Tag: Community

A Body Made Real: Homily for the 2nd Sunday of Easter, 2024

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2nd Sunday of Easter, B                                                                                  April 7, 2024Fr. Alexander Albert                                                               St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/w5q5Gk1QIFI Does it sound like a cult to you? When you hear that first reading describing the early Christian church, perhaps everyone being “of one heart and mind” sounds a bit like not letting people think for themselves. Perhaps having “everything in common” and no one claiming “any of his possessions [as] his own” sounds a bit like a hippy commune. Perhaps letting the Apostles distribute wealth “to each according to need” sounds a bit like giving the leaders too much power and...Read More

Receiving Whom? Homily for the 13th Sunday of Ordinary Time

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13th Sunday of Ordinary Time, A                                                                               July 2, 2023Fr. Alexander Albert                                                              St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/bnhQLxlvbwQ “Whoever receives you receives me.” Just this past week, I was at the anniversary Mass of a couple celebrating 20 years of marriage. That’s not terribly unusual, the Church provides special prayers for such moments and there’s always a few couples in every parish who will take advantage of such an offer. What was unusual about this one, however, was that it was celebrated by 3 priests. As the main celebrant – not me – pointed out, the reason for...Read More

Freely Called To Happiness: Homily for the 4th Sunday of Easter, A

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4th Sunday of Easter, A                                                                                               April 30, 2023Fr. Alexander Albert                                                               St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/OZnsMHx4ppg “Do you know what I love about no longer being a Christian? I can do whatever I want!” I saw that in an online forum for ex-Christians to support each other after leaving. What I find interesting about that claim is what isn’t said directly. This appeal to freedom is built on a deeper belief that that kind of freedom is what will make you happy. You know what, that online commentor probably experienced Christianity as a religion of restrictions, shame, and...Read More

Salvation by way of Friendship: Homily for the 3rd Sunday of Easter

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3rd Sunday of Easter, A                                                                                               April 23, 2023Fr. Alexander Albert                                                               St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/oOmFW3IRkn8 Last week, we reflected on the role of love, especially in the form of offering and receiving forgiveness, in the establishment of a truly evangelistic Christian community. But there’s a problem with a generic call to “be a community.” How do you actually do it? My challenge to reflect on how much you actually value the faith and forgiveness of others in the community is a decent start. But, left at the level of vague reflection, it’s hard to go anywhere further....Read More

How They Love One Another: Homily for the 2nd Sunday of Easter

Posted on by Father Albert
2nd Sunday of Easter, A                                                                                             April 15, 2023Fr. Alexander Albert                                                               St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/tz51ynvOa84 “See how they love one another.” That was the phrase most commonly used to explain why people were converting to Christianity in the ancient world. Not “see how clever they are” or “see how successful they are,” or “see how pretty their buildings are,” but “see how they love one another.” Our first reading gives us a glimpse of this. Starting with Advent, the Church has taken us through all of salvation history: creation, fall, promise of redemption, the old covenants, the...Read More

Homily for the 14th Sunday of Ordinary Time: The Peace of Disciples

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14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, C                                                                              July 3, 2022Fr. Alexander Albert                                                               St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/ndBvUYXN4ug If, as I claimed last week, freedom is found in commitment and true freedom found in the right kind of commitments, then how do we find that right commitment? What should expect to see in the freeing sacrifice of freedom that marks the Christian way of life? The same kind of things we see in these seventy-two disciples. The first thing is that they travel in pairs, rather than alone. Why? Wouldn’t it be more efficient...Read More

Pastor Column: Being Together

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From the bulletin of May 30, 2021      With the restoration of the Sunday Obligation, I have decided to end livestreaming of Masses. June 6 will be the last streamed Mass. On certain special occasions, we may sometimes record and/or stream, but not on a weekly or daily basis. The reason for this is simple: I want to incentivize and prioritize us being together for Mass. Our attendance is barely more than half of what it was during the pandemic and, quite frankly, I miss seeing my people. The Lord misses them too.      With a year’s worth of experience,...Read More

Homily for the 3rd Sunday of Easter: Am I Real To You?

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3rd Sunday of Easter, B                                                                                               April 18, 2021Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/vzx11z22aOI Am I real to you? If we would continue our journey into joy, we have to answer this question from Jesus. Am I real to you? The Apostles evidently had their own struggles to accept it. Jesus appears to them and they think it is a ghost, a detached spirit. But it is not so! Jesus is real, his body is real, and he wants to prove it so we can be witnesses to it. He shows his hands...Read More