Father Albert

Mater et Magistra IV

Posted on December 5, 2022December 5, 2022 by Father Albert

[N.B. This is not the Sunday Homily. It is an article for the bulletin of December 4, 2022] Continuing Pope St. John XXIII’s reflection on farming, we pick up with the subject of taxation. Yes, the Church teaches that governments do have the right to impose taxes in order to pay for services to the common good. She also teaches that taxation systems should be “based on justice and equity,” meaning that tax raters are “proportioned to the capacity of the people contributing.” The pope point out that this means the system should note the particular challenges facing farmers...Read More

Homily for the 2nd Sunday of Advent: Poison and Fire

Posted on December 4, 2022December 4, 2022 by Father Albert

2nd Sunday of Advent, A December 4, 2022Fr. Alexander Albert St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/a8ZR_5PdF2w “You brood of vipers!” So much for Christmas cheer. John the Baptist says this to the Pharisees and Sadducees, but it’s not like he’s caught them doing something terrible. These are the ones who came to him! They traveled out of the city all the way to the Jordan river to hear him preach. They came to be baptized! People often say pastors should just be grateful that people show up… that they shouldn’t get caught up...Read More

Pastor Column: Mater et Magistra III

Posted on November 29, 2022November 28, 2022 by Father Albert

[N.B. This is not the Sunday Homily. It is an article from the bulletin of Nov 27, 2022] We left off last week with the Papal teaching on a Just Wage. This week, we follow that train of thought into the teaching on the relationship between wages and profits. We’ve already seen that laborers ought to share in the profits in some way since it is their labor that produces them. Pope St. John XXIII goes on to say that “any adjustment between wages and profits must take into account the demands of the common good of the particular...Read More

Pastor Column: Mater et Magistra II

Posted on November 28, 2022November 28, 2022 by Father Albert

[N.B. This is not the Sunday Homily. It is an article from the bulletin of Nov 20, 2022] We left off our journey through Pope John XXIII’s letter with an emphasis on balance between individuals and communities, between the principles of Subsidiarity and Solidarity. We pick up this week with the pope noting that science and technology have made is possible for the “public authority” to more directly react to imbalances between branched of the economy or between different regions. Since they have more ability, governments ought to be all the more responsible. Once again, the pope then immediately...Read More

Clothed in Light: Homily for the 1st Sunday of Advent

Posted on November 27, 2022November 27, 2022 by Father Albert

1st Sunday of Advent, A November 27, 2022Fr. Alexander Albert St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/HNfv0y0DZtg When I was a college student at UL, one of things I enjoyed in an almost unconscious way was the big oak trees, especially along E. St. Mary and McKinley. They lend a sort of majesty to the campus. Just this past week, I was on campus and noticed that the trees had already had lights winding up their trunks. Illuminating the whole area, these lights called attention to the shape and size of the trees, drawing...Read More

Homily for the Solemnity of Christ the King: Justice and Mercy

Posted on November 20, 2022November 20, 2022 by Father Albert

Christ the King, C November 20, 2022Fr. Alexander Albert St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/0oCRms2gkmw “We have been condemned justly.” Have we? Since the beginning of the Church, there have been those who keep coming back to the same error, the same mistake: the idea that our condemnation isn’t really just, that damnation just can’t be real. There are a lot of subtle and clever arguments to support the idea that everyone goes to heaven – we call it universalism – but it seems to me there is always something beneath the surface…...Read More

Homily for the 33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time: Build Because It Crumbles

Posted on November 13, 2022November 13, 2022 by Father Albert

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, C November 13, 2022Fr. Alexander Albert St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/OTgFf7YJ5jI Not long after I was assigned to this parish, I went on a short vacation that kept me away during a weekend, so I made arrangements for another priest to cover for me. While away, my phone rang at about 3pm on the Saturday. I looked to see that it was the priest who was scheduled to hear confessions and celebrate the 4pm Mass. My heart sank. I just knew he was calling to say he forgot...Read More

Pastor Column: Mater et Magistra I

Posted on November 7, 2022November 7, 2022 by Father Albert

[N.B. This is not the Sunday homily. It is an article for the bulletin of November 6, 2022] Since his pontificate was short and much of his effort went toward beginning the Second Vatican Council, Pope St. John XXIII did not write very many encyclicals. We’ll begin with one of the more important ones, titled Mater et Magistra and written in 1961. It is Latin for “Mother and Teacher,” and it focuses on the role of the Church as mother and teacher of all nations. Like other popes, John XXIII released this document on the anniversary of a very...Read More

Homily for the 32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time: Divine Death

Posted on November 6, 2022November 6, 2022 by Father Albert

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, C November 6, 2022Fr. Alexander Albert St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/SLdTWkFzuq4 As many of you know, my Grandfather Jules passed away earlier this year. I’m grateful for all the prayers you’ve offered for him and my family. One thing I could always count on when visiting my grandfather was that he would get on some rant or other about the Catholic faith and what Catholics need to learn or do… a trait you may find familiar… Anyway, one of the stories he told me (more than once) involved...Read More

Pastor Column: Pope St. John XXIII

Posted on October 31, 2022October 31, 2022 by Father Albert

[Note: This is not the Sunday Homily. It is an article for the bulletin of Oct 30, 2022] Although Pope Pius XII wrote many other encyclicals, most of those focused on specific historical events - things like missions in Africa, conflict in Hungary, anniversaries of various events, and some canonizations. As he aged, Pius XII slowed down a little. In 1954 he fell gravely ill and considered abdication. He frequently relied on a few close colleagues to continue the work of the Church, though he did continue to address the public and respond to specific questions. One of the...Read More

Father Alexander Albert

Author: Father Albert