2nd Sunday After Epiphany Homily

Today we are given the account of the miracle that was worked at the Wedding Feast in Cana. It was here that Jesus came to work His first miracle when water was changed into wine.

What takes place inside of our Gospel is a very serious matter. The serious matter is the very fact that a wedding celebration was taking place and that wine ran short. I am not saying this as a joke, but for the very fact that from the perspective of the family this was an embrarassment. This is a lack of hospitality towards one’s guests who gathered to celebrate this marriage. In Jewish culture hospitality is something that was highly valued and the wine comes to represents one’s ability to celebrate for the prophets indicate it as being an important element of the messianic banquet.

From the pleading of the people our Blessed Mother heard their pleas. She took them upon herself and brought them to the attention of her Son. It was here that He worked His first miracle by changing the water into wine. What we are instructed on here is very important because it was pointed out that this wine was better then the wine which was had before. This is important because typically one would offer the best wine first and as the celebration would run on wine of less value would be offered maybe even to the point of it being watered down. Instead here we are told that this wine was greater then what was had before.

This Gospel shows us the need to be a people who are filled with joy. Joy was had at this celebration as is displayed by the wine. Greater joy was discovered by the wine which was created through our Lord’s first miracle. Here we are being shown the reality that with the Lord there is always reason for us to be filled with joy.

So many lessons are being given to us through this Gospel and through each of them we come to encounter this same unending joy. We encounter our Blessed Mother and are shown how proper devotion to her will bring us to know her Son. We encounter Baptism which was encountered through the water which has claimed us for Christ. We encounter the wine which points the way towards the Eucharist where we will come to behold Christ; Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. I can think of no greater joy then all of this.

Therefore, at those moments when we feel as if all has been stripped away from us may we come to place our trust in the Merciful Hands of the Lord. From our encounter with these merciful hands may we be filled with joy and the virtue of hope. Through the wedding feast of Cana joy is being brought into our life which overcomes every moment of our life which is filled with grief and despair.

2nd Sunday of OT Year A Homily

Through Saint John the Baptist we come to encounter the virtue of humility. He realized that one greater then he was to come and he was okay with stepping aside in order to make way for His coming. To this Sacred Scripture attests to us: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” With this wisdom and sense of humility he goes on to state within our Gospel: “A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.” Through all that Saint John the Baptist preaches and teaches we can see that he was always willing to humble himself to the truth that exists before him.

In our world we sometimes have a problem humbling ourself to truth or to the authority of another. Nevertheless, truth does exist within this world. Towards truth we are called and to this truth we are to be humbled. This truth of which I speak is that of Christ our Lord. This truth is present within the Church and her teachings. This truth does not rely upon popular opinion, but solely upon the fact that it represents Christ and what He handed onto the apostles who through their authority shape where we find ourself in this current age.

I must agree that sadly a select few priests and even bishops have abandoned this path. Through their abandoning of truth they have led the Church to suffer in confusion of church teaching and morality. They have left others in despair as they have left the Church due to their incompetence of leadership and morality as they prowl upon the vulnerable. This makes me think of Saint John Christendom who stated: “The road to hell is paved with the skull of erring priests, with bishops as their signposts.” Despite these actions of a select few we cannot allow them to overshadow Christ and what He has left us.

I must admit that at times it may seem that all hope is lost. To this I am reminded that Christ is our light. It is towards Christ that we must set our gaze. Therefore, it matters not the priest who has been set before us for our sight is to be set upon Christ. No matter the priest, his sinfulness, or lack of favor with us his hands have been consecrated and when at the Holy Mass represents Christ on this earth. If we ever allow ourself to take our sight off of him or become more important then He we are in error. Christ must be our light for He was the light of Saint John the Baptist to whose way he prepared the path.

Truly, we have been given a glimpse into humility through this holy saint of God. Through him we have been shown that Christ is the truth to which our heart now longs. Through him we are shown that nothing on this earth is more important then Christ and the authenticity of His love for each of us. Through him we are shown that He must be made central in our life. Let us not loose faith, but instead let us stand firm with Saint John the Baptist who is always prepared for the Lord’s coming.

Bulletin Article: January 12

Today brings about the end of the Christmas season. It is hard to believe that the season of Lent will begin February 26 with the observance of Ash Wednesday.

Please keep in mind that our Parish Open Forum will be held tomorrow, January 13, in the school gym. There will be a pot luck meal beginning at 5:30pm with the open forum taking place from 6:30pm-7:30pm. It is my hope that these will aid our parish community in following the guidance of the Holy Spirit and moving together as one for the good of this parish community.

