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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Embrace Everything From Jesus
Okay, guys, it’s time for class, Spiritual Warfare 101. When it comes to discerning something in our hearts, when it comes to our prayer, the evil one, Satan, causes fear, division, confusion, and chaos. Jesus Christ, our Lord, and God causes peace, tranquility, love, union, and greater faith. In our gospel today, Jesus says, “The thief has come to steal and kill and destroy…
God’s Radiating Love
This has got bad news written all over it. If you have ever seen “Chernobyl,” “Godzilla,” or “The Simpsons,” you know that radiation is silent. You don’t feel anything, and it can change you. Similarly, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is just like that, only it gives you life and doesn’t kill you. When we go to adoration, it is silent. We don’t feel anything, but it is super…
Go To Confession
I am in the confessional, ready to go, and there’s got to be at least a hundred college kids around campus right now who are sinners. So I’m hoping for at least a hundred confessions because today is Divine Mercy Sunday. Today is a day when Jesus wants to do is share His merciful heart with us. I invite you to look at the miraculous image of the Divine Mercy…
Easter
Five years ago, I had the insane opportunity to go to the Holy Land and do a pilgrimage. And in the Holy Land, I went to the Holy Sepulchre. In the Holy Sepulchre, there is the tomb where they laid the body of Jesus, and I went inside. Guys, you will not believe what I saw. I saw nothing. There was nothing. There was no one because Jesus Christ had risen from…
Holy Saturday
This is a little dated, but the “Bourne” trilogy. Jason Bourne, an ex-assassin, runs away and hides from the government. He does everything in his power, training, and skill to hide from the government, and he succeeds. When it comes to being a Christian, we will never succeed at hiding from Jesus. Today, Holy Saturday, what does Jesus do? Before the…
Good Friday
Okay, so this is a very solemn day, this is a very somber day. It’s Good Friday. If you have the opportunity to go to your Good Friday service at your parish, the first thing that you will see is the priest lying prostrate on the ground. It’s a sign of reverence, it’s a sign of adoration, but it’s also a sign of vulnerability. On Good Friday, Jesus becomes vulnerable…
Holy Thursday
Okay, friends, we did it. It is the Triduum, and it is the holiest time of the whole year. And tonight, on Holy Thursday night, Jesus and the Eucharist are taken out of all the tabernacles in all churches and placed in a special place in the church. Tonight, Jesus goes from the Last Supper to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray with His apostles. And He asks…
Get To Know Jesus
Book recommendation for all of you, “The Great Divorce” by C.S. Lewis. If you still need to read it, do it now. This incredible book talks about heaven and talks about knowing the Lord. There’s a scene where a bus takes many people to heaven. When they reach heaven, the people who did know Jesus become fully alive. The people who don’t know Jesus are very…