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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Acknowledge Jesus
A few weeks ago, I walked by a literal fight between a Chicago Cubs fan and a Chicago White Sox fan, and it was incredible to see how convicted they were that their team was correct. We can easily be convicted of many things like that – sports, politics, or whether the toilet paper roll is over or under. It’s over. When it comes to saying grace in public or…
12 Apostles
So if you have ever been to a job interview, you may have been asked what is your greatest strength. Your greatest weakness can be your greatest strength. And we can so easily identify ourselves with our strengths and our weaknesses. If you are positive, you most likely identify yourself with your greatest strength. You might identify yourself with your…
The Eucharist
In 1263 in Italia, there was a tiny town, Bolzano, where a priest, a Dom Peter, was celebrating mass. And while he was celebrating mass, he had doubts about the real presence of the Eucharist. And as he lifted the host for consecration, blood began to drip from the host onto the altar. This was what is called a Eucharistic miracle, and many confirmed…
We Have A Savior
You may have noticed before on a street corner, on a college campus, or at a sports game, someone holding up a big sign that says, “John 3:16.” Well, that’s our gospel for this Sunday. We all know this gospel. “For God’s so loved the world that he gave his only son.” This is the ultimate mic drop that the entirety of the gospels is rolled up into this one passage…
Pentecost
Blessed Pentecost to everyone. Come, Holy Spirit, “Veni Sancte Spiritus,” let the fire fall. An incredible day that we get to realize the perfect love of the Holy Spirit and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit into all of our hearts. The Trinity can be seen as the Father being the lover, the Son being the beloved, and the Holy Spirit being the love between the lover…
Ascension of the Lord
So, you know that part of the Mass where everyone has received communion, and then the priest sits down. Everyone in the church then follows the priest and sits down, and it’s like this great relief. It’s this great sigh. And what’s so awesome is that we feel this great relief because everything has been accomplished. Everything is finished. We get to be…
It’s Okay To Be Single
Shout out to everyone who is single. That’s right. And coming from a celibate priest, I need to let you know it will be okay. We can often experience a feeling of not being chosen when living a single life. We can often feel as if, I guess, I’m just not worth it. There’s something wrong with me. But the beautiful reality of the gospel today is Jesus, who says…
Love Jesus First and Foremost
So a hundred years from now, what will you be known for if ChatGBT has not taken over the world? Will they remember something that you did? Or will they remember a personality trait? What will you be known for? In the Gospel today, Jesus clearly states that He wants us to love Him first and then love everyone and everything after Him. When we put Jesus…