Bulletin Article: September 26

I congratulate Jim Haselsteiner who received the ministry of acolyte this weekend. Please continue to pray for him as his continues his formation as a deacon candidate. God willing Jim will be ordained as a deacon on June 2, 2022 and will then hopefully be assigned to assist with our parish.

Next Saturday, October 2, will be the blessing of pets at 10:30am. The Knights of Columbus will sponsor a pet show which will follow the blessing of pets.

Finally, I thank all those who returned their stewardship commitment form this weekend. If you have yet to do so I encourage you to do so as soon as possible. 

In Christ,

Fr. Dustin Collins

18th Sunday After Pentecost Homily

We must have concern for those who are sick. This has been very apparent in the past few years due to COVID-19. We must also have concern for those who care for those who are ill. These past couple of years have been especially stressful for them. To this the Catechism of the Catholic Church instructs us: "Heal the sick!" The Church has received this charge from the Lord and strives to carry it out by taking care of the sick as well as by accompanying them with her prayer of intercession. She believes in the life-giving presence of Christ, the physician of souls and bodies.”

Our Gospel shows the concern that a group of people had in caring for this sick man. Christ was pleased with the faith and charity exhibited by these people and thus He cured the man of his palsy and forgave his sins. We must therefore join with this crowd in having concern for those who are sick. It should be our goal to lead them towards the Lord who consoles us in the Gospel of Saint Matthew by stating: “Come to me, all you who labour and are burdened, and I will give you rest.”

This Gospel serves as a lesson in following after the Lord and placing our trust in Him. The Lord only heals the man of his palsy after he forgives him of his sins. So too when one is ill and facing the possibility of death that they must come to place their trust in the Lord. Bodily healing means nothing if the state of our soul is in danger of eternal damnation. Sickness is never pleasant, but in these moments we are given an opportunity to draw close to the Lord and His sorrowful passion which sets us free from sin and death.

When we come to encounter the sick, either spiritually or bodily, may we always bring the Lord to them for it is the Lord alone who can bring healing. Through our prayers, our urgent admonitions, and good example we lead individuals to this font of mercy and love. If the Lord is the one who is encountered there is always hope, for the Lord has triumphed over sin and death. It is the Lord who brings mercy and healing, as He displayed these traits in forgiving the man’s sins and healing him from his palsy.

Let us always be attentive to the needs of those who are sick and encourage them to encounter the Lord and His mercy. When we are sick may we be willing to discover this mercy and forgiveness that Lord alone shows to us and to the whole world.

26th Sunday of OT Year B Homily

Our Gospel instructs us in harsh words: “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe to stumble, it would be better for him if a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and he has been cast into the sea.”

Let us remember that a millstone is pretty heavy. It was used to grind grain and was so heavy that a man couldn’t pick it up. Therefore, to due to it’s great weight a donkey was used to move it. To be cast into the sea with a millstone attached to one’s neck means that one would drown. There would be no surviving the weight of the millstone.

This sounds pretty harsh, but let us go back to our Gospel which tells us of something even worse then being cast into the sea with a millstone hung around your neck. That being one who causes one of the little ones who believe to stumble. A better translation of this word “little” would be “humble.” Therefore, we are not only speaking of children, but leading any of the innocent into sin.

Sadly, there have been bad shepherds of the Church throughout its history. Modernly we continue to hear of bishops and priests who have done some inexcusable things. Their actions have led others away from the Church. They have scandalized the life of the faithful. Of them it is said by Saint John Chrysostom: “The road to hell is paved with the skulls of bishops.” Hopefully we do not place our faith in men, but the Lord who is unchanging and present with us in the Most Holy Eucharist.

Each of us must be concerned in living a life which reflects our state in life. Our state in life encompasses if you are married, single, a priest, or in a religious order. The life that we live should be reflective of this state. If one is married they have obligations towards their spouse and once children are brought into the picture there is an obligation to raise them in the faith. As Saint Catherine of Siena stated: “Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.”

