Tag: Prayer

Homily for the 1st Sunday of Lent: Cycle of Victory

Posted on by Father Albert
Lent Sun 1, C                                                                                                              March 6, 2022Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/WTKMEYA2nX0 Identity. Trial. Thanksgiving. This is the pattern for us in life and the pattern laid out for us at the beginning of Lent. It begins by knowing who we are and what makes us who we are. This identity is challenged, attacked, tried by the Adversary, Satan. And what sustains us through it all is to receive the gifts of God and return it to him with thanksgiving. Jesus was just baptized in the river Jordan. He is revealed as the Son...Read More

Pastor Column: Spring Ember Days

Posted on by Father Albert
[Note: This is not the homily. That can be found here.]      You may remember that I’ve often invited you to join me in observing the Ember Days. The Ember Days are a traditional time of prayer and fasting connected to each season of the year. The idea is to sanctify – to make holy – each  season. While not as popular now, the practice of fasting has always been a central part of the Christian call to holiness. It purifies our attachment to food, reminds us of the fact that many go without, and gives us a chance to...Read More

Homily for Ash Wednesday: Now Is The Time

Posted on by Father Albert
Ash Wednesday                                                                                                          March 2, 2022Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/mkRPK6aA8UQ “Now is the day of salvation.” This is similar to a popular piece of advice: “live in the present moment.” There’s a piece of truth in that popular adage. The reality is that we only have the present. The past is gone and the future is not here. The present moment is most real, most important. But this only goes so far. Another, related popular dictum is “live with no regrets” as if being in the present moment justifies never considering past mistakes. If all...Read More

Homily for the 2nd Sunday of Advent: Preparing the Way for Grace

Posted on by Father Albert
2nd Sunday of Advent, C                                                                               December 5, 2021Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/Ec3WmCxwSBI Last week I urged you work at almsgiving, prayer, and fasting in order to be blameless in holiness. The world will end and it will end in great tribulation. The difference between our being victims on that day and our being victors on that day is this holiness. Please recall, however, that I warned you not to take up these sacred practices – almsgiving, prayer, and fasting – as proof of your own strength but as cooperation with grace, because it is grace that...Read More

Pastor Column: Making the Most of Advent

Posted on by Father Albert
[Note: This is not the weekly homily.] This is an article from the bulletin of November 28, 2021      It’s already begun. So many people would say it is already the Christmas season. Whether it started the day after Halloween or at 4pm on Thanksgiving Day, most of the country began putting up decorations and wishing each other a “Merry Christmas” or a “Happy Holidays.” People look forward to this time all year long, so once they get the chance to get started, they jump at the opportunity. And you know what? Fine. People are free to act as they...Read More

Homily for the 30th Sunday of Ordinary Time: Seeing The Way For What It Is

Posted on by Father Albert
30th Sunday of Ordinary Time, B                                                                  October 24, 2021Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/T3KOCEk2Qws “What do you want me to do for you?” Like you don’t know, Jesus? The man is a blind beggar, why make him ask for what we all know he wants? Because that’s how prayer works. That’s how faith works. Prayer is not conveying information to God, it is expressing desire. It is fostering desire. It stirs up faith and prepares the heart to receive. A desire honestly expressed changes us, not God. The answer is not always what we expect. There is...Read More