we were convinced of this reality? One man had an influence over so many because of his authentic embracing the cross of our Lord. Who took this cross up and placed his trust in the Lord no matter the difficulty that would come his way, so too we must grow in our appreciation and love for the cross.

From the cross we see a total sense of abandonment given out of love. There will be those who will attempt to pull us away from this loving reality, but we cannot allow this to be so. Stay close and allow the cross to lead you towards an authentic living out of the Gospel. I encourage you to keep a crucifix in each room of your home and to spend time before it each day in prayer. In the words of Saint Francis concerning the crucifix: “Most high, glorious God, cast Your light into the darkness of my heart. Give me right faith, firm hope, perfect charity and profound humility, with wisdom and perception, O Lord, so that I may do what is truly Your hole will. Amen.”

4th Sunday after Pentecost Homily

So many allow themself to labor without coming to acknowledge their God given purpose. Our Gospel shows the apostles unable to make a great catch of fish, but when the Lord was the one to instruct them they were able to make a great catch. This great catch of fish has nothing to do with our material wellbeing. Some prescribe to a Gospel of Prosperity where God rewards faithful believers with riches and happiness. This is not living in the reality of the church and her teachings.

This great catch of fish has everything to do with the reality of salvation and drawing other souls to come to know and believe in Christ Jesus. Even if we profess Christ to be our Lord there will still be difficulties which will come our way. Nevertheless, we can come to embrace these difficulties as our Lord came to embrace the wood of the cross which brought about our salvation. As Saint Paul points out in his Epistle: “We know that every creature groaneth, and travaileth in pain, even till now; and not only it, but ourselves also, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves grown within ourselves, waiting for the adoption of the sons of God, the redemption of our body; in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Therefore, let us keep our sight set upon Christ and His Resurrection. There is no question if hardship will come our way or not, but we must realize the importance of staying close to Christ, His mercy, and His Church. If we are to do this we must turn away from sin and also be willing to enter into the silence of prayer. If we ignore the pursuit of virtue or ignore the silence of prayer it will be hard, if not impossible for us in the case of mortal sin, to hear the voice of Christ made manifest within our life.

The apostles were sent forth from this encounter to eventually lead others to Christ. Throughout the history of the church there have been many holy men and women who have led others to Christ. It was not the personality of the apostle or saint which led others to Christ, but rather their trust in Him. Through their trust in Him they casted this net not under their own authority, but from the authority of Christ. How different would the world be and how full would this Church be if we were to act on living our life accordingly.

Sadly, we get caught up in the ways of this world and they overcome our ability to hear and trust in the voice of Christ. It is no wonder that the fruit which produce is so lacking for our attention is not placed on the Lord, but upon the world. If we trust in the mercy of God and spend time in the silence of prayer we will in return come to trust and make the Lord’s voice more manifest. It is only is this manner that we can: “fear not, from henceforth thou shalt catch men.”

Letter to Parish

I believe that it is important to be transparent concerning issues of the parish. I also believe it important to clear up any rumors which might manifest themselves. It has been brought to my attention that a letter has circulated throughout our parish, maybe some of you have even received it. Nevertheless, I find this letter to be divisive to the good of the parish. I say this not because I am afraid of the truth, but rather because it comes without context, represents a time in the parish which is not recent, and boils down to the level of harassment/bullying of parish staff. If we are to “love our neighbor” bullying to get what we want should not be our motive, but rather to use proper channels to bring about proper results.

To put this letter into proper context it is written from the perspective of roughly 2015-2019, before my arrival. This letter claims that we use in the words of the author a “NEW EMPLOYEE HAND BOOK.” The Diocese of Knoxville has a lay employee handbook as well as a handbook concerning accounting administration. Our parish uses and follows these guidelines which have been given to us. We do not follow a “NEW EMPLOYEE HAND BOOK” which we have devised under our own authority.

I continue to strive to work within the bounds of diocesan policy and have oversight of parish spending. As with all things it is possible that mistakes will be made. Thankfully we have the Parish Finance Council who serve as a second set of eyes on our quarterly finance statements. If any parish staff makes serious mistakes or acts out of line I will take care of them accordingly making use of the Diocese of Knoxville HR department. I cannot go back in time and evaluate how issues were resolved five years ago, but I can take care of issues as they arise in the future.

