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 Gaudete Sunday, the church saying, no, you have to be joyful. Even if your life sucks, you can still choose joy. We know and are convicted as Christians that Jesus Christ has won. Pope Francis said joy is the air we breathe as Christians, no matter what happens. You can have joy because Jesus has claimed us. My favorite thing that blessed Chiara said was, I’m going to die, but I still have my heart. And with that, I can love.
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.
-
Reclaim Your Identity In Christ
Spoiler alert! If you have or haven’t seen Obi-Wan Kenobi, the new show on Disney+, here is Obi-Wan Kenobi, who is struggling with a lot of fear. Obi-Wan gets rid of his identity as a Jedi and buries his lightsaber in the sand. But what’s so amazing is one of his buddies, Senator Organa, comes to him and basically reminds him of his…
-
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…
-
Embracing Shame
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…
