Author: Father Albert

Pastor Column: Slavery

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From the Bulletin of Pentecost Sunday May 31, 2020      I want to back up about 100 years on our historical journey. The Council of Trent was a major event in the history of our faith, clarifying much of what we have always believed and continue to believe as Catholics. But there were other historical currents running alongside this one whose source was just a little before the 1500s.      There are some who argue criticize Christianity by saying that it permitted or even encouraged slavery . They point to passages in Scripture which tell slaves to be obedient and...Read More

Given to Break the Barrier

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Pentecost Sunday, A                                                                                                   May 31, 2020Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette Video of Mass: https://youtu.be/ZU7ExFUPT4g “Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?” That’s a quote from a comedy in the 90s when I was a kid. Kids today might know the movie, but more likely they’ve only seen the meme that uses that scene. Memes are interesting. Short clips, iconic pictures, or really great lines sometimes transcend their original context to become a standalone piece of the online culture. What’s interesting about them is what...Read More

Indulgences

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Column from the bulletin of Ascension Sunday May 24, 2020           I’ve spoken of these several times now, but it’s time to actually explain what they are and how they work. An indulgence is not “buying your way into heaven” and anyone who thinks of that way is misunderstanding the whole structure. In short, an indulgence is a way to access and apply God’s grace and mercy to a specific persons’ life. Ultimately, Salvation comes through Christ and all grace comes from Christ. An indulgence is no exception, it is just a formal structure for understanding the many ways that...Read More

To Shouts of Joy

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Solemnity of the Ascension, A                                                                                   May 24, 2020Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette Video of 8AM Mass: https://youtu.be/N-I0uCsPXIg “God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.” That’s my favorite response of the whole year. I look forward to it every time Ascension rolls around. Not just the music – there are different versions that are all pretty good – but what it says, what it means to me… to us if we’re paying attention. I mean, if we’re honest, most people pay no attention to...Read More

Pastor’s Column: Trent

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From the bulletin of the 6th Sunday of Easter, May 17, 2020      I’m sorry it has been such a long time since I’ve put anything in this column! I am glad, however, that we are beginning a gradual return to something like “normal.” As part of that, I want to pick up where we left off. You may remember that the last few columns talked about Martin Luther, The Reformation, Faith and Works, and being Instruments of God. So, our historical journey has taken us up to the point of the 1500s when the “Reformation” took place and raised...Read More

Homily for the 6th Sunday of Easter: Reason For Hope

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6th Sunday of Easter, A                                                                                              May 17, 2020Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette Video of the 8am Mass: https://youtu.be/YBtLrtXJleA “It is better to suffer for doing good, if that be the will of God, than for doing evil.” Does that mean it’s God’s will for us to suffer? Yes. Sometimes, it is God’s will that you suffer. There are different ways this happens… and different reasons for it. Suffering is an unavoidable part of life, so this teaching from St. Peter, our first pope, is actually more hopeful than it sounds. It...Read More

Homily for the 5th Sunday of Easter: To Be Priests

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5th Sunday of Easter, A                                                                                              May 10, 2020Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pyh42WHY1k& What does it mean to be a priest? It’s a question, most people don’t often think to ask; one of those things everyone kind of already knows but no one really knows how to explain. If you do ask someone, you’ll hear answers like this: “a person who minsters to others.” “A professional religious person.” “A preacher or pastor.” “A person who prays for people and leads services.” These aren’t completely wrong, but they miss the point....Read More

Homily for the Fourth Sunday of Easter: The Patient Shepherd

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4th Sunday of Easter, A                                                                                              May 3, 2020Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette Video for the Mass: https://youtu.be/Kz4bl1hPIVg “In verdant pastures he gives me repose.” What a day to proclaim this psalm when, after a long time away, we can gather together as God’s flock on a beautiful day in this pasture of our Church. “You spread a table before me.” And what a joy it is to finally spread before you this table of the Lord’s Body and Blood after two months of distance and hunger! “I came so that they...Read More

Homily for the Third Sunday of Easter: The Path We Walk

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3rd Sunday of Easter, A                                                                                             April 26, 2020Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette Video of whole Mass: https://youtu.be/qbP3ttkVaKc If the Last Supper was the first Mass, then what we read today is the second. The same basic structure is there: Jesus teaches from Scripture, recalling important passages but explains to them what it means. he takes bread, blesses it, breaks, and gives it to them. Take, Bless, Break, and Give – these are the same four actions of Jesus at the Last Supper, when he institutes the Eucharist. To top it off,...Read More

Homily for Divine Mercy Sunday: Dispersed Faith

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Divine Mercy Sunday                                                                                                 April 19, 2020Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette Video of Mass: https://youtu.be/u6Erxe3n9WI Dispersed. That’s the context. The second reading, from the first letter of St. Peter, is addressed to those who have been dispersed. For the Ancient Israelites, a central part of their religious and cultural identity rested on God’s promise of a land to call their own. The Promised Land was and still is a crucial theme for all of Scripture. This idea of a divinely-given homeland made it all the more painful, therefore, for a Jew...Read More