I take financial matters of our parish seriously. If you have any concerns in this area or any area of parish life please contact me. I am always available to the needs of our parish community. It is not proper to harass/bully our parish staff nor to stir up division among our parish. We must allow ourself to come together as the Body of Christ for the good of this parish community.

In Christ,

Fr. Dustin Collins

Bulletin Article: June 21

We are now able to resume meetings/gatherings on our campus. Starting July 1 the parish office will take facility reservations for August 3 to June 30, 2021. If one desires to reserve our facility for the remainder of June or July please contact the parish office.

Despite being able to host meetings/gatherings again things will be quite different. All present will need to stay six feet apart, wear a mask, no food/water is to be provided, no more then 50 can be present, a roster of those present is to be kept for 21 days, items are to be properly cleaned, and people are to be screened for COVID-19. When you reserve a facility you will be provided with this information.

Lastly, as a reminder the school/parish office are still selling Saint Mary School masks for $10. These are a great way to show your support for our school and help to advertise us to the community.

In Christ,

Fr. Dustin Collins 

External Solemnity of Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Homily

Today we celebrate this External Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Throughout culture we find the heart to be a symbol which expresses love. We most vividly see this played out around Saint Valentine’s Day when we see the image of the heart plastered all over everything. When you think about this it is odd because the heart has nothing to do with making us love or not. When we research the origins of this understanding of the heart, as being a vessel of love, we will find that it was an ancient understanding that the heart controlled our intellect and thus it is the heart which leads us to love.

This month of June is devoted to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. I find this to be important because sadly our society has lost a proper understanding of what it means to love. In the process we have perverted love to point where it no longer meets its God given purpose. Anytime that we take another and fail to respect another as one who has been created in the image and likeness of God there cannot be love. Love cannot be present when we take something which goes against natural law and present it as if it is a good. 

Through devotion to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus we see the true meaning of love as is displayed to us by our Blessed Lord. For this, we have no further to look then the wood of the cross. It is here that our Blessed Lord pours forth His love and mercy to us and to the whole world. What is expressed to us here is not a cheap use of the word “love,” but is instead a true embracing of this word through His commitment and self sacrifice. We easily throw around the word “love,” but our Lord shows us the path which leads towards its true meaning. Through the life of the martyrs we see those who have embraced this reality to the fullest degree by allowing themselves to give up their life on this earth out of love for Christ and His Church.

As we can see the Sacred Heart of Jesus is an expression of the love of God. From His heart we come to see the reality of Christ’s Divinity and humanity. At the Incarnation we can say in the words of Pope Pius XII: “in Him dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” Therefore He had a heart from which animated His time on this earth with the flow blood. Upon the cross this heart beat and He laid down His life for our safe. In His Resurrection and eventual Ascention into Heaven He possessed this heart which manifests His love and mercy to each of us.

May we come to celebrate this font of love and mercy on this External Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. May we foster devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in our life and within our families. In our human expression of words we might say the heart represents our ability to love, therefore may we allow the heart of Jesus to teach as to love as we ought. In the dialogue of the preface the priest will say “sorsum corda” “lift up your hearts” to which the response will be given “habemus ad Dominum” “we lift them up the Lord.” Truly may we come to emulate the and devote ourself to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.

12th Sunday of OT Year A Homily

This selection of readings for this 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time reflect the theme of fear. No matter the day and age that this homily is given it should easy to sum up some of the fears that we hold within our heart. In this day and age fear has been summed up for us in the form of a virus known as COVID-19. In the past fear has been stirred up due to war, economic insecurity, and racial injustice to name a few. Despite some of these fears taking place in the past they sadly continue to be a part of our human reality.

At the heart of fear is a lack of trust placed in the merciful Hands of Christ. I am reminded of the apostles who headed out into the sea. There they came to be beat about by the storm and in their fear they awoke Christ. Here He came to rebuke them for their lack of faith. Hopefully we can further prefect our faith in Him. The reality is that which surrounds us has been touched by the reality of the Fall, but despite the sin of Adam we have come to be redeemed by Christ who offers Himself for us out of love as the perfect oblation upon the cross.

In the Gospel of Saint Matthew Christ commanded His apostles: “Fear no one.” So too He instructs us as such. If we base our security upon the passing reality of this world we will always be left with reason to be filled with fear without the glimmer of hope. Instead we should be consoled in the reality of life eternal. If we pursue the Kingdom of God above all things we have nothing to fear except for missing out on this reality to our insistence to not be moved away from the world and closer to Christ.

