Getting into heaven is just like slacklining. If you’ve ever been to a college campus, you’ll notice those people who go on tightropes in the quad trying to balance on these slack lines. And so I’ve done it before, and I lasted about two seconds. The key is to keep your eyes forward and on the slack line. As soon as you start turning your head to the side or looking at other things, you lose your balance. You fall, whoa.
In the gospel for this Sunday, people ask Jesus, Who’s he going to get into heaven? How many people will be saved? Tell me, tell me, tell me. And Jesus answers in a very Jesus way. And he says, Enter the narrow gate. Jesus is basically saying, Mind your own business and keep your eyes on me. It’s Jesus who is our salvation. We need to keep our eyes on him, mind our own business, and let our hearts conform to his heart.
This is Spirit Juice. Peace.
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.
-
Strong and Unbreakable
So, when I was a kid, something traumatic happened to me. Plants invaded our house. Vines from the outside got so strong that they started to destroy our brick wall. You can see my dad peeling off that plant carpet that got so strong that it was destroying our brick. In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus says, “I am the vine; you are the branches.” Jesus is the great unifier. We are all…
-
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…
-
The Word “But”
My favorite word in the gospel for this Sunday is the conjunction “but.” I love the part where the apostles say to Jesus, “Jesus, we have worked all night. We have caught nothing. But at your command, we will lower the nets.” The word “but” is so powerful because it shows the relationship with Jesus. A lot of the time, we don’t use that word. All we ask is the question, “Why?” “Jesus, why am I suffering like this?” “Why would…
