A couple of weeks ago, a student approached me after mass and told me, “Hey, Father, you’re homily today. It has many overly complicated words. Next time, make it simpler.” And then they left, and then I cried myself to sleep. A lot of the time, we overcomplicate things. All we have to do is make things simple. This is precisely what the apostles do in the gospel for this Sunday. Jesus told the apostles, “I will be handed over to men. I will be killed, and in three days, I will rise from the dead.” The apostles try to find some deeper hidden meaning in it, and they lose the reality of it. So, we always do this with Jesus and His will and love for us. But Jesus speaks to us very simply, clearly, and lovingly. In your prayer, be convinced that Jesus is simple. He is clear. He is gentle with us. This is Spirit Juice. Peace.
Reel Homilies with Father Tim Anastos is free to watch, but it’s not free to produce! Generous donors make it possible for us to continue creating this content. If you enjoy Reel Homilies, please consider making a monthly tax-deductible gift. Spirit Juice Entertainment Group (SJEG) is the non-profit arm of Spirit Juice Studios. It is a 501(c)3 organization that relies on your support to continue creating original, authentically Catholic content that reaches thousands of people each week through our website and social media channels.
Start a new monthly donation and receive an array of Reel Homilies and Spirit Juice swag in gratitude for your generosity. For more information, please visit our Reel Homilies Support page.
To qualify, you must donate a minimum of $10 per month. All gifts in between will be rounded down to the nearest package amount. Please allow 6-8 weeks for your package to be shipped. Questions? Contact us at donate@spiritjuice.org. Your donation is tax-deductible within the United States, and we will provide a tax receipt for your records.
-
Obedience Vs. Disobedience
So, the word “obey” has developed a negative connotation. When we are called to obey someone, it’s cringe. But “obey” comes from a Latin word which means to listen to. For example, when we obey the Lord, we listen to Him and what the heart of Jesus desires. In the gospel for this Sunday, Jesus asks the leper to obey. He says, “Do not tell anyone about this.” And what does the leper do? He disobeys. And so the…
-
Let Jesus Clean House
This happens in professional sports all of the time. A team is on a losing streak. The owner is not happy. And so the owner brings in a new coach to clean house. In this Sunday’s gospel, Jesus enters the temple and cleans house. He is not satisfied with his home being violated. The crazy thing is that we are also a home for Jesus. We also have a temple within our hearts for the…
-
Security Blanket
Question: what is your security blanket? For Gollum, it’s the ring. For Tony Stark, it’s the Iron Man suit. For Woody, it’s his status as a favorite toy. In the gospel for the Sunday, Jesus gives us the foundations of discipleship, and one of those things is getting rid of the unhealthy attachments that prevent us from Jesus. We all have them. We all have those security blankets that bring us false security…
