Tag: Judgment

Not By Sight: Homily for the Funeral of Unclaimed Bodies 2026

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Funeral Mass for the Unclaimed Bodies                                                      March 5, 2026Fr. Alexander Albert                                                           St. Mary Magdalen, Abbeville https://youtu.be/7l4POdGvkYs “We walk by faith, not by sight.” It’s a common expression among us Christians. We often hear it in preaching and in the lives of the saints. We’ve just heard the part of scripture it comes from: St. Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians. And the context of that saying is important because it tells us what the original point was. It is meant as an expression to help us face death because none of us can see past death. And...Read More

In Accord With The Kingdom: Homily for 2nd Sunday Advent 2025

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2nd Sunday of Advent, A                                                                December 7, 2025Fr. Alexander Albert                                                           St. Mary Magdalen, Abbeville https://youtu.be/gL_YwlId6KI I feel as though being a priest, a spiritual father entitles me to the occasional dad joke, so here’s a bible dad joke: What kind of car does Jesus have? A Honda, but he doesn’t drive it: “I came not of my own accord, but he sent me” (Jn 8:42, RSV). Really though, what is this “accord” scripture speaks of? St. Paul today in our second reading prays that “with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our...Read More

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

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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

A Different Target: Homily for VC School Mass Sept 11, 2025

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Thurs, Week 23 OT - I                                                                                   September 11, 2025Fr. Alexander Albert                                                               Vermilion Catholic, Abbeville https://youtu.be/rQJiCOuXWt0 It’s supposed to be different. It’s supposed to make us stand out. The Gospel way of life is meant to make us different. “Other schools aren’t so strict about uniforms or Sunday practices.” Yeah, most schools don’t have Christ at the center. “Other kids get smartphones when they’re 8.” Is being like other kids your only goal? Don’t you see? Jesus wants us to live a different kind of life. I gave some random examples, but I could just as easily...Read More

The Wealth of Judgment: Homily for the 18th Sunday OT 2025

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18th Sunday of Ordinary Time, C                                                                   August 3, 2025Fr. Alexander Albert                                                              St. Mary Magdalen, Abbeville https://youtu.be/rgCDUWrgduk “Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?” Uh, friend Jesus, our Father did. In Acts chapter 10, Peter the chief apostle outright says, Jesus “commissioned us to preach to the people and testify that he is the one appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead.” So, is Jesus being forgetful or is he just trolling this guy? Actually, “trolling him” isn’t far off. If you’re unfamiliar, that expression is used to describe when someone purposely says things more...Read More

Tales About Time: Homily for the 3rd Sunday of Lent 2025

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3rd Sunday of Lent, C                                                                                     March 23, 2025Fr. Alexander Albert                                                              St. Mary Magdalen, Abbeville https://youtu.be/0GLF7VVVSZE Once upon a time, there were two brothers who lived in a kingdom in the middle of a great desert. The king was a wise man who built his kingdom around an abundant oasis. One day, someone poisoned the water, so the king needed someone to go to cross the great desert and recover the antidote to the poison. The two brothers were well known as the fastest runners in the kingdom, but even they couldn’t make it across...Read More

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

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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 Face of God: Mass for VC Homecoming 2024

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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

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