The Question That Matters

Third Sunday of Lent, A                                                                                 March 15, 2020Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette “Is the Lord in our midst or not?” That question lurks behind everything. The rush on toilet paper in the stores, the question of what to do with kids out of school and people out of work, worries about food and water, struggles with boredom, the desire for relationships… the search for happiness. All these ask that question in some way; “Is the Lord in our midst?” If the answer is no, then it doesn’t really matter how much doomsday...Read More

I Want It All

Second Sunday of Lent, A                                                                                          March 8, 2020Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette Jesus doesn’t like to share. He wants it all. That’s why God shuts Peter down when he offers to build three tents. Three tents? What, you want Jesus to share the mountain top with Moses and Elijah? No, this is my son. He gets the whole thing. The mountain is your heart, your priorities, your life and Jesus doesn’t want to share. You see, Moses and Elijah are kind of a big deal to the Jews. Moses gave them...Read More

Triple Threat

First Sunday of Lent, A                                                                                              March 1, 2020Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette “Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked.” Adam and Eve were naked the whole time, why is it suddenly a problem? Because of what their nakedness covers up. Now, that might seem like a strange thing to say. How can you be covered up when you’re not wearing anything? Because there is more to the world – and our bodies – than what we can see. When it says their...Read More

Belonging

Ash Wednesday, Year A                                                                                February 26, 2020Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette A tattoo. A dramatic change in hair style or color. A wedding ring. These are just a few ways that we like to mark something: a change, an occasion, a memory. It’s in our nature as human beings to mark things. That includes our own bodies. Sometimes, that marking, that sign, does more than make a statement. A letter-man jacket or an emblazoned t-shirt. We dress ourselves with these things as a sign, a mark that we belong to something: a particular school or a fan-club. Is...Read More

The Space Between Us

Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A                                                   February 23, 2020Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette The devil is real, you know. As are the fallen angels who serve him. When I talk about demons, though, most people start thinking about ghosts. They fear shadows and strange sounds. That stuff does happen, but it’s actually pretty rare. It’s also not that big a deal. Scare tactics and not much more. Other think of possession. That is real. Superstition, Ouija boards, fortune telling, witchcraft. These things are much bigger problems – don’t dabble in them. But possession is still pretty rare....Read More

Jesus the Law

Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A                                                        February 16, 2017Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette “Father, why are you so focused on the rules? Why can’t you just love people like Jesus did?” Because the rules are part of how Jesus loves us. Try telling your wife “I’m married to you, but I won’t be faithful.” “Father, why not make things easier?” Is that what Jesus did? See here that Jesus makes them harder. Murder? Now you can’t even be angry. Adultery? Now you can’t even think about another woman. Who can live like that? Where is the compassionate,...Read More

You Salty?

Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time, A                                                                 February 9, 2020Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette “Are you salty?” That’s a question you may have heard from a young person, a tv show, or seen on in the internet. When someone is “salty,” it means they are angry or bitter. But when Jesus called his disciples “the salt of the earth,” he didn’t mean they should go around angrily fussing at people. Sadly, that’s exactly what many people think of when the imagine Christians “preaching the Gospel.” They think of angry hypocrites using their religion to...Read More

The Way of Love

Presentation of the Lord, A                                                                            February 2, 2020Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette Sacrifice. Real love requires sacrifice. But why? Why does love have to hurt? Because of what love is and because Adam and Eve sinned. What is love? I dream of the day every Catholic can answer that question instantly and then be able to explain it. What is love? I’ll tell you as I’ve told you before and will tell you again. Love is to will the good of another. “To will” is an old timey way of saying...Read More

Biblemas

Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, A                                                                January 26, 2020Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette Zebulun and Naphtali. What’s a Zebulun? Who is Naphtali? Just some more funny biblical words… surely I don’t need to pay too much attention to them, right? Well, I won’t say it’s a matter of life and death, but notice that those names are said three times in the readings today. Once in the first reading and twice in the Gospel. Just like your mother, when the Bible repeats something, it means it is important. Before I tell you what...Read More

The Ordinary Point of Life

Second Sunday of Ordinary Time, A                                                             January 19, 2020Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette “I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.” That’s it. That’s the whole point of John’s life, to see Jesus and testify to his true identity. So, when he declares this, he’s also saying that his life is fulfilled, that he has arrived and that he is ready for the end. Indeed, just next week we’ll see him get arrested which soon leads to his death. The week after that, we’ll see yet another man who’s...Read More