Bulletin Article: December 26

Merry Christmas!

I welcome all of our parishioners and visitors to this celebration of the Lord’s Nativity. I pray that you and your family have a blessed Christmas season. A big “thank you” to all those who have assisted in our Christmas celebration in any way.

On January 8th our parish will have it’s Epiphany Party following the 5pm Mass. This will be a pot luck dinner and an opportunity for fellowship as we continue to celebrate the birth of the Savior. Hopefully we will have many who come together in a spirit a fraternity for this celebration.

Please note that January 1, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, is not a Holy Day of Obligation this year. Nevertheless, the 8:30am Mass will be offered to celebrate this solemnity for those who wish to attend.

In Christ,

Fr. Dustin Collins

Octave of Christmas Homily

Merry Christmas!

Today we encounter Anna and Simeon. Here we are told that, “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, that out of many hearts thoughts may be revealed.”

This is an important message to remember when it pertains to the Christ child. It is easy for us to forget why He was born. Without His death His birth would not have the same significance. If He did not die upon the cross and rise again on the third day there would not be a reason for us to gather on Christmas.

As Fulton Sheen wrote, “From the moment she heard Simeon’s words, she would never again lift the Child’s hands without seeing a shadow of nails on them; every sunset would be a blood red image of His Passion. Simeon was throwing away the sheath that hid the future from human eyes, and letting the blade of the world’s sorrow flash in front of her eyes. Every pulse that she would feel in the tiny wrist would be like an echo of an oncoming hammer. If He was dedicated to salvation through suffering, so was she. No sooner was this young life launched than Simeon, like an old mariner, talked of shipwreck. No cup of the Father’s bitterness had yet come to the lips of the Babe, and yet a sword was shown to His mother.”

Through all of this we see the parallel which exists between His Nativity and death. There is something more to the Christmas season then what many currently profess. This Sunday in the Octave of Christmas keeps us grounded on the totality of why Christmas is so important for us to celebrate. May we too come to celebrate it with great joy for we continue to feel the saving effects of this child and what He has done to save us.

As people of faith we must remain grounded on what is truly important. Let us continue to rejoice at the Good News of the Lord’s birth and remember that He is the one who has come in order to save us from sin and death. An encounter with Christ should change us and would transform our world. To truly encounter the Christ child means that we let go of sin in order that we may turn our heart onto His. Let us rejoice for by His cross and Resurrection He has redeemed the world.

Holy Family Year C Homily

Merry Christmas!

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Jospeh. This is an interesting celebration because it reminds us that God took on our human flesh and submitted Himself to the confines of a family. Mary and Joseph would protect Him, feed Him, and instruct Him in the ways of morality and faith.

Each of us have been entrusted to the confines of a family, but none of our families are as perfect as the Holy Family. Therefore, the Holy Family should be the focus of our family life. As Pope Francis has stated: “No family drops down from heaven perfectly formed; families need constantly to grow and mature in the ability to love.”

Sadly, I don’t believe that many families have allowed themselves to be formed in such a way. Popular media gives us the example of the broken home and the immoral life. The Holy Family alone can be our perfect guide to which we should be formed upon. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph are the the way in which we come to be formed in the Christian life.

The many issues which plague the modern day family would be nothing if we allowed Jesus, Mary, and Joseph to be our guide. Joseph and Mary show us the importance of marital life, Joseph shows us the importance of fatherhood, Mary shows us the importance of motherhood, and Jesus shows us the importance of respect for one’s parents.

In our modern world the domestic church which is the church at home finds itself under attack. There must be prayer within the home, but so often this goes pushed off to the side. The home is the place to study the family and to follow the life of virtue. The home should point the way to the Holy Mass, but this is so often overlooked for other worldly endeavors. 

The Holy Family shows the importance of prayer within the home. They also show the importance of being formed within the Christian life. There was nothing on this earth more important then this task which had been entrusted to them. May the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Jospeh always remain our guide in order that we may strive for the Kingdom of Heaven.

May each of you continue to have a blessed Christmas season as we come to model our life and home after the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.

Christmas Homily

Merry Christmas!

Tonight we celebrate the fact that God became Flesh and dwelt among us. To this reality the angels praised God saying, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” We joined with these angels today as we sang the “Gloria” “Glory to God in the Highest” proclaiming this same joy throughout the world.

From the beginning of the Gospel of Saint John we are told, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” We are later told, “And the Word was made Flesh, and dwelt among us.”

A literal translation of this word “dwelt” would be “and He pitched His tent among us.” This is a beautiful statement for it draws a connection to the Old Testament. In the Old Testament God dwelt among us in the Ark of the Covenant and a tent was pitched known as the tabernacle. It is here that God’s presence dwelt despite the many problems and anxieties that came with the life of the Jewish people.

In the Church we continue to encounter the literal presence of God who dwells among us. The Lord is present among us in the Most Holy Eucharist. It is hard to fathom that so many can be complacent to this reality for this is truly the presence of Christ who has taken on our human flesh and pitched His tent among us.

The world continues to be filled with the problems and anxieties of life, but we must always remember that Christ’s presence among us is something which remains. We have not been left lost and abandoned, but He has came in order that we may be redeemed. Despite what we may endure within this life let us always go to Christ and place our trust in Him.

