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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Ash Wednesday
Okay, it’s been a hot minute, but we are back. It is Ash Wednesday, so we may go up to receive ashes today, and we might not know what we’ll get. You might get the classics, the X marks the spot, the perfectionist, the Harry Potter, the NFL, the Picasso, or the Twinsie, or you could get the double wide. Whatever you receive, whatever is…
Strive To Be A Saint
Saint Therese of Lisieux. She lived till the age of 24. She lived most of her life in a convent in the suburbs of France. She is considered one of the most ambitious saints the church has ever seen because Saint Therese desired to be a saint from the depths of her heart. And we are called to have that holy ambition as well. In the gospel…
Making and Breaking Plans
Raise your hand if you have made plans and then canceled them at the last minute for no apparent reason. Millennials and Gen-Zers, are notorious for making plans and then canceling them. Because there is something within us that believes that what I say and promise doesn’t matter and doesn’t hold weight. We can get into…
This Is Our Battle Cry
This Sunday’s gospel is a battle cry that we are called to go into battle. Jesus says, “You are the salt of the earth.” In the ancient world, when a city was conquered, the soldiers would lay out salt everywhere, on the ground, in the streets, to destroy anything growing there. It sounds weird, but we are called as Christians to eliminate…
Say No To Idolatry
So one of the most memorable experiences of being a Chicago Blackhawks fan was the 2013 Grant Park Victory Parade to celebrate the fact that the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup. Thousands of people were in Grant Park, and there was this one moment that I will never forget. In front of thousands, Jonathan Toews raises the…
God Keeps His Promises
So I’m sure many of you during school have had a teacher like Professor Trelawney. That’s right. Someone is a bit goofy, and she is someone who has a few screws loose but is nice. Professor Trelawney is a prophet, but the thing with Professor Trelawney is that she barely ever gets anything right. But who is someone who predicts the…
Cure For Perfectionism
Let’s talk about Leslie Knope. If you’ve ever seen “Parks and Rec,” Leslie Knope is the main character, and she is the ultimate perfectionist. She gets after it like crazy. Leslie has built up the whole town of Pawnee, Indiana by herself. Because she is a perfectionist, Leslie has one huge flaw. Whenever she fails, whenever she…
Getting Ripped (Spiritually) This Lent
It’s Lent, and let’s get after it. The best thing we can do for this Lent is spiritually move from Andy Dwyer to Star-Lord. When he plays Andy Dwyer, Chris Pratt is a little bit on the overweight side, a little bit pudgy, and when he plays Star-Lord, he is very fit. Chris Pratt, in an interview, said the way that he was able to get to the physique of…