Author: Father Albert

God Made You That Way? Pope Francis on Being Gay

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What happened? According to multiple news reports, Pope Francis told a gay Chilean man that God "Juan Carlos, I don’t care about you being gay. God made you that way and loves you as you are and I don’t mind. The pope loves you as you are..." To no one's surprise, this has gotten a lot of attention. Some people are cheering it, some are worried sick, and a good many are probably a just confused. What's the problem? The Catholic Church has always taught that homosexual acts (and, by extension, same-sex unions) are always sinful. But, if God "made...Read More

Daily Collection: St. Rita of Cascia

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The Collect for the Memorial of St. Rita, Virgin: "Bestow on us, we pray, O Lord, the wisdom and strength of the Cross, with which you were pleased to endow Saint Rita, so that, suffering in every tribulation with Christ, we may participate ever more deeply in his Paschal Mystery. Who lives and reign with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever." Reflection The wisdom and strength of the Cross seem like foolishness and weakness to the world. Often enough, they seem like foolishness to us, so our prayer looks to the example...Read More

Daily Collection: Mary, Mother of the Church

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The Collect for the Memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church: "O God, Father of mercies, whose Only Begotten Son, as he hung upon the Cross, chose the Blessed Virgin Mary, his Mother, to be our Mother also, grant, we pray, that with her loving help your Church may be more fruitful day by day and, exulting in the holiness of her children, may draw to her embrace all the families of the peoples. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever."...Read More

Christian Avengers: The Origin Story

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Homily for the Pentecost                                                                                May 20, 2018 Fr. Albert                                                                                            St. Peter’s, New Iberia  Just a few weeks ago, a new world record was set. The biggest opening weekend for a movie, ever. Avengers: Infinity War passed up the competition by over $100 million. There are many external reasons for this: a long build up, great advertising, and good timing. But, we have to give credit to the story itself. It’s a comic book movie, a massive story about superheroes – the idea that people with special gifts and abilities work together to stop...Read More

Daily Collection: Pentecost

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The Collect for the Solemnity of the Pentecost is: "O God, who by the mystery of today's great feast sanctify your whole Church in every people and nation, pour out, we pray, the gifts of the Holy Spirit across the face of the earth and, with the divine grace that was at work when the Gospel was first proclaimed, fill now once more the hearts of believers. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever." Reflection Just as the Holy Spirit crossed...Read More

Daily Collection: St. John I

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The Collect for the Memorial of St. John I, Pope and Martyr: "O God, who reward faithful souls and who have consecrated this day by the martyrdom of Pope Saint John the First, graciously hear the prayers of your people and grant that we, who venerate his merits, may imitate his constancy in the faith. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever." Reflection Yes, God rewards faithful souls. We "earn" this reward in a sense, but it is only by God's...Read More

Daily Collection: Thursday of the Seventh Week of Easter

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The Collect for Thursday of the Seventh Week of Easter is: "May your Spirit, O Lord, we pray, imbue us powerfully with spiritual gifts, that he may give us a mind pleasing to you and graciously conform us to your will. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever." Reflection Continuing our focus on the coming of the Spirit, we now ask particularly for a "mind pleasing" to God. This is a mind that knows God and that fills itself with the...Read More

Daily Collection: Wednesday of the Seventh Week of Easter

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The Collect for Wednesday of the Seventh Week of Easter is: "Graciously grant to your Church, O merciful God, that, gathered by the Holy Spirit, she may be devoted to you with all her heart and united in purity of intent. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever." Reflection As we draw closer to Pentecost, our prayer increasingly focuses on receiving the Holy Spirit. This is a wonderful echo of the way the Apostles and Mary prayed and waited for the...Read More

Daily Collection: Memorial of St. Isidore the Farmer

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The Collect for the Memorial of St. Isidore the Farmer: "Lord God, to whom belongs all creation, and who call us to serve you by caring for the gifts that surround us, inspire us by the example of Saint Isidore to share our food with the hungry and to work for the salvation of all people. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever." Reflection St. Isidore lived in Spain around the year 1100. Our prayer begins by recalling that all things...Read More

Daily Collection: St. Matthias the Apostle

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The Collect for the Feast of St. Matthias, Apostle and Martyr: "O God, who assigned Saint Matthias a place in the college of Apostles, grant us, through his intercession, that, rejoicing at how your love has been allotted to us, we may merit to be numbered among the elect. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever." Reflection St. Matthias is a particular example of God's mysterious designs; He has a plan in mind for each of us. After spending all of...Read More