As the Christmas account continues to unfold we encounter angels, shepherds, and magi who come to do Him homage. The shepherds and magi had their own problems and anxieties just like those in the Old Testament, but they came to discover He who had come to set us free from sin and death. There is no greater joy that we can encounter than journeying with them unto the Lord whose presence is among us.

Today we will come to encounter Him in the Holy Eucharist where He comes to dwell among us.  We like the angels, the shepherds, and the magi should come to adore Him and place Him first in our life. In this manner all the problems and anxieties of this life will be no match for Christ who is the Word made Flesh who pitched His tent among us.

Have a blessed Christmas!

Bulletin Article: December 19

On Saturday we will finally come to celebrate Christmas. We will have the vigil Mass on December 24th at 5pm. On December 25th Mass will be at 12am, 8am (Latin), 10am, and 12pm (Spanish). Please note that there will not be Mass on December 25th at 5pm. Our Masses for December 26th, Feast of the Holy Family, will be normal schedule.

Our parish penance service will be Wednesday, December 22th, at 6pm. Keep in mind that we continue to have regularly scheduled confessions Wednesday at 6pm, Saturday at 9am and 4:30pm, and Sunday at 7:30am, 9:30am, 11:30am, and 1:30pm.

The parish portion for the Synod is quickly approaching. We will have listening sessions throughout the month of January. These have been scheduled for January 10th at 6:30pm (Zoom), January 15th at 9:30am in gym, and January 16th in Spanish following 12pm Mass. We also encourage those who cannot participate in these to take the survey, link included in bulletin. A one page report based upon these listening sessions and survey will then be compiled and submitted to the diocese.

In Christ,

Fr. Dustin Collins 

4th Sunday of Advent Homily (Extraordinary Form)

In our Gospel we were instructed, that “every valley shall be filled: and every mountain and hill shall be brought low.”

These high mountains are symbolic of sin. It is through our arrogance, our opposition to the will of God, and our pride that we enter into such sin. Through such behavior we build high this barrier between us and God. Our pride and sin can only be brought low through repentance. Through repentance we return to God’s infinite mercy and allow this barrier to be removed from our midst.

As the prophet Isaiah further exclaims, “and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways plain.”

It is through the twists and turns of this life that we get caught up in such behavior. We are called upon to set our sight upon the prize and to move forward towards it. This is only possibly if we realize that God and the coming Kingdom of Heaven is that prize for which we seek. It is the pearl of great price which scripture tells us about. Through repentance we begin to set straight the path of our life as we come into this encounter with the Lord.

The prophet Isaiah concludes by stating, “all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

This does not simply imply you and me, but all. We must set straight the path of our life, but we must also become convinced of the importance of the Gospel and sharing it with others. So often it seems that the Church is only willing to maintain and not be sent out to convert others to the truth of the Gospel. We can only be sent out as such missionaries if we are convinced of the importance of this relationship that we have been invited to enter into.

As we were told of John the Baptist, he was “a voice of one crying out in the wilderness.”

It was this voice which humbled himself for the coming of the Messiah. It was this voice which was convinced of all coming to know the importance of the coming of the Savior and preparing for His coming among us. We too must be this voice which boldly proclaims the coming of the Messiah as we are sent forth from here. Let us use the remainder of the Advent season to prepare the way for the one who comes among us at the Nativity, within the Eucharist, and He who will come again.

4th Sunday of Advent Year C Homily

Our Gospel accounts for us the Visitation where Mary traveled with haste to be with Elizabeth who was also found with child, John the Baptist. Interestingly enough we are told that she went to the town of Judah. This is important because the town of Judah was where David found the ark of the covenant. As a reminder the ark of the covenant was the pure and spotless vessel which contained the presence of God. So too does Mary become the new ark of the covenant for within her womb is Christ who is God.

Elizabeth understands the importance of this moment and thus she exclaims, “How does it happen to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” Even John the Baptist was touched through this encounter for we are told that he leaped for joy within her womb.

If we go to 2 Samuel 6 that David asked, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me? This is very similar to the statement that Elizabeth made to Mary. We are also told in 2 Samuel 6 that there was “leaping and dancing before the Lord.” This was very similar to John the Baptist who leapt with joy within the womb of his mother due to his encounter with the Lord. 

If we go to verse 56 of this Gospel we would be told, “Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.” This parallels the fact that the ark of the covenant remained in the home of Obededom for a period of three months.

Through this whole encounter Elizabeth came to exclaim something with should be very familiar to us, “Blessed are you, among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” She understands that the ark of the covenant is in her midst. She does not take this gift for granted, but comes to fully accept and acknowledge it’s saving effect upon her and her family.

As we continue this Advent journey towards the Nativity may we come to realize the one whom we behold. So many take this gift for granted and act as if it is just one among many things. The one who we prepare for is God. The one who we encounter in the Eucharist is God. The one whose return we prepare for is God. We therefore have the opportunity to encounter the same gift which came into the home of Elizabeth.

Our Gospel passage ends by stating, “Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” Let us cut away all from our life which keeps us from encountering the Lord with true joy. Make use of the sacrament of confession and invite the Lord and His mercy to enter into your life. Whenever we pray the “Hail Mary” let us come to do so with true faith, for not only do we ask her to pray for us, but we are taken to God whose presence was within her womb.

