Author: Father Albert

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

The 2020 Election and the Catholic Conscience

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This is a post meant for Catholics who want to know how to form their conscience to vote in the election. So, if you reject the Church's teaching in some way, then this post may not be helpful to you. I am not interested in debating Church teaching here. This will already be a pretty long article, so we are taking for granted that the Catholic Church's actual doctrine (not rumors or the opinions of various priests/bishops) is true and not tossing around even more words trying to get to that starting point. Please read this not as a simple...Read More

Homily for the 28th Sunday of Ordinary Time: The Feast of Hope

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28th Sunday of Ordinary Time, A                                                                  October 11, 2020Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/UyhN9eSo6tA And the award for the most commonly misused bible quote goes to “I can do all things in [Christ] who strengthens me.” Bumper stickers, business logos, sports mottos, and many others love to use this uplifting quote. And why not? Life can be tough, so people often need a reminder that there is hope, that we can survive. The problem is that using this quote incorrectly will only make things worse. When you use this to motivate a sports team...Read More

Pastor Column: Leo XIII and Thinking

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From the bulletin of October 11, 2020      Philosophy. Today, that’s a word that automatically evokes boredom. People hear it and think of intellectuals who are out of touch or of absent-minded professors rambling about things that don’t matter. And there’s some good reason people react this way. Too often, philosophy is all abstract and disconnected from reality. Bizarre theories and horrendous moral arguments have come out of philosophy. The philosophies behind the Holocaust and people like Stalin are certainly evil and deserve to be discredited. So, our popular culture treats philosophy in general as something not worth paying attention...Read More