Author: Father Albert

You Salty?

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Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time, A                                                                 February 9, 2020Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette “Are you salty?” That’s a question you may have heard from a young person, a tv show, or seen on in the internet. When someone is “salty,” it means they are angry or bitter. But when Jesus called his disciples “the salt of the earth,” he didn’t mean they should go around angrily fussing at people. Sadly, that’s exactly what many people think of when the imagine Christians “preaching the Gospel.” They think of angry hypocrites using their religion to...Read More

The Way of Love

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Presentation of the Lord, A                                                                            February 2, 2020Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette Sacrifice. Real love requires sacrifice. But why? Why does love have to hurt? Because of what love is and because Adam and Eve sinned. What is love? I dream of the day every Catholic can answer that question instantly and then be able to explain it. What is love? I’ll tell you as I’ve told you before and will tell you again. Love is to will the good of another. “To will” is an old timey way of saying...Read More

Biblemas

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Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, A                                                                January 26, 2020Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette Zebulun and Naphtali. What’s a Zebulun? Who is Naphtali? Just some more funny biblical words… surely I don’t need to pay too much attention to them, right? Well, I won’t say it’s a matter of life and death, but notice that those names are said three times in the readings today. Once in the first reading and twice in the Gospel. Just like your mother, when the Bible repeats something, it means it is important. Before I tell you what...Read More

The Ordinary Point of Life

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Second Sunday of Ordinary Time, A                                                             January 19, 2020Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette “I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.” That’s it. That’s the whole point of John’s life, to see Jesus and testify to his true identity. So, when he declares this, he’s also saying that his life is fulfilled, that he has arrived and that he is ready for the end. Indeed, just next week we’ll see him get arrested which soon leads to his death. The week after that, we’ll see yet another man who’s...Read More

Getting To Heaven

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Baptism of the Lord, A                                                                                   January 12, 2020Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette What does it take to get to heaven? Depending on who you ask about it, you’ll get a wide variety of answers. So many people today assume that basically everyone, including themselves, will get to heaven. Some are afraid that almost no one makes it, including themselves. Many Christians say that all it takes is accepting Jesus into your heart. Others will say it’s just a matter of being baptized and maybe going to confession close to the end. Some people...Read More

The Story of Kings

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Epiphany 2020                                                                                                January 5, 2020Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette Isn’t this gospel adventurous? Three kings from foreign lands who come to recognize the true king of Israel, all while undermining the false king Herod. A royal story that’s inspired many songs and poems. It’s fascinating to me that, in a society founded on equality and democracy, we are so attracted to the idea of kingship, of royalty. How many parents call their daughter “princess?” How many of our favorite movies and books are about kings and queens – stories like Frozen and Lion...Read More

Begin With Mary

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Holy Mary, Mother of God 2020                                                                   January 1, 2020Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette Beginning. That’s a powerful word for us, beginning. It strikes us with a sense of potential, of expectation. In reference to a difficult situation, it places weight upon us. In reference to a time of accomplishment or celebration, it fills us with hope. “It’s only the beginning.” The power, the potency of this word is fitting for the feast we celebrate today. Mary, the Mother of God begins each new year just as she began our salvation. Eve, in the...Read More

The First School of Love

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Holy Family, Year A                                                                                      December 29, 2019Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette I’ve had some pretty weird dreams. I’m not so sure I’d uproot my whole family from just a dream. What makes St. Joseph so certain that this dream is from God rather than a bad meal? Because he has learned to recognize the voice of God, to care for his family according to God’s design. Through a lifetime of prayer and discernment, Joseph has developed a sensitivity to when God asks something of him, so he recognizes the angels message...Read More

Seeing Is Believing

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St. John - Patronal Feast                                                                                 December 27, 2019Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette “He saw and believed.” Don’t some people just have all the luck? St. John the Apostle and Evangelist seems to get everything. He’s the “beloved disciple.” He gets to be in the inner circle for the Transfiguration and the Agony in the Garden. He’s the only one at the foot of the cross. He’s one of the first people who gets to enter the empty tomb of Jesus, the holiest place in the universe. And then, to top it all...Read More

The Story That Satisfies

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Christmas                                                                                                        December 25, 2019Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette Are you satisfied? With your Christmas shopping? The gifts you’ve received? The vacation and time with family and friends? For months people have been celebrating and building up to this day, preparing and scrambling to make the best of the most wonderful time of year. Now that it’s here, are you satisfied? And since we’re at the of the year, it’s fair to ask about the past year? What about the rest of your life? Are you satisfied? I ask because the whole...Read More