Like this message if you have ever messed up or failed, and then someone accused you for it. Accusation hurts. It unlocks shame in our hearts. And that is one thing not present in this Sunday’s first reading. In Genesis, Adam fails. And so, right after Adam’s sins, what does God do? He asks one symbol question, “Where are you?” He does not accuse. He does not say, “Well, I knew you were going to mess up at some point.” He is trying to get close to Adam.
In the midst of our sins, in the midst of falling flat on our faces, what does God do? He runs after us. He is not content with us being far away. He wants to draw us close. This is the God that I want to follow. This is the God that I want to die for. We never have to fear accusation again because we have a God who does not accuse; he pursues. This is Spirit Juice. Peace.
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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.
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How Jesus Speaks To You
A little girl trapped in a burning building hears voices calling her name, but she stays hidden because she doesn’t recognize them. Then her father calls out, and instantly she runs to him. She knows his voice.
In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus reminds us that His sheep hear His voice and trust Him. The question is: do we recognize it?
That’s where prayer matters. It’s how we learn the sound of His voice, personal, steady, and uniquely spoken to each of us. The invitation is simple: do you know His voice, or is it time to start listening?
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Keep Your Eyes on Jesus
There is a problem. And that problem is distracted walking. In 2022, thousands of people were injured, texting and walking simultaneously, more than a grizzly bear, shark, and alligator attacks all wrapped into one. In the gospel today, St. Peter himself is distracted by the storm. And when he is distracted by the storm and takes his eyes away from Jesus…
