Bulletin Article: September 27

Congratulations to Jim Haselsteiner who was installed by Bishop Stika today as a Lector. Jim is currently serving our parish as head sacristan and is in the diaconate program for the Diocese of Knoxville. Please remember that this weekend is the first Friday and Saturday of the month. These days are set aside to promote devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary. On Saturday two priests will be available to hear confessions starting at 9am. Finally, the blessing of pets will take place Saturday at 10:30am. There will be a pet show to follow which is being sponsored by the Knights of Columbus/youth group. There is a fee of $10, $2 for each additional pet, to register your pet in the pet show.

A big thank you to those who were able to attend our Parish Open Forum which was held on September 14th. At this forum we discussed the importance of out reach to our homebound during this period of time. It was encouraged for ministry heads to continue to reach out to those in their ministries especially those who may not currently be attending Mass. It was mentioned that we are still at work making a list of parishioners who are now homebound due to COVID-19. Those on our lists will be provided cards from our school, parish youth, missalettes, and other types of outreach.

We spent time highlighting past and future parish activities. These included the Knight of Columbus BBQ sale which was held over Labor Day and the tamale sale from our Spanish speaking community. It was mentioned that there is hope that a parish fall picnic could be offered if our restrictions on food and drink at events was lifted. A few ministries/studies presented on what is currently taking place. The importance of FORMED was also mentioned as something that parishioners should take advantage of.

We concluded with general topics which included the frustration with our mandates and the desire to return to normalcy. It was recommended to read Cardinal Sarah’s document, “Let us return to the Eucharist with joy.” An inquiry was made into the status of the diocese’s grant for live streaming Masses. This grant will allot $6,000 to proper streaming equipment which we are still in works of filing for.

The Parish Pastoral Council has set November 16th from 6:30pm-7:30pm as the date of our next Parish Open Forum. It is my hope that parishioners will participate in these forums, if a topic interests them or not. It is important that we be invested in this parish and listen to one another in the building up of the Church here in Johnson City, TN.

In Christ, 

Fr. Dustin Collins

17th Sunday After Pentecost Homily

Everything that we do should be ordered towards discerning and responding to the will of God. Therefore, there are those among us who are called to the married life, there are those who are called to the priesthood, there are those who are called to embrace the religious life, and even those who have committed themselves to the single life. No matter where we find ourself on this gambit we should realize that this call to holiness does not come from ourself, but from God. This call to holiness is not made to a select few, but to all. Through discerning and taking up our vocation we commit ourself unto God and chasing after Him with our life.

We must remember that a vocation is something which does not come easily. It is something which must be worked at each day. Saint Paul realized this by stating in our Epistle: “I, a prisoner in the Lord, beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation in which you are called.” And thus married couples fail to chase after holiness in their everyday life and to embrace this call which comes to us from God. Thus some priests and religious become stagnant in their pursuit of faith only going through the motions without committing their-self to the truths of the Gospel. Thus too there are those who have been baptized and received into the life of the church who lose the sight of holiness in there everyday life in order to chase after something else.

As Pope Benedict XVI stated: “Be not afraid to love Christ!” The easiest avenue for us to chose is that of sin. It is much harder to love Christ and to order our life after His. Just because we have entered into a response to a God given vocation does not mean that this love will come easily. Each day a married person must model their-self after the love of Christ. Each day a priest or religious must model their-self after the love of Christ. All of us are called to holiness in our everyday life and thus we are called to love Christ above all things.

It should be no secret that so many marriages end in divorce or that some priests sadly abandon the holy priesthood. In the midst of these rejections we have those who have abandoned their vows in order to live for the here and now. It is holiness that we must work at, but the pleasures of the here and now is something which comes easily and will continue to look glamorous to our sight. In the midst of these temptations we must come to rebuke them and fear not in loving Christ. The cross did not come easily and thus too we should be willing to embrace it and take it up for ourself.

If we are to walk worthy of the vocation in which we have been called we need to be not afraid to love Christ. Our Gospel reminds us of the necessity to love the Lord our God with our whole heart and mind and to love thy neighbor as thyself. None us are too busy for prayer and fostering this love. So many chose to be too busy not because they are, but because they have other priorities which they have made to be more important. If one is to be a good priest, religious, married person, or strive for holiness in their everyday life there is a need to love God and to share this love with others.

