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.
-
Be Jesus for Others
Sometimes we imagine two extremes: people who follow rules without love, and others who talk about love without any truth or commitment. But Jesus gives us something completely different.
In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus says, “This is my commandment: love one another.” Love isn’t just a feeling we fall into, it’s something we choose. It’s active. It’s sacrificial. It’s becoming like Jesus for the people around us.
That’s the challenge of the Christian life: not just to feel love, but to live it. To choose, again and again, to be Christ for others.
-
Feeling Not Good Enough?
When we hear the lie, “I’m not enough”, it can start to feel true. Not good enough. Not smart enough. Not worthy enough.
But on the Feast of Corpus Christi, the Eucharist tells us something completely different. Your worth is one Eucharist. That is how deeply Jesus loves you, and that is what makes you enough.
In the Eucharist, Jesus doesn’t just give Himself to us, He receives us, all of us. So come to Him with your doubts, your wounds, and your whole heart, knowing that He is ready to receive you.
-
Afraid of Death?
Okay, so have you ever seen a Samoan war chant? One of the most intimidating things you will ever see in your life. The war chant is taunting the other team, taunting the enemy, saying, we’re not afraid of you. There’s nothing about you that makes us scared. We are confident. We are not scared of you at all. This is precisely what St. Paul is doing in the second reading for this Sunday. He is saying directly to death…
