Homily for the 1st Sunday of Lent: What We Eat

1st Sunday Lent, A                                                                                          February 26, 2023Fr. Alexander Albert                                                              St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/d16N75iYsrY Why does eating a piece of fruit condemn all of humanity to death and destruction? Why does it matter so much what we eat? Well, if someone is hanging from a cliff by a rope, ask them why it would matter if you cut that rope. The poetic language of the creation story talks about fruit and trees, but it’s really conveying to us our place in the universe. Adam and Eve had no say in how gravity works, how the chemical...Read More

Homily for the Assumption of Mary, 2022: The Heights of Desire

Assumption of the BVM                                                                                 August 15, 2022Fr. Alexander Albert                                                               St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/QK2PRZQNZjU “The woman herself fled into the desert where she had a place prepared by God.” That cuts to the heart of what we’re celebrating in this solemn feast. Mary had a place prepared for her by God and, in order to show us what’s in store, God raised her up body and soul to go to that place. It makes sense that the very body which carried the son of God should be spared from corruption. Many traditions agree...Read More

Homily for Christmas: The Beginning

Christmas                                                                                                        December 25, 2021Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/o5yM9yzUvDY There’s just something about a good beginning, isn’t there? When you first crack open a great book… when the last preview ends and the movie’s title screen comes up… the first day of college… your wedding day… the birth of a child… There’s a sense of possibility, of openness, of hope for more to come. I think perhaps that’s one reason so many people love Christmas. New gifts to enjoy, new memories to make. Not only is it just a week away from New Years, it’s...Read More

Homily for the 1st Sunday of Lent: Good vs. Evil

1st Sunday of Lent, B                                                                         February 21, 2021Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/X6n0iIVvAAI Good versus evil. This concept is part of nearly every story ever told and central to all the best ones. Some people may talk about these two forces as a necessary part of the balance of the universe, the yin and yang or, to borrow an idea from Star Wars, the dark and light sides of the force. But even then, no sane person actually wants evil to be equal to good. The Jedi talk about balance, but strive continually...Read More