Author: Father Albert

Catholics, Yoga, and Words

Posted on by Father Albert
You know, words are a funny thing.  That's important to remember when we ask this question because, I think, much of the problem will come down to what we mean by the word "yoga."  I can't speak for other languages and cultures, but American English at least has a pretty nasty track record of dragging words through a while bunch of meanings before leaving them, muddy and muddled, with a definition that was really better served by a word that already existed.  "Gentleman" is one famous example, the word "gay" is another.  My point here is that "yoga" might well...Read More

St. Alphonsus Liguori

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Collect taken from the feast of St. Alphonsus Liguori, bishop and doctor. Collect: O God, who constantly raise up in your Church new examples of virtue, grant that we may follow so closely in the footsteps of the Bishop Saint Alphonsus in his zeal for souls as to attain the same rewards that are his in heaven. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son... "O God, who constantly raise up in your Church new examples of virtue," -Raising up examples of virtue is an extension of Christ's promise to be with us always, so we acknowledge this aspect of God's providence to...Read More

St. Ignatius of Loyola

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Collect taken from the feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola, priest. Collect: O God, who raised up Saint Ignatius of Loyola in your Church to further the greater glory of your name, grant that by his help we may imitate him in fighting the good fight on earth and merit to receive with him a crown in heaven. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son... "O God, who raised up Saint Ignatius of Loyola in your Church to further the greater glory of your name," - Ignatius in particular was converted from seeking glory in this life to seeking the glory of...Read More

Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

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Collect taken from Seventeenth Week of Ordinary Time. Collect: O God, protector of those who hope in you, without whom nothing has firm foundation, nothing is holy, bestow in abundance your mercy upon us and grant that, with you as our ruler and guide, we may use the good things that pass in such a way as to hold fast even now to those that ever endure. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son... "O God, protector of those who hope in you, without whom nothing has firm foundation, nothing is holy, bestow in abundance your mercy upon us" - Protector, foundation,...Read More

St. Martha

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Collect taken from the feast of St. Martha, virgin. Collect: Almighty ever-living God, whose Son was pleased to be welcomed in Saint Martha's house as a guest, grant, we pray, that through her intercession, serving Christ faithfully in our brothers and sisters, we may merit to be received by you in the halls of heaven. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son... "Almighty ever-living God, whose Son was pleased to be welcomed in Saint Martha's house as a guest," - We begin with awe at the humility of God's decision to become the guest of a mere human being. "grant, we pray,...Read More

Sixteenth Week of Ordinary Time

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Collect taken from Sixteenth Week of Ordinary Time. Collect: Show favor, O Lord, to your servants and mercifully increase the gifts of your grace, that, made fervent in hope, faith and charity, they may be ever watchful in keeping your commands. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son... "Show favor, O Lord, to your servants and mercifully increase the gifts of your grace," -We deserve nothing from God, so for Him to give us grace is both a sign of favor and an act of mercy. But, confident in God's mercy and His promises, we ask without any attempt to justify why...Read More

Sts. Joachim & Anne

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Collect taken from the feast of Sts. Joachim & Anne, parents of Mary. Collect: O Lord, God of our Fathers, who bestowed on Saints Joachim and Anne this grace, that of them should be born the Mother of your incarnate Son, grant, through the prayers of both, that we may attain the salvation you have promised to your people. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son... "O Lord, God of our Fathers, who bestowed on Saints Joachim and Anne this grace, that of them should be born the Mother of your incarnate Son," -The providence of God arranges all things to work...Read More

St. James the Greater

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Collect taken from the feast of St. James the Greater, Apostle. Collect: Almighty ever-living God, who consecrated the first fruits of your Apostles by the blood of Saint James, grant, we pray, that your Church may be strengthened by his confession of faith and constantly sustained by his protection. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son... "Almighty ever-living God, who consecrated the first fruits of your Apostles by the blood of Saint James," -It is fitting that James, known for his zeal and desire to reign in the kingdom, be the first to suffer martyrdom. We recall God's goodness in acknowledging this...Read More

St. Sharbel Makhluf

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Collect taken from the memorial of St. Sharbel Makhluf, priest. Collect: O God, who called the Priest Saint Sharbel Makhluf to the solitary combat of the desert and imbued him with all manner of devotion, grant us, we pray, that, being made imitators of the Lord's Passion, we may merit to be co-heirs of his Kingdom. Who lives and reigns ... " O God, who called the Priest Saint Sharbel Makhluf to the solitary combat of the desert and imbued him with all manner of devotion," - Sharbel went to combat in the desert, not against some external enemy, but primarily against himself....Read More

The Might of the Mustard Seed

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Homily for 16th Sun OT, Year A                                              Fr. Albert St. Peter Catholic Church, New Iberia [audio wav="http://box5246.temp.domains/~alberuc3/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/The-Might-of-the-Mustard-Seed.wav"][/audio]   "Might makes right." Is such a statement true? Scripture seems to say that it is. The book of Wisdom addresses God saying, “your might is the source of justice.” So, yes might makes right, but only when it’s God’s. That’s because God’s might is the same thing as his love and his justice. There is no division in God, no contradictory impulses and arbitrariness....Read More