Bulletin Article: July 25

Our parish ministry fair will be the weekend of August 14/15 following all Masses. In order to register your ministry for this event please contact the parish office so that we can reserve a table for you. At this moment we only have two ministries in the parish who have registered for this event. This is the perfect opportunity to get the word out concerning your ministry, so I encourage all ministries to participate.

Please keep the faculty and students of our parish school in your prayers. This will be the final week of their summer break and they will begin the new school year during this first week of August. If you or your family would like to take a tour of our parish school please contact the school office and Andrew Cooper would be more then happy to schedule a tour with you and your family. It is never too late to register your children in our parish school.

Finally, I welcome all those who are new to our parish community. I invite you to register with our parish if you have not already done so. We will have a reception on August 1st following the 10am and 12pm Masses to welcome all those who are new to our parish community.

In Christ,

Fr. Dustin Collins

9th Sunday After Pentecost Homily

From the Gospel of Saint Luke our Lord instructs: “My house is the house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.”

This house of prayer to which He speaks is that of the Temple in Jerusalem. The most important aspect of the Temple is the fact that it is the home of the Holy of Holies which is the very presence of God. In order to move towards worship of God one would have to pass through merchants who were often found to be dishonest in nature. Their dishonesty even exploited and mistreated the poor. These merchants failed to encounter God and failed to lead others towards worship of God.

From the Book of Leviticus we are told concerning the poor: “But if he cannot afford a lamb, then he shall bring, as his guilt offering to the Lord for the sin which he has committed, two turtle doves or two young pigeons, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering.” The merchants were stealing from these people by charging unlawful interest and overcharging the poor for these birds. 

We must again remember the words of the Prophet Isaiah which were alluded to by Christ in our Gospel: “These I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” We can see that those with a contrite heart are called by God to encounter His infinite mercy and thus there is not a barrier that we can put in the way of making this a reality.

The Temple was a house of prayer for all those who would approach it. So too the Church is a house of prayer for those who wish to approach it. So often we fail to make this a house of prayer as we instead get caught up in the banter of our everyday life. When we enter into the church we approach the Holy of Holies where God is present with us. Everything that we do within this hallowed place should remind us of this reality and thus we are called towards reverence.

It is reverence which centers our heart upon God in order that we may be transformed in His presence. Reverence speaks to the hearts of those who enter into this place for it is something which is counter cultural. The Church is a house of prayer in which all are invited to enter, but what we do in this place can get in the way of others being led to God. 

Therefore, let us always be reminded of the one whom we approach in this place. Let us always be reminded that this is a place of prayer and to be reminded to lead others no matter their difficulty into this hallowed place in order that they too may come to encounter God and be transformed in His presence.

17th Sunday of OT Year B Homily

Today we heard from the Gospel of Saint John concerning the multiplication of the loaves and fish. This passage serves as a foreshadowing of the Eucharist. Therefore, when Christ feeds the multitude He is not only taking care of their bodily hunger, but also their spiritual need. Not only does the body need to be fed if it is to survive, but so too must our soul be nourished by Christ.

In the past few months there has been a lot of controversy concerning an upcoming document on the Eucharist from the United States Council of Catholic Bishops. Sadly, it seems that we have bought into this being a political issue and have already set up a roadblock to this being an important document. I have yet to read this document as it is not yet written, but I believe that nothing within it will be shocking. What will come out of it is the clear teaching of the Church which is already very apparent to us from the pages of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

In this day and age we have slowly had an erosion on our understanding of Christ’s presence in the Eucharist and the effect that sin has upon this relationship. In a 2019 poll of American Catholics it was found that only 31% of American Catholics believed in Transubstantiation. This left 69% of the American Church who held it to only be a symbol of the Lord’s presence. It is no wonder that there is a need for this document to reaffirm to the faithful what has always be held as true concerning the Eucharist.

Bishop Stika recently released a pastoral letter on the Eucharist entitled, “Sin and the Worthy Reception of the Holy Eucharist.” I would highly recommend that all the faithful of the diocese read his pastoral letter and reflect upon it. For those who fear of length, it is only seven pages. In this document he never points the finger to a political party, but leads us into further reflection to the importance of the Eucharist and the effect that sin has upon us and the community.

To go back to our Gospel we see the importance of eating. The well can eat easily while the dead cannot eat. So too when it pertains to the Eucharist for those in the state of mortal sin are unable to receive the gift of grace when they partake of the Eucharist without first being moved to the sacrament of confession and being healed from their sin through Christ’s infinite mercy.

