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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Focal Point in Life
So, were you aware that the new pope is an art critic? Pope Leo XIV, in his first-ever Wednesday audience, used a painting from Van Gogh called “Sower at Sunset.” In this painting, Pope Leo explains that the sower, the one who plants the seeds, is not the focal point of the painting. The focal point of the painting is the sun. It is the sun that produces the fruit. It is the sun that creates the life. And that is our…
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Hungry for Jesus
Okay, so let’s talk about sushi. It is a common experience that when people eat sushi, they feel more hungry afterward. There are so many factors to this. White rice is quickly digestible. There is very little protein within sushi. The salty soy sauce that we consume also makes us really, really thirsty and really, really hungry. All these factors combined do not satisfy us. In the gospel for this Sunday, Jesus…
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The Lord Keeps Us Safe
So, have you ever seen those videos of police dogs that attack the guy wearing the crazy, weird-looking suit? Sometimes I feel like that’s my life. There are many times when I feel attacked, and I feel like I’m out of control, and I don’t feel safe. In the gospel for this Sunday, the apostles experienced the same thing. The storm is attacking them, and they are not safe. But what does Jesus do…