I always find solace is praying the 1st Preface for the dead at a Funeral Mass. It states: “life has changed, but not ended.” So often we live our life as if everything we have to strive for is the here and now. Therefore, we are to amass wealth and earthly pleasure if we are to be happy. This mentality never leads towards true happiness, but an endless pursuit of something that can never leave us filled. Again, we must “fear no one” and come to trust in the Lord.

The reality of the matter is, that fear will continue to overcome us in this life. We will continue to be touched by temptation, we will continue to be touched by hardship, and we will continue to be touched by persecution. Nevertheless, may we find our solace in the never changing reality of Christ Jesus. Here may we come to place our trust in His Merciful Hands in order that we may be filled with faith and hope no matter what may come our way. Truly, the Lord gives us no cross which is too great for us to bear for He Has already bore the wood of the tree which brought redemption into this world. May we remember that we are now headed towards the Kingdom of Heaven by coming to embrace this reality in how we come to live and order our life on earth.

May we truly be sent forth from here with true hope and joy in order that we may “fear no one,” but instead come to place our trust in His Merciful Hands of our Lord always.

Bulletin Article: June 14

Our resuming of Masses have gone smoothly. We have yet to face the issue of hitting capacity and having to turn people away. Up to this point, our largest Mass from last week was the 10am and it had 108 people. Our Mass attendance, if everyone was sitting in the optimal place, can reach 340 before we would have turn people away and come up with a new plan.

Very soon I will release information concerning opening our calendar to events and gatherings. Despite opening our campus to meetings/gatherings there are a lot of new policies that will have to be adhered to. I hope to include this information in the next bulletin after I have the opportunity to speak with the parish staff.

In Christ,

Fr. Dustin Collins

Corpus Christi Homily

The Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ is an important day in the life of the church. If we were under normal circumstances churches around the world including this one would hold Eucharist processions bringing Christ into the streets. This year circumstances require us to forgo these processions, but we are still reminded of the same message.

That message being that we must be willing to take Christ with us into the streets of everyday life. As we are instructed at the conclusion of Mass, “Go forth the Mass is ended.” We respond “Thanks be to God” not because we can now go home and do as we wish, but instead we have been invited to do something so much harder. We have been invited to head out the doors of the church and to live what we have received in the midst of the world.

Therefore we should ask what is it that we have received and why is this so important for us? Well the one that we have received under the appearance of bread and wine is Christ our Lord. He is present with us in the Most Holy Eucharist Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. In other words when we receive communion we receive Christ. We do not receive Him as symbol, but instead in all actually.

Now if we stop and fathom that this is truly Christ we will not be concerned about the purification of our hands in hand sanitizer (don’t get me wrong this is important), but to purify our souls in the Sacrament of Confession is much more important. In the optional sequence to this Mass we would of heard in the words of Saint Thomas Aquinas: “Both the wicked and the good eat of this celestial Food: But with ends how opposite! Here is life: and there is death: The same, yet issuing to each in a difference infinite.”

And so if we are to bring Christ into the world by living what we have received we must turn away from sin and turn towards the Lord. As was summed up by Saint Thomas Aquinas we can receive Him in the Eucharist, but the end result is opposite for the wicked and the good. As our faith teaches us mortal sin is real and deprives us of sanctifying grace. To receive communion in such a state is to receive a deadly sin upon our soul and to receive no grace from the Eucharist. On the other hand, to receive our Lord in the state of grace is to receive the full benefit of the sacrament that we dare to receive.

Some are concerned with assisting at the Holy Mass only if they are able to receive communion as if this is a gift that is owed to us. Rather, we should assist at the Holy Mass if we are able to receive or not. We should not base the reception of communion after the fact that we are at Mass, but on the state of our soul.

On this Corpus Christi Sunday it is my hope that we may treat the gift that is the Eucharist with all seriousness. It is my hope that what we receive here is to be brought into the world and lived. It would be a sad state for us to receive such a gift and in return live such a contradiction in the way in which we live and order our life on this earth. 