As Bishop Stika concludes his pastoral letter: “If the Church speaks out, as I also must as shepherd of this diocese, it is to awaken the consciences of those who are spiritually dead in their grave sin and to call them to repentance. It is to call those who are obstinate in their grave sin and who have become false prophets leading others into grave evils and the loss of eternal salvation. The truth can be ignored, but as what cost? We are all sinners and in need of the mercy and healing that God will never withhold unless, as the prophets warned, we remain “hard of heart.” So, if we choose to ignore the seriousness of mortal sin and the need of sacramental confession prior to receiving Christ in the Eucharist, the same terrible and tragic words will echo that Jesus spoke to Judas in the Garden of Gethsemane: “Friend, do what you have come for.” Such is the sacrilege we commit. But may we hear instead, in preparing ourselves to worthily receive Our Lord and bridegroom in the most Holy Eucharist, the joy of Christ: “Blessed are they who wash their robes so as to have the right to the tree of life and enter the city through its gates.”

Bulletin Article: July 18

Our parish continues to move towards our parish homecoming celebration on September 12th. On this day I encourage your attendance at an outdoor bilingual Mass at 11am with lunch to follow. For this outdoor Mass we ask that you bring your own chair or blanket to sit on. We will have a few chairs on hand for those who may forget to bring something with them. There will not be a tent for this Mass, but instead we will gather on the lawn in front of the school. There will be a few areas where we will put up a canopies for those who might feel that they need some shade. In case of bad weather this Mass will be moved into the Church.

I understand that there will be those who will be unable to attend this Mass for one reason or another. Therefore, there will still be Mass on September 11th at 5pm. Our Mass in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite will be moved from 2pm to 8am for this day. I encourage those who might attend either of these Masses to return for our luncheon following the outdoor Mass.

The menu for the outdoor luncheon is currently being finalized and will be announced soon. There is also a desire to have a few games for kids and families. These details are also being worked out and will be finalized soon. Please continue to keep our parish in your prayers as we moved towards this day.

In Christ,

Fr. Dustin Collins

8th Sunday After Pentecost Homily

Our Gospel presents us with the steward who comes to the realization that he can no longer live in the manner that he had been living. He has been called to judgement and thus everything is fleeting before his sight. With this he has the foresight to look ahead and to plan accordingly for this judgement which will take place. Concerning his actions it was said of him, “and the lord commended the unjust steward, for as much as he had done wisely.”

We too will be called to judgement like this steward. It is so easy to get caught up living mindlessly without taking the time to realize where we are truly headed. As Christians we are not called to live in the moment, but to live for Christ in all that we do. Nevertheless, there are those who have been claimed for Christ in the waters of baptism and live a life which is contrary to what they have been claimed for.

The steward prepared for his judgement just like each of us should do. Saint Jerome stated: “The lesson we are to learn is to use presently all the talents we have at our disposal so as to prepare for ourselves riches for heaven.” Heaven is the ultimate goal of this life and everything that we do should be directed towards this reality. Neverless, there are so many who are only concerned with the here and now and never reflect upon how what we do in the here and now may effect our hope of Heaven.

As Catholics we have the fullness of faith at our disposal. Through entering more and more into the faith we come to know Christ more intimately. Through the sacraments we have the gift of grace which assist us in loving and serving God in all that we do. Confession is an important sacrament for through it we who have entered into sin are healed in order that we may more fully begin to live for God. This sacrament directs the way towards the Eucharist for in this most august of sacraments we come to receive Christ into our life.

The Eucharist is food for the journey. This journey of which we speak is Heaven. The steward knew that his time was running short and he acted accordingly. Likewise, no matter how young or old that we may be may we come to this same realization. 

The Lord ends this parable by stating: “And I say to you: Make unto you friends of the mammon if iniquity.” In such manner the steward took ill gotten gains and used them to move from iniquity towards righteousness. To fathom what will happen to all those who instead build their life upon the Divine Word of Christ where no wicknedngess can be found. Let set our sight upon Christ and through our love for Him and His Church always move forward towards the Kingdom of Heaven.

16th Sunday of OT Year B Homily

We are told from the prophet Jeremiah: “I myself will gather the remnant of my flock from all the lands to which I have driven them and bring them back to their meadow; there they shall increase and multiply.”

In his 1997 book “Salt of the Earth” Pope Benedict, then Cardinal Ratzinger, stated: “Maybe we are facing a new and different kind of epoch in the church's history, where Christianity will again be characterized more by the mustard seed, where it will exist in small, seemingly insignificant groups that nonetheless live an intense struggle against evil and bring good into the world -- that let God in."

He also touched on this in 1969 by stating: “And so it seems certain to me that the Church is facing very hard times. The real crisis has scarcely begun. We will have to count on terrific upheavals. But I am equally certain about what will remain at the end: not the Church of the political cult, which is dead already, but the Church of faith. It may well no longer be the dominant social power to the extent that she was until recently; but it will enjoy a fresh blossoming and be seen as man’s home, where he will find life and hope beyond death.”