May these finals days of Advent assist us in welcoming God into our homes in order that He may dwell with us.

Bulletin Article: December 12

Today we celebrate Gaudete Sunday. We are now so close to Christmas, but we must not grow weary. Instead we must continue to prepare for the Lord’s coming among us. Normally December 12th would be the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The 3rd Sunday of Advent outranks it, so it is not celebrated this year. Nevertheless, this feast remains important to our Spanish speaking members and should be important for all of us. After all, Our Lady of Guadalupe is the Patroness of the Americas.

Therefore, our new area of prayer behind the parish church will be blessed today. Here has been place a statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe. She has been placed upon a rocky hill for it was upon a rocky mount that she appeared to Saint Juan Diego. This area is not completed, but will continue to be worked on until completion.

Lastly, I look forward to December 17th and our parish celebration of Bethlehem. The 17th day of December is important because it is this day which starts the “O Antiphons.” The “O Antiphons” are important because each day assigns a title to the Messiah and is made in reference to a prophecy of the Prophet Isaiah. This day will be a Marketplace of Bethlehem from 5pm-6:30pm, the lighting of the Bethlehem star with music from 6:30pm-7pm, and the Los Posadas (a Spanish tradition where the Holy Family attempts to find lodging for the birth of the Messiah) starting at 7pm.

In Christ,

Fr. Dustin Collins

3rd Sunday of Advent Year C Homily

Today we celebrate this 3rd Sunday of Advent which is also known to us as Gaudete Sunday which means rejoice.

In our Gospel the crowds, tax collectors, and soldiers came onto the Lord and asked, “What should we do?” This seems to be an easy enough question, but its application required so much from them. They were told to take and give to those in need, to stop collecting more than was necessary, and to not falsely accuse others.

As we prepare for the coming of the Messiah we too must ask, “What should we do?” The response to this question may seem to require much from us. Nevertheless, no matter the difficulty all will turn into a joy and will be given every reason to rejoice if we place our trust in the Lord. It is the easier path to remain content, but the Lord always calls us towards something more.

We must remember that God is love and that this love is infinitely given. Therefore, there can be no response which is too difficult if it is given out of love. The more that we enter into it the more that we will grow in love itself. There are many who think that they love fully, but they instead do things for their own gain and without the full extent of giving without reservation.

As Saint Basil the Great puts it, “The bread in your cupboard belongs to the hungry. The cloak in your wardrobe belongs to the naked. The shoes you allow to rot belong to the barefoot. The money in your vaults belong to the destitute. You do injustice to every man whom you could help but do not.”

Saint Basil the Great is pointing the way towards what it means for us to love. Love requires us to see the needs of those around us and to respond to them with our life. The easier path would call us towards ignoring these needs and doing whatever we please. During this Advent season we must be like the crowds, the tax collectors, and the soldiers who came unto the Lord. They inquired what they must do and it required much of them.

Let us not only ask this question with our lips, but be willing to put the needed response into action. During the week ahead use every opportunity to consider what the Lord is calling us to do. When we discern this answer let us not avoid it out of fear, but come to embrace it to its fullest degree. In this manner we will be given every reason to rejoice as we encounter the Lord who comes the Nativity, who comes in the Most Holy Eucharist, and who will come again at the end of time.

Immaculate Conception Homily

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. The one who has been conceived is made in reference to Mary. The word “immaculate” means without stain. Mary was conceived without the stain of original sin upon her soul. Thanks to the intervention of God she was preserved from original sin in order that she would be the pure and spotless vessel which would bring forth the Savior of the world. Mary became the first to be redeemed through her Son for He was her redeemer.

None of us have been preserved from sin like Mary. Yet we live in a world which acts as if sin does not exist. Sin is an offense which is made against God. If we know Him to be the Way, the Truth, and the Life why would we turn away from Him? Nevertheless, there are many in our society who have no concept of God and therefore they cannot have a concept of sin. Sin exists because God is real and we consent to sin by turning away from God who is love.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines sin as “an offense against reason, truth, and right conscience; it is a failure in genuine love for God and neighbor caused by a perverse attachment to certain goods. It wounds the nature of man and injures human solidarity. It has been defined as ‘an utterance, a deed, or a desire contrary to the eternal law’.”

Through the use of the media we see played forth before our sight these many sins which are made against God. We see murder, theft, the burning of buildings such as Catholic Charities in Knoxville, war, sins against life such as abortion, and this list goes on and on. With so much played out before our sight it becomes easy for us to lose hope that things will ever get better.

This celebration of the Immaculate Conception is a celebration of hope. Of Mary it was said by the Archangel Gabriel, “Hail, full of grace.” Mary is our hope because she stands upon the serpent which is the cursed demon which has come to confuse us and to pull us into sin. Mary is our hope because through devotion to her we are drawn closer into union with her Son.

Today we celebrate the fact that Mary was conceived without sin. We ackwledge that she has been prepared to be the pure and spotless vessel which would bring forth the Savior of this World. Through this Savior the shackles of sin and death have no power for He is the new Adam and she is the new Eve. Let us strive to moved closer to Christ placing our trust in Him and moving away from the reality of sin and death which attempts to keep us captive.

