I had the amazing honor of baptizing my friend’s newborn. Baptism is so awesome because no matter if you were baptized with just water gently poured on your head, or if you were fully immersed, or even if a fire hose was shot at you. When you are baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, you are adopted by God.
Jesus, in the gospel for this Sunday, says, “You have one father in heaven.” At the moment of baptism, the Father adopts you. You have a dad in heaven. One of my favorite moments at baptism is when I get to hold a baby, and we all pray to our Father because that’s the first moment this child can claim God as a dad. So, no matter your relationship with your biological Father, you have a perfect Father in heaven. He claims you, and he chooses you. Have confidence in your Father in heaven. And if you still need to be baptized, put that on your to-do list for this week.
Reel Homilies with Father Tim Anastos is free to watch, but it’s not free to produce! Generous donors make it possible for us to continue creating this content. If you enjoy Reel Homilies, please consider making a monthly tax-deductible gift. Spirit Juice Entertainment Group (SJEG) is the non-profit arm of Spirit Juice Studios. It is a 501(c)3 organization that relies on your support to continue creating original, authentically Catholic content that reaches thousands of people each week through our website and social media channels.
Start a new monthly donation and receive an array of Reel Homilies and Spirit Juice swag in gratitude for your generosity. For more information, please visit our Reel Homilies Support page.
To qualify, you must donate a minimum of $10 per month. All gifts in between will be rounded down to the nearest package amount. Please allow 6-8 weeks for your package to be shipped. Questions? Contact us at [email protected]. Your donation is tax-deductible within the United States, and we will provide a tax receipt for your records.
-
Imitate Jesus
I am so excited. Our Newman Center just got a new statue of St. Joseph. It was handcrafted in Germany, it is absolutely beautiful, and my favorite thing about it is that the baby Jesus, the Lord of the universe, is holding the world, but is being held by his dad, St. Joseph, and the baby Jesus is safe and resting in his dad’s arms. St. Joseph was a good father, and he must have learned how to be a…
-
Waiting Like Mary
Ever wonder where the Pope goes on vacation? Castel Gandolfo, a quiet, beautiful place where a statue of Our Lady points to her Immaculate Heart with the words cor meum vigilat: “My heart is ever vigilant” As we enter the First Sunday of Advent, the Gospel calls us to that same posture: be prepared. We don’t know the day or the hour, but Mary shows us the best way to wait. Her whole life was marked by trust. From Jesus’ childhood to His Passion, she remained vigilant, steady, and confident that the Father would take care of everything. This Advent, we’re invited to wait like Mary, with a heart that’s watchful, calm, and full of trust in our Father.
-
Keep It Simple
A couple of weeks ago, a student approached me after mass and told me, “Hey, Father, you’re homily today. It has many overly complicated words. Next time, make it simpler.” And then they left, and then I cried myself to sleep. A lot of the time, we overcomplicate things. All we have to do is make things simple. This is precisely what the apostles do in the gospel for this Sunday. Jesus told the…