These words of Pope Benedict XVI harken back to the prophet Jeremiah. There are some in the world today who paint an image of doom and gloom when it pertains to the Church. They claim that the Church needs to be relevant with the times if it is to grow and be meaningful to society. As GS Chesterton put it: “We do not really want a religion that is right where we are right. What we want is a religion that is right where we are wrong. We do not want, as the newspapers say, a church that will move with the world. We want a church that will move the world.”

Pope Benedict XVI nor the prophet Jeremiah proclaims a message of doom and gloom, but one of hope. There is hope because from the true flame of faith the Church, though small, will begin to grow through fervent believers who have the flame of faith. If the early Church conformed to the norms of society where would she be today? The martyrs believed so fervently that they were willing to lay down their life in defense of the Gospel.

The Church is not a social club, but is a way of life. Our reward is not in the here and now, but in the life which is to come. The prophet Jeremiah documents how from the remnant shall flow a great multitude. Likewise, within the Church will growth spring forth from those who have the true flame of faith. The key to growth is not saying what people want to here, but to continually challenge them towards something greater.

Therefore, let us all be challenged towards the Lord. Let us dare to be more like Him within this life. Let us be found receptive of the gift of the sacraments which He gives. Not the ones we agree with, but all of them including the sacrament of Confession. Let us come to know Christ our Lord, to proclaim Him with our lips, and to live out the teachings of the Church that have been handed onto us through His apostles.

Bulletin Article: July 11

This Tuesday at 6pm we will have the third in a series of six rosaries which are held on the 13th of each month in conjunction with adoration. These series of rosaries are being done on the 13th of each month from May-October due to the apparitions of Fatima taking place on the 13th of each month from May-October. I invite each of you to attend this rosary as we pray for all those who have been effected by COVID-19, that people may return to Mass, that our parish community may continue to grow, and for the success of our parish celebration on September 12th.

On September 11th the Diocese of Knoxville will hold a virtual conference entitled, “A Gathering of Church: A Welcome Home Celebration Across the Diocese of Knoxville” from 10am-5pm. The keynote speaker for this event is Gus Loyd who is the host of “Seize the Day” which airs on Sirius XM’s The Catholic Channel. In order to attend this event you will need to come to our parish or another parish in the Diocese of Knoxville where this conference will be streamed. This time will also provide time for prayer, adoration, and fellowship.

In Christ,

Fr. Dustin Collins

7th Sunday After Pentecost Homily

In all things Christ is to be placed at the center of our life. To this unity of faith we are to flock, but we must also stay on guard against those who desire to lead us astray. As the Gospel of Saint Matthew stated: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in the clothing of sheep, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.”

With the voices of so many coming at us, far left and far right, it is important that we desire to be orthodox in all of our beliefs. If something is to be orthodox it is found to be faithful and accurate. If we follow the orthodox way we remain within the confines of the Church and follow after Christ who is in the words of the Gospel of Saint John, is “the way, and the truth, and the life.”

We must remember that the world isn’t perfect. Therefore, there are those within the Church who have a false understanding of Church teaching or even worse twist Church teaching to the point that it no longer reflects Christ and an authentic reflection of the Gospel. Where there is ignorance we should pursue knowledge even if knowledge calls us to change something about our life. Christ always leads us towards conversion.

Among these many false prophets there is a call which leads towards division for we no longer allow ourself to be unified in Christ Jesus. A saintly person does not say and do things in order to lead others into their cult of faith, but rather into an authentic relationship with Christ and His Church on this earth. If we are to stay close to Christ and His Church we must come to pursue sound doctrine.

Sound doctrine is the orthodox teachings of the Church. Sound doctrine is not left nor right, but is truth. False prophets lead us from one extreme to the other, but they fail to lead us towards the truth of Christ. These false prophets may give great testimony, but we must ask if what they have to say is in line with Christ and the Church’s teachings.

If we are not to be swayed one way or the other we must be grounded in this sound doctrine. This means there is a need for us to study the faith that we profess. We must come to understand and know the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The catechism assists us remaining grounded when we begin to hear the testimony of false prophets who do nothing more then sway as one way or the other thus ultimately removing our attention from Christ.

We cannot be led to believe that the faith is relative and changing. We cannot be led to believe that the ways of old are superior to what is currently professed. No matter the day and age the faith always remains the same. At its heart it is unchanging for this is the faith which was handed on to the apostles and which continues to be handed onto us. Let us avoid all false prophets and always come to orient our sight upon Christ Jesus.