Bulletin Article: December 5

Wednesday, December 8th, is a Holy Day of Obligation. Vigil Mass, December 7th, will be in Spanish at 7pm and there will be Mass, December 8th, at 6:30am (Latin), 8:30am, 12:15pm, and 7pm. This solemnity brings about the conclusion of the Year of Joseph. Therefore, we will cease praying the Prayer to Saint Joseph following this solemnity.

Our parish Advent mission will be December 9, 10, and 11 and will be led by Father Noel, OSB. He is a monk of Saint Meinrad Monastery in Saint Meinrad, Indiana. Each evening he will give a talk in English at 6pm and in Spanish at 7pm. Please join me in welcoming him to our parish community.

December 12 is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Due to it falling on a Sunday in Advent it will not be celebrated this year. Nevertheless our 12pm Mass in Spanish will reflect upon the importance of Our Lady of Guadalupe, will have a procession following Mass to bless our new statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and there will be a party to follow in the gym. All are welcome to participate in this joyous occasion. Our Lady of Guadalupe is the patroness of the Americas and therefore a celebration for all.

In Christ,

Fr. Dustin Collins

2nd Sunday of Advent Homily

The Prophet Isaiah instructs: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.” Our Gospel tells us: “Behold, I send my Angel before Thy face, who shall prepare Thy way before Thee.”

For some the Advent season is overshadowed by Christmas. Therefore, the celebration of Christmas begins after Thanksgiving and ends with December 25th. By December 26th the Christmas tree is thrown to the curb and with it the celebration of Christmas. 

Instead we must realize that Advent is an important season which calls us to prepare for the Lord’s coming among us. We have been called upon to prepare the way for the Lord by making straight the path of our life.

Despite Advent being a season of waiting it is not a season of passivity. In this season we are called upon to be active. Throughout this season we yearn, we search, and we prepare for the Lord’s coming. Advent has a penitential character attached to it because we are called upon to prepare. This preparation requires us to realize that we are in need of a Savior. We are only in need of a Savior if we have something that we need to be saved from.

All of us are sinners who are in need of the infinite mercy of God. We cannot be convinced that we have nothing that we need to be saved from. The Lord comes in order that we may be saved. Through our Advent preparation we should realize the many ways in which we have been called upon to open up the inn of our soul in order that room may be found for Him to enter in and dwell among us.

If we are found willing to enter fully into this season we will better be found prepared to encounter Christ at Christmas. We will be given every reason to rejoice not for worldly allurments, but the birth of a Savior. Each and every time that we assist at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass we encounter this living Savior who comes to us under the appearances of bread and wine.

Advent prepares us for the coming of Christ by setting straight the path of our life to encounter Him. We must do preciously this when we encounter Him in the Most Holy Eucharist. There is no greater gift that we can encounter, but this. Let us always come to prepare ourself for our encounter with Christ Jesus.

He will truly come at the Nativity born of the Blessed Virgin Mary, He will come again at the end of time to judge the living and the dead, and He continues to come among us in the Eucharist. May we always be found ready to encounter Him by setting straight the path of our life for such an encounter.

Dedication of Church Homily

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Dedication of our Parish Church which was dedicated on this day in the year 2000. This community transcends this reality because we began having Mass in our the gym of our parish school starting in 1990, our former church still stands in downtown Johnson City which was dedicated in 1931, there was a white church building before it, Mass was held in a home overlooking market street starting in 1906, and Mass was celebrated in this city even prior to that.

A church is not a building which is withdrawn from the ordinary. It takes that which is ordinary and dedicates it unto God. When Jesus drove the money-changers out of the Temple, He was not making a statement against capitalism. Rather, He was saying this place is not for that use: that it has been dedicated to something else. Not just for its own sake is a church building dedicated, an altar consecrated, a person baptised: no, we do all of this for a sacred purpose.

Our church is no mere museum for sacred objects, our altar no mere table for a special meal. No: this is the place to praise, to bless and to preach; to sacrifice, intercede and thank; to honour, to consecrate and to commune; to christen, to absolve and to commission. Here the most extraordinary things occur: babies are changed into children of God; bread and wine into Christ’s body and blood; couples into spouses; singles into priests and religious; sinners into saints.

May this sacred space continue to transform the lives of all who enter. The Catholic Church here in Johnson City has a strong history and will have a strong future if we allow God to be the one who is found as at work within us. The ordinary will be taken and will continue to be transformed in the presence of God.

Bulletin Article: November 28

Our parish open forum was held on November 8th. We again used the Zoom platform and had 25 users logged in at the highest point. Conversation was spent speaking about the upcoming synod, the need for people to assist with live streaming Masses, the new statues which will soon be installed on campus, landscaping for the front of the school, parish fraternal activities including an idea of a program called Journey to Bethlehem, and a question which was posed if there was a better way to report our parish collections in the bulletin. Our next parish open forum will be February 28, 2022 from 7pm-8pm.

I thank Carl Bailey and Karen Purcott for agreeing to be Synod group coordinators for our parish. There will be a training session for all coordinators in our deanery on December 13th. Following this training session our parish will schedule forums for the synod. I assume that these sessions will take place in January due to heading into the Christmas season.

