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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Eight Words To Reject Satan
Eight simple words can change everything: “In the name of Jesus, I reject temptation.”
In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus confronts temptation directly, and rejects it with clarity and authority. We’re invited to do the same. Whether it’s lust, gossip, pride, anger, or any other struggle, we don’t fight alone. We dare to use His name.
As Pope Benedict XVI taught, Christianity isn’t just an idea, it’s an encounter with a Person. And nothing is more personal than calling on His name. This Lent, make it simple. Use the name of Jesus and reject whatever pulls you away from Him.
No Side Hustles in Our Faith
Ride-sharing. Food delivery. Pet sitting. Side hustles are everywhere and there’s nothing wrong with that. But when it comes to faith, eternal life, and the meaning of life itself, there are no side hustles. In one of His most famous teachings, Jesus says He has not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. He is the fulfillment. He is the way to heaven. He is the meaning of life. Chase your goals and work hard but when it comes to what truly matters, there’s only one answer. It’s always been Jesus.
Living Attractive Lives
Sometimes the Gospel spreads not through arguments, but through attraction. In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus reminds us: “You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world.” We’re called to live our faith openly, not hidden, not forced, but visible through love and good works.
When we truly know that we are loved by Jesus, something changes. Our lives become compelling. That was the secret of the saints, people weren’t drawn to them because of charisma or cleverness, but because Christ was alive and active in them.
Live close to Jesus. Let Him work through you. An authentic, joy-filled faith is more attractive than we realize.
Blessed Are The Peacemakers
If we aren’t at peace within ourselves, we often end up recruiting others into our inner battles. That’s why Jesus’ words in this Sunday’s Gospel matter so much: “Blessed are the peacemakers.” True peace doesn’t start “out there.” It begins by making peace with ourselves and before that, making peace with Jesus. Only then can we become people who bring peace into the lives of others. Like any true peacemaker, we have to face our fears, reject what pulls us away from God, and let Christ define who we are. That’s where real peace is found and where it can finally begin to spread.
Fulfilled Hopes and Fears
Christmas may be over, but this Sunday’s Gospel echoes a familiar line from O Little Town of Bethlehem: “The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.”
Jesus reminds us that He is the fulfillment of every hope and every fear, from the past and the present, from every heart and every place. Nothing we carry is outside of His ability to meet and redeem.
The question is simple but challenging: Are we allowing Jesus to enter into all of it? Even in Ordinary Time, He is the One who sets everything right.
Six Words To Describe Jesus
If you had to describe Jesus in six words or less, what would you say? In this Sunday’s Gospel, John the Baptist does exactly that. At the beginning, he calls Jesus the Lamb of God. At the end, he proclaims Him the Son of God. In just six words, John reveals everything: Jesus is equal with the Father, eternal, Lord, and King and at the same time the sacrifice who saves us. Fully divine. Fully given. That leaves us with one essential question: Who do you say that Jesus is?
Invite Jesus In
In the ancient world, water symbolized chaos and death, something dangerous, unpredictable, and overwhelming. On the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Jesus steps directly into those waters. He enters into chaos, into death itself, and transforms it. This is what Jesus always does: He enters the places we’re afraid of and begins the work of redemption. Whatever chaos we carry may it be sickness, trauma, fear, or loss, Jesus wants to enter it with us. All we have to do is invite Him in. That’s where healing begins.
Face to Face with Jesus
What happens when you come face to face with the God of the universe? You don’t want to leave.
At a recent retreat, students encountered Jesus in a powerful way and many of them said the same thing: “I don’t want to go. I just want to stay.” In His presence, everything else fades.
In this Sunday’s Gospel, Peter, James, and John experience that same reality at the Transfiguration. Overwhelmed by glory, they want to pitch tents and remain there with Him.
This Lent, keep it simple: make space to sit in the presence of Jesus. Stay. Listen. Let Him meet you there.