15th Sunday of OT Year B Homily

We must remember that a sacrament is an outward sign instituted by Christ which bestows grace. Grace is a gift which is given to us by God and therefore is not something that we can give to ourself or to one another. The transferral of grace is important because through the sacraments we are receiving a gift that only God can give. There are seven sacraments and one of them is known to us as Anointing of the Sick. This sacrament was alluded to when we were told in our Gospel, “and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.”

The sacrament is also alluded to by the apostle James: “Are there people sick among you? Let them send for the priests of the Church, and let the priests pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick persons, and the Lord will raise them up. If they have committed any sins, their sins will be forgiven them.”

The USCCB puts this sacrament into further context by stating: “When the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick is given, the hoped-for effect is that, if it be God’s will, the person be physically healed of illness. But even if there is no physical healing, the primary effect of the Sacrament is a spiritual healing by which the sick person receives the Holy Spirit’s gift of peace and courage to deal with the difficulties that accompany serious illness or the frailty of old age.”

Those who can receive this sacrament must be in danger of death due to sickness or old age. Some falsely think that this sacrament can only be received once, that this sacrament is given only right before someone breathes their final breath, or once one has actually died. The sacraments only aid the living and therefore those who have died are unable to receive them. I implore you to contact the Church whenever serious illness comes about, that may result in the possibility of death, even if this possibility may be statistically improbable. 

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states of those who are ill: “Illness can lead to anguish, self-absorption, sometimes even despair and revolt against God. It can also make a person more mature, helping him discern in his life what is not essential so that he can turn towards that which is. Very often illness provokes a search for God and a return to him.”

Through Anointing of the Sick one invites God’s grace into their life at one of life’s most difficult moments. Serious illness and death are part of the human condition, but we do not have to undergo these realities alone. Let us do so with the assistance of God’s grace. The Church offers those who are in danger of death to be consoled in the Sacraments of Confession, through Anointing of the Sick, and through the Most Holy Eucharist.

Let us always come to trust in the Lord who protects us and leads us to everlasting life.

Bulletin Article: July 4

Each week it is so wonderful to see so many familiar faces who have been away from our parish due to the pandemic. It is also wonderful to see the faces of our new members and visitors. Please continue to check on those who still feel that they are unable to attend Mass in person. At this point our weekly attendance is down roughly 200 from what would of been an average weekend prior to the pandemic. Let us join in prayer to pray for one another and our parish community that we may continue to grow in our weekly attendance. Very soon we will have a few activities to draw light to this matter. On August 1st we will welcome new comers to our parish in a formal way, on August 14/15 we will have a ministry fair in hope of engaging people into the life of the parish, and on September 12th we will hold our parish celebration. 

In Christ,

Fr. Dustin Collins

6th Sunday After Pentecost Homily

The Lord said concerning the multitude: “for behold they have now been with Me three days, and have nothing to eat and if I shall send them away fasting to their home, they will faint in the way.”

Therefore, the Lord in His infinite mercy looked upon the multitude and responded to their need. He realized that in order for them to make it along the way they would need proper sustenance to sustain them.

The same held true concerning the Israelites who were led out of slavery and into the desert. Once in the desert they toiled about for a period of 40 years as they made their way to the Promised Land. During this period of time they began to curse God for they believed that it would be better if they went back into slavery for they were hungry and tired. God responded to their call and sent down food from Heaven which would feed them in order that they would make it to their destination.

Likewise, the Lord fed this multitude by taking the seven loaves and the fish and multiplying it in order that all could eat. This food served not only as bodily sustenance, but also came to feed their soul in order that they could always move forward along the way.

The way is our path towards Heaven. Along this path we need this same sustenance or we will only grow tired and faint along the way. As bread came down from Heaven we must know that the Lord gives us something so much better in the Most Holy Eucharist. As the Lord worked this miracle we must know that the Lord does something so much better then what took place on that day.

We must place our trust in Jesus for it is He who sustains our spiritual life. As is stated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church concerning the Eucharist: it “preserves, increases, and renews the life of grace,” it “separates us from sin,” and it “preserves us from future moral sins.”

Whenever we have the opportunity to assist at Mass and receive the Eucharist we have the opportunity to nourish our soul with this new bread from heaven which comes to sustain our spiritual life. It is this Heavenly Food which becomes our food for the journey from this life to our Heavenly homeland. Along the way there will be trials and tribulations, but we must remember that we have everything that we will ever need in the Eucharist for to receive the Eucharist is to receive Christ.

Christ is truly food for the journey which are reflected in the words of Saint Thomas Aquinas: “Sweetest Jesus, Body and Blood most Holy, be the delight and pleasure of my soul, my strength and salvation to all temptations, my joy and peace in every trial, my lights and guide in every word and deed, and my final protection in death. Amen.”