Finally, an informational meeting will be held January 14 concerning the parish pilgrimage to the Holy Land. This meeting will he held in the gathering area at 6:30pm. The cost for this trip is $3,350 and includes airfare, hotel, tour guide, bus, entry to sites, and 2 meals a day. The pilgrimage we be October 5-14, 2020.

In Christ,

Fr. Dustin Collins

Holy Family Homily (Extraordinary Form)

Today we arrive at the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Jospeh. They serve as the perfect example for us concerning family life. They direct our sight towards Christ and thus too towards Heaven. We know Jesus, Mary, and Jospeh and the love found within their family to be a perfect example for us on how to be holy.

Some see holiness as something which cannot be obtained. Nevertheless, throughout the Christmas season we are shown ways in which holiness comes to dwell in rather mundane everyday areas of life. Therefore, we encounter a God whose love for us is so great that He takes on our human flesh and dwells among us. With that, this child is placed at the center of our faith and yet He is God made Flesh.

Out of the many ways that God could of chosen to dwell among us He chose to enter into the confines of a family. With this, this child needed the love, support, and protection of Mary, His mother, and Joseph, His foster father. He was unable to feed Himself and relied upon the assistance of his family. His life came to be endangered thanks to the fear of Herod and yet Saint Joseph protected Him and his family.

Through the Holy Family we are being shown that holiness is something which can be obtained within this life as well as within our own homes. We are shown that this is something that we must each strive for. It is not enough for us to keep the pursuit of holiness out of our reach to the point that it becomes something which cannot be obtained. To do this would be a grave mistake because Christ and the Blessed Mother show us that this is something which can be obtained.

Today’s feast finds it foundation in Canada and from there spreads throughout the whole Church. The purpose of this feast is to reenforce the importance of the family in the midst of the world which has forgotten about its importance. At times the hope for the future for family life may seem to be bleak, but we cannot allow this attitude to take hold of us. After all, we just celebrated Christmas where we came to acknowledge that great light which came to dwell among us that is God made Flesh.

With this great light held firmly in our perspective, so too should our homes become a reflection of this great light which caused angels to chant with joy: “Glory to God in the highest.” There is nothing bleak about this realty because through it hope is always found. Let our homes become places where this hope is allowed to dwell and where holiness is chased after.

It is important that Christian homes become places of prayer with Christ is placed at the center. Pray together as a family, have a common place of prayer within the home, and make sure that a crucifix is placed in each room as a constant reminder of Christ’s merciful love for each of us. Let this feast become a feast of joy which fills our homes with the light of Christ which cannot be hidden, but rather must be shared throughout all the world.

St. Mary Men Evening of Recollection Sermon V: Baptism

I hope that all of you continue to have a Merry Christmas. As a reminder the Christmas season comes to its conclusion this Sunday with the celebration of the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. I hope that we will continue to celebrate this days which lie ahead.

Baptism is the first sacrament that one receives. Without it we are not able to receive any of the other sacraments. In the words of Saint Josemaria Escriva: “In Baptism, our Father God has taken possession of our lives. He has made us sharers in Christ’s life and sent us the Holy Spirit.”

Despite this how well do we allow our life to be a reflection of Christ who has claimed us? There are some who may be fooled into remarking that their sin is exeptable if it is seen by no one or only by those who we do not know. This type of attitude only leads to scandal and leads us away from Christ who has claimed us in the waters of baptism.

As Josemaria Escriva reminded: “God has placed an indelible mark on your soul through Baptism: you are a child of God, Child, are you not aflame with the desire to bring all men to love of Him?”

Here we were reminded of the indelible mark which is placed upon us in baptism. This mark is one which can never be taken away. Even in our death this mark will remain throughout life everlasting. There are three sacraments which leave an indelible mark: baptism, confirmation, and holy orders. In each of these sacraments the oil called the Sacred Chrism is placed upon the receiver of the sacrament.

With that we have God’s grace at work within us through these life giving waters. So may think that their baptism was only important on the day that they received it, but this is not the case. Rather, everyday from that moment going forward is important and the graces of baptism are at work within the life of the receiver.

In Pope Paul VI’s encyclical letter, Ecclesiam Suam, On the Church, he states: “To be a Christian, to have received Baptism, should not be looked upon as something indifferent or of little importance. It should be imprinted deeply and joyously on the conscience of every baptised person.”

With this may we give thanks to God for our baptism. May we remember the graces that are at work through it as well as the other sacraments that we receive. When we undergo moments of temptation or doubt may we allow ourselves to be moved towards God’s grace that is constantly at work within our life. May we do all that we can to protect our baptismal garment that it may never be soiled with sin, but may always remain white as snow.

Truly our baptism is a celebration of God’s love for us for through these waters we came to be united with Christ Jesus and the community that is the Church.