Private donations were made to purchase three statues from Mexico. The first of these statues (Our Lady of Guadalupe) will be placed at the entrance of our parish school, the second of these statues (Our Lady of Guadalupe) will be placed in the field behind the parish in a grotto, and the third of these statues (St. Charbel) will be placed along the walking trail. If everything goes as planned the statue in the grotto will be blessed on December 12th, the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, following the 12pm Mass. This is open to everyone in the parish and a reception will follow in the school gym.

In Christ,

Fr. Dustin Collins

1st Sunday of Advent Year C Homily

Today we celebrate the 1st Sunday of Advent where we begin to prepare for Christ’s first coming at the Nativity.

There are three figures which are most important in any Nativity scene. You must have the Christ child and the Blessed Mother. You must also have Saint Jospeh. We place much emphasis on these first two (and rightly so), but so often forget about the importance of the later. As Saint John XXIII stated, “But Jospeh for long centuries remained in the background, in his characteristic concealment, almost a decorative figure in the overall picture of the Savior’s life.”

On December 8th we will celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. This solemnity brings about the conclusion of the Year of Saint Joseph which we have been in since this past December 8th. With that December 8th will be the final occasion where we will pray the prayer to Saint Joseph after Mass.

Saint Jospeh is a key figure in Sacred Scripture who so often goes overlooked. Saint Joseph is important because he never allowed his heart to become drowsy. Despite the anxiteties of his everyday life he remained with God and came to adore the Lord. He was a man who kept viligent at all times for he was the protector of the family.

As we enter into this Advent season may we come to do so through the intercession of Saint Joseph. Saint Joseph married Mary and would not divorce her due to her being found with child. As the angel of the Lord had come to instruct him in a dream: “Jospeh, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.”

As we say in the Prayer to Saint Joseph, “Guardian of the Redeemer, spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary.” It was at the Annuciation that Mary received the Word made Flesh in her womb. From this point forward Saint Joseph would be his guardian. Saint Jospeh exemplifies the importance of obedience of faith.

Of this obedience the Second Vatican Council stated: “The obedience of faith must be given to God as he reveals himself. By this obedience of faith man freely commits himself entirely to God, making the full submission of his intellect and will to God who reveals, and willingly assenting to the revelation given by him.”

As we now prepare, in this Advent season, for the celebration of our Lord’s Nativity let us desire this same faith which Saint Joseph came to exemplify. God is constantly being revealed unto us, but we are constantly bombarded with so many distractions which cause us to loose sight of this reality. Advent is an invitation to focus upon the Lord’s coming in order to hear His voice more clearly in order that we may respond to it by our life. 

Saint Joseph, pray for us, that we may prepare the way for the Lord’s coming among us.

Bulletin Article: November 21

Next Sunday we will begin the Advent season and a new liturgical year. It is hard to believe that another Christmas is just about upon us. I encourage you to use this Advent season to prepare for the Lord’s coming as Word made Flesh.

To assist parishioners in this preparation there will be a parish mission on the evenings or December 9-11 presented by Father Noel Mueller, OSB who is a monk of Saint Meinrad Archabbey. I also invite you to make use of our many opportunities for confession (Wednesday at 6pm, Saturday at 9am and 5pm, and Sunday at 7:30am, 9:30am, 11:30am, and 1:30pm). We will also have a penance service on December 22nd at 6pm where we will be joined by 6 priests for confession.

In Christ,

Fr. Dustin Collins

Last Sunday After Pentecost Homily

Next Sunday we will celebrate the first Sunday of Advent and the start of a new liturgical year. With it we will set our sight upon His first coming at Christmas. Today we celebrate the Last Sunday after Pentecost which concludes our liturgical year. Today we set our sight upon the fact of His second coming at the end of time. Therefore, what we celebrate today as well as what we will soon prepare for meet. We now anticipate the coming of Christ for the first and the second time.

When it pertains to the Second Coming everyone would like to know when it will occur. There are many who spend their time chasing after the signs of the times to affix a date to the Second Coming. Even at the time of Saint Paul there were those who were convinced that Christ’s Second Coming would be during their lifetime. The best answer to when it will occur comes to us from Jesus Himself who said, “No one knows the day or hour.”

In modern times there are those of other faith traditions who place their emphasis upon the Rapture. It is at the Rapture that those who believe will be taken up and those who do not will be left. Traditional Catholic thought instead places emphasis upon the coming of the Parousia which is a time of fulfillment through Christ. Saint Paul makes use of the dead rising in “a blink of an eye.” Then is his Epistle to the 1st Thessalonians we are told that they will be snatched up in order to meet Christ in the clouds. 

Saint Paul is not making reference to the rapture, but to the fact that the dead will go out to meet the Lord and they will return with Him in glory. For the Greco-Roman world a parousia is a celebration of arrival. Thus when a person of status arrived they would be ready to greet them and to accompany them. This is what we now prepare for as we contemplate the Second Coming of Christ.

As we profess in the Creed that Christ “will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and of his kingdom there will be no end.” As we come to this final Sunday in the liturgical year we further profess this reality. We now prepare for His Second Coming by how we come to order our life on this earth. So too, even though, this is the final Sunday of the liturgical year will a new year spring forth. In all things we realize that we should be prepared to encounter Christ.

