Author: Father Albert

Be Mine!

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Homily for Ash Wednesday Fr. Albert St. Peter’s, New Iberia [audio wav="http://box5246.temp.domains/~alberuc3/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Be-Mine.wav"][/audio]   Be Mine. Normally, candy hearts and cards with that message or others like is are exchanged on this day, February 14th, Valentine’s Day. Every 70 years or so, however, we find ourselves with a bit of a conflict as Ash Wednesday happens to land on the day typically marked by chocolates, fine dining, and a celebration of romantic love. For Catholics, this creates a rather stark contrast as we gather for a different kind of marking. And yet, it’s message is not so foreign to us. Be...Read More

An Inconvenient Love

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Homily for 6th Sun OT, Year B Fr. Albert St. Peter’s, New Iberia [audio wav="http://box5246.temp.domains/~alberuc3/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/An-Inconvenient-Love.wav"][/audio] How inconvenient is your charity? How much time or money are you willing to lose for the sake of another person? Just look at what happens to Jesus after he heals this man; It was impossible for him to enter a town openly. He knew that healing this man would only cause more trouble. For Jesus, this act of charity was a massive inconvenience. And so it can be with us. It’s annoying to be accosted by someone in need, especially by someone we don’t...Read More

To be Good or to be Holy?

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Homily for 5th Sun OT, Year B Fr. Albert St. Peter’s, New Iberia [audio wav="http://box5246.temp.domains/~alberuc3/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/To-be-Good-or-to-be-Holy.wav"][/audio]   [N.B. Homily is shortened due to in-parish Bishop's Services Appeal this weekend.] Holiness is not an option. Everything in heaven must be holy. In order to go to Heaven, you have to accept the Gospel. In order to fully accept the Gospel, you have to share that Gospel with others. And in order to share the Gospel well, you will need the authority that comes from being holy. Holiness is not an option. And holiness is not just being nice. It is not just...Read More

Destroying the Demons

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Homily for 4th Sun OT, Year B Fr. Albert St. Peter’s, New Iberia [audio wav="http://box5246.temp.domains/~alberuc3/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Destroying-the-Demons.wav"][/audio]   Demons are real. They have existed since the beginning of time. They are present in the Old Testament, they are present in the New Testament, and they are still with us. They are more intelligent than us, stronger than us, and whole-heartedly dedicated to destroying us. And yet, they are ultimately powerless and doomed to fail in their overall mission. This doesn’t mean we should take them lightly, however. Movies and books have portrayed a variety of exorcisms and used them to scare and entertain...Read More

Gone Fishing

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Homily for 3rd Sun OT, Year B Fr. Albert St. Peter’s, New Iberia [audio wav="http://box5246.temp.domains/~alberuc3/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Gone-Fishing.wav"][/audio]   Forty days more and New Iberia shall be destroyed! Like Nineveh, we are full of sin. Drugs, violence, theft, drunkenness, and lust all have a home in our dear city. So, maybe it’s high time someone walked through the city proclaiming its imminent destruction. Then maybe, just maybe, we would take our lead from Nineveh, proclaim a fast, and put on sackcloth. After all, look at what Jesus is doing. In Mark, this is the first time Jesus speaks and what does he do?...Read More

The Joy of Discovery

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Homily for 2nd Sun OT, Year B Fr. Albert St. Peter’s, New Iberia [audio wav="http://box5246.temp.domains/~alberuc3/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/The-Joy-of-Discovery.wav"][/audio]   “We have found the Messiah.” What do those words make you think? What do you feel? Think of a football scout running up to the coach saying, “we found him, the perfect quarterback” or left tackle or whatever position your team most needs. Imagine if you were out of work for a while and starting to miss some bills, but your brother calls you up suddenly saying “hey, I got a job for you: $70,000 a year, full benefits, great retirement.” What would you...Read More

What Will You Give?

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Homily for Epiphany, Year B Fr. Albert St. Peter’s, New Iberia [audio wav="http://box5246.temp.domains/~alberuc3/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/What-Will-You-Give.wav"][/audio]   Merry Christmas! Today’s feast of the Epiphany means that the Christmas season is just about over, but it’s not too late for presents! St. Matthew recounts the Epiphany for us here, and it’s given us some wonderful traditions. We have king cake, a delicious reminder of the fact that kings from the east came to worship a baby. It’s also the very first time that Christmas present were given, so children everywhere can be grateful for that. In fact, some Catholic cultures wait until Epiphany to...Read More

Love Them Twice

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Homily for Holy Family, Year B Fr. Albert St. Peter’s, New Iberia [audio wav="http://box5246.temp.domains/~alberuc3/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Love-Them-Twice.wav"][/audio]   I’ve heard it said that you love your family twice. You love when they come to visit, and you love when they leave. Especially during the Holiday season, I think we can all relate and it’s fair to say it’s pretty normal to feel that way. But, I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that we have some pretty amazing help in the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. The bad news is that their example ultimately means more...Read More

Silent Night

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Homily for Christmas Fr. Albert St. Peter’s, New Iberia, LA [audio wav="http://box5246.temp.domains/~alberuc3/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Silent-Night.wav"][/audio]   Silence and Darkness. For all the music, for all the shining gold and well-lit churches, God truly loves to operate in silence and in darkness. How do I know this? Because the two most powerful and important things He ever did were done in silence and in darkness. Most important of all was his death and resurrection, where he came back from the dead inside a sealed tomb in the middle of the night, with not a single soul as a witness. Second to that is this...Read More

The Art of Acquiescence

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Homily for 4th Sun Adv, Year B Fr. Albert St. Peter’s, New Iberia, LA [audio wav="http://box5246.temp.domains/~alberuc3/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/The-Art-of-Acquiescence.wav"][/audio]   With just a few hours left, are you prepared for Christmas? Gifts purchased and wrapped? Decorations complete? Lunch and dinner planned for family and friends? Now, what would happen if a royal guard were to show up at the door and announce that Queen Elizabeth was coming to your Christmas lunch? Or, if secret service told you that your favorite president was coming. Would you be prepared then? What if they not only wanted to visit, but wanted to move in and take over?...Read More