We who have been entrusted with much must avoid leading others into scandal. Scandal leads ourself, our spouse, our children, our family, and our friends away from Christ and the Church. Scandal is given when one decides to push the teachings of the Church aside and thus enter into cohabitation, gossiping, sinful language, marrying outside of the Church, not coming to Mass on Sunday, abusing their power, failing to pray, and other actions which go against Christ, the Church, and human flourishing.

Let us not be people of scandal; those who should have this millstone hung around their neck. Instead let us always have concern for the innocent ones that they may remain unblemished and upright in the sight of the Lord. Where we have fallen short let us move towards the Sacrament of Confession and come to encounter the infinite mercy of God which awaits us there.

Bulletin Article: September 19

Now that our parish homecoming celebration is behind us our parish will look towards October. During this month we will have the blessing of pets with a pet show to follow on October 2nd at 10:30am, the final rosary and adoration of October 13th at 6pm with a reception to follow, and our trunk or treat will be the evening of October 29th.

Our parish stewardship weekend will be next weekend, September 25/26. You should be receiving a letter in the mail with a commitment form on Monday. I ask that you prayerfully consider filling out this form and returning it in the collection basket next week. My hope is that we can have full parish participation in this commitment weekend. Stewardship transcends the giving of money and includes one time and talent. Stewardship is to be a Christian disciple who is committed to carrying out the work of God. Our parish YouTube page currently has ten videos which have been uploaded where parishioners share their understanding of stewardship. May we always be good stewards of all that God has entrusted to our care.

In Christ,

Fr. Dustin Collins

25th Sunday of OT Year B Homily

Next weekend will be our parish stewardship weekend. Very soon you should be receiving a letter in the mail which will also include our parish stewardship commitment form. I ask that you bring this commitment form with you filled out next week and drop it in the collection basket. There will also be commitment forms on hand for those who might not of received one for one reason or another. Last year when our parish held its stewardship weekend we had a 5% response rate. It is my hope that the whole parish will consider participating in this stewardship weekend.

For many stewardship is defined solely as the giving of money. A better definition of stewardship would be: “Stewardship is the grateful response of a Christian Disciple who recognizes God’s gifts and shares these gifts in love of God and neighbor.” From this definition we can see the need for us to take what has been entrusted to us and to share it with others.

Therefore, we can say that stewardship is a form of service which is given out of response to our faith. In our Gospel Christ instructs us: “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.” This concept goes against our culture where being humble and willing to serve others is not always easy. Saint Theresa of Calcutta understands the Gospel, but stating: “Love cannot remain by itself- it has no meaning. Love has to be put into action, and that action is service.”

This concept of love being a form of service calls us towards a spirit of sacrifice. The word sacrifice does not mean to give up something that we want, but instead means to make holy. We make our lives holy by sharing our gifts in the service of God. This is precisely what stewardship calls us to do. Through committing ourself to a life of stewardship we begin to freely give of ourself out of love.

I thus invite each of you to reflect in your prayer upon the many gifts that God has entrusted to you. There are so many parishioners who give of their time, their talent, and their treasure to the benefit of this parish community. In giving of one self you ask for nothing in return, but give out of love. This is what I am inviting you to do when it pertains to stewardship.

Most of all I invite you to pray for the good of this parish community. Prayer is the key which is most important if we are to grow as a parish. Prayer unites us to the Father and through this relationship we are given the invitation to to be a servant to all. May we thus respond to this call with the confidence of faith and grow in the virtue of love.

Bulletin Article: September 12

I thank all those who have helped this weekend with carrying out our Parish Homecoming Celebration. Please continue to pray for all those who are/have been effected by COVID-19 and for the good of our parish community.

I remind you that we will gather tomorrow, September 13, at 6pm to pray the rosary and have adoration. Following this time there will be one last occasion where we will gather for this series of prayers, October 13. Our usual Mass in the Extraordinary Form at 6pm will begin shortly following the rosary for those who would like to stay.

On September 16th there will be a Ladies Meet and Greet from 6:30pm-7:30pm in the school gym. This event is one of many that are planned to begin the Council of Catholic Women at our parish. I thank those women from Norte Dame in Greeneville who will assist in hosting this meet and greet here.

