30th Sunday of OT Year C Homily

The proud are those who constantly cast their head upwards to the point that they become the center of attention. The humble of heart are able to cast their head downward for they have realized that everything does not revolve around them. In Dante’s great work the Purgatorio the punishment of the proud is to have a stone hung around their neck. This stone keeps them looking down as they study the great moments of humility throughout the history of the world. The greatest of these lessons is found through our Blessed Mother and the Annuciation where she came to humbly say yes unto the angel Gabriel.

Our Gospel gives us an example of both of these realities. We discover the proud through the Pharisee and we come to discover the humble through this tax collector. Through his humility the tax collector was able to accept the fact that he was a sinful man who was in need of the infinite mercy of God while this Pharisee was so filled with pride that he could not profess that he was a sinful man who was in need of God’s mercy.

There are some who cannot fathom that they are able to sin. Nevertheless, we are told in the Book of Proverbs: “A righteous man falls seven times a day.” It was said of Saint John Paul II that he would make a confession every day of his life. If this was true he could not walk into the confessional and state that he was a perfect man, but instead he would have to come with the realization of his sinfulness and thus the sins which he had committed since his last confession.

Confession is a beautiful gift that has been entrusted to the Church’s care by Christ our Lord. Nevertheless, so many never make use of this infinite font of our Lord’s mercy. To think that in the Garden God came to Adam and Eve and asked them to confess their sin. They could not be humble of heart and they thus did not fess up to what they had done. The same can be said of Cain when he slew his brother Abel. He was unable to fess up to the sin that he had committed.

Sin has nothing to do with our social status. The lowly as well as the haughty are inclined to sin. Nevertheless, we do not have to stay in this state. All of us are invited by our Blessed Lord to chase over holiness in our everyday life. We can only chase after holiness when we perfect the virtue of humility to the best of our ability. Nothing can be perfected within us without the assistance of the Lord. If we humble ourself in His sight we let go of that pride which blinds our eyes to the point that we cannot see clearly.

In her autobiography Saint Therese of Liseux states the little way that we can grow in holiness. The secret to the perfection of the Little Way is humility. The Little Way makes one realize that their actions to not need to be seen for their to be value. Her Little Way makes us see that unjust criticisms against us aid us in humility. Saint Therese leads us to glance downward with this tax collector and cry out in a true spirit of humility.

May we come to foster this important virtue within our life thus allowing the Lord to take hold of us. It is pride to think that we can do anything independent from our Blessed Lord. It is humility which aids us in allowing our Blessed Lord to take ahold of our life. May we too cry out to the Lord in a spirit of humility and prevail ourself to His infinite mercy which endures forever.

Bulletin Article: October 20

I thank all of those who work in the medical field for all that they do to serve our community. On November 10 we will celebrate the Green Mass at 10am. The Green Mass is for all those who have served in the military.

On October 26 our parish will have a busy day because we will hold our annual Fall Festival. I invite you and your family to attend this event thus helping to build up community at our parish. The Festival will run from 11am-5pm. Following our 5pm Mass we will even have a special appearance by Elvis as our celebration continues in the basement of the church.

In Christ,

Fr. Dustin Collins

19th Sunday After Pentecost

In our Gospel we were presented with the issue of being present at the marriage feast without wearing the wedding garment which is proper.

In the Sacrament of Baptism the one to be baptized receives a white garment. In the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite the priest says: “Receive this white garment, which mayest thou carry without stain before the judgment seat of our Lord Jesus Christ, that thou mayest have life everlasting.”

In the words of the Psalmist we are made aware of the effects of baptism by the receiver. And so we are told: “Cleanse me with hyssop, that I may be pure; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.” Thus it is through the Sacrament of Baptism that the receiver is made whiter then snow.

The traditional garment of the baptized then becomes the “alb.” This is the white garment that the priest wears at every Mass which is celebrated. The word “alb” comes from the Latin word “albus” which in English means “white.” Thus this garment calls to mind the reality that is set forth through the reception of this sacrament.

