Author: Father Albert

Daily Collection: Third Week of Easter – Thursday

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Collect taken from the Thursday of the Third Week of Easter. Collect: Almighty ever-living God, let us feel your compassion more readily during these days when, by your gift, we have known it more fully, so that those you have freed from the darkness of error may cling more firmly to the teachings of your truth. Through our Lord Jesus Christ... "Almighty ever-living God, let us feel your compassion more readily during these days when, by your gift, we have known it more fully" - During the Easter season, we emphasize the resurrection, which is also the ultimate expression of God's compassion. We...Read More

Daily Collection: Philip and James

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Collect taken from the Memorial of Sts. Philip and James, Apostles Collect: O God, who gladden us each year with the feast day of the Apostles Philip and James, grant us, through their prayers, a share in the Passion and Resurrection of your Only Begotten Son, so that we may merit to behold you for eternity. Through our Lord Jesus Christ... "O God, who gladden us each year with the feast day of the Apostles Philip and James" - Simply put, the fact that the Apostles existed and the fact that we have a feast in their honor should make us glad....Read More

Daily Collection: Athanasius

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Collect taken from the Memorial of St. Athanasius, Bishop and Doctor of the Church Collect: Almighty ever-living God, who raised up the Bishop Saint Athanasius as an outstanding champion of your Son's divinity, mercifully grant, that, rejoicing in his teaching and his protection, we may never cease to grow in knowledge and love of you. Through our Lord Jesus Christ... "Almighty ever-living God, who raised up the Bishop Saint Athanasius as an outstanding champion of your Son's divinity" - St. Athanasius fought hard before during and after the council of Nicaea to ensure that the truth about Jesus Christ was taught. God...Read More

Daily Collection: St. Joseph the Worker

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Collect taken from the Memorial of St. Joseph the Worker Collect: O God, Creator of all things, who laid down for the human race the law of work, graciously grant that by the example of Saint Joseph and under his patronage we may complete the works you set us to do and attain the rewards you promise. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son... "O God, Creator of all things, who laid down for the human race the law of work" - Labor and work are not a result of the fall. It is important to remember that God commanded Adam and...Read More

From Where? To Where?

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3rd Sunday of Easter Fr. Albert [audio wav="http://box5246.temp.domains/~alberuc3/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/From-Where-To-Where.wav"][/audio]   “He was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.” Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, reveals himself to the disciples in the Eucharist. This journey to Emmaus, this journey to a deeper faith is what we do at every Mass. Reading from Scripture; a homily explaining the Scriptures, the breaking of the bread and recognizing Christ present in the Eucharist. He disappears immediately after breaking the bread to tell us, to show us that we will see him there instead of in the flesh. But, that journey of...Read More

Daily Collection: Catherine of Siena

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Collect taken from the Memorial of St. Catherine of Siena Collect: O God, who set Saint Catherine of Siena on fire with divine love in her contemplation of the Lord's Passion and her service of your Church, grant, through her intercession, that your people, participating in the mystery of Christ, may ever exult in the revelation of his glory. Who lives and reigns... "O God, who set Saint Catherine of Siena on fire with divine love in her contemplation of the Lord's Passion and her service or your Church" - To be "on fire with divine love" is our ultimate destiny and...Read More

Are You Saved?

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Divine Mercy Sunday Fr. Albert St. Peter Catholic Church, New Iberia [audio wav="http://box5246.temp.domains/~alberuc3/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Are-You-Saved.wav"][/audio] Are you saved? What a question! So, short and direct… perhaps a bit… existential. Maybe you’ve been asked this before, maybe not. When you hear those three words, it might suggest some kind of ultimate reality. To answer the question presupposes so many things, it’s actually pretty surprising that people answer it all.  “Are you saved?” Is there something I need to be saved from? Why do I need to be saved from it? What does it take to be saved? What does being saved mean for...Read More

Christmas vs. Easter: Which is your favorite?

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Easter Sunday Fr. Albert St. Peter Catholic Church, New Iberia [audio wav="http://box5246.temp.domains/~alberuc3/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Christmas-vs-Easter.wav"][/audio] Christmas or Easter? Which is your favorite? I think most people generally prefer Christmas. Decorations, all kinds of great foods and desserts, and, of course, presents! Plus, Christmas is all about family and the Baby Jesus, and who doesn’t love the baby Jesus? And, really, that’s great. Christmas is about the Incarnation, about God becoming man. Now every human being has a new dignity, a new value, a new hope because God became one of us. Imagine – it’s impossible, but still, imagine – that we found a...Read More

Why Did You Kill Him?

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Good Friday Fr. Albert St. Peter Catholic Church, New Iberia [audio wav="http://box5246.temp.domains/~alberuc3/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Why-Did-You-Kill-Him.wav"][/audio] Why did Jesus die? Ambushed in a garden, dragged before the authorities in the middle of the night, wrongly imprisoned until morning, and handed over to Pilate to be judged, scourged, and brutally, publicly executed. Why did we do it? Was Jesus crucified because he taught us to love our neighbor? Or because he healed the sick, cast out demons, and answered the prayers of those who came to him? Did we crucify him because he was kind and gentle, because he liked to spend time with the poor...Read More

Nothing I Can Say

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Palm Sunday Fr. Albert St. Peter Catholic Church, New Iberia [audio m4a="http://box5246.temp.domains/~alberuc3/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Nothing-I-Can-Say.m4a"][/audio] What can I tell you to illuminate what we have just experienced? What eloquence could possibly add to this? There is nothing more to say other than that, just 30 minutes after welcoming our God with palms, we cry out for his crucifixion. No, there is nothing more to do than this: to sit and consider the ugly reality that you just killed your God.