This day let us continue to discern our vocation and fear not to enter into it. For those who are married fear not in growing together out of love and entering into the love of the Trinity through your vocation. In all things let us love the Lord our God and continue to walk worthy of the vocation in which we have been called.

26th Sunday of OT Year A Homily

Our reading from Ezekiel as well as our Gospel points us towards the grace of final perseverance. Final perseverance is to be found in the state of grace when one’s life on this earth comes to its conclusion. Thus one who has led a life of wickedness can obtain forgiveness at the hour of their death while one who has lived a life of virtue can turn away from God at the hour of their death. Saint Alphonsus Liguori was known for praying each day for the grace of final perseverance and recommended that everyone pray to obtain this grace.

One beautiful devotion is that of three Hail Marys. This devotion is most simple and yet so powerful. As was stated by Saint Alphonsus Liguori: “A devout servant of Mary shall never perish.” Thus through this devotion one is to offer three Hail Marys in the morning and three Hail Marys in the evening in order that they may not fall into mortal sin.

Pope Pius X gave his apostolic blessing to this practice where one is instructed to “recite morning and evening, three Hail Marys in honor of the three great privileges bestowed upon Our Blessed Mother by the most Blessed Trinity with this invocation at the end: for the morning: “O my Mother preserve me from mortal sin during this day.” For the evening: “O my Mother preserve me from mortal sin during this night.”

To this practice it was revealed to Saint Gertrude the Great: “To any soul who faithfully prays the Three Hail Marys, I will appear at the hour of death in a splendor so extraordinary that it will fill the soul with heavenly consolation.”

I do not draw attention to this devotion as if it is some form of superstition or witchcraft where one can pray these prayers and in return act as they wish. Rather, these prayers are to turn toward the Blessed Mother who is most pure and holy in order that we may avoid falling into sin especially mortal sin. This devotion is to remind us of its seriousness and how dying in the state of mortal sin will rip us away from Heaven.

Hopefully none of us are so filled with pride to believe that such a reality is impossible for us in this current age. This devotion and this seriousness has been promoted throughout the ages among the likes of Saints Anthony of Padua, Bonaventure, Alphonsus Liguori, and John Vianney to name a few. Each of these men are now in Heaven and they venerated as saints yet they understood the seriousness of salvation and dedicated their life unto it. They understood that it was something that they could fall short of and thus they fervently prayed and promoted this reality.

Again this seriousness was pointed towards in our readings this day. From Ezekiel we heard: “When someone virtuous turns away from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies, it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die. But if he turns from the wickedness he has committed, he does what is right and just, he shall preserve his life.” Also in our Gospel we are told of those who changed their mind and did something else and thus who were seen as sinful converted and lived. Let us turn towards the Blessed Mother and invoke her that we may never fall into mortal sin and may thus obtain Everlasting Life.

Bulletin Article: September 20

Congratulations to those who have made or will make their first communion in the days ahead. Our first of these Masses was held this past Saturday and the second of these Masses will be held this Saturday. Now that these Masses come to be completed we will finally be caught up from everything that was postponed due to COVID-19. 

Very shortly you will begin to see information concerning our Parish Stewardship Weekend which will be held the weekend of October 10/11. When we hear the word “stewardship” our mind usually goes to money. Stewardship is not only monetary, but is made up of time, talent, and treasure. This particular weekend was chosen as lead in for the following Saturday which will be our Parish Fall Cleanup, October 17. I know that we have a generous parish and our parishioners find many ways to give concerning their time, talent, and treasures. I hope that this stewardship weekend will be fruitful in continuing to build up this reality at our parish.

In Christ, 

Fr. Dustin Collins

16th Sunday After Pentecost Homily

To be a Christian is not always something which is easy to profess when we are outside of the walls of this church. Nevertheless, it is important that we profess our faith when we are outside of these hallowed walls. As Saint Josemaria Escriva put it: “It is terrible how much harm we can do if we allow ourselves to be carried away by the fear or the shame of being seen as Christians in ordinary life.”

Where would we be as a Church if the apostles allowed this fear and shame to consume them? We know that the apostles except for Saint John received a martyrs reward. They did not receive this award because they lived in fear of proclaiming and loving the truth, but because they embraced their faith in Christ and were willing to live it out no matter what would happen to them for doing so.

