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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Stop Exposing Others to Shame
It is the fourth Sunday of Advent and the Gospel today is very beautiful. It talks about St. Joseph, since he was a righteous man, does not want to expose Mary to shame and I think that is an incredible witness for us because we can so easily expose others to shame. It is the holiday season. We are with family all the time. There’s a lot of…
You Belong With Him
The Gospel for this Sunday is so awesome. The disciples are asking, Jesus, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” And I think we can live that way so often that we are not looking for Jesus, but we are looking for something else or someone else. And I think the solution to this problem is Taylor Swift…
Immaculate Conception
One of the things that I absolutely love about Buddy the Elf is the fact that he is so innocent. He is so pure. He is so humble. And a lot of that has to do with the fact that Santa. Takes him out of the orphanage and Buddy lives in the North Pole. He is preserved from the craziness of the world. This is the reason why…
The Most Hipster Thing
Okay, let’s talk about hipsters. We all know them. They are everywhere. And the crazy thing about hipsters is that they all look the same. Have you ever noticed that? St. John the Baptist was the OG hipster. He ate organic, farm-to-table locusts and honey every day. He wore vintage clothing. St. John the Baptist even…
What Keeps You Up At Night?
This Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent. That means we are in a new church year. Happy New Year, Church. Happy New Year, Pope Francis. Happy New Year to you all. And in this new church year, we have an amazing gospel for this Sunday. It is Jesus saying to us, “Please stay awake. You do not know when the…
The King of the Universe
Man, I’m pumped. Today is the Solemnity of Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. Sounds like something from Dr. Strange. And then in the Gospel today, the good thief says, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” That we have a kingdom, that we have a king. We don’t have a king that wears a golden…
Perseverance Will Secure Your Lives
One of my brother priests, he used to be a chaplain for the Navy Seals, and he’s such a great dude. Let’s just say he is pretty large. He has biceps as big as my face. He was in a war torn country celebrating mass for his Navy Seals. As he’s celebrating mass, an explosion happens outside of the tent. The priest dives for…
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas, everyone. Merry Christmas, y’all. Merry Christmas, mom. Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown. This day is a day of intimacy that the Incarnation is all about intimacy. It’s God literally becoming flesh, becoming one of us, so that we can love Him, we can know Him, and we can live with Him forever. There is no greater love…