Bulletin Article: January 3

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I would like to highlight a few of the activities that our youth group have recently been involved in. Firstly, they made paper máché flowers and cards which were delivered to the shut in members of our parish prior to Christmas. Secondly, through the generous giving of many of our parishioners they were able to bring Christmas gifts and food to homeless people of Johnson City. The Knights of Columbus even came together to provide food for the event.

The Tuesday Crew has been working hard prior to Christmas to fix the lights around our campus. You will also notice that we now have two robotic cameras which have been installed inside of the church. We had an issue with the computer which was purchased being able to output sound. Once a new computer comes in we should be able to get the cameras up and running for streaming Masses and other events inside of the Church.

January 6th is the traditional day of the Epiphany. On this day there will be a Mass in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite at 5:30pm to celebrate this occasion. Our Spanish speaking community will have prayers at 7pm. 

Finally, I thank those of our parish community who came together to participate in our Parish Epiphany Dinner. Be on the outlook in the next week or so from photos of our parish community coming together posted to our Facebook page and on our YouTube page.

In Christ,

Fr. Dustin Collins

Most Holy Name of Jesus Homily

Merry Christmas!

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus. It was on the eighth day that Christ was taken to the temple for His circumcision. It was here that He was officially given the Name of Jesus. This was the Name which was instructed to be given to this child by the Angel Gabriel. Through this act it was not His parents who named this child, but rather God. This Name means “God saves” and thus puts into context the role that this child plays in salvation history. It points towards the reality that we celebrate during this Christmas season which is that God took on our human flesh and came to dwell among us.

The Name of Jesus is so important that Saint Paul instructs in his Epistle: “That at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father.” As is said of this Name in the Catechism of the Catholic Church: “The one name that contains everything is the one that the Son of God received in his incarnation: Jesus. The divine name may not be spoken by human lips, but by assuming our humanity the Word of God hands it over to us and we can invoke it.”

This Name is so powerful that we ought to call upon it at all times. To think of the many souls who have come to be saved, healed, and helped by calling upon this most holy of Names. We too should join with them in calling upon this Name in our times of need. As Saint Bernardine of Siena had stated to this Name: “The sweet Name of Jesus produces in us holy thoughts, fills the soul with sentiments, strengthens virtue, begets good works, and nourishes pure affections.”

Saint Bernardine of Siena would carry with him the monogram IHS when he was traveling about preaching and leading missions throughout Italy. In Latin the IHS means “Iesus Hominum Salvator” or in English “Jesus, Savior of men.” During these sermons and missions he would hold it out and have the faithful prostrate themselves in adoration. He recommended that this monogram be placed over doors to one’s dwelling to always remind them of the blessings of their Lord and Savior.

Sadly, in our world we have lost sight of devotion to this Most Holy of Names. We so easily allow ourself to take it and other holy names in vain. The Holy Mass instead forms us to do something so much greater for we should notice at the Name of Jesus that the head of the priest bows. Likewise, at the Name of Jesus each of our heads should bow as we learn to give this and other holy names there proper due.

We must realize that we have been saved through Jesus. This is literally what this Name means, God saves. May we allow the Lord to imprint His Name upon our heart and mind in order that we may always love the Lord our God. If we foster devotion to this Name and the salvation that it brings we will come to realize and allow Christ to strengthen virtue, beget good works within us, and nourish our pure affections. Through this Most Holy of Names may we always cry out in a spirit of faith and come to trust in Him with our whole heart and soul.

Epiphany Homily

Merry Christmas!

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord. This word “Epiphany” means “Manifestation of God.” Though we often equate the Epiphany solely with the Wise Men coming to do homage to Christ it also accounts for the Baptism of the Lord when a voice stated, “This is my beloved Son” and the Wedding Feast at Cana where Christ came to change water into wine. Each of these three accounts are occasions when Christ was manifested to the world as God. Hopefully we will take this manifestation to heart and allow ourself to be changed by this life giving reality.