Hopefully none of us have been led to believe that being a Christian is easy. In our Gospel Christ shows that leading others towards an encounter with truth did not even come easily for Him. Here we are told of how He was filled with compassion for healing the afflicted and yet He was judged by others for His actions. Even in the Gospel of Saint John we are told during the Bread of Life discourse: “After this many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him.” We should also be aware of the cross where He came to be crucified in order to bring about our salvation.

In a society which rejects Christian morals and teachings it can be difficult to be a voice of reason. In these circumstances we must remember that we are to live out a spirit of charity and prudence and to never give an inch of compromise concerning the faith. Through charity we respond out of love and compassion for the good of another. Through prudence we act with what is proper in the given situation. Most of all we must be people of prayer who live lives which profess the virtues of our faith. If our actions counteract our faith we will lead people into scandal and lead them towards sin.

This daunting task that has been entrusted to us is one which is possible. We must heed back to the Sacrament of Confirmation and the graces which were received. Through the Sacrament of Confirmation the Holy Spirit comes upon us as a strong driving wind as it also came upon the apostles on the day of Pentecost. From the Catechism of the Catholic Church we are told concerning this sacrament: “by the sacrament of Confirmation, [the baptized] are more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit. Hence they are, as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed."

As we depart from here may we present ourself as Christians in all that we do. This does not mean that we are to be self righteous, but humble of heart. For this some may criticize us, but this is a small cross to bare compared to that of the martyrs. Let us depart from here and never be carried away by the fear or shame of being seen as Christian in ordinary life.

25th Sunday of OT Year A Homily

There is not a cookie cutter approach to sainthood. When you study the lives of the saints you will see that each of them has a different story to tell. Some of them were pius from a young age while others led a life of sinfulness only to discover God. Despite the many differences in the life of the saints one reality remains the same and that is that they came to trust in Christ Jesus and they dared to follow after Him in how they lived and ordered their life.

Each of us must become convinced that our ultimate goal is the Kingdom of Heaven. If we realize this to be our ultimate goal we would be crazy to allow anything to get in the way of achieving this goal. As difficult as the trials in this life may be they are fleeting compared to the reality of eternal life. There is nothing on this earth that I would want to commit myself to which might jeopardize my relationship to God and the achieving of this ultimate goal.

The non-angelic saints are human just like you and me. Nevertheless, they heard the call of Christ at various points in their life and they chose to follow after it. If we remember Saint Paul was once known as Saul and he was a persecutor of Christians and yet He encounter Christ on the road to Damascus and was converted. There was also Saint Augustine who lived a life of pleasure in his youth, but eventually came to be converted to the truth of the Gospel.

These saints serve as a reminder to us that no matter how deeply intrenched that our life may seem to be in sin that there is always hope. So too in our parable the landowner came to these various individuals and extended unto them the opportunity to go to work within the vineyard. Eventually they came to be paid the same reward not because the landowner was concerned with economics, but everlasting life. 

This parable reminds us of the call of the Lord to be found at work within the vineyard. Some of you have already heard this call and have committed your life to it. Some of you go through the motions of faith without paying any attention to the voice of the Lord. Others are so deeply intrenched in sin that they see no hope to being lifted out of it. It is my hope that this parable will assist us in seeing the necessity of following after the Lord by the way in which we live and order our life on this earth.

There is truly an urgency to this parable because there will eventually come and end to the days work. Those who chose not to go to work will not receive pay for they will not receive Everlasting Life. It is only those who chose to heed the invitation of the landowner who will receive it. May we realize that the Lord invites each us to follow after Him, but we still have the freedom to rebel or not being hasty to commit. If we realize that Eternal Life is the pearl of great price why would we not want to commit to the Gospel and live?

This day let us be convinced of the reality and thus head into the vineyard of the Lord and always be found at work in His abundant Harvest.

1st Communion Homily

Concerning our recent COVID-19 crisis Cardinal Sarah recently stated: “We must return to the Eucharist with joy.”

My dearest children, today you receive a great gift and for that each of us joins with you in your joy. This gift is greater than anything that we can receive in this life for it serves as food for our journey towards the Kingdom of Heaven. This gift is far greater than pizza, video games, and television to name a few for this gift is the Eucharist which is the Body, Blood, Soul, and Dignity of Christ our Lord.