Finally, there will not be confessions on September 18 at 5pm. Also, please note that the weekend of September 25/26 will be our parish stewardship weekend. More information will be released on this weekend in the days leading up to September 25/26. According to Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response: “Stewardship is the grateful response of a Christian Disciple who recognizes and received God’s gifts and shares these gifts in love of God and neighbor.”

In Christ,

Fr. Dustin Collins

Homecoming Celebration Mass Homily

I welcome all of you to this celebration for the local Church here in Johnson City, Tennessee. Our bishop gave of us this date for this is the weekend following September 8th which was the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This is most fitting for us for we find ourself under the patronage of Mary. May she pray for us and may we foster devotion to her always.

Our Gospel challenges us to take up the cross and to follow after the Lord. With all that we have been through due to COVID-19 this message remains one of great importance. Despite what we have been through there continues to be a lot that lays ahead. Even now our area has had a record number of cases. Nevertheless, let us realize that the Lord is with us always. There is never a cross which is too great if we so desire to enter into it in order that we may truly live.

Outside the walls of the Church we are reminded of the importance of our faith. We are reminded that it must be something which is taken outside of the walls of the Church and lived. As we come to celebrate these Sacred Mysteries may we come to recognize this with the confidence of faith. Each and every time that we attend Mass and receive Holy Communion we are given the invitation to leave the walls of the Church and to live what we have received and to bring others into communion with it.

Let this truly be a day of celebration and let our faith be the source of our strength no matter the cross which may lie ahead for us.

24th Sunday of OT Year B Homily

Tomorrow our parish will celebrate its Homecoming Weekend. This day was set aside by our bishop in order to give thanks to God for all that has been entrusted to us. Some may have issue giving thanks when there is still so much taking place within this world that is off kilter. There are so many who have been effected by natural disaster, there is everything that is taking place in Afghanistan, and we even have the rise of COVID numbers which are taking place.

Nevertheless, I still believe that we have a lot to be thankful for. Even the word “Eucharist” means to give thanks. When we come here for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass we always give thanks to God. All of these burdens of our everyday society are very real, but from the cross always springs forth something so much greater. Therefore, the Lord instructs us: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.”

Saint John Vianney had stated: “All our miseries come of our not loving the cross. It is the fear of crosses which gives weight to the cross.” In the Book of Exodus the people who look upon the serpent which was lifted up by Moses were healed. So too are we healed when we dare to gaze upon the cross. This Tuesday, September 14th, is even the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross which has been set aside to remind us of precisely this.

The cross is a gift which has been extended into our life. The cross is of benefit to us because through it God has taken everything unto Himself and out of love laid down His life as second Person of the Most Holy Trinity in order that we may be saved. The Lord invites us to enter into this saving action by coming to embrace the cross for ourself.

So many want to avoid the cross, but the cross is a part of our everyday life. Each time that we embrace the cross the more we come to know Christ, love Christ, and desire serve Him by our life. If the Lord’s Passion had never happened there would be nothing for us to be thankful for, but as Christians we know the reality of the cross and resurrection and because of this we have every reason to rejoice.

Natural disasters, disease, war, and death will sadly continue to be a part of our human condition. Nevertheless, through the cross we have so much to be thankful for. Let us look upon the cross this day and rejoice that God’s love is so great that we have been redeemed. When we must embrace the cross in this life let us do so with a cheerful heart and let us be filled with the virtue of hope for what lies in wait for us.

Let us continue to pray for our parish community as we continue to give thanks for all that God has given us.

Bulletin Article: September 5

Next weekend, September 12, will be our Parish Homecoming Celebration. The reason that Bishop Stika chose this date was because it is the weekend following September 8 which is the birthday of Saint Mary as well as this diocese.

On September 11th there will be a virtual conference hosted at our parish hosted by Gus Loyd. This day will begin at 9:30am and will conclude at 3:45pm. The schedule of events will be as follows: 9:30 am Donuts and coffee, 10am 1st conference, 11:30am: lunch, 1:15pm: 2nd conference, and 2:45pm: Holy Hour with confessions.

