Reel Homilies

Spirit Juice is proud to present Reel Homilies from Father Tim Anastos, associate chaplain of the St. John Paul II Newman Center at the University of Illinois-Chicago. In these minute-long reflections, Father Tim will unpack the Sunday Gospel readings through the lenses of Church tradition, pop culture, and self-improvement. We hope these reflections serve to inspire your own thoughts on the Gospel and bring you closer to Christ…as well as bring a smile to your face.

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Unoffendable

A Google review was left for me on my old parish’s website, and the Google Review said I avoid his masses. I should have been up in arms by it, trying to defend myself, but I was just sad, but I wasn’t offended. In the first reading for this Sunday, the apostles are called to go out and proclaim the good news to the world, and if they are rejected or persecuted, they shake the dust from their feet, not becoming…

Jesus Vs. The Worst of You

If you are a human being, you’ve probably used this phrase before, “I told you so.” I don’t use that phrase often, but it’s told to me a lot. In the gospel for this Sunday, Jesus has the perfect opportunity to say to Peter, “I told you so. Peter, I said you would deny me. I told you so.” Instead of rubbing Peter’s sins in his face, Jesus takes the worst moment in Peter’s life and redeems it into the most beautiful moment of his…

Divine Mercy

The Vatican said we must Google Image the Divine Mercy on our phones and put it as our background. And when I say the “Vatican,” I mean “me.” The Divine Mercy Sunday is an incredible Sunday where we witness Jesus pursuing us. We look at the image of Divine Mercy and see that Jesus is not standing still. He has one foot forward, walking towards us, running after us, pursuing us. This is the Divine Mercy…

Remembering Pope Francis

Several years ago, I got to meet Pope Francis. I didn’t have much time with him, so I asked him one question: “Holy Father, can you please pray for my sister and her future spouse, whoever that might be?” Two weeks later, my sister began to date her now husband, which is incredible. However, what struck me the most was how Pope Francis responded to me. He said, “I will, of course, pray for your sister, but I need…

Easter Sunday

Happy Easter. He is risen. Jesus Christ is victorious over all sin and death, and we never have to be afraid again. Hallelujah. One of our students at the Newman Center created this artwork on our chalkboard, saying, A bunny will never love you like Jesus. And yes, it’s a little cheesy, but it is so true that we cling to so many other things than Jesus to make us happy. Jesus proved his love for us by dying and rising from the…

Holy Saturday

Today, Holy Saturday is a bittersweet day. It’s bitter because we realize we killed God, but he’s coming. But it is sweet because Jesus reveals the lengths he will go for us. He’s willing to go even to death for us. He’s willing to go even to hell for us. Nothing can destroy that no place in the universe is out of reach for Jesus, that there is no sin that is out of reach for Jesus, that there is no place in your heart that is out of…

Good Friday

At 3:00 p.m. today, my face will be on the floor. For Catholics, on Good Friday, the priest lays prostrate on the ground, representing Jesus giving his whole self, his whole body for us. It signifies total reverence and honor to our Lord, who gave everything. And what I love about our chapel at the Newman Center is that my head will be lying upon the Latin words “Dominum et vivificantem,” which means “The Lord, the giver of…

Holy Thursday

I am about to wash the feet of 12 of my students because it is Holy Thursday. Jesus, on this day, gives us the priesthood. He gives us the Eucharist and reminds us that he lowers himself. For us, this is so radical that we are called as Christians to lower ourselves. This is the secret of the saints. They always said I’m the worst of us. I am the greatest sinner of all of us. They realized that they needed Jesus, and they wanted to…

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