In conclusion, from the words of Saint Thomas Aquinas in his prayer before communion: “Therefore, I beg of You, through Your infinite mercy and generosity, heal my weakness, wash my uncleanness, give light to my blindness, enrich my poverty, and clothe my nakedness. May I thus receive the Bread of Angels, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, with such reverence and humility, contrition and devotion, purity and faith, purpose and intention, as shall aid my soul’s salvation.”

Bulletin Article: June 7

We have made it past our first full week of Masses since resuming. Our highest attended Mass of the week was the 10am which had 95 in attendance. It is my hope that in the weeks and months ahead that we will continue to see our attendance rise.

At the same time I remind all of you that a dispensation continues for everyone for the foreseeable future. If you are sick please stay at home. Those who are in high risk groups continue to be encouraged to stay home as well.

The church currently sits 258 people if everyone were to fit perfectly in the puzzle. We also have a plan for overflow seating using the chapel and gathering area which could  accommodate up to 82 additional people. This is why it is important to sit where our ushers ask. Once attendance gives rise we would not be able to optimize our seating space if the Mass was well attended. I apologize for any inconvenience that this may be to you or your family.

Finally, I extend my congratulations for all graduates of 2020. At today’s 8am Mass we had the opportunity to celebrate our high school graduates. On August 15th, most fittingly the Assumption of Mary, we will hold our parish school graduation. It is my hope that by then we can offer a special banquet to our graduates and families to celebrate this important day in their life.

In Christ,

Fr. Dustin Collins

Most Holy Trinity (Graduation) Homily

2020 has been an interesting year. We began in the usual manner of celebrating New Year’s Day. Here we had many anticipations concerning what our life would be like in the year ahead. Quickly many of those anticipations and plans began to unravel before our sight. One of those areas where things came to tumbling down was graduation plans. Our parish school will come to celebrate its’ graduation on August 15th which is a fitting day for a Marian school for this is the day of the Solemnity of the Assumption. Today we have the opportunity to gather with our graduating seniors to celebrate this great accomplishment in their life. May we continue to pray for each of them, that as they head onto the next stage of their life, that they may always keep the flame of faith shining brightly.

Today we come to celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. No matter how much our life is changing around us may we remember that no change is found within the Trinity. The Trinity is the profession of one God in three Persons. Therefore, we have God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. As Trinity these three Persons of the one Godhead have always been. Difficulties have popped up in our life and we are constantly changing. We are especially changing when it pertains to our feelings. No matter how we feel or how much the world around us seems to be in fluctuation may we process and appreciate this unchanging reality of the Trinity.

As our seniors move onto their next stage in life it is important that you do not lose sight of God. There will continue to be temptations which will come your way which will attempt to pull you away from God. You will continue to be busy, but at the same time make time to be with the Lord. You will encounter those who want nothing to do with faith or truth. Do not follow after these voices of relativism, but follow after the truth which always brings us back into an encounter with God. Also, make sure to properly discern your vocation in this life. There are many who never listen to the voice of the Lord, but instead turn inwardly towards self. In marriages we see a perversion of love, but the perversion goes against that true outpouring of love that manifests itself within the Trinity.

As graduating seniors and for all of us we are called to emulate all that is found in the mystery of the Trinity. This is a life long journey which calls us to conversion. The Trinity leads us to love as we ought and leads us towards all truth. On this Trinity Sunday may each of us be further drawn into this encounter with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. From this life giving encounter may we be sent forth from here as true disciples of the Lord.

Most Holy Trinity Homily

“Caritas” is a Latin word for “love.” It is from “caritas” that we get the English word “charity.” At the start of the rosary people offer the first three “Aves” for the virtues of faith, hope, and love. Sometimes people use the word charity in place of love. “Caritas” is a charitable love. This charitable love which gives freely and asks for nothing in return can most perfectly be seen in the Most Holy Trinity.

Of God we know that there is one Nature which is of three Persons. These three Persons being God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. How sad it would be if God did not manifest Himself is such a way. Without the Son or the Holy Spirit, the Father would only be concerned with self. This cannot be for God is creative and by His very nature pours forth this love. Therefore, we came to be created as an outpouring of this love.

God cannot be only Father and Son for here we have two whose love becomes exclusive. Again there is nothing which is exclusive of this love. From the cross we see God the Son who pours forth His love for us as He comes to surrender His Spirit.