Upon every baptism preparation class that I give I always ask why the parents why they want their child to be baptized. There are many answers to this question, but one answer that I expect is the fact that it cleanses the receiver of all sin which includes original sin. It is very serious that original sin be washed away because orignal sin keeps us from the orignal innocence which was intended from the very beginning. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church states: “Baptism, by imparting the life of Christ's grace, erases original sin and turns a man back towards God.”

Despite the importance of baptism and thus too the reception of this white garment I more and more hear about those who refrain from baptizing their child. Some see no urgency in its importance while others desire to wait for their child to choose their faith for themself. It is a very serious sin if a parent decides to withhold baptism from their child and this should be confessed in the Sacrament of Confession with the resolve to baptize their child if it has already not been carried out.

Our Gospel gets the point across concerning this sacrament and may we thus propelrly provide it to the children who have been entrusted to our care. Likewise, may we come to see the importance of this white garment and thus come to protect it as best we can.

The smallest of sins stains this garment which has been entrusted to our care, but our Lord in His infinite mercy lifts us out of it. May we thus continue to entrust ourself to the infinite mercy of the Lord. Through the Sacrament of Confession we purify ourself and the stains that we have made in our baptismal garment which should be found to be whiter then snow.

Let us protect this white garment and commit ourself to the life of faith each day by entrusting ourself to the merciful care of our Blessed Lord.

Bulletin Article: October 13

Next Sunday, October 20, we will have the White Mass at 8am. The purpose of the White Mass is to pray for those who serve in the medical field. I know that our parish community is blessed with many who serve in this capacity. Please consider joining us for this Mass and inviting your friends and family who may belong to this field to join us.

Next weekend, we will also be joined by a deacon from an organization known as Food for the Poor. He will preach each Mass that weekend concerning this organization and their work among those who are in need.

Finally, please remember that October 26 is the date of our Fall Festival. As we prepare for this important date we will have a parish clean up day on October 19 from 9am to 3pm. Please consider assisting because the joining together of many hands make for lite work.

In Christ,

Fr. Dustin Collins

18th Sunday After Pentecost Homily

It is truly sad when a person gives into despair. It especially sad when a person approaches their deathbed and is concerned if their sins have been forgiven or not. We should not despair concerning the infinite mercy of God. We must come to trust in the Sacrament of Confession and the reality that through the words of absolution that one’s sins have been forgiven.

After all our Blessed Lord came to state in today’s Gospel: “Thy sins are forgiven thee.” He then goes onto to say: “that the Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins.” If our Lord instructs us as such and goes on to leave us the Sacrament of Confession who are we to doubt these words?

The important thing for us to do is to place our trust in these words. We must not only trust in these words, but we must also come to embrace the infinite mercy of God. This is why partaking in the Sacrament of Confession is so important for us. If we have been stained by the reality of mortal sin we do not have to live in despair, but return to God’s mercy. Even under venial sin we should embrace God’s mercy for the smallest of sins is an offense against God.

From Sacred Scripture we are told: “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.” What is this sin against the Holy Spirit which is so serious for our Gospel speaks about the mercy of God and Christ’s ability to forgive sin. Dominum et Vivifanctem, the Lord and Giver of Life, answers this question in clear words: “it consists rather in the refusal to accept the salvation which God offers to man through the Holy Spirit, working through the power of the cross.”

In other words, there is nothing that Christ cannot forgive except that which we do not want him to forgive. We have to desire the forgiveness of sins. We have to not avoid the Sacrament of Confession, but flock towards it with the realization that all of our sins can be and are forgiven through a good confession.

Elsewhere in Sacred Scripture we are told: “there will be rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Truly, there is nothing that cannot be forgiven if we allow Christ to forgive it. Not only that, but all of Heaven rejoices at the moment that we make a good confession. We can say that with a good confession God remembers nothing concerning our sin.

Therefore, I invite each of us to make frequent use of the Sacrament of Confession. In the words of Pope Francis we must remember: “God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking his mercy.”

Let us continue to seek out mercy and then we too can hear the words extended in our Gospel: “They sins are forgiven thee.”