If You Love Me: Homily for the 18th Sunday OT 2026

18th Sunday of Ordinary Time, A                                                                   August 2, 2026Fr. Alexander Albert                                                   St. Mary Magadalen, Abbeville, LA https://youtu.be/8lNz9OUZfO8 “If you love me, then you would…” We all have experiences of people who claim to love us but then fail to act like it. We have all said we love and then failed to live it. It’s not about putting conditions on love, but there is room for putting conditions on believing someone when they claim to love us. When that claim does not match their actions they either lied to us, didn’t understand what they promised, or allowed...Read More

The Water of the Temple: Homily for the Anniversary of the Dedication of St. Mary Magdalen Church

Anniversary of the Church's Dedication                January 31, 2026Fr. Alexander Albert                                                        St. Mary Magdalen, Abbeville https://youtu.be/UX7mVfx6Cmo It’s about the water, you know. For us, at least… for our earthly building, this glorious temple to God called St. Mary Magdalen Church, it is about the water flowing to the right side of the temple, the water that makes polluted water fresh, that gives life to plant and animal, the water that so enriches the trees it nourishes, their fruit in unfailing food and their leaves perfect medicine. What do I mean? I mean grace, of course. This building, this temple truly is...Read More

Homily for the 20th Sunday of Ordinary Time: Water and Fire

20th Sunday in Ordinary Time, C                                                                  August 14, 2022Fr. Alexander Albert                                                               St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/fS5JI_Jm798 Water and fire. Hearing this Gospel, it might be tempting to focus on Jesus’ promise to divide families, but we’ll miss the point of this if we miss what he’s saying about fire and water. These two have certain things in common: both can be used to cleanse and purify and both can be used to kill and destroy. Often, it is by destroying that they purify. Dirt and grime dissolve in water – are kind of...Read More