It is from the manifestation of this love that another comes forth. That being the Holy Spirit. Thus in the Most Holy Trinity we see this perfect outpouring of love. The love between God the Father and God the Son is so great that it begets another. It would be an error for us to say there was a time when was not God the Son or God the Holy Spirit. From the Last Gospel we are told: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

To married couples it ought to be the Most Holy Trinity that one looks up to in their love as a couple. So many allow themself to get caught up in a false sense of love which is not mutual and flowing over. In this manner love itself becomes perverted to the very sense that it cannot be love. We cannot go through life living an attitude that everything is about me. We cannot go through life loving another at the exclusion of others. True love is to see the other and to do what is best for them, while expecting to receive nothing in return. This is the very basis of charity itself.

Despite perversions of love we should see that living out the love of the Trinity is something that we are called to. Contraception rejects this love and twists mutual love from its purpose. Those who reject children fail to see the beauty that springs forth from the the giving of oneself to another out of love. If we are lowering another to become a means to an end we cannot claim that we love them for if they are lowered to such they fail to be treated as one created in the image and likeness of God.

On this Most Holy Trinity Sunday may we come to see the true meaning of love. May we enter into the beauty that is discovered through this love and desire to live it out in our own life. May we remember at all times “Deus caritas est” “God is love.”

Mass of Baptism & Initiation into Church Homily

We live in the midst of a world that enjoys receiving everything quickly. We hate to wait for anything even if it will only require a few minutes of our time. At the same time it seems that we also live in the midst of a throw away culture. It is so easy to throw something away, even if it still has value. We easily move on from one item to the next replacing it with the next big thing which has been assured to change our life.

Today we are filled with great joy as we celebrate the baptism of these catechumens and the reception into the church of these candidates. The RCIA process takes time, but this investment of your time is most important because it has helped to prepare each of you for this most wondrous of days. At the length time that this process takes, some sadly lose interest, and they disappear. Hopefully, each of you has finally found that pearl of great price. We are told from the Gospels that when you find the pearl of great price you will sell everything that you have in order to obtain it.

This most odd of years has thrown us many curveballs. As we know this celebration should of taken place all the way back on the night of April 11th when we celebrated the Easter Vigil. Instead of celebrating the Easter Vigil with all of you in such a manner it was done in private. With that each of you were forced to wait even longer for this most precious of days.

Hopefully each of you see the importance of what you are about to enter into. You have had to work at this day and now that you have finally arrived at this day you will need to continue to invest yourself in this life of faith. Sadly, some enter into these sacraments and allow themself to regress to their old way of life. As the Gospels remind we cannot set out hands upon the plow in order to look back. 

So today we celebrate the sacraments of initiation. Baptism which will cleanse the receiver from the stain of original sin. Confirmation which is to be sealed with the Holy Spirit. The Most Holy Eucharist which is to receive the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ our Lord. Even though not received here, do not allow yourself to forget about the Sacrament of Confession. It is impossible for us to follow after the Lord if we want nothing to do with His mercy.

What is celebrated here will truly stand the test of time. Nothing that you receive is to be taken lightly. Nothing that you receive fades with the test of time. Nothing that you receive is to be thrown away as if it is to be found without use. Do not allow the devil to deceive you otherwise. Here you receive all that you will ever need to live out a good and holy life. Nevertheless, the cross will still come your way. Embrace the cross always. As our Blessed Lord says, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”

Each of you have received this invitation and you have chosen to answer it by being present today. Do not allow the flame of faith to be extinguished, but continue to tend to it each day. Today each of us rejoice with you in this time of great joy. Continue to invest yourself in Christ Jesus and the Church that He has left to us on this earth.

Bulletin Article: May 31

Welcome back to Saint Mary Parish. I hope that each of you has approached this day with great anticipation. Likewise, I hope that each of you continue to appreciate the gift of the Holy Spirit which was poured out upon the apostles on this Pentecost Sunday.

I know many would like to return to life as normal. I too have that same longing, but it is going to take time. As the days and weeks pass we will continue to evaluate everything and tweak our procedures as needed.

For these past two months I remain grateful to our parish staff for all of their hard work. I also thank Lillian for her tireless work with communications. Communications have been very important during this period of time. I also thank all of those who continued to support our parish financially for their sacrifice to our parish.

We are still in need of individuals to be on our Parish Pastoral Council and Parish Finance Council. Please contact me at the parish office if you would like to serve on one of these councils.

In Christ,

Fr. Dustin Collins