Author: Father Albert

Via Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crown_of_thorns#/media/File:Christ_Carrying_the_Cross_1580.jpg

Messiahs True and False: Homily for Mass at Vermilion Catholic Nov 14, 2024

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Thursday 32nd Week OT                                                                                 November 14, 2024Fr. Alexander Albert                                                               St. Mary Magdalen, Abbeville **The audio takes a few moments to load** If I told you “I am Jesus reincarnated,” would you believe me? I certainly hope not! The sad fact is that people have claimed to be Jesus and other people have believed them! In the 1600s, the Welshman Rhys Evans claimed to be Jesus and tried to warn the king about some dire prophecies of doom. In the 1700s, Ann Lee proclaimed herself to be the female incarnation of Christ. She and her followers moved to...Read More

To Be One of the Many: Homily for the 32nd Sunday OT 20214

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32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time, B                                                                  November 10, 2024Fr. Alexander Albert                                                               St. Mary Magdalen, Abbeville https://youtu.be/czmrFL-K9z4 Some of you probably remember that, about 15 years ago, when the priest said the words of consecration: “this is my blood… the Blood of the new and eternal covenant,” the sentence used to end with “which will be poured out for you and for all for the forgiveness of sins.” Now, however, it ends by saying his blood will be “poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Why did the Church change the words...Read More

Love Without Loopholes: Homily for the 31st Sunday OT 2024

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31st Sunday of Ordinary Time, B                                                                   November 3, 2024Fr. Alexander Albert                                                               St. Mary Magdalen, Abbeville https://youtu.be/9F7darsL3j0 Why? Why didn’t anyone dare “to ask him any more questions?” My guess is that it has something to do with the way he told the scribe he was not far from the kingdom of God. Usually when Jesus flexes that kind of power – like forgiving sins or flipping tables – usually the scribes and pharisees complain that he is overstepping his authority. But this time? No one even questions it. Something about the whole exchange must have just...Read More

Who’s Coming With Me? Homily for All Saints Day 2024

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All Saints Day                                                                                                 November 1, 2024Fr. Alexander Albert                                                              St. Mary Magdalen, Abbeville https://youtu.be/wfpSmYsgF8c Epic. Or maybe you’d say “sigma.” Most people see the saints as amazing, “up there,” as heroes and legends and special people who do what we never could. And you know what? Some of them really are. Padre Pio could bilocate, read souls, and had the wounds of Christ in his body for 50 years. Joan of Arc led the French armies to victory in battle and bravely faced being burned alive by corrupt men. Francis of Assisi lived radical poverty...Read More

Steps to Joy: Homily for the 30th Sunday OT 2024

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30th Sunday of Ordinary Time, B                                                                   October 27, 2024Fr. Alexander Albert                                                               St. Mary Magdalen, Abbeville https://youtu.be/mgqV77TSPKI [Steps outlined at the bottom] “The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.” Does that sound convincing? If we cannot convince ourselves, how can we convince those who do not know God? Preaching on this topic is always a little fraught with danger. For one thing, it rarely helps to try to guilt-trip people into being joyful. “Shame on your for not feeling joy! Start being joyful right now!” I say rarely, not never, because...Read More

The Face of God: Mass for VC Homecoming 2024

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Friday Week 29 OT                            VC Homecoming                               October 25, 2024Fr. Alexander Albert                                                              St. Mary Magdalen, Abbeville https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTOyvFG7egg “Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.” Is it, though? We all just said that 4 times in a row, but do we really mean it? Do we really understand what it means to “long” to see His face? This isn’t some idle wish, some passive desire. And seeing the face of God isn’t as easy as facetiming a friend. There’s a depth, a labor, a concerted effort here that most people fail to appreciate. Let me...Read More

The Apostolate of Hope: Homily for the 29th Sunday OT 2024

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29th Sunday of Ordinary Time, B                                                                   October 20, 2024Fr. Alexander Albert                                                               St. Mary Magdalen, Abbeville https://youtu.be/kbJFoLWU4Ps “Whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.” Jesus does not mind ambition, does not reject our desire for greatness – he gives us that desire! – he only minds that we so consistently misunderstand what true greatness is. Not everyone will be a super saint, known world-wide and celebrated for the next 1000 years. But, everyone who gets to heaven will be a...Read More

An Impossible Inheritance: Homily for the 28th Sunday OT 2024

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28th Sunday of Ordinary Time, B                                                                   October 13, 2024Fr. Alexander Albert                                                               St. Mary Magdalen, Abbeville https://youtu.be/KwXx1XgngWk “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” You know what? I think we know that answer already. Maybe the whole poverty thing wasn’t obvious to the Jews of Jesus’ day, but the saying “Blessed are the Poor in Spirit” has been around for 2000 years now. We know. Keep the commandments. Stop sinning. Live simply. Follow Jesus. Sure, the details can get messy, but the main point is clear. The problem isn’t that people don’t know the answer to...Read More

What I Really Want: Homily for Vermilion Catholic Oct 10 2024

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Thursday 27th Week OT                                                                                 October 10, 2024Fr. Alexander Albert                                                               St. Mary Magdalen, Abbeville https://youtu.be/CKqZAccHXt0 What if I want to eat a snake instead of fish? What if scorpions are just the crawfish of the desert? Boil em up, season em, and start dipping em in the right sauce, and maybe they’re even better than eggs! Had Jesus been talking to a crowd of Cajuns, he probably would have used different examples for things people don’t want to eat. But the point is the same: when we ask God for our “daily bread,” he isn’t going to trick...Read More

To Receive The Kingdom: Homily for the 27th Sunday OT 2024

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27th Sunday of Ordinary Time, B                                                                   October 6, 2024Fr. Alexander Albert                                                               St. Mary Magdalen, Abbeville https://youtu.be/RpB7H1EbjTQ There’s something deeply moving about seeing God incarnate give hugs to little boys and girls. We are right to relish that beauty and goodness of the scene, to allow this image to reinforce our perception of God as a kind and loving father. There are still many people who fear God in the wrong sort of way; so, prayerfully engaging with scripture passages like this one can better align our understanding with the truth. At the same time, we must...Read More