Tag: Gospel

Facts or Feelings: Homily for the 6th Sunday of Easter

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6th Sunday of Easter, A                                                                                               May 14, 2023Fr. Alexander Albert                                                               St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/C2jvFoaZKcs “Facts don’t care about your feelings.” If you’ve spent any time on the internet or watching debates on TV, you’ve probably come across that claim or something similar. It’s this idea that the truth is what it is, regardless of our experiences and how we feel. People on the Right often use this kind of phrase, but there’s a similar claim by those on the Left. In their efforts to overturn a tradition or reject a certain heritage, they will suggest that...Read More

The Best Brick to Build With: Homily for 1st Communion 2023, 5th Sunday Easter, A

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5th Sunday of Easter, A                                                                                               May 7, 2023Fr. Alexander Albert                                                               St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/mdw7Xsv0QD0 One hundred fifteen years this brick Church has endured through fire and storm and decay – a sign to us of the whole Church that will never fall. Yet, this building didn’t build itself, repair itself, or fill itself with love. When I began as pastor, someone told me one of my favorite stories of all time, a story about how this church was built. In 1907, the bricks for the new church were brought by train and dropped off right by...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

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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

Betrayal Overcome: Homily for Easter

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Easter                                                                                                                          April 8, 2023Fr. Alexander Albert                                                               St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette Part I of the Triduum Series here Part II of the Triduum Series here https://youtu.be/_EzkdgwV4d8 Betrayal is the second worst thing there is. This has been our theme for the Paschal Triduum that now comes to a close today, the holiest day of the year. Holy Thursday led us in preparing for the inevitability of betrayal by Jesus’ own example of washing the feet of Judas. It showed us that, despite the risk of betrayal, we must offer our trust, love, and vulnerability anyway. It also...Read More

In the Midst of Betrayal: Homily for Good Friday

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Good Friday of the Lords' Passion                                                                             April 7, 2023Fr. Alexander Albert                                                               St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette Part I of the Triduum Series here https://youtu.be/KAxzo3WzR1c Part III of the Triduum Series here Betrayal is the second worst thing there is. Last night, we began this solemn journey through the holiest days of the year by exploring this theme. The Last Supper and the washing of the feet focused on preparing for betrayal. After Jesus’ own example, we are to accept that it is going to happen, to take the risk of trust, love, and vulnerability anyway, and to be...Read More

Prepared for Betrayal: Homily for Holy Thursday

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Mass of the Lord’s Supper                                                                             April 6, 2023Fr. Alexander Albert                                                              St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/Xih6hbuEXLw Part II here Part III here Betrayal is the second worst thing there is. What makes it so awful is that it takes what is good – trust, love, vulnerability – and hurts the one who offers them. I have rarely experienced in myself or others anger and pain greater than what comes from being or just thinking you’ve been betrayed. Betrayal is close to the very definition of evil. Yet, it is precisely in betrayal that our all-powerful, loving God most...Read More

For Glory: Homily for the 5th Sunday of Lent, A

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5th Sunday Lent, A March 26, 2023Fr. Alexander Albert St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/AKSYbw8Q1jQ “Could not the one who opened the eyes of the blind man have done something so that this man would not have died?” Yes. The answer to that question and others like it is yes. “Can’t God just stop people from suffering? Isn’t He all powerful? Couldn’t he heal all cancer, stop all violence, save all children?” Yes, he could do those things just as he could have simply prevented Lazarus from dying. Not only did Jesus not prevent Lazarus’ death, he didn’t even hurry....Read More

That We Might See: Homily for the 4th Sunday of Lent

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4th Sunday Lent, A                                                                                          March 19, 2023Fr. Alexander Albert                                                              St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/pgY0F1AJOE0 “Jesus had made clay and opened his eyes on a sabbath.” This line is an important clue to what’s going on here. Do you know what it’s telling us? What reference it’s making that helps us understand?... Whenever the New Testament says or describes something we don’t understand, it’s a good idea to ask “what part of the Old Testament is this referring to?” This is a great tip – people are always coming up with crazy theories about the book of...Read More