St. Stephen of Hungary

Collect taken from the feast of St. Stephen of Hungary. Collect: Grant your Church, we pray, almighty God, that she may have Saint Stephen of Hungary, who fostered her growth while a king on earth, as her glorious defender in heaven. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son... "Grant your Church, we pray, almighty God, that she may have Saint Stephen of Hungary, who fostered her growth while a king on earth, as her glorious defender in heaven" - This short collect is a great example and reminder of the fact that all holiness works for the benefit of the whole Church....Read More

Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Collect taken from Nineteenth Week of Ordinary Time. Collect: Almighty ever-living God, whom, taught by the Holy Spirit, we dare to call our Father, bring, we pray, to perfection in our hearts the spirit of adoption as your sons and daughters, that we may merit to enter into the inheritance which you have promised. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son... "Almighty ever-living God, whom, taught by the Holy Spirit, we dare to call our Father," - Although we tend to think it's no big deal, calling God "Father" is a rather bold thing to do. God is infinitely beyond us and,...Read More

Jesus Made Me Do It

Homily for 19th Sun OT, Year A Fr. Albert St. Peter Catholic Church, New Iberia [audio wav="http://box5246.temp.domains/~alberuc3/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Jesus-Made-Me-Do-It.wav"][/audio]   “After he had fed the people, Jesus made the disciples get into a boat and precede him to the other side.” Jesus made the disciples go across the sea without him. And he knew that they would be caught in a terrifying storm. It’s not even the first time he’s let them face the intimidating power of a storm at sea, but at least he was with them last time, even if he was asleep. Sure, Jesus knows he will come to them later, but the storm starts in...Read More

St. Clare of Assisi

Collect taken from the feast of St. Clare of Assisi, virgin. Collect: O God, who in your mercy led Saint Clare to a love of poverty, grant, through her intercession, that, following Christ in poverty of spirit, we may merit to contemplate you one day in the heavenly Kingdom. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son... "O God, who in your mercy led Saint Clare to a love of poverty," - We take seriously Jesus' call to poverty. We see that in the fact that call it "mercy" when God leads someone, like Clare, to love poverty. How contrary to the world!...Read More

St. Lawrence

Collect taken from the feast of St. Lawrence, deacon and martyr. Collect: O God, giver of that ardor of love for you by which Saint Lawrence was outstandingly faithful in service and glorious in martyrdom, grant that we may love what he loved and put into practice what he taught. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son... "O God, giver of that ardor of love for you by which Saint Lawrence was outstandingly faithful in service and glorious in martyrdom," - Always we begin with recognizing the goodness of God. With a touch of poetic expression, we do that in this prayer,...Read More

St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross

Collect taken from the feast of St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, virgin and martyr. Collect: God of our Fathers, who brought the Martyr Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross to know your crucified Son and to imitate him even until death, grant, through her intercession, that the whole human race may acknowledge Christ as its Savior and through him come to behold you for eternity. Who lives and reigns... "God of our Fathers, who brought the Martyr Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross to know your crucified Son and to imitate him even until death," - We recognize that God's grace...Read More

Looking at the Lamp

Homily for Transfiguration, Year A Fr. Albert St. Peter Catholic Church, New Iberia [audio wav="http://box5246.temp.domains/~alberuc3/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Looking-at-the-Lamp.wav"][/audio]   Darkness. Do you know darkness in your life? In the world? Surely the answer is yes. Loneliness, boredom, lack of direction, restlessness, confusion, heartbreak – darkness. But, Scripture tells us repeatedly that Christ is the light of the world and that we are to be children of the light. Still, who here does not sense the darkness in their life, shadows hiding in their own heart? Each of us needs light, more light. And Peter, the first Pope, tells you how to do that....Read More

St. Cajetan

Collect taken from the feast of St. Cajetan, priest. Collect: O God, who endowed the Priest Saint Cajetan with the grace of imitating the apostolic way of life, grant us, through his example and intercession, to trust in you at all times and to seek unceasingly your Kingdom. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son... "O God, who endowed the Priest Saint Cajetan with the grace of imitating the apostolic way of life," - We acknowledge God's generosity particularly in the form of Cajetan's willingness to live in poverty and spend himself entirely in evangelization. Trust in the form of poverty and...Read More

Dedication of St. Mary Major

Collect taken from the memorial of Dedication of St. Mary Major, priest. Collect: Pardon the faults of your servants, we pray, O Lord, that we, who cannot please you by our own deeds, may be saved through the intercession of the Mother of your Son and our Lord. Who lives and reigns... "Pardon the faults of your servants, we pray, O Lord," -A straightforward request for mercy that will end with an invocation of Mary's intercession. "that we, who cannot please you by our own deeds, may be saved through the intercession of the Mother of your Son and our Lord." -We...Read More

St. Jean Marie Vianney

Collect taken from the feast of St. Jean Marie Vianney, priest. Collect: Almighty and merciful God, who made the Priest Saint John Vianney wonderful in his pastoral zeal, grant, we pray, that through his intercession and example we may in charity win brothers and sisters for Christ and attain with them eternal glory. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son... "Almighty and merciful God, who made the Priest Saint John Vianney wonderful in his pastoral zeal," -Especially with a saint son wondrous as John Vianney, it is important to recall that God's grace made him what he was, not his own abilities....Read More