The Face of God: Mass for VC Homecoming 2024

Friday Week 29 OT                            VC Homecoming                               October 25, 2024Fr. Alexander Albert                                                              St. Mary Magdalen, Abbeville https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTOyvFG7egg “Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.” Is it, though? We all just said that 4 times in a row, but do we really mean it? Do we really understand what it means to “long” to see His face? This isn’t some idle wish, some passive desire. And seeing the face of God isn’t as easy as facetiming a friend. There’s a depth, a labor, a concerted effort here that most people fail to appreciate. Let me...Read More

Just Have Faith: A Farewell Homily for St. Johns 13th Sunday OT 2024

13th Sunday of Ordinary Time, B                                                                               June 30, 2024Fr. Alexander Albert                                                               St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/s4K85sXovSM As pastor here for just over 5 years, it is with great affection that I bid farewell to the community of St. John the Evangelist parish. I’ve tried to prepare y’all for what comes next, offering 3 pieces of parting advice. The first is to trust in Jesus Christ no matter what happens. The second is to avoid treating each other and your new pastor according to the flesh. As St. Paul puts it, “may you excel...Read More

What is the Holy Spirit? Homily for Pentecost 2024

Pentecost, B                                                                                                                May 19, 2024Fr. Alexander Albert                                                               St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/J6WTq0Qr46k What is the Holy Spirit to you? Really, I should say “who” is the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit is a person! Yes, Jesus sometimes talks about the power of the Holy Spirit in a more abstract way, but we see the personal dimension in today/tomorrow’s gospel. Jesus says “But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth.” Hear how personal that is? “He will guide you.” So, while Pentecost is about the fantastic...Read More

Exiling Ourselves: Homily for the 4th Sunday of Lent 2024

4th Sunday of Lent, B                                                                                      March 10, 2024Fr. Alexander Albert                                                              St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/f_3QXhry7rc From about 605 to 535 BC, God’s chosen nation of Israel went through the Babylonian Exile, described in the first reading. Our psalm today is a lament, a song expressing the sorrow the Jews felt when it seemed like God had abandoned. Why, though? Why did God allow the Babylonians – a pagan empire – to conquer Jerusalem, destroy the temple, and exile His people to a foreign land? [      ] Sin, obviously. God promises never to abandon his people. Yet, he also promised...Read More

Homily for the 2nd Sunday of Advent: Poison and Fire

2nd Sunday of Advent, A                                                                                December 4, 2022Fr. Alexander Albert                                                               St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/a8ZR_5PdF2w “You brood of vipers!” So much for Christmas cheer. John the Baptist says this to the Pharisees and Sadducees, but it’s not like he’s caught them doing something terrible. These are the ones who came to him! They traveled out of the city all the way to the Jordan river to hear him preach. They came to be baptized! People often say pastors should just be grateful that people show up… that they shouldn’t get caught up...Read More