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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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…
What’s Your Life Worth?
What would it be if you could put a price on your life? Would it be $10 million? Would it be 20 Bitcoin? Would it be the gross national income of the federated states of Micronesia? What would it be? What are you worth? Today, on Palm Sunday, the price for your life is revealed. In the mass for Palm Sunday, we hear the whole passion of Jesus Christ…
15 Days from Easter
Guys, we are 15 days away from Easter. Fifteen days is not a long time, and it takes 15 days to walk from New York to Florida and 15 days to watch all of the episodes and seasons of “The Bachelor.” Side note, if you watch “The Bachelor,” stop and go to confession. In the Gospel today, we have a foreshadowing of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and…
Neville Longbottom and King David
Okay, everyone, hot take: Neville Longbottom is the real hero of the Harry Potter series. Looking at him from the outside, it doesn’t look like he should be in Gryffindor, nor doesn’t look like he has anything to offer. But if you read the whole series, you realize within the heart of Neville is a pure heart that is courageous and full of self-sacrificial…
Loved Like The Samaritan Woman
Every year, this Gospel comes up during Lent, and every single year, it wrecks me. Yes, priests can get emotional, too, okay? In the Gospel of the Samaritan woman, she finds her identity in all the husbands who use her. And here is Jesus who is love Himself. And what’s so incredible is that He loves her well, and He loves her how she is…
From Mud Pies to Beautiful Beaches
Guys, C.S. Lewis is such a stud. He is a champion and a man among men when it comes to the Christian faith. And he had a great quote, “We are like ignorant children. Completely happy and content playing with mud pies in the dirt when we have no idea what an invitation to the beach at the sea would be like.” Jesus is inviting us to live…
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…