Tag: Ordinary Time

Homily for the 15th Sunday of Ordinary Time: Cosmic Visions of Mercy

Posted on by Father Albert
15th Sunday in Ordinary Time, C                                                                              July 10, 2022Fr. Alexander Albert                                                               St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/Rt7vUUEHnFo What is your cosmic vision? When you mentally zoom out to consider everything that exists, how do you make sense of it? Because the way you answer that question can tell you a lot about what you really believe and what motivates you. And the reason I ask you that is because so much of what I challenge you to do, what the Church urges you to do, what Jesus Christ asks of you is going...Read More

Homily for the 14th Sunday of Ordinary Time: The Peace of Disciples

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14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, C                                                                              July 3, 2022Fr. Alexander Albert                                                               St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/ndBvUYXN4ug If, as I claimed last week, freedom is found in commitment and true freedom found in the right kind of commitments, then how do we find that right commitment? What should expect to see in the freeing sacrifice of freedom that marks the Christian way of life? The same kind of things we see in these seventy-two disciples. The first thing is that they travel in pairs, rather than alone. Why? Wouldn’t it be more efficient...Read More

Homily for the 13th Sunday of Ordinary Time: Freedom Freely Given

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13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, C                                                                              June 26, 2022Fr. Alexander Albert                                                               St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/jn01oieesqY If I told you that today’s readings are about freedom, how would you take it? Would you perhaps point out that the 1st reading is about a man sacrificing his livelihood and leaving his family all because another man said so? Or point out that Jesus tells people that following him means giving up a home and family? But St. Paul is clear: “for freedom Christ set us free.” Jesus also tells us “the truth will...Read More

Homily for Trinity Sunday: The Mystery that Makes us Who We Are

Posted on by Father Albert
Trinity Sunday, C                                                                                                       June 12, 2022Fr. Alexander Albert                                                               St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/-Kr02irRkbY In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. This is how we’re baptized, how we begin and end everything. It’s so ingrained in us Catholics that we instinctively respond to it. It’s one of my favorite ways to quiet down a room full of Catholics – just shout it out and by the end, most people in the room have done the sign of the Cross and are now at...Read More

Homily for the 7th Sunday of Ordinary Time: The Cult of Convenience

Posted on by Father Albert
7th Sunday OT, C                                                                                           February 20, 2022Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/w1XBvI_Ez00 One huge mistake of the Church in the past 60 years, in my opinion, is we made the Catholic faith too convenient. In part, it’s a psychological thing. Human beings naturally place more value in things that are expensive, difficult, or rare. I’ve seen studies that show how strict religions tend to succeed more than easier ones. I’ve seen in myself and in others that when something is just given to us or made too easily available, we tend to neglect it and...Read More

Homily for the 5th Sunday of Ordinary Time: Choosing Love

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5th Sunday OT, C                                                                                           February 6, 2022Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/jqCNsAHC4yU “From now on you will be catching men.” This sums up the mission of the Church: to draw men and women to Jesus Christ. Evangelization is at the heart of the Church’s very identity. But what is evangelization? Is it about the number of people at Church on Sunday? Of course not. Peter is already in the boat with Jesus. He has heard him before and listens to his preaching. But Peter is not yet truly evangelized, not yet truly caught by Jesus....Read More

Homily for the 4th Sunday of Ordinary Time: Insulting Love

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4th Sunday OT, C                                                                                           January 30, 2022Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/IU2mslDu01M The Word of God is always fruitful… it is living and effective. But that doesn’t mean we’re always going to like the effect it has. Jesus’ own experience is proof of that. I hinted last week that Jesus’ preaching would bear fruit and now we see it. At first, it’s great. People are “amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.” Jesus should be happy with that, right? He gives a good homily and even tells people that they are witnessing...Read More

Homily for the 3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time: Present to the Word

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3rd Sunday OT, C                                                                                           January 23, 2022Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/EOW_ul5yMjA Normally I preach for 10 minutes but in honor of Ezra reading from “daybreak until midday,” how does an hour sound? Not long enough? How about 3? No, but we should take God’s word seriously. The Gospel ends with Jesus saying “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” Not “fulfilled in your presence.” Not “fulfilled at this time.” In. Your. Hearing. The Word of God is fulfilled not just in being proclaimed, but in being heard, received, made fruitful. The question...Read More

Homily for the 2nd Week of Ordinary Time: Our Wedding Gifts

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2nd Sunday OT, C                                                                                          January 16, 2022Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/TvwkkMiOCMg This is our wedding feast. To belong to the Church is to be invited to the wedding of God with humanity. Scripture constantly speaks of Israel as God’s bride. It’s the reason that Jesus’ first miracle is done at a wedding feast – it pointing to this deeper reality that God wants to unite all of us to himself in perfect love – marriage is a sign of that truth. Jesus is the bridegroom and the Church – to which we belong –...Read More

Homily for the Baptism of the Lord: You Are My Beloved Son

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Baptism of the Lord, C                                                                                   January 9, 2022Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/ARKHEABt4dI This past Wednesday, Pope Francis stirred up some controversy when he talked about families who get pets instead of having children. People were upset that he called it “selfish.” Maybe there was a better way to say what he said, but he’s right. It’s a statistical reality that less and less couples are having kids and more and more are getting pets. All the time, you’ll see people call themselves a “dog dad” or a “cat mom.” Don’t get me wrong. I love...Read More