Tag: Hell

The Heat of Salvation: Homily for the 33rd Sunday OT 2025

Posted on by Father Albert
33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, C                                                      November 16, 2025Fr. Alexander Albert                                                           St. Mary Magdalen, Abbeville https://youtu.be/3WYBnlvJBVk “Blazing like an oven.” How does that make you feel? To hear that the “day of the Lord,” the day of Jesus’ return, the end of the world is coming “blazing like an oven?” Well, to a piece of wood or straw, to something or someone who would be destroyed by fire, that must be terrifying. But what if you’re the unfinished pie, full of the right ingredients but needing heat to bring together the delicious perfection you’re meant to be? What if...Read More

Building God’s Kingdom: Stewardship Homily 26th Sunday OT 2025

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26th Sunday of Ordinary Time, C                                                                   September 28, 2025Fr. Alexander Albert                                                               St. Mary Magdalen, Abbeville https://youtu.be/EVg8DU3e1rU “The Big Church.” When a small town has multiple churches, I often hear that phrase “the big church.” Especially in Acadiana, that tends to be the largest Catholic Church in the area. Usually, “the Big Church” is not only physically imposing, it’s got a long history, a lot of people, and a lot of stuff going on. In Abbeville, we are the “Big Church,” which makes sense. Look at this place! Big, beautiful, historic, lots of people. Thanks to your generosity, this Church...Read More

To Be Strong Enough: Homily for the 21st Sunday OT 2025

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21st Sunday of Ordinary Time, C                                                                   August 24, 2025Fr. Alexander Albert                                                               St. Mary Magdalen, Abbeville https://youtu.be/-vS2vH33qVw Ever heard the phrase, “famous for being famous?” For my generation, it was the Kardashians. For younger kids, there are probably a bunch of social media “influencers” who fall in this category. It’s people who just kind of “got famous” by just hanging around famous people, chasing clout and “aura farming,” until they can market themselves as famous enough to get paid for it. For one in every 10 million people or so, it kinda works. Not that it makes them happy. Jim...Read More

Anticipating Heaven: Homily for Word of God Sunday 2025

Posted on by Father Albert
3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, C                                                                     January 26, 2025Fr. Alexander Albert                                                              St. Mary Magdalen, Abbeville https://www.youtube.com/live/pWdm09q5vAU?si=S73Anm0_AzMRJbKA&t=1295 What’s the longest you’ve ever waited for something? A new book in a series? A concert? A line for a roller coaster? The first McDonalds in Russia had an 8 hour wait to get a burger on opening day. The Beatles had lines half a mile long and I’m sure Taylor Swift concerts usually come with long wait times. Each time World Youth Day rolls around, people often hike for miles to camp overnight in a field to be...Read More

That’s My King: Homily for Jesus, King of the Universe 2024

Posted on by Father Albert
Christ the King, B                                                                               November 24, 2024Fr. Alexander Albert                                                              St. Mary Magdalen, Abbeville https://youtu.be/SRX1lB3_mfE What makes a king? Riches? Bloodline? Popularity? The power to make other people do things? Maybe. Depends on what you mean by a king. The world plays fast and loose with words and their meanings, changing them to suit whatever goal happens to be convenient at the time. This is why Jesus can be elusive sometimes, answering questions with questions. He knows better than anyone that when two people say the same thing, they do not always mean the same thing....Read More

Surviving the End of the World: Homily for the 33rd Sunday OT 2024

Posted on by Father Albert
33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, B                                                                   November 17, 2024Fr. Alexander Albert                                                               St. Mary Magdalen, Abbeville https://youtu.be/eg_n8cldRbY Repent! The end is near! No, really it’s true. I mean, it’s been true since Jesus ascended into heaven, but you really do need to repent nonetheless. Jesus could come back at any moment. Our own deaths could happen at any moment. So, we should be ready now. And if we are not, then we need to start getting ready now. We are two weeks away from Advent, which is the beginning of our liturgical year. So, on the Church’s...Read More

Love Without Loopholes: Homily for the 31st Sunday OT 2024

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31st Sunday of Ordinary Time, B                                                                   November 3, 2024Fr. Alexander Albert                                                               St. Mary Magdalen, Abbeville https://youtu.be/9F7darsL3j0 Why? Why didn’t anyone dare “to ask him any more questions?” My guess is that it has something to do with the way he told the scribe he was not far from the kingdom of God. Usually when Jesus flexes that kind of power – like forgiving sins or flipping tables – usually the scribes and pharisees complain that he is overstepping his authority. But this time? No one even questions it. Something about the whole exchange must have just...Read More

The Good and The Bad: Homily for the 26th Sunday OT 2024

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26th Sunday of Ordinary Time, B                                                                   September 29, 2024Fr. Alexander Albert                                                               St. Mary Magdalen, Abbeville https://youtu.be/yOnOWMxOvEg Okay, Jesus, which is it? You seem to be talking out of both sides of your mouth. On one side you say something like “whoever is not against us is for us.” That’s a pretty low bar. That seems pretty easy. All I have to do is not actively oppose you and I’m in? Just give a cup of water to your disciples? Can do! On the other side, however, you threaten hellfire to people who aren’t willing to cut...Read More

What Is Chosen: Homily for the 28th Sunday of Ordinary Time

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28th Sunday of Ordinary Time, A                                                                   October 15, 2023Fr. Alexander Albert                                                               St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/dFZ1EfAg8as Beating the messengers again! Just last week Jesus told us about people who killed the messengers rather than pay their rent. I offered the hypothetical explanation that the tenants of the vineyard had no fruit to give, so they responded to their shame and fear by killing whoever threatened to expose it. Indeed, we often respond to God in the same way – lashing out whenever he dares to touch on our sins, wounds, and weaknesses. Afraid of how demanding God...Read More

Fear of Fruitlessness: Homily for the 27th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Posted on by Father Albert
27th Sunday of Ordinary Time, A                                                                  October 8, 2023Fr. Alexander Albert                                                               St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/hzKx4gYwYDc Why didn’t they just give him some of the grapes? No one likes it when it’s time to pay the rent. But how much sense does it make that their first response is to beat, kill, and stone the messengers? No request for leniency, no negotiation. It’s not like the landowner is unreasonable or impatient. He tried again, even after they murdered his servants. He sent his own Son. Clearly, if these tenants had even tried to work out a deal...Read More