The pope that is held responsible for the lowering of the age of Holy Communion was Pope Pius X. He desired that the faithful would frequently receive the Eucharist especially children. Prior to his involvement the age of First Communion for children was often around 12. The following is an account of his ardent desire for children to receive Holy Communion:

“An Englishwoman who had a private audience with the pope brought her little boy of four to receive his blessing. While she was talking the child stood at a little distance looking on; but presently he crept up to the pope, put his hands on his knees and looked up into his face. "How old is he?" asked Pius, stroking the little head. 

"He is four," answered the mother, "and in two or three years I hope he will make his first communion."

The pope looked earnestly into the child's clear eyes. "Whom do you receive in holy communion?" he asked. 

"Jesus Christ," was the prompt answer. "

And who is Jesus Christ?" 

"Jesus Christ is God," replied the boy, no less quickly. 

"Bring him to me tomorrow," said Pius, turning to the mother, "and I will give him holy communion myself."

And so with that may you realize that you do not receive simple bread, but Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ who is God made Flesh. May the joys of your First Communion be present each and every time that you have the opportunity to receive the Eucharist. To all of us who witness this wondrous reception of Holy Communion may we be inspired and always remember that the one who we receive is Jesus Christ who is God made Flesh.

Bulletin Article: September 13

I am pleased to announce that Maria Macariola is our new parish nurse effective October 1, 2020. I look forward to having her on our parish staff and having her continue to build up of the parish nurse program at our parish. I also thank Elizabeth for her time as parish nurse and offer my prayers for her and her family as they move from our parish community to Colorado later this year.

Please remember that we will have another Parish Open Forum via Zoom on September 14th from 6:30pm-7:30pm. There will be 4 topics which will be covered at a period of 15 minutes each: (1) Parish outreach during COVID-19, (2) Parish fraternal life during COVID-19, and (3) Parish Columbarium. I find these to be important because these meetings bring the parish community together for discussion in order that we can work together to build up the Kingdom of God here in Johnson City, TN.

In Christ,

Fr. Dustin Collins

15th Sunday After Pentecost Homily

In our Gospel we encounter the reality of death. It wasn’t too long ago that I had a funeral service at a funeral home. In the funeral parlor was the body of a random person. Those walking by seemed scandalized by the sight of the deceased. Death is something that each of us needs to keep before our sight. Death is not something that we can sweep under the rug and attempt to avoid because no matter how hard we try it will ultimately catch up with us. One Latin expression for this is “Memento mori” “Remember death.”

If we are to remember death we must be concerned with our ultimate destination. Our ultimate destination is not the accumulation of wealth and pleasure, these serve as means to an end, but Everlasting Life, this is the Kingdom of Heaven. No matter what some say may we also remember that Hell exists and it is possible to end up there. Some state that Hell exists, but it is empty. It is true that the Church has never declared a human person to be in Hell by name, but through the apparitions at Fatima it was revealed in the words of Lucia: “As Our Lady spoke these last words, she opened her hands once more, as she had done during the two previous months. The rays of light seemed to penetrate the earth, and we saw as it were a sea of fire. Plunged in this fire were demons and souls in human form, like transparent burning embers, all blackened or burnished bronze, floating about in the conflagration, now raised into the air by the flames that issued from within themselves together with great clouds of smoke now falling back on every side like sparks in huge fires, without weight or equilibrium, a mind shrieks and groans of pain and despair, which horrified us and made us tremble with fear. (It must have been this sight which caused me to cry out, as people say they heard me). The demons could be distinguished by their terrifying and repellent likeness to frightful and unknown animals, black and transparent like burning coals. Terrified and as if to plead for succor, we looked up at Our Lady, who said to us, so kindly and so sadly: “You have seen hell where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If what I say to you is done, many souls will be saved and there will be peace.”

This brings me to the reality of mortal sin for mortal sin brings death to an individual. It deprives them of sanctifying grace. It is sanctifying grace which is necessary for the Kingdom of Heaven. If one is in the state of mortal sin it would be impossible to receive grace during the reception of Holy Communion for they are dead to grace. It is through a good confession that one’s soul is cleansed of this reality. As is accounted in 1st John: “There is sin that leads to death. I do not say that one should pray for that. All wrongdoing is sin, but there there is sin that does not lead to death.”

In our Gospel Christ reaches out and touches the bier. This action brings about the resurrection of this man. Thus too we must remember that Christ and His Sacred Heart loves each of us dearly. Christ desires to restore life to the sinner and to give them that grace which is necessary in order that this may be made so. Hopefully none of us reject this loving reality, but draw close to it. No matter the sinner may we remember that Christ desires to restore us to proper life. Death should truly be set before our eyes and we should entrust ourself to Christ Jesus and allow Him to make us whole in order that we may persevere towards the Kingdom of Heaven.

