Defensiveness, denial, rationalization, avoidance. What do these things have in common? It’s what we do when we avoid shame. None of us like to experience shame. None of us like to experience suffering. And we love to avoid. We love to deny. We love to distract ourselves because shame does not feel good. Here is the gospel, though, where Saint Peter does the same thing. He tells Jesus, “No, you cannot die. You cannot suffer. You cannot experience shame. I will protect you. I will defend you. We will avoid this.” But the reality is that Jesus Christ embraces all of these things. He embraces shame. He embraces suffering for us. This is what makes Christianity so radical that our God is not afraid to embrace shame and suffering for us. So the next time that you experience some shame or suffering, you know that your God has gone before you experience this with you.
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.
-
Something That Lasts
I recently took my college kids on a pilgrimage to Orvieto, Italy. Orvieto is the home to a Eucharistic Miracle, and I could talk about the Eucharistic Miracle all day. What is so crazy is that St. Thomas Aquinas lived during the time of this Eucharistic Miracle. St. Thomas Aquinas fell so deeply in love with Jesus and the Eucharist that he wrote “The Tantum Ergo.” “The Tantum Ergo” is sung every day around the world…
-
Against The Grain
Okay, so fish are fascinating. Did you know that salmon swim upstream for almost 2,000 miles every year? This is insane. This Sunday, we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family, and the family are like fish always swimming upstream. No matter what is going on in the culture, no matter what is happening in the world, the family is always being counter-cultural, going against the grain, bringing life, and providing…
-
Holy Saturday 2024
This is a little dated, but the “Bourne” trilogy. Jason Bourne, an ex-assassin, runs away and hides from the government. He does everything in his power, training, and skill to hide from the government, and he succeeds. When it comes to being a Christian, we will never succeed at hiding from Jesus. Today, Holy Saturday, what does Jesus do? Before the…
