So one of the most memorable experiences of being a Chicago Blackhawks fan was the 2013 Grant Park Victory Parade to celebrate the fact that the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup. Thousands of people were in Grant Park, and there was this one moment that I will never forget. In front of thousands, Jonathan Toews raises the Stanley Cup over his head, and everyone goes crazy. People start bowing. People start lying on the ground prostrate. People were worshiping the Stanley Cup.
That is what idolatry is. I remember my heart sinking and thinking, “Oh my gosh, this is idolatry.” The second reading for today, Saint Paul, shouts to the world. Boast only Jesus Christ. Your boast is your Lord and God who died for you, who lives and loves you with incredible love. What are the actual idols in my life that I may worship? Boast only in Jesus Christ.
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Unforgivable Sin
The Nightmare Before Christmas. The one character that people love to hate is the Mayor of Halloween Town. The Mayor is smiling on the outside, but on the inside is absolutely selfish. This is the perfect example of what we see in the gospel with the Pharisee—the Pharisee, smiling on the outside, but absolutely selfish on the inside…
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Six Words To Describe Jesus
If you had to describe Jesus in six words or less, what would you say? In this Sunday’s Gospel, John the Baptist does exactly that. At the beginning, he calls Jesus the Lamb of God. At the end, he proclaims Him the Son of God. In just six words, John reveals everything: Jesus is equal with the Father, eternal, Lord, and King and at the same time the sacrifice who saves us. Fully divine. Fully given. That leaves us with one essential question: Who do you say that Jesus is?
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Holy Saturday 2024
This is a little dated, but the “Bourne” trilogy. Jason Bourne, an ex-assassin, runs away and hides from the government. He does everything in his power, training, and skill to hide from the government, and he succeeds. When it comes to being a Christian, we will never succeed at hiding from Jesus. Today, Holy Saturday, what does Jesus do? Before the…
