Margaret Mary Alocoque

Collect taken from the optional memorial of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, Virgin Collect: Pour out on us, we pray, O Lord, the spirit with which you so remarkably endowed Saint Margaret Mary, so that we may come to know that love of Christ which surpasses all understanding and be utterly filled with your fullness. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son... "Pour out on us, we pray, O Lord, the spirit with which you so remarkably endowed Saint Margaret Mary" -- We recognize that the remarkable holiness of St. Margaret Mary is not due to her own power, but comes from the gift...Read More

Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time

Collect taken from Twenty-Eighth Week of Ordinary Time. Collect: May your grace, O Lord, we pray, at all times go before us and follow after and make us always determined to carry out good works. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son... " May your grace, O Lord, we pray, at all times go before us and follow after" - As St. Therese once said "all is grace." Without grace, we can do nothing that will last so we ask to be enveloped in that gift of God. "and make us always determined to carry out good works." - God's grace is not...Read More

St. Callistus I

Daily Collection taken from the optional Memorial of St. Callistus I, Pope and Martyr Collect: O God, who raised up Pope Saint Callistus the First to serve the Church and attend devoutly to Christ's faithful departed, strengthen us, we pray, by his witness to the faith, so that, rescued from the slavery of corruption, we may merit an incorruptible inheritance. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son... "O God, who raised up Pope Saint Callistus the First to serve the Church and attend devoutly to Christ's faithful departed" --  We praise God by praising his work as seen in Callistus. In particular, Callistus...Read More

Praying Like a Ponderosa Pine

Homily for Mass @ CHS Fr. Albert Catholic High, New Iberia [audio wav="http://box5246.temp.domains/~alberuc3/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Praying-Like-a-Ponderosa-Pine.wav"][/audio]   Fire. Fire is something of a double symbol for us. Good because of heat, light, comfort, and food. But ask the people in California and they’ll tell you, fire is also immensely dangerous and destructive. This is true for human beings, as well as for most plants and animals. I say “most” because there are some plants that can actually benefit from fire. Yeah, I just said there are trees that benefit from fire. One such tree is the Ponderosa Pine. It’s huge, and it smells like butterscotch, but...Read More

Twenty-Seventh Week of Ordinary Time

Collect taken from Twenty-Seventh Week of Ordinary Time. Collect: Almighty ever-living God, who in the abundance of your kindness surpass the merits and the desires of those who entreat you, pour out your mercy upon us to pardon what conscience dreads and to give what prayer does not dare to ask. Through our Lord Jesus Christ... "Almighty ever-living God, who in the abundance of your kindness surpass the merits and the desires of those who entreat you," -We must acknowledge that we can never earn or merit the kind of Love and generosity God shows to us. Not only that, God wants...Read More

St. John Leonardi

Collect taken from the memorial of St. John Leonardi, priest. Collect: O God, giver of all good things, who through the Priest Saint John Leonardi caused the Gospel to be announced to the nations, grant, through his intercession, that the true faith may always and everywhere prosper. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son... "O God, giver of all good things, who through the Priest Saint John Leonardi caused the Gospel to be announced to the nations," - God does indeed give all good things, but he prefers to do so through us. In this way, we recognize that God spreads the...Read More

Divine Footsteps

Homily for 27th Sun OT, Year A  Fr. Albert St. Peter Catholic Church, New Iberia [audio wav="http://box5246.temp.domains/~alberuc3/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Divine-Footsteps.wav"][/audio]   How many people have converted to the Catholic Faith with your help? How many children have you raised in the Catholic Faith? How many families in the parish have you helped? Or missionaries have you supported? How many fasts, novenas, and rosaries have you offered for the salvation of souls? How many of the poor, homeless, sick and suffering thank God for what you have done to help relieve their distress? In other words, what fruit have you produced? Faith is a gift....Read More

Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos

Collect taken from the memorial of Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos. Collect: O God, who made your Priest Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos outstanding in love, that he might proclaim the mysteries of redemption and comfort those in affliction, grant, by his intercession, that we may work zealously for your glory and for the salvation of mankind. Through our Lord Jesus Christ... "O God, who made your Priest Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos outstanding in love, that he might proclaim the mysteries of redemption and comfort those in affliction" - Proclaiming the mysteries of redemption and comforting the afflicted are not actions we human...Read More

The Guardian Angels

Collect taken from the memorial of the Guardian Angels, priest. Collect: O God, who in your unfathomable providence are pleased to send your holy Angels to guard us, hear our supplication as we cry to you, that we may always be defended by their protection and rejoice eternally in their company. Through our Lord Jesus Christ... "O God, who in your unfathomable providence are pleased to send your holy Angels to guard us," - In every aspect of God's providence we see that He is eager to have others love. Since love is a self-gift and leads to service, that love means...Read More

Fake It Till You Make It

Homily for 26th Sun OT, Year A Fr. Albert St. Peter Catholic Church, New Iberia [audio wav="http://box5246.temp.domains/~alberuc3/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Fake-It-Till-You-Make-It.wav"][/audio]   “Fake it till you make it.” People like to say that to a person who has a tough situation. It’s an interesting phrase, really, because there seems to be a few different meanings to it. Some people mean that you should just pretend to be successful and hope it somehow comes true. Others seem to mean that you should just make your best effort until you gradually improve and get where you need to be. Well, the second son in this short little...Read More