Okay, so maybe you are a glass-half-empty kind of person, or you are like me, and you are a glass overflowing. Everything is awesome all of the time, and nothing is ever wrong kind of person. But in the Gospel for this Sunday, St. Thomas the Apostle is a glass-half-empty kind of person. He is very skeptical.
Something is intriguing happening here. Thomas, a man who demands raw data, encounters Jesus, who understands Thomas’s heart and uniquely reveals himself. This is Jesus for all of us. Jesus Christ knows you intimately. He understands your personality and heart, and he’s not deterred by it. He longs to reveal himself to you in a way that is uniquely meaningful to you. This is the heart of the Gospel. This is the incredible news that the Lord knows you and chooses you, time and time again. Amen. On this divine mercy Sunday, remember that this Gospel story is a testament to the Lord’s love for you. Jesus Christ is the main character, not St. Thomas. This is the Spirit Juice. Peace.
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Blessed Are The Peacemakers
If we aren’t at peace within ourselves, we often end up recruiting others into our inner battles. That’s why Jesus’ words in this Sunday’s Gospel matter so much: “Blessed are the peacemakers.” True peace doesn’t start “out there.” It begins by making peace with ourselves and before that, making peace with Jesus. Only then can we become people who bring peace into the lives of others. Like any true peacemaker, we have to face our fears, reject what pulls us away from God, and let Christ define who we are. That’s where real peace is found and where it can finally begin to spread.
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From Mud Pies to Beautiful Beaches
Guys, C.S. Lewis is such a stud. He is a champion and a man among men when it comes to the Christian faith. And he had a great quote, “We are like ignorant children. Completely happy and content playing with mud pies in the dirt when we have no idea what an invitation to the beach at the sea would be like.” Jesus is inviting us to live…
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Who Comes First?
The people we love should matter deeply, our family, our spouse, our friends, the people who need us. But in this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus asks a challenging question: who comes first?
When Jesus says that anyone who loves father or mother more than Him is not worthy of Him, He isn’t dismissing our relationships. He’s showing us the proper order of love. When Jesus is truly first, every other love in our life becomes rightly ordered.
So the question is simple but serious: is Jesus actually the center of your life? Family, comfort, plans, priorities. When everything is on the table, who wins? Don’t stand Him up.
