Father Albert

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

Homily for the 31st Sunday of Ordinary Time: Real Repentance

Posted on October 30, 2022October 30, 2022 by Father Albert

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time, C October 30, 2022Fr. Alexander Albert St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/xssUEkvlg5U Repentance, Reparation, and Charity. Last week, we heard the parable of the arrogant pharisee and the repentant tax collector. We focused then on the journey from being the arrogant pharisee in the parable to becoming like St. Paul, confident in his own salvation. A journey that starts with recognizing our pride and conceit, goes through repentance, and culminates in humble service. But what is repentance, really? The tax collector in the parable prays for mercy and admits...Read More

Pastor Column: Queenship of Mary

Posted on October 24, 2022October 24, 2022 by Father Albert

[N.B. This is not the Sunday Homily. It is an article for the bulletin of October 23, 2022] Our next letter from Pope Pius XII is on the Queenship of Mary, titled Ad Caeli Reginam(Latin for ‘to the Queen of Heaven”), published in 1954. Recall that it was Pius XII who formally declared the Assumption of Mary into heaven to be a dogma. Following up on that declaration, the pope decided to offer a reflection on the power and influence of Mary as an intercessor in heaven. As always, his teaching on this is not some new idea, but...Read More

Homily for the 30th Sunday of Ordinary Time: The Most Dangerous Thing

Posted on October 23, 2022October 23, 2022 by Father Albert

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, C October 23, 2022Fr. Alexander Albert St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/eO2TW99OllY “At least I’m not like…” If your thought, your sentence begins with those words, you’ve probably already messed up. As straightforward as this parable is, it’s one of the easiest for people to misapply. Millennia of Christian influence on culture has made it so that we too quickly identify ourselves with the tax collector. Just because we hear the word ‘pharisee’ so often, we assume we know what it means. And all too often we instinctively follow...Read More

Father Alexander Albert

Author: Father Albert