A couple of weeks ago, a student approached me after mass and told me, “Hey, Father, you’re homily today. It has many overly complicated words. Next time, make it simpler.” And then they left, and then I cried myself to sleep. A lot of the time, we overcomplicate things. All we have to do is make things simple. This is precisely what the apostles do in the gospel for this Sunday. Jesus told the apostles, “I will be handed over to men. I will be killed, and in three days, I will rise from the dead.” The apostles try to find some deeper hidden meaning in it, and they lose the reality of it. So, we always do this with Jesus and His will and love for us. But Jesus speaks to us very simply, clearly, and lovingly. In your prayer, be convinced that Jesus is simple. He is clear. He is gentle with us. This is Spirit Juice. Peace.
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Who Jesus Is
Who’s the most powerful person to ever come out of Kansas? Clark Kent, aka Superman. And the reason he’s Superman isn’t just where he came from, but who formed him. In this Sunday’s Gospel, the mystery of the Virgin Birth helps us understand something even greater: this is who Jesus is. Fully God and fully human. His divinity comes from the Father in heaven, and His humanity comes through Mary, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is shaped by the Father, formed by Mary and Joseph, and sent for us. As Christmas approaches, we’re invited to pause and reflect on the beauty of who He truly is God with us.
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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…
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God’s Not A Scrooge
Ebenezer Scrooge. Such a grouch, such a curmudgeon, such a grumpy source, Rex. And often, we see the Heavenly Father as an Ebenezer Scrooge figure. He is just waiting for us to make a mistake. He’s rolling his eyes, saying, I wish you were more virtuous. I want you to sin less often. In the gospel, Jesus turns it on its head and says, You have a good Father. What? A good father would not give good gifts to…
