Every year, this Gospel comes up during Lent, and every single year, it wrecks me. Yes, priests can get emotional, too, okay? In the Gospel of the Samaritan woman, she finds her identity in all the husbands who use her. And here is Jesus who is love Himself. And what’s so incredible is that He loves her well, and He loves her how she is called to be loved. She and her sins do not scandalize him, but He also disapproves of her and her sins.
The true love of Jesus Christ, He calls her to holiness, He calls her to Himself. My invitation for all of you today is to allow yourself to be loved like the Samaritan woman, to let Jesus look at you and your sins, and realize that Jesus is not scandalized, but He doesn’t approve of it either, and He calls you to holiness. Jesus is the only one who satisfies.
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 donate@spiritjuice.org. Your donation is tax-deductible within the United States, and we will provide a tax receipt for your records.
-
Good Friday
At 3:00 p.m. today, my face will be on the floor. For Catholics, on Good Friday, the priest lays prostrate on the ground, representing Jesus giving his whole self, his whole body for us. It signifies total reverence and honor to our Lord, who gave everything. And what I love about our chapel at the Newman Center is that my head will be lying upon the Latin words “Dominum et vivificantem,” which means “The Lord, the giver of…
-
The King of the Universe
Man, I’m pumped. Today is the Solemnity of Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. Sounds like something from Dr. Strange. And then in the Gospel today, the good thief says, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” That we have a kingdom, that we have a king. We don’t have a king that wears a golden…
-
True Love Costs Something
Remember when Hiccup loses his leg in “How to Train Your Dragon”? It’s an emotional rollercoaster. The love that Hiccup has for his family and Toothless leads to him sacrificing one of his legs. Hiccup’s love costs something, and the gospel for this Sunday, Jesus, is very clear: it is easy to love when it’s easy to love, but real, true, authentic, Christ-centered love costs something. Are we just loving Jesus when it’s easy when…
