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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Guard Your Time Well
So in the gospel today, a sower goes out to sow, and the sower throws seed down on the thorny ground, and the thorns choke the seeds so the seeds do not flourish. We are often thrown onto the thorny ground, and busyness is one of the big things that really chokes us. Busyness in our lives chokes our relationship with Jesus, and we do not…
What Makes Us Fully Alive
If it has been less than a week since you’ve binge-watched movies or TV shows, raise your hand. Now raise your hand if, afterward, you felt absolutely alive. When we binge-watch TV and movies, we feel less alive. In the Gospel today, Jesus says, “Come to me all who labor and are burdened, “and I will give you rest.” We’re called to go to the Lord…
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…
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…
Reject the Squidward Within
There is this guy. You may know him, you may not. His name is Squidward Tentacles. Squidward Tentacles is incredibly negative. He is constantly judging, and he is always finding fault in others. He is not a fun person to be around. The thing is, we can do that as well. We are so attracted to negativity. We’re drawn to crazy comments on social media…