Tag: Wealth

An Impossible Inheritance: Homily for the 28th Sunday OT 2024

Posted on by Father Albert
28th Sunday of Ordinary Time, B                                                                   October 13, 2024Fr. Alexander Albert                                                               St. Mary Magdalen, Abbeville https://youtu.be/KwXx1XgngWk “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” You know what? I think we know that answer already. Maybe the whole poverty thing wasn’t obvious to the Jews of Jesus’ day, but the saying “Blessed are the Poor in Spirit” has been around for 2000 years now. We know. Keep the commandments. Stop sinning. Live simply. Follow Jesus. Sure, the details can get messy, but the main point is clear. The problem isn’t that people don’t know the answer to...Read More

Heavenly Treasure: Homily for the 33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time

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33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, A                                                                   November 19, 2023Fr. Alexander Albert                                                              St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/jK9ymiP5ZJ4 Every now and then, someone asks me if the world is going to end soon. Just Friday, in fact, a woman at a store asked me that question based on what is happening in the middle east right now. I gave her my standard answer: “every generation of Christians thinks the end is near.” I put it that way to make a few points: First is that worrying about the end of the world isn’t new. Secondly, everyone who thought the...Read More

The Just Wage: Homily for the 25th Sunday of Ordinary Time

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25th Sunday of Ordinary Time, A                                                                  September 24, 2023Fr. Alexander Albert                                                               St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/yNuELL_bquA I… don’t often address politics and economics directly from the pulpit. I don’t want to encourage our American tendency to over-politicize everything. Still, it’s the Church’s job to give the laity moral guidance on politics and economics even if the specific policy-making is left up to the laity. Yes, people of good faith can legitimately disagree on specific applications so long as they don’t reject the principles. Of course, that presumes they know what the principles are. Today is a chance...Read More

Homily for the 26th Sunday of Ordinary Time, C: Worries of Wealth

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26th Sunday in Ordinary Time, C                                                                   September 25, 2022Fr. Alexander Albert                                                               St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/j3869UiivJk There’s not much room for soft balling here: Jesus talks about caring for the poor so much and there’s only so many ways to rephrase it. So, I’ll keep it pretty straightforward. Care for the poor or you will go to hell. The rich man didn’t kill anyone. It doesn’t say that he lied or stole or cheated or commit adultery or skip church. It simply says he was rich and comfortable while Lazarus was poor. Then...Read More

Homily for the 25th Sunday of Ordinary Time: Whom You Serve

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25th Sunday in Ordinary Time, C                                                                   September 18, 2022Fr. Alexander Albert                                                               St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/skWhxMdJTgY What just happened? If you were a little confused by that parable, you’re not alone. Most scripture scholars agree that this is the most confusing parable Jesus tells. Of course, that’s part of what parables are for: to confuse us a little and make us think. Still, what happened? The basic story of the parable is this: a man stole from his boss and when he got caught, he stole from him again, but did it in...Read More

Homily for the 18th Sunday of Ordinary Time: Love That Does Not Retire

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18th Sunday in Ordinary Time, C                                                                              July 31, 2022Fr. Alexander Albert                                                               St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/lOGd5Us241w What’s the plan? Get a decent job, make enough money to get a home, raise a family, save up, and retire? And then what? Relax, go on trips, enjoy nice things? Sounds pretty good doesn’t it? That’s kind of the standard American vision of a good life. But is it the Catholic one? Well, what does St. Paul say about it? “If you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at...Read More

Pastor Column: The Value of Money

Posted on by Father Albert
From the bulletin of October 10, 2021      As I mentioned last week, this week is the annual financial report. Please see the handout for more details on numbers, accountability, and where it goes. In this space, I want to address the point of giving in the first place.      First, why does giving matter? Besides the obvious practical aspects, it is an important part of our spiritual lives. If what we believe about God is true - that he loves us, gave us his only Son, and calls us to eternal life with him - then it should affect...Read More