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 on the exterior. The reality is that you have already been claimed within the interior and within yourself. That Jesus Christ, from the moment of your baptism, you’ve been claimed by him. We place ashes on our foreheads to remind us that, yeah, we are broken, we are sinners, and we have temptations. We don’t like things about ourselves, but Ash Wednesday also reminds us that with that cross, you have been claimed, and you are his.
This is Spirit Juice. Happy Ash Wednesday. Peace.
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The Holy Name of Jesus
So, the coat of arms in my archdiocese is epic. It shows a phoenix, which is a symbol of resurrection. And on the chest of the phoenix is the IHS, which is the holy name of Jesus. And so, in the first reading for this Sunday, Saint Peter, our first pope, heals a man by the holy name of Jesus. He can heal because of his name because Jesus’ name is mighty. In the Old Testament…
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Let Jesus Satisfy
St. John the Baptist might be the original hipster, organic locusts, honey, vintage camel hair, but more importantly, he was the first to point to Jesus and say, “Behold the Lamb of God.” He reminds us that only Jesus can truly satisfy. Even our best moments can still feel incomplete. One student described the “best day of her life” surrounded by everyone she loved… yet something was missing. She realized that missing piece was Jesus. Joy is good but without Him, it never feels whole. This Advent, get your priorities straight: let Jesus be the one who fills what nothing else can. Point to Him, stay focused, and don’t waste the weeks leading up to Christmas.
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Embrace Everything From Jesus
Okay, guys, it’s time for class, Spiritual Warfare 101. When it comes to discerning something in our hearts, when it comes to our prayer, the evil one, Satan, causes fear, division, confusion, and chaos. Jesus Christ, our Lord, and God causes peace, tranquility, love, union, and greater faith. In our gospel today, Jesus says, “The thief has come to steal and kill and destroy…