Advent assists us in encountering Him at His first coming and we then must daily prepare for His second coming. Let us do all that we can in order to prepare for this life giving reality. If we were to realize that our life on this earth should be ordered towards Christ and the Kingdom which is to come then we would order life in a way which is worthy to encounter Him.

Bulletin Article: November 14

Our Parish Stewardship Weekend was held on the weekend of September 25/26. This year we had 188 out of our 1,385 households participate which is 13.6% of the parish. This is up from last year where 75 households, 5%, of the parish participated. The financial commitment from those who responded was $559,512. Parishioners also graciously recommitted themselves to many ministries already involved with a few even offered their time and talent to new areas of parish life. Very soon ministry heads should be reaching out to those who have committed themself to an area of parish life through this stewardship appeal.

This year we also asked the children of our CFF program, youth group, and school to participate. 56 students in CFF, 17 in youth group, and 116 students of school participated. 213 minutes of prayer for the parish where pledged by CFF and youth group and 985 minutes were pledged by the students of our parish school. Students in all three programs pledged many ways in which they would assist the parish with their time and talents including activities such as being an altar server, being in choir, being an usher, etc.

I thank all who participated in this year’s Parish Stewardship Weekend and for all stewards of our parish who continue to give of their time, talent, and treasure. Please continue to pray for the good of our parish community.

In Christ,

Fr. Dustin Collins

Resumed 6th Sunday After Epiphany Homily

On two occasions our Gospel told us of people who took something and put it to use. Therefore, a man took a mustard seed and sowed his field and a woman took leaven and hid in three measures of meal.

The mustard seed and the leaven gives us two different perspectives, but they have the same meaning. Ultimately the seed and the leaven will grow into something greater with the passing of time. As Saint John Chrysostom commented, “The leaven, though it is buried, is not destroyed. Little by little it transmutes the whole lump into its own condition. This happens with the gospel.”

If the man and the woman did not take something and put it to use they would have nothing at the end of time. Therefore, the man took the seed, planted it, time passed, and it began to grow. Therefore, the woman took the leaven, hid in three measures of meal, time passed, and it was leavened.

Concerning these two individuals they had to be patient and allow the Gospel and God’s grace to be at work in them. This must also be so of us. We must be patient and allow the Gospel and God’s grace to be at work within us. So many are not patient, fail at taking something and putting it to use, and thus they fail at allowing God to be at work within their life.

As a Church we are journeying towards the end of the liturgical season. During this period of time our readings reflect upon the certainty of the end and thus the four last things: death, judgement, Heaven, and Hell. This Gospel ties into this theme for we cannot be complacent, but must be active in all allowing God to be at work within our life.

Matthew Henry stated that yeast “works silently and insensibly, yet strongly and irresistibly.” From this statement we can see that the same is true when it pertains to God’s grace. This grace is always at work within our life, but we see often recluse inwardly upon self instead of placing our trust in God and His coming Kingdom.

Whenever we have the opportunity to assist at the Holy Mass, study Sacred Scripture, receive the sacraments, enter into prayer, and study the faith we allow God to be at work within us in a most intimate way. When we fail to live out the faith to the fullest degree we fail to turn our heart onto God and allow Him to active in our life at all times.

We must be like the individuals in our Gospel who took something and put it to use. Let us take hold of the faith, never compromising it, and live it always. The Kingdom of Heaven is coming and is worth more than all the treasures of this world. Let us strive for this Kingdom and do so with God’s help.

33rd Sunday of OT Year B Homily

Today the Rite of Welcoming was celebrated with the catechumens of our parish who will be received into the life of the Church through the waters of baptism at the Easter Vigil. May we continue to pray for them as they continue their journey towards these life giving waters.

As they come to set their sight upon eternal life we must also do so. Our readings reminded us of the certainty of death and how it is something which will catch up with each of us. As was stated to us in our Gospel: “But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”

Therefore, we must come to live for eternal life. This path was set before us at our baptism, but so often we forget to rely on God’s grace as we get caught up in the many twists and turns which come with life. As was revealed to us in the Book of Daniel: “some shall live forever, others shall be an everlasting horror and disgrace.”

This verse places our attention upon the four last things: death, judgement, Heaven, and hell. Death and judgement is something which lies in wait for each of us. Despite this reality, with God’s grace we can order our life towards Heaven and thus be able to live forever in Paradise.

As is stated concerning this in the Catechism of the Catholic Church: “Death puts an end to human life as the time open to either accepting or rejecting the divine grace manifested in Christ” and “each man receives his eternal retribution in his immortal soul at the very moment of his death, in particular judgment that refers to his life to Christ: either entrance into the blessedness of heaven- through a purification or immediately, - - or immediate and everlasting damnation.”

As Catholics the Kingdom of Heaven must be our ultimate goal. In striving for this we must desire to remain in the state of grace in order that we may always be prepared to meet the Lord at an unknown hour. Our encounter with Christ present with us in the Eucharist, the forgiveness that exists in the sacrament of confession, our daily prayers, and our service to our neighbor are all ways that we are prepared for our encounter with this unknown hour. Concerning this unknown hour eternal life much be our goal.

If we desire such a reality for ourself we must ask what we must strip away if this is to be found true. To be baptized is to be conformed unto the Lord. Therefore, let us continue to order our life on this earth towards what was begun there for we know neither the time nor the hour. Therefore, our time on earth is fleeting, so let us live for the Lord always.