From the Prophet Isaiah we are told of Gentiles who come to adore the Lord. Through these Wise Men from the East, who were encountered in our Gospel, we can see that all nations and kings are called to give Him homage. The same must hold true for us in this day and age for we need to be stirred our of our slumber and into action. Christ’s birth causes each us to constantly go out in search for God thus conforming our life on this earth unto His. Nevertheless, so many allow themselves to get caught up in the here and now and get lost along this path.

It was the light of a star which guided these Wise Men towards the Lord. Along the way they underwent conversion until they were finally able to behold this great light which is Christ our Lord. This great light is even greater then the light of any star that we can behold. We too ought to set out from here as they were able to do. They went with haste in order to find this great King. Likewise, we must go in haste in search of Him. Through going in haste we allow ourself to undergo the same spirit of conversion that the magi underwent for there is no greater gift that we can come to know then the gift of Christ Jesus who is God made Flesh.

If we are convinced that this child is God and has come to redeem us upon the cross then we ought to conform our life unto His. Along with the Wise Men’s gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh we should come to offer our own gifts which are brought about through this wondrous understanding of who this child truly is. To the manger we must come in order to bring with us the incense of prayer which rises up towards Heaven, the myrrh of our mortification for we must learn to die to self, and the gold of our charity which allows us to be manifest God’s love to the world. Let our hearts always be illumined by Christ and may we always be found willing to respond to His manifestation to the world as God made Flesh. 

Proclamation of Moveable Feasts

Know, dear brethren,

that, as we have rejoiced at the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ,

so by leave of God's mercy

we announce to you also the joy of his Resurrection,

who is our Savior.

On the seventeenth day of February will fall Ash Wednesday,

and the beginning of the fast of the most sacred Lenten season.

On the fourth day of April you will celebrate with joy Easter Day,

the Paschal feast of our Lord Jesus Christ.

On the sixteenth day of May will be the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ.

On the twenty-third day of May, the feast of Pentecost.

On the sixth day of June, the feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.

On the twenty-eighth day of November, the First Sunday of the Advent of our Lord Jesus Christ,

to whom is honor and glory for ever and ever.

Amen.

Mary, Mother of God Homily

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Today brings about the conclusion of the Octave of Christmas and what is also currently known to us as the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. This Solemnity is a reflection of what we celebrated only eight days ago on December 25th when we came to celebrate Christmas. Therefore, we acknowledge that the one who dwelt within her womb and who has been born into this world is God made Flesh. To say that Mary is the Mother of God is to point to who her son is. If her child were not God then it would be right and just for us to be upset at calling her such a title, but seeing that her Son is God made Flesh we should find no issue with this title which has been attributed unto her.

Going back to the Annunciation the Angel Gabriel came unto her and said, “Hail full of grace.” From this salutation we can say that Mary has been filled with grace to its fullest degree. Grace is not a gift which we give to ourself, but is a gift which is given to us by God. Therefore, Mary was prepared by God to be this pure and spotless vessel which would bring forth the Savior of this world.  It was only on December 8th that we celebrated the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. It was here that we hold that Mary was conceived and therefore born without sin. After all, she is heralded as being the “New Ark of the Covenant” which is to say that she was without blemish for it was God who was present within her womb for the Ark of Covenant was without blemish because it contained the presence of God.

Mary was given a great foreshadowing of all that was to take place through her interaction with the Angel Gabriel. She was told, “you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.” This name “Jesus” instructs who her child is because this name means “God saves.” Gabriel goes onto state concerning this child, “He will be great and will called Son fo the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” This verse connects Christ to the royal line of David and puts into proper perspective who this child is to be.

We therefore can conclude that Mary did know that Her Son was God made Flesh. This was not just some surprise that would come later in her life as a popular song may attest along with its other statements which attack Mary’s role in salvation history and thus the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception. Everything that she needed to know was revealed to her by the Angel Gabriel and all that the prophets had foretold. As Saint Elizabeth would exclaim concerning Mary, “Mother of my Lord.” Truly, this child is not just any child, but is the Word Made Flesh. To Jesus may we go through Mary.

Mary serves as the first tabernacle of Christ for within her womb this child once dwelt. This child now comes to us in all the tabernacles of the world, come let us adore Him. As we enter into this new calendar year, with all its joys and hardships, may we foster devotion to Mary and through this devotion come to know her son more intimately.

O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.