24th Sunday of OT Year A Homily

Forgiveness is the central theme to our collection of readings this Sunday. It is so sad to think that there are some who cling onto their jealousy and hatred towards another to the point that they are unable to forgive and thus finally move on from the hatred which consumes their soul and holds it hostage. As we are instructed in the Pater Noster (Our Father): “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” 

If we are to forgive “not seven times but seventy-seven times” we need to entrust ourself to the cross of our Blessed Lord. From here He came to utter: “Father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing!” Therefore when we have done wrong we desire to receive the mercy of the Father. If we can understand that the Lord is indeed merciful and just with us we must also come to understand that this mercy which we desire from the Father should be shared with everyone that we encounter no matter how difficult that individual may be.

As is accounted in her autobiography, A Story of a Soul, Saint Therese of Lisieux accounts of a religious sister who proved to be most difficult in her life: “someone or other had left a little vase on a window sill, and it was found broken. Our Mistress thought it was my fault. She seemed very annoyed that I had left it there and told me to be more careful next time, adding that I had no idea at all of tidiness. Without saying a word, I kissed the ground and promised I would take more care in the future. Such little things, as I have said, cost me a great deal because I was so lacking in virtue, and I had to remind myself that it would be known on the Day of Judgment.”

Here we can see the example of not retaliating through an argument nor holding onto a grudge. Rather, we are shown the virtuous achievement of taking the wrongs of another and humbly accepting them as a lesson in virtue. What little things can we offer up in our life for the sake of achieving forgiveness for one who has wronged us in this life? When we are wronged or irked we don’t have to fight back, but instead we have the opportunity to embrace the cross. Every time that we allow ourself to embrace the cross, especially for another, we will grow in this virtue for our Blessed Lord laid down His life not only for us and our friends, but also our enemies. 

It is often not the voice of our merciful Lord that comes our way when we have seemingly been transgressed against. Instead it is the voice of the devil that plagues us to not forgive and to lash out in our anger. His voice desires to make us latch onto these hardships and to never let go. We must rebuke this voice that comes our way. Again what virtue could we grow in if only we would dare to embrace the cross of our Blessed Lord?

If we are to embrace the cross we must come to embrace the virtue of humility. If we are to forgive we must embrace humility itself for through this virtue we turn against our pride in order to lower ourself to point of forgiveness. The prideful cannot dare to lower their self in such a manner for they are so used to everyone bending the knee at their needs. Humility causes us to except our imperfections and to realize and accept the imperfections of others especially those who irk us in this life. May we come to humbly embrace these individuals and through the cross learn to forgive them “not seven times but seventy-seven times.”

Bulletin Article: September 6

I am humbled to be named the pastor of this parish community affective September 9, 2020. I am blessed to be assigned to a

parish with a parochial school and many people who desire to build up the Kingdom of God here in Johnson City, TN. Please continue to pray for me as I con􏰀nue to pray for each of you.

I thank those who have served on our Parish Pastoral Council and Parish Finance Council. Larry Schmi􏰁 is now the chairperson for the Parish Pastoral Council. Those leaving the council are Leila Al-Imad and Kim Dahlgren. Those new to the council are Bobby Aus􏰀n, Jim Burns, and Raymond Isaac. Marie Wright also serves the council as an ex-officio member of the council who represents our parish youth. Those leaving the Parish Finance Council are Camille Poor, Les Simon, and Mark Fried. Daniel Tejada was added to the Parish Finance Council. I thank each of them for their willingness to volunteer for our parish and their desire to use their 􏰀me and talents to serve our parish.

There will be a Parish Open Forum on September 14, 2020 at 6:30pm via Zoom. One of our topics will be outreach to our parishioners during COVID-19. Other topics will be listed in the next bulletin.

In Christ,

Fr. Dustin Collins

14th Sunday After Pentecost Homily

In simple words our Gospel calls us to be concerned. Concerned not just about anything, but about our salvation. So often people forget the pursuit of this concern and instead place their concern into the pursuit of other areas, worldliness and the increase of our passions. Therefore before we know it our life revolves not around our salvation, but instead the many vices which were listed by Saint Paul in our Epistle: “fornication, uncleanness, immodesty, luxury, idolatry, witchcrafts, enmities, contentions, emulations, wraths, quarrels, dissensions, sects, envies, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like.”