Bulletin Article: November 7

Monday, November 8, is our next Parish Open Forum from 7pm-8pm. We will again meet via Zoom. The purpose of these open forums is to bring the parish together to talk about topics which are of importance to our community. This is the perfect place to bring ideas and concerns, so that we as a parish community can work together for the good of the parish.

In Christ, 

Fr. Dustin Collins

Resumed 5th Sunday After Epiphany Homily

Our Gospel instructs us on the sifting of the cockle and the wheat. The issue with these two plants is that it is impossible to tell the two apart until they have begun to mature. Cockle is toxic to humans and when mixed with flour it will cause bread to ruin. A serious outbreak of cockle could cause one to lose their whole crop of wheat.

Heinrich Fullmaurer depicts this passage as a demon walking about a field placing the cockle seed among the wheat as everyone is fast sleep. Thus as time passes the two will begin to grow together and it will be impossible to tell them apart until the time of the harvest. It is here that the cockle will need to be separated from the wheat. In this depiction a woman is busy making bread which soon could unknowingly be threatened by this cockle. So too for us if we allow this cockle into our life for we too will we become threatened.

We now begin to journey towards the end of this liturgical year. With it we are reminded of the certainty of death and the need to order our life towards the Lord. The harvest is symbolic of Judgement where we will be judged either to Heaven or Hell. Death is something that we cannot escape, but we can and should order our life towards Heaven while here on earth. There are many who journey throughout this life without giving this notion a second thought to the detriment of their salvation.

If we are concerned with this coming judgment we must also remain on guard against false teachings which begin to blur the truth of faith and morals. Allowing cockle into our life may not seem to be important due to its ability to blend in, but it does effect our ability to love the Lord our God. The devil does not want unity of faith and thus he does everything in his power to cause division and uncertainty. We cannot give into such division and uncertainty, but must place our faith in the merciful hands of the Lord.

Saint John Chrysostom stated concerning the importance of this cockle: “For in order that not even this might disturb His disciples, He foretells it also, after having taught them why He speaks in parables. The former parable then means their not receiving Him; this, their receiving corrupters. For indeed this also is a part of the devil’s craft, by the side of the truth always to bring in error, painting thereon many resemblances, so as easily to cheat the deceivable. Therefore He calls it not any other seed, but tares; which in appearance are somewhat like wheat.”

Therefore, let us always stay on guard against the lies of the enemy. We must do all that we can to sustain the unity of faith and the truth of morals. Cockle comes into the picture in order to rip us away from such unity, but we must hold fast to maintain it. In this manner once the Harvest of the Lord comes and the cockle is separated from the wheat we will be found worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven.

All Souls Day Homily

Today we commemorate All Souls Day where we are reminded of the need to pray for the souls of the faithful departed.

Praying for the souls of the faithful departed is an act of charity. We are called upon to pray for them that they may be cleansed from the temporal punishment for sin and for their cleansing from the attachment of sin. It is Purgatory which purifies the soul before it enters into Heaven. As the Book of Revelation instructs: “Nothing unclean will ever enter it.” Thus it is Purgatory which purifies the soul in order that this may be true.

We have a lot to offer these souls through our charity. From the Second Book of Maccabees we saw the need to pray for the souls of who have gone before us, “that they might be freed from this sin.” We should be active by having Masses offered for them, by praying for them, by offering up our sacrifices for them, and by obtaining indulgences for them. Pope Paul VI exclaimed concerning the importance of indulgences, the “aim in granting them is both to help the faithful expiate the punishment due sins and to urge them to works of piety, penance, and charity.”

Therefore, let us grow our charity for the faithful departed. Through this charity may we see our own need to order on life on this earth towards God and the coming of His Heavenly Kingdom.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. 

May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, Rest In Peace. Amen.

All Saints Day Homily

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints Day.

When an ordination Mass takes place, the one being ordained lies prostrate upon the ground. What is chanted as they do so is the Litany of Saints. When called to the bedside of someone who is dying one of the prayers for the dying is the Litany of Saints.

Through the Litany of Saints we are reminded of the vast number of those who are now in Heaven who are praying for us. When one undertakes their priestly ministry they are in need of these prayers. When one is journeying from this life to the life to come one is in need of these prayers. Nevertheless, there are so many who toil about life without giving the saints a thought.

The life of the saints are lives of triumph. They have been called home to the Kingdom of Heaven and have been found worthy of it. They have struggled with the allure of sin, but found Christ and His love for us to be greater. They struggled with sickness and sadness and yet they came to embrace Christ and allowed Him to be their light in the midst of all their struggles. Christ became their joy and there was nothing which could take this joy away from them.

In our society we can say so much concerning actors, musicians, and athletes, but so often fail to be stirred with the same joy when it pertains to the saints. I cannot say where actors, musicians, and athletes lead us, but I can say that the saints always, that is 100% of the time, lead us on a path towards God.

Let us come to foster devotion to the saints within our home and through this devotion may we come to desire to be like them. It should be the goal of every Christian to be a saint. If we are not numbered among the saints we will not inherit the Kingdom of God. We are not called to live a life of mediocrity, but rather a life of greatness- a life of holiness!

