Author: Father Albert

This Saying Is Hard

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The Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time                                                  August 26, 2018 Fr. Albert                                                                                    Sacred Heard, Broussard, LA N.B. The ending of the recording is from the end of Mass when I address the scandal in the Church  “This saying is hard, who can accept it!” Which saying, exactly, is so hard to accept? The Jews in the Gospel are talking about the Eucharist, but there is another saying in our readings today that is probably just as hard, if not even harder for modern Catholics to accept. I’m talking about the opening lines for our second...Read More

Coming into Union With God

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The Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time  Liturgy Catechesis                   August 26, 2018 Fr. Albert                                                                                            St. Peter’s, New Iberia  Today we come to the last part of our walk through of the Mass. Once the Eucharistic prayer concludes with the Doxology and the Great Amen, we begin to prepare ourselves to receive Holy Communion. Notice how the Our Father is introduced: “At our savior’s command and formed by divine teaching, we dare to say.” To us, calling God “Father” seems like no big deal, but it is. Before Jesus Christ, expressing that kind of intimacy was seen as...Read More

If I Were The Pope…

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Don't worry, it won't ever actually happen... Nor do I envy anyone who has to take on such a responsibility! [Disclaimer: This is not a condemnation of Pope Francis. I do not know what he knows. I am not in his position. I am not the one to judge the Pope. I readily admit these are ideas from the outside looking in, and coming from a pretty inexperienced young priest at that.] [caption id="attachment_1485" align="alignright" width="187"] ----"Crowning of Celestine V" ---- By Unknown - Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3215195[/caption] But, here are some ideas I think people would welcome in response to...Read More

To The Glory of God (Despite the Failure of the Church)

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The Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time    Liturgy Cat./ Abuse remarks     August 19, 2018 Fr. Albert                                                                                            St. Peter’s, New Iberia  I will continue our Catechetical series on the Mass, but first, I have to say something. If you haven’t heard, this past week the Pennsylvania Grand Jury released a massive 900-page report on the abuse of children by priests in the Church in the state of Pennsylvania. It implicates many people over a long period of time, including powerful leaders and bishops in the Church. It. Is. Horrifying. Some of it is probably inaccurate, but enough is true...Read More

Why Make The Assumption?

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Homily for the The Solemnity of the Assumption                                         August 15, 2018 Fr. Albert                                                                                            St. Peter’s, New Iberia  Why are we here? Why do we make such a big deal about celebrating Mary? In addition to today’s feast, we have so many others all dedicated to Mary. We are often accused of idol worship and neo-paganism because of this devotion. But we are unashamed because we know we do not worship Mary. Indeed, the fact is that everything we celebrate about Mary always points back to Jesus Christ. Mary is called the Mother of God because...Read More

Repentance, Rejoicing, Receiving, and Returning

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The Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time      Liturgy Catechesis                  August 12, 2018 Fr. Albert                                                                                            St. Peter’s, New Iberia   Picking up from last week, we are going to continue our walk through the Mass starting with the Sign of the Cross and going up through the creed. Mass officially begins with the Sign of the Cross. Although this is a routine gesture, it is actually a very rich symbolic and sacramental action and could probably fill a whole homily by itself. It refers to the Trinity as a reminder that everything ultimately starts with the Trinity who created...Read More

It Is Good That We Are Here

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Homily for the Feast of the Transfiguration                                       August 6, 2018 Fr. Albert                                                                                            St. Peter’s, New Iberia  “We possess the prophetic message that is altogether reliable. You will do well to be attentive to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” Once in college, I was on a silent retreat looking for some answers. Wandering around the grounds, I was a little anxious, which sometimes happens when you’re alone with yourself and no distractions for a while. I wanted something to focus...Read More

On The Way To Heaven

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The Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time     Liturgy Catechesis                   August 5, 2018 Fr. Albert                                                                                            St. Peter’s, New Iberia  [Before Mass Starts] As we mentioned last week, we will use this month to offer some basic catechesis on the Liturgy. This week we’ll start with what happens before Mass. Liturgy in general is a participation in a heavenly reality, a share in the eternal worship of God in heaven. So, it is highly symbolic, but is also a very real participation in this invisible reality. When a priest celebrates Mass, he is not just Father so-and-so, he is...Read More

More Than A Lesson

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Homily for the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time                                              July 29, 2018 Fr. Albert                                                                                            St. Peter’s, New Iberia  Do you believe in miracles? I don’t just mean great coincidences or beautiful, though totally natural moments like the birth of a child. I’m talking about defying the laws of nature, doing the impossible, miracles. Believe it or not, miracles are a necessary part of the Catholic faith. It’s not that everyone who wants to go to heaven has to perform miracles, but if we do not believe in them, then this whole thing is pointless. We all...Read More

St. Bridget, a Saint for a Time of Reform

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Homily for the Memorial of St. Bridget of Sweden July 23, 2018 St. Peter's, New Iberia Some thoughts in light of recent scandals in the Church, the continuing rise of feminism, and the need to reform the Church out of Love. Semper Reformandum, Semper in Caritate <iframe src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nn9KDdCDQLx_OB_upQnavk_HMntC0Ars/preview" width="400" height="80"></iframe>   [caption id="attachment_1438" align="aligncenter" width="237"] Sancta Brigida, ora pro nobis![/caption]