Do you remember the first time anyone ever whispered in your ear? Probably not. Me neither, except it was probably my mom. Who whispered? Your brother’s my favorite. Anyway, there is a Jewish tradition where parents of a newborn child will whisper into their ear here, oh, Israel, the Lord is your God. The Lord alone. Therefore, you shall love the Lord your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. Isn’t that beautiful? And we hear that in the gospel for this Sunday. Jesus reminds us of those exact words. He is the fulfillment of those prayers. What a fantastic thing it would be if Catholic parents would whisper to their newborn, our Father who art in Heaven, hall, be thy name? Let us do it. So, allow Jesus to whisper into your heart good things because you’re worth that. You’re worth the very love of Jesus Christ.
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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God Is Proud Of You
There’s a powerful moment in Rocky Balboa when a wounded son is healed by the simple words of his father: “I’m proud of you.” Those words change everything. In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus does something just as striking. He praises John the Baptist. It’s a quiet but profound reminder that God doesn’t just correct or challenge us. He also delights in us. This Advent, consider a simple but healing question: When was the last time you allowed God to tell you He’s proud of you? As sons and daughters, we’re invited to receive those words and let them restore our hearts.
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Joy in the Midst of Suffering
So, have you ever felt like you are going to die after you get a paper cut or stub your toe? Me too. But blessed Chiara Luce Badano, a contemporary teenage saint of the church, teaches us how to have joy amid suffering. She contracted a rare form of cancer as a teenager. But amid her suffering, she knew that Jesus had already won in her heart, and she did not have to be afraid. Today, we celebrate…
