There is this guy. You may know him, you may not. His name is Squidward Tentacles. Squidward Tentacles is incredibly negative. He is constantly judging, and he is always finding fault in others. He is not a fun person to be around. The thing is, we can do that as well. We are so attracted to negativity. We’re drawn to crazy comments on social media. We are attracted to the drama of friends that isn’t ours. We are attracted to finding faults in other people. And what does that do? That brings us a lack of peace. In the gospel today, Jesus speaks about the separation of the weeds and the wheat, and he talks about people being overly concerned with ripping out the weeds instead of the wheat. And so we can so easily be concentrated on the negativity that we forget about our relationship with the Lord. Keeping our eyes on Jesus will give us peace and will provide us with freedom. Reject Squidward. And embrace discipleship.
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God Is Proud Of You
There’s a powerful moment in Rocky Balboa when a wounded son is healed by the simple words of his father: “I’m proud of you.” Those words change everything. In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus does something just as striking. He praises John the Baptist. It’s a quiet but profound reminder that God doesn’t just correct or challenge us. He also delights in us. This Advent, consider a simple but healing question: When was the last time you allowed God to tell you He’s proud of you? As sons and daughters, we’re invited to receive those words and let them restore our hearts.
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First Whispered Words
Do you remember the first time anyone ever whispered in your ear? Probably not. Me neither, except it was probably my mom. Who whispered? Your brother’s my favorite. Anyway, there is a Jewish tradition where parents of a newborn child will whisper into their ear here, oh, Israel, the Lord is your God. The Lord alone. Therefore, you shall love the Lord your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all…
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Neville Longbottom and King David
Okay, everyone, hot take: Neville Longbottom is the real hero of the Harry Potter series. Looking at him from the outside, it doesn’t look like he should be in Gryffindor, nor doesn’t look like he has anything to offer. But if you read the whole series, you realize within the heart of Neville is a pure heart that is courageous and full of self-sacrificial…