If we were to proclaim this list in the midst of society you would end up with a lot of flack. Some will say that you are out of touch with modern times. Others will not see why any of these things are so bad because they bring so much joy to the lives of others. Sadly, there are even those within the Church who use their teaching authority to undermine and make excuses for these various sins which were outlined.

In the midst of attachment of sin I understand that it can be difficult to move ourself away from this attachment. Despite this difficulty we cannot allow ourself to rationalize our sin or think that it is to great for me to stop. As Saint Paul said in his 2nd Letter to the Corinthians: “a thorn in the flesh was given to me.” Truly, to some extent each of us join with Saint Paul in enduring this thorn in our flesh, but let remember that which was stated later in this passage: “I asked the Lord three times about this, that it would depart from me. But he said to me, “My grace is enough for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” So then, I will boast most gladly about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may reside in me.”

Saint Paul goes on in our Epistle to give a list which lifts us out of this enslavement and so we are told: “But the fruit of the Spirit is, charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity, goodness, longanimity, mildness, faith, modesty, continecy, chastity.” Again if one were to proclaim this list in the midst of society the would end up with a lot of flack for for the most part we have come to accept certain sinful practices as becoming a norm. Therefore in the midst of the Church we need to have concern for these various virtues which lead us towards an encounter with God and work on separating ourself from these various vices which rip us away from Him.

If we are to move vice out of our life we must move virtue into our life to push the vice out. Going back to Saint Paul we must come to trust and cooperate with the grace that is constantly being poured out for us. So many do not have concern for eternal life, but instead live for the here and now. They have allowed themselves in their belief of being free spirited to actually be slaves. There is always hope in these shackles being lifted from us, but we have to trust in the Lord who is merciful and just if this is to be made so. To think of the true transformation for Christ Jesus which would take place if those within the pews would take this message to heart and live their life for Him instead of living their life for the ways of the world.

St. Mary’s Men Evening of Recollection Sermon X: Temperance

Today I draw our attention towards the virtue of temperance which is the opposite of the vice of gluttony. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “Temperance is the moral virtue that moderates the attraction of pleasures and provides balance in the use of created goods. It ensures the will's mastery over instincts and keeps desires within the limits of what is honorable. The temperate person directs the sensitive appetites toward what is good and maintains a healthy discretion.”

Our culture does not speak a message of temperance to us. Instead we are led to believe that the more pleasures that we have the happier that we will be. Therefore there is no need to moderate the amount that one drinks or eats. There is not a need to moderate the time that we spend watching television or doing other activities. Therefore in the realm of human sexuality we do not need to moderate our pleasure with the use of healthy discretion. When we take something and indulge within it without the proper use of moderation we practice the vice of gluttony. Instead of being led towards happiness we are being led towards enslavement for through the practice of gluttony we are not being led towards freedom and true happiness.

The concept of temperance and gluttony should take us back to Genesis and the account of creation. Here at the end of each day we were instructed that it was good. Despite everything being created as being good we were later told about the forbidden fruit in the garden. The fall was caused not because this fruit was not good, but rather because it was taken and not used for its God given purpose. We must remember that the devil cannot create. Instead of creating he takes that which is good and attempts to lie to us to the point that we take it and twist it to where it no longer meet its God given purpose. When we consider an over indulgence of created goods we should see how easy it is to believe these lies and to get caught up within them to the point of being trapped.

From Saint Josemaria Escriva we hear: “Among the ingredients of your meal include that most delicious one, mortification.” It is mortification which assists us in being able to moderate our pleasures and to keep them in their proper order. Instead of practicing mortification and being led in the practice of temperance we so easily get caught up in a spirit of gluttony. By stripping away something simple from our life from time to time we practice mortification and remind ourself of the necessity of practicing temperance. From Saint Josemaria Escriva’s quote we see that mortification is something that is very important for us to frequent and that it can be something which is simple.

As we depart from here may we be sent into to action to work on this virtue of temperance. Where we find the trace of gluttony in our life may we realize that there is always a path which leads away from it and towards the Lord. In order to walk this path we will need to follow temperance which “ensures the will’s mastery over instincts and keeps desires within the limits of what is honorable.