On September 11th there will be an outdoor bilingual Mass at 11am with lunch to follow. It is my hope that this one Mass will bring together our parish family. Please note the change to our Sunday Mass schedule because of this Mass. There will not be Mass Sunday at 10am, 12pm, or 2pm. There will be an opportunity for Mass Saturday evening at 5pm, Sunday at 8am (Latin) and 5pm (Spanish) for those who are unable to make this 11am Mass. I understand that this Mass schedule change may be difficult for some. This Mass schedule was considered to highlight Mass at 11am while providing another opportunity for everyone to attend Mass outside of this time.

Due to this change in our Mass schedule I will only hear confessions Saturday evening at 4:30pm and Sunday at 7:30am. Confessions will not be heard Sunday at 9:30am, 11:30am, nor 1:30pm. Confessions will also be heard at there normal time of Wednesday at 6pm and Saturday at 9am.

Finally, our Parish Open Forum was held via Zoom this past Monday. At the highest moment there were 33 who were logged into the room. A concern was brought up concerning the Mass time changes for September 12th. These changes were made in consultation with the Parish Pastoral Council and were made with the hope of providing a Mass opportunity for everyone while highlighting our 11am Mass. I apologize to anyone that feels offended by these Mass changes, but they were made with the good of the parish in mind. I did not make them playing favorites with certain people over other people, but from the standpoint of what would best provide for the needs of the people of our parish while not taking away from our 11am Mass. There was a concern brought up concerning the current condition of the outside of the school. This concern is already being taken care of behind the scenes through looking for bids to fix the soffit of the school as well as address some erosion issues to the front of the school. If you have not looked closely at the front of the school lately I would advise you to do so in order that you may see the current issues. A question was brought up concerning the financial status of the Church and the PPP loans. It was mentioned that a financial report will soon be provided to the parish. There was also a presentation to three future groups which will be started at our parish. These three groups being the Council of Catholic Women, a marriage enrichment group, and a young adult group. I invite your participation in these open forums. There will be a future open forum which will be set up by the Parish Pastoral Council at their next meeting. I will pass along the date to all of you once it has been set up.

Beyond all else please pray for the good of our parish community.

In Christ,

Fr. Dustin Collins

15th Sunday After Pentecost Homily

Today our Gospel tells us about the widow of Naim. This is a very sad account for she has already lost her husband and now her only son. This means from a cultural perspective that she has nobody to provide for her needs. This task would of been left to her son, but now he had gone before her into everlasting life. Therefore, she would have to lower herself to the status of a beggar in order to survive.

We notice in our Gospel that a funeral procession is taking place. Within this procession we see those who mourn at the death of this son. The Lord takes notice of them and touching the bier restores life to her son. There are only three cases where it is recorded that the Lord raised the dead and this was one of them. In the other two accounts, the raising of Lazarus and the raising of Jairus’ daughter. In both of these accounts another came to the Lord in order that they may be raised. Due to the faith of another life was restored to these two individuals. When it concerns the son of the widow of Naim the Lord was the one who initiated what was to take place.

This is an important lesson for the Lord always brings with Him life. His words were, “young man, I tell you arise!” We must remember that death is a consequence of sin. Death came about due to the Fall when Adam and Eve chose to rebel against God and eat of the forbidden fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. Despite this death which was begun at the Fall there was a collision between life and death. It was life which ultimately won out for the Lord is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”

The Lord took on our human nature and died upon the cross in order that we too could have life everlasting. It is the Lord alone who is the hope of our salvation. He continues to come to us in our need and assist us in living a life which leads towards everlasting life. Sadly, there are those who turn away from Him and would rather live in this state of sin and death. They want nothing to do with His mercy which endures forever.

This Gospel should be uplifting to each of us. This Gospel should be one of hope for through it we see the concern of the Lord that we may live instead of stay dead. As is stated in the Book of Revelation: “I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God.”

Therefore, let us frequent the sacrament of confession. For here we meet the same compassion that the Lord showered upon this woman. From this sacrament we come to be healed of sin and death and are reoriented unto the Lord. The Lord never desires that we be left all along as this woman would of been, but that we may come to trust in Him and live for He is “the Resurrection and the life.”