The Beatitudes
Is following Jesus just another self-help plan? The Beatitudes flip that idea upside down. This isn’t about fixing yourself; it’s about letting God meet your needs. In this episode, the friars explore how the Beatitudes aren’t a checklist for spiritual success but an invitation to profound dependence on God. They explore how true blessings often appear as weakness, surrender, and a poverty of spirit…
We Are Safe
23andMe has nothing on the Catholic Church. They got nothing. They have nothing on this Pentecost Sunday; Jesus Christ reminds us that we, as a church, have a genealogy that goes back to Jesus Christ. As human beings, we have a deep desire to be safe and taken care of, and it is through Jesus Christ and His church that we find this safety. All we have to do is look at Pope Leo the 14th. We look at everyone…
Intentional and Wanted by God
Were you just a surprise, or did God want you? In this episode, the friars speak about the quiet questions many carry, especially those born outside traditional circumstances. They unpack the pain, confusion, and identity struggles that can come with that and speak truth into it all that no matter how you came into the world, whether your story includes surprise, brokenness, or uncertainty, one truth…
Focal Point in Life
So, were you aware that the new pope is an art critic? Pope Leo XIV, in his first-ever Wednesday audience, used a painting from Van Gogh called “Sower at Sunset.” In this painting, Pope Leo explains that the sower, the one who plants the seeds, is not the focal point of the painting. The focal point of the painting is the sun. It is the sun that produces the fruit. It is the sun that creates the life. And that is our…
Joy and the Valley of Tears
Ever feel too tired, too broken, or too behind to be joyful? You’re not alone. But the gift of Paschal Joy isn’t about having it all together—it’s about Jesus coming to you right where you are. This joy isn’t manufactured; it’s a gift rooted in the Resurrection. Even in our weakness, Jesus says: “It’s not about you—it’s about Me.” In this episode, the friars discuss joy amid suffering and how the Jubilee…
Choose To Love
So we just got back from Italian. Everywhere we went, Christians were killed in those places. Those Christians who were killed. All the thousands and thousands of Christians who were martyred for the faith chose to love all those who caused them suffering. They decided to love until the end. In this Sunday’s gospel, Jesus commands very clearly. This is how you are to love that. Love demands something from us…
The Fullness of God
Can we let God be the one who provides, who carries us, who fills us with His presence and love? This week, the friars reflect on the heart of the Jubilee rest. Proper rest isn’t just doing less or stopping work—it’s a radical shift in mindset and posture from striving to receiving. The invitation is clear—come home to the Father and let Him be enough. This podcast episode invites you into the deep rest your…
Touring Pope Leo XIV’s Southside Chicago Hometown
As the Catholic Church welcomes Pope Leo XIV as the new Holy Father, we at Spirit Juice take pride in sharing the same hometown as the new Pope. In this short film, Spirit Juice’s Rob Kaczmark takes you on an exclusive tour of some of the South Side Chicago locations that were most important in the young life of Robert Prevost—long before he would become Pope Leo XIV. Check out his childhood home, family parish, the high school where he taught, his favorite pizzeria, and more!
And Rob might even pop a wheelie on his bike in front of the Pope’s old house…