Author: Father Albert

Homily for Christ the King: Try To Take Over The World

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Christ the King, A                                                                                          November 22, 2020Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/Lzj5ANflSsQ Since today is such a special feast, what do you want to do today? The same thing we do every day, try to take over the world. That’s a reference to a favorite cartoon from childhood, one that just resurfaced this week. If you work from a Christian understanding of conquest, it’s actually a great answer. Now, words like conquest, empire and destruction probably don’t sound like Christian ideas. Yet, these are important themes for this solemn feast. The same God-man...Read More

Pastor’s Column: Rerum Novarum II

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From the bulletin of November 22, 2020      We continue our journey through the landmark document Rerum Novarum this week by picking back up on the theme of private property. When Pope Leo XIII defends the right to private property, he also acknowledges an important principle that will continue to develop in the Church’s social teaching. He writes, “The fact that God has given the earth for the use and enjoyment of the whole human race can in no way be a bar to the owning of private property.”  We see here what becomes known as the Universal Destination of...Read More

Homily for the 33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, A: The Master’s Joy

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33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, A                                                                  November 15, 2020Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/OgEIf095Evg I always loved and hated talents shows. Loved them because I got to see unexpected abilities and surprising creativity from friends and classmates. Hated them because I never felt like I had a talent worth sharing and felt bad for not being able to contribute. Whenever we hear this parable, I suspect that many people feel something similar. The parable even uses the word “talent,” which is actually where we get the word from. Originally it was a measurement of...Read More

Pastor’s Column: Rerum Novarum I

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From the bulletin of November 15, 2020      At last we come to the most landmark Encyclical of Pope Leo XIII, titled Rerum Novarum, which means “On New Things,” published in May of 1891. The subtitle for this points us to what it is about: “On Capital and Labor.” Essentially, this encyclical becomes a foundational part of what is now called Catholic Social Teaching. Written at a time of heightening tensions between capitalism and communism, this encyclical tries to lay out key principles to guide efforts to reform society and make it more just. It includes criticisms of both sides...Read More

Homily for the 32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time: Something Worth Counting

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32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time, A                                                                 November 8, 2020Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/1uiWIvBj_hY Replace “virgins” with “poll-watchers” and “oil” with “votes” and you could apply this parable to current events. People are awaiting the joyful arrival of a new president, the result is long delayed, and there’s a fair measure of foolishness involved. The whole country has been keeping a vigil long into the night… multiple nights at this point. When the final answer arrives, those who are on the wrong side, who aren’t ready to welcome the victor will more than likely...Read More

Homily for All Saints Day: The Eternal Gaze

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All Saints Day                                                                                                 November 1, 2020Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/GLTIEDXZD8g I used to be afraid of heaven. Really, as a child I would sometimes lie in bed at night and be overcome by dread. This haunting, existential question would play in my mind over and over and over. If I live forever, what am I going to do? What if I get bored? Not like a little bored, but like an “everything is meaningless” kind of bored. I would try to come up with little scenarios that would explain how someone...Read More

Pastor Column: Leo XIII and Government

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From the bulletin of November 1, 2020      With the election already upon us, it is a good time to look at Pope Leo XIII’s encyclicals on the government. Pope Leo XIII lived during a time of great social change (the late 1800s) and was very socially conscious. While he was pope, he issued several letters dealing with the specific conditions of Catholics in Germany, Belgium, Italy, Spain, France, Peru, and others. He also wrote a few letters addressing the question of Church-State relations in a general way. A particularly helpful encyclical is Immortale Dei: On the Christian Constitution of...Read More

Pastor Column: Leo XIII and Marriage

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From the bulletin of October 25, 2020      In February of 1880, Poe Leo XIII issued an encyclical on Marriage. Titled Arcanum Divinae, it was meant to reinforce the Church’s understanding of marriage and address a couple of relevant questions around that subject. We won’t cover the whole document, but focus on what he says about divorce, mixed marriages, and the involvement of the government.      Marriage is founded on the two principles of unity and indissolubility. These two reflect the love of God for humanity and Jesus raised marriage to a sacrament precisely so it could represent the marriage...Read More

Homily for the 30th Sunday of Ordinary Time: To Turn

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30th Sunday of Ordinary Time, A                                                                  October 25, 2020Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/APlAuQRr7DA “For they… openly declare… and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God.” Could be said of you? St. Paul is basically bragging that the Thessalonians’ service of God is so obvious that other Greek pagans are noticing and being drawn to the Gospel, to conversion. Would he say the same of the people in Jeanerette? Well, if we want that to be the case, we have to imitate their example. Notice what Paul...Read More

Homily for the 29th Sunday of Ordinary Time: Whose Image?

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29th Sunday of Ordinary Time, A                                                                  October 18, 2020Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/Z0uUkbw-MKg “Whose image is this?” With this question, Jesus sets up his brilliant response to the trap set for him. The pharisees and Herodians, who are normally enemies, team up to ensnare Jesus with this question about taxes. If he opposes taxes, he is guilty of treason. If he simply says to pay taxes, the Jews could accuse him of siding with the pagan Roman empire against God’s chosen people and the promised land. You see, for ancient people, religion...Read More