Tag: fasting

Homily for the 1st Sunday of Advent: Strong of Heart

Posted on by Father Albert
1st Sunday of Advent, B                                                                                 November 28, 2021Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/fdpnHZ8CicE So it begins. Today starts the Catholic new year, when our liturgical calendar starts all over. The birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, the descent of the Holy Spirit. Again and again we cycle through these events, with the looming promise that one year, the cycle will end forever. Jesus will come a second time and that will be it. It’s why the first week of Advent doesn’t even mention Jesus’ birth. It’s why, at the start of what many people call...Read More

Pastor Column: Making the Most of Advent

Posted on by Father Albert
[Note: This is not the weekly homily.] This is an article from the bulletin of November 28, 2021      It’s already begun. So many people would say it is already the Christmas season. Whether it started the day after Halloween or at 4pm on Thanksgiving Day, most of the country began putting up decorations and wishing each other a “Merry Christmas” or a “Happy Holidays.” People look forward to this time all year long, so once they get the chance to get started, they jump at the opportunity. And you know what? Fine. People are free to act as they...Read More

Pastor Column: Winter Ember Days

Posted on by Father Albert
From the bulletin of December 13, 2020           We’ll pause temporarily on our journey through Rerum Novarum to remember an ancient practice called the “Ember Days.” You may remember that we’ve observed these before. The Ember Days are a traditional time of prayer and fasting connected to each season of the year. The idea is to sanctify – to make holy – each  season. While not as popular now, the practice of fasting has always been a central part of the Christian call to holiness. It purifies our attachment to food, reminds us of the fact that many go without,...Read More