Tag: Communion

Pastor Column: Receiving Communion Well

Posted on by Father Albert
[N.B. This is not the Sunday Homily. It is an article from the bulletin of June 11, 2023]      This feast is a fitting time to encourage everyone to reflect on how they receive communion. St. Paul warns us that “anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself” (1 Cor 11:29).      Before coming to Mass and before receiving communion, do you carefully examine your conscience to determine if you are in the right state to receive? Catholics are encouraged to receive communion often, but there are requirements. Besides being Catholic, they must not...Read More

How Can We? Homily for Corpus Christi

Posted on by Father Albert
Corpus Christ, A                                                                                                         June 11, 2023Fr. Alexander Albert                                                               St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/LYlfEG19rpk “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” How indeed? In almost every culture, cannibalism is recognized as something repugnant, unacceptable, evil. Eating human flesh is almost always sinful because the dignity of the human person extends even to their body. Only the rarest of exceptions – as a last resort for survival – could such a thing even begin to be conceivable, though many would still prefer to die than eat someone. For the Jewish culture of Jesus’ day, it...Read More

The Best Brick to Build With: Homily for 1st Communion 2023, 5th Sunday Easter, A

Posted on by Father Albert
5th Sunday of Easter, A                                                                                               May 7, 2023Fr. Alexander Albert                                                               St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/mdw7Xsv0QD0 One hundred fifteen years this brick Church has endured through fire and storm and decay – a sign to us of the whole Church that will never fall. Yet, this building didn’t build itself, repair itself, or fill itself with love. When I began as pastor, someone told me one of my favorite stories of all time, a story about how this church was built. In 1907, the bricks for the new church were brought by train and dropped off right by...Read More

Pastor Column: Mediator Dei IV

Posted on by Father Albert
[Note: This is not the Sunday Homily. It is an article for the bulletin of Sept 18, 2022]      Continuing our journey through Mediator Dei, we pick up with the pope teaching us that it is good for the lay people to become familiar with the Roman Missal. The missal is the book which the priest uses for Mass. In particular, he means it is good for the laity to have some grasp of what is going on and that various resources can be used to help them do that, including the use of books to help follow along. Remember...Read More

Homily for Corpus Christi: Assisting Communion

Posted on by Father Albert
Corpus Christi, C                                                                                                        June 19, 2022Fr. Alexander Albert                                                               St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/jPNItdt2kdY Ado You may have heard that the US Bishops are launching a kind of Eucharistic Revival in our country over the next few years. To start that off, Bishop Deshotel has asked us to read this letter from him to you: “Dear Friends in Christ, The Church celebrates this weekend the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of the Lord. The celebration invites us to reflect on that most precious gift given to us by Our Savior...Read More