Tag: Ordinary Time

Homily for the 7th Sunday of Ordinary Time: Imperfect Steps Toward Perfection

Posted on by Father Albert
7th Sunday OT, A                                                                                            February 19, 2023Fr. Alexander Albert                                                              St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/ELSRlOhK-0k I’m not what I could be… I’m not who I could be. Has any honest person not thought this to themselves? We imperfect human beings have an innate awareness that there’s something more to life that what we currently experience: some greater pleasure, some better situation. Imagining ourselves as better looking, smarter, stronger, more skilled, more well-connected… anything. There’s an innate desire for perfection. At the same time, who hasn’t also felt like that better situation is not actually possible? “I’m not...Read More

Homily for the 6th Sunday of Ordinary Time: No Loopholes

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6th Sunday OT, A                                                                                            February 12, 2023Fr. Alexander Albert                                                              St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/pZA-jAkq_zQ You have heard it said, “do not miss Mass on Sundays,” but I say to you that everyone who goes to Mass on Sunday, but purposely comes late or leaves early has already skipped Mass in their hearts. And whoever comes to Mass but plays on their phone or tunes everything out has insulted God rather than worshipping him. You have heard it said, “you can go to confession to get your sins forgiven,” but I say to you that whoever goes...Read More

Homily for the 5th Sunday of Ordinary Time: Salty or Sterile

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5th Sunday OT, A                                                                                           February 5, 2023Fr. Alexander Albert                                                              St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/ABe_E_BBg5U “You are the light of the world.” Think about a room full of candles. It’s pretty easy to read with ten candles lit, but not so easy with only one. And an unlit candle or a hidden lamp is almost worse than useless, casting shadows where it should be adding light. “If salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.” Do you know what happens...Read More

Homily for the 4th Sunday of Ordinary Time: Blessedness and Joy

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4th Sunday OT, A                                                                                            January 29, 2023Fr. Alexander Albert                                                              St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/05AboWUvaQk They are true, you know. These beatitudes, these promises of blessedness are not rhetorical… Jesus isn’t just trying to make a point. What he says is true. There is real blessedness, real joy to be found in each one of these examples. And no, it’s not just a future happiness that he’s talking about. The reasons he gives are in the future tense – will inherit, will be comforted – but the description of blessedness is right now – blessed are they....Read More

Homily for the 3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time: What is the Gospel?

Posted on by Father Albert
3rd Sunday OT, A                                                                                            January 22, 2023Fr. Alexander Albert                                                              St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/Ff0rBm0UKoI Jesus went around “proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom…” St. Paul tells us he was called preach the Gospel. Indeed, Jesus every one of us to proclaim the gospel. What does that mean? How do we do that? There’s two things consider: what the Gospel is and whether we let it actually enlighten our lives. First, what is the gospel? Where do we look to understand the gospel best? There’s this book I’ve just read from. There’s the four gospels of Matthew,...Read More

Homily for the 2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time: The Ignorance of Discipleship

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2nd Sunday OT, A                                                                                           January 15, 2023Fr. Alexander Albert                                                              St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/IO-zG2-y0HE “I did not know him.” Twice John the Baptist says this. But, isn’t that a strange thing to say? After all, this is the same John who leapt in the womb when Mary, pregnant with Jesus, greeted John’s mother Elizabeth. John is Jesus’ cousin – why wouldn’t he know him? There were a lot of people who “knew” Jesus. His whole hometown thought they knew Jesus, but they wind up trying to kill him when he begins to reveal himself fully. John...Read More

Homily for the Solemnity of Christ the King: Justice and Mercy

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Christ the King, C                                                                                           November 20, 2022Fr. Alexander Albert                                                               St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/0oCRms2gkmw “We have been condemned justly.” Have we? Since the beginning of the Church, there have been those who keep coming back to the same error, the same mistake: the idea that our condemnation isn’t really just, that damnation just can’t be real. There are a lot of subtle and clever arguments to support the idea that everyone goes to heaven – we call it universalism – but it seems to me there is always something beneath the surface…...Read More

Homily for the 33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time: Build Because It Crumbles

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33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, C                                                                   November 13, 2022Fr. Alexander Albert                                                               St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/OTgFf7YJ5jI Not long after I was assigned to this parish, I went on a short vacation that kept me away during a weekend, so I made arrangements for another priest to cover for me. While away, my phone rang at about 3pm on the Saturday. I looked to see that it was the priest who was scheduled to hear confessions and celebrate the 4pm Mass. My heart sank. I just knew he was calling to say he forgot...Read More

Homily for the 32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time: Divine Death

Posted on by Father Albert
32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, C                                                                   November 6, 2022Fr. Alexander Albert                                                               St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/SLdTWkFzuq4 As many of you know, my Grandfather Jules passed away earlier this year. I’m grateful for all the prayers you’ve offered for him and my family. One thing I could always count on when visiting my grandfather was that he would get on some rant or other about the Catholic faith and what Catholics need to learn or do… a trait you may find familiar… Anyway, one of the stories he told me (more than once) involved...Read More

Homily for the 31st Sunday of Ordinary Time: Real Repentance

Posted on by Father Albert
31st Sunday in Ordinary Time, C                                                                    October 30, 2022Fr. Alexander Albert                                                               St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/xssUEkvlg5U Repentance, Reparation, and Charity. Last week, we heard the parable of the arrogant pharisee and the repentant tax collector. We focused then on the journey from being the arrogant pharisee in the parable to becoming like St. Paul, confident in his own salvation. A journey that starts with recognizing our pride and conceit, goes through repentance, and culminates in humble service. But what is repentance, really? The tax collector in the parable prays for mercy and admits...Read More