May all the angels and saints of Heaven, pray for us.

Bulletin Article: October 31

This year All Saints Day, November 1st, is on a Monday which means that it will not be a Holy Day of Obligation. For this solemnity we will have Mass at our regularly scheduled time of 7am, 8:30am, and 6pm (Latin).

All Souls Day, November 2, is on Tuesday. Our Mass schedule will be 7am, 8:30am, 11:15am (Monte Vista Catholic Section), 5:30pm (Latin), and 7pm (Spanish).

A pleanary indulgence can be received from November 1-8 if one visits a cemetery and prays for the departed. To receive this indulgence one should also be detached from sin, pray for the intention of the Holy Father, make a sacramental confession, and receive Holy Communion. We have a cemetery right behind the Church, so we do not have to go far in order to receive this indulgence.

In Christ,

Fr. Dustin Collins

Christ the King Homily

Today we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King. Traditionally this feast is celebrated on the final Sunday of October while in the new calendar it is celebrated on the final Sunday of the liturgical year. This feast was established by Pope Pius XI is his encyclical Quas Primas, In the First. This encyclical reminded Christians that the sovereignty of Christ encompasses all the aspects of our life: personal, political, temporal, and eternal.

Here Pope Pius XI had stated, that many people had “thrust Jesus Christ and his holy law our of their lives.” Sadly, we can see how this reality is currently manifest in our modern day society. Instead of us looking outward towards God we so often look inward towards ourself. The laws of our land as well as the way in which we live and order our life should be modeled after Christ our King.

We must remember that none of us are citizens of the here and now, but rather we are called to be citizens of the eternal and perfect Kingdom of Heaven. We cannot align ourself with a political idealogoy which contradicts God and His commands for us. There is not a law, political party, or a nation which can be placed before God. Sadly, there are those who push God to the side when making laws, when electing officials, and when practicing national patriotism.

We must realize that each of us are called upon to be witnesses to a higher Kingdom then what many orient their life towards in the here and now. In the words of Pope Pius XI, “When once men recognize, both in private and in public life, that Christ is King, society will at last receive the great blessing of real liberty, well-ordered discipline, peace and harmony.”

This is a reality that we are called to make manifest. This reality must be begun within our homes for it is the start. If we cannot order our life towards Christ the King within the home it will be difficult to do so within society. It is true that many hearts have wondered away from God, but we cannot lose the virtue of hope. We instead must reform our life in order that we may become true witnesses of Christ’s coming Kingdom.

When we begin to lose the virtue of hope when it pertains to all that is going on around us we must come to be reminded of this coming Kingdom. If we can come to proclaim Christ as King there will always be a glimmer of hope for us. May we come to place out trust in Christ the King by ordering our life and our families around Him. It is Christ alone who can bring solace to the word for the Kingdom that He brings is a Kingdom which will never pass away.

Long live Christ the King!

31st Sunday of OT Year B Homily

The Lord instructs us that we are to “love the Lord (our) God with all (our) heart, with all (our) soul, with all (our) mind, and with all (our) strength.” We are also called upon to “love our neighbor as (ourself).”

This passage puts a lot of emphasis on love. Love is something which we so easily take for granted. When preparing a young couple for marriage I ask why do you want to enter into marriage with one another. The answer that I expect to hear is because we love one another, but what does love really mean?

Therefore, we must come to believe that Jesus is love incarnate. When we reflect upon Sacred Scripture we will clearly come to see that every word which He spoke was that of love. For example when Jesus encountered the Samaritan woman it was love which He spoke to her. So too in this day and age the Lord continues to speak love to us and invites us to enter more fully into it.

If we look to the cross we will see the message of love proclaimed to us. It was from Calvary that we came to be redeemed and from this reality of sacrifice we are shown what it means to love. Most beautifully in the Marriage Exhortation from the Extraordinary Form we are told: “Henceforth you will belong entirely to each other; you will be one in mind, one in heart, and one in affections. And whatever sacrifices you may hereafter be required to make to preserve this mutual life, always make them generously. Sacrifice is usually difficult and irksome. Only love can make it easy, and perfect love can make it a joy. We are willing to give in proportion as we love. And when love is perfect, the sacrifice is complete.”

This statement brings us back to the cross and reminds that it is a place of love which we are to enter more fully into. The more that we are willing to enter into the cross the more that we will be able to give of ourself out of love. The Lord witheld nothing upon the cross, but gave of Himself entirely out of love. This is the same love that we should have for those around us.

Sadly, sacrifice is something which is foreign to our ears. Therefore, it is easy for everything to be about us and our desires. It is love which is constantly calling us towards something greater. When we are able to love we look upon another and no longer see them as a means to obtain something, but an opportunity through which we can share what God has given to us. Let us come to more fully love God in order that we may love our neighbor.

Bulletin Article: October 24

Please pray for the priests of the Diocese of Knoxville while they are away on their annual retreat. In case of sacramental emergency please contact the parish office. I look forward to our Trunk or Treat which will be from 6pm-8pm on Friday. I thank those who plan on attending with a decorated trunk or have brought candy for this event. This is just one example of many ways that our parishioners give in the spirit of stewardship.

In Christ,

Fr. Dustin Collins