So wouldn’t it be easier if Juliet forced Romeo to love him? Then, none of that heartbreak would’ve happened. So what if Jim from “The Office” forced Pam to love him in the first season? Then, none of that drama or heartbreak would’ve happened. The answer is no. Because forced love is not love. In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus is tempted by Satan to throw himself down, to reveal his glory, to reveal his divinity to the world. It would be so much easier for people to love him if they knew he was God. Again, forced love is not love. It is so easy for us to be like that, to say, “Jesus, please just heal all illnesses. Get rid of all suffering from the world, and then everything will be good.” Jesus’ love is never forced. It’s never imposed. And so we are the ones who say yes to him. Choose Jesus this Lent. This is Spirit Juice, peace.
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Will You Know Jesus?
If I were blindfolded and placed in front of a lineup of women, one of them being my mom, I absolutely would be able to choose my mom out of the lineup because I know her. I know how she speaks to me. I know what she smells like. I know everything about her. I know it all. In the gospel for this Sunday, Jesus speaks to those who are not prepared, amen. I do not know you. It’s terrifying…
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Don’t Say Whatever, Say Amen
I’ve been to many weddings recently. Love is in the air. At one wedding, a man came into the church wearing a t-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops. The best man approached him and said, “Dude, you can’t be here like this.” And the friend responded, “Whatever, man.” In the Gospel, for this Sunday, a wedding guest is not wearing his wedding garment. He’s saying to the whole wedding party…
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Second Chances
So it’s about time we talked about Michael Corleone. In the second “Godfather,” Michael Corleone has all of the opportunities, so many second chances, to step away from the violence of the mob. But in all those second chances, he decides to choose everything that is not good. In the gospel for this Sunday, Jesus is giving us hope, but He’s also warning us. Jesus is always giving us second chances. If we turn back to…
