Jen + Juice

Sunday, August 17, 2025
Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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First Reading:
Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10
In the first reading, the prophet Jeremiah was unjustly thrown into the cistern, awaiting his death by thirst and starvation. But before he fully met that fate, he was risen from the pit and lived.

Responsorial Psalm:
Psalms 40:2, 3, 4, 14b, 18
The responsorial psalm is a beautiful scriptural poem about the deaths and rebirths we often experience in our lives. When we are navigating the darkness, if we cry out to God for help, we will always be heard and answered. We just have to open our hearts, eyes, and ears to receive the answer — and then follow it (which is often the hardest part). Our cries are never in vain.

Second Reading:
Hebrews 12:1-4
The second reading talks about Jesus’ willingness to unjustly, yet humbly, carry his cross and be crucified. He endured the extreme slander of others, and set the highest example for us by making the ultimate sacrifice of the flesh, standing in the Highest Truth. The death of the flesh led to the soul’s ascension into Glory. Hosanna in the Highest!

Alleluia:
John 10:27
“My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.”

Gospel Reading:
Luke 12:49-53
In the Gospel reading, we hear Jesus say that he didn’t incarnate to bring peace; he came to ruffle some feathers. He came to disrupt humanity’s attachment to the flesh, or to the ego, in order to set our souls free. He warned it wouldn’t come easily though, because it would lead to separation — which oddly enough, is divinely intended to ultimately lead us to Unity.

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The truth shall set you free.

As valid as that statement is, if only it were that easy — am I right?

It’s hard to do the right thing sometimes, because that means we might potentially upset some people. And the people-pleaser in many of us doesn’t wanna inconvenience anyone.

Ope, ‘scuze me. Lemme just squeeze right past ya.

Gotta keep the peace at all costs!

But Jesus showed up and was like, “Yeah, f- that.”

Okay, he probably didn’t say that, but basically. He did flip some tables once though, so I mean, I dunno…

Jesus incarnated as the Holy Spirit in human form, wielding the Sword of His Tongue — the Sword of Truth — and people didn’t really like to hear what he had to say very much. Kinda pissed them off.

The Jewish Temple and the Roman Empire had a quid-pro-quo relationship going on. Sure there was tension, but they could keep the “peace” if they each held up their ends of the bargain. Problem was, the relationship was built on greed and control, not on truth, love, and compassion. Not on integrity.

Then Jesus showed up as the prophesied Messiah, shining his Light brighter than the blinding white flame of burning magnesium (that’s really freaking bright), claiming to build a new Kingdom built on Truth. But in order to do this, he first had to shine that Light on the shadows of the status quo.

Many of the Jews winced at Jesus’ Light and had trouble accepting him as the Messiah. They believed the true Messiah would be a mighty ruler, establishing an Israeli army to overtake Rome. They expected their Messiah to subscribe to their separation mindset and take their side.

But nope, Jesus didn’t come to overthrow Rome like the Jews expected. He came to overthrow Rome *and* the corruption within the Jewish Temple. Not by taking anybody’s side, but by challenging *both sides*. Not by wielding a literal sword, but by wielding the Sword of Truth.

Hold up…this us vs. them, taking-a-side stuff sounds kinda familiar, doesn’t it? Gosh, where have I heard that before…

*Ahem* Anyway…

He was deemed blasphemous because he delivered the Truth of the ever-expanding message of God. He brought new truth and new wisdom. He called people out, even the highest of the hierarchy in the Temple, on their un-heart-centeredness, self-serving agendas, their hypocrisy, and their need for validation and praise.

How dare he!

I mean, they even released a murderer in exchange for Jesus’ crucifixion.. They really did not like him very much.

Jesus was fully aware of what would happen to him, and you can see in multiple verses in the Gospels that he was in agony and felt the dread of his fate (Matthew 26:36-46, Mark 14:32-42, Luke 22:41-44). He knew what was coming, and he was scared. Even Jesus, the human incarnate of Christ, was scared. But he leaned into God, surrendered to the call, and did it anyway.

“Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, not my will but yours be done.“

He endured the ultimate surrender of the flesh.

Jesus is the personification of the ego death — the crucifixion of the flesh in order for the soul to rise and be Born Again in Glory. May the choirs of the angels rejoice! Hallelujah!
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Embodying your truth will sometimes create what appears to be separation among some key people in your life. But remember, this so-called separation is just an illusion of the flesh, of the ego. As we surrender and allow the ego to die — even if it is absolutely terrifyingly terrifying — our souls will be caught by the Most High, and be risen up in glory.

This will ultimately lead us all, everyone, every single one of us, back to Unity Consciousness. To Christ Consciousness.

As above, so below.
As within, so without.
On Earth, as it is in Heaven.

That’s my prayer for us, anyway.
Lord, hear our prayer.

Our Creator knows our struggles and wants to lead us back Home. Like the painting in the Sistine Chapel, God is perpetually reaching out to Adam, waiting for Adam to reach back out to God.

God hears your calls. Do you hear God’s?

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Hymn:
“Amazing Grace”
1 Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
was blind, but now I see.

2 ‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
and grace my fears relieved;
how precious did that grace appear
the hour I first believed!

3 Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come:
’tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
and grace will lead me home.

Songs:
“Home in Your Heart” – Elephant Revival
Falling down,
Spin me ‘round.
No one said this would be easy now,
But you’ve gotta keep moving somehow.

Don’t push that river,
Let the river move you along.
There’s Home in your heart when there’s heart in your home.
Don’t force nothing and something will come around,
Light as a feather when you’re homeward bound,
Light as a feather when you’re home.

“Gravity” – A Perfect Circle
I am surrendering to the gravity and the unknown
Catch me, heal me, lift me back up to the Sun
I choose to live

“Reflection” – Tool
It’s calling me…
.
I must crucify the ego before it’s far too late
I pray the light lifts me out
Before I pine away
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So crucify the ego, before it’s far too late
And leave behind this place so negative and blind and cynical
And you will come to find that we are all one mind
Capable of all that’s imagined and all conceivable
So let the light touch you, and let the words spill through
And let them pass right through, bringing out our hope and reason
Before we pine away

“All Around You” – Sturgill Simpson
God is inside you
All around you
And up above
Knowing
Showing you the way
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First Reading:
Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10
4 In those days, the princes said to the king: “Jeremiah ought to be put to death; he is demoralizing the soldiers who are left in this city, and all the people, by speaking such things to them; he is not interested in the welfare of our people, but in their ruin.” 5 King Zedekiah answered: “He is in your power”; for the king could do nothing with them. 6 And so they took Jeremiah and threw him into the cistern of Prince Malchiah, which was in the quarters of the guard, letting him down with ropes. There was no water in the cistern, only mud, and Jeremiah sank into the mud.

8 Ebed-melech, a court official, went there from the palace and said to him: 9 “My lord king, these men have been at fault in all they have done to the prophet Jeremiah, casting him into the cistern. He will die of famine on the spot, for there is no more food in the city.” 10 Then the king ordered Ebed-melech the Cushite to take three men along with him, and draw the prophet Jeremiah out of the cistern before he should die.

Responsorial Psalm:
Psalms 40:2, 3, 4, 18
R. (14b) Lord, come to my aid!
2a I have waited, waited for the LORD,
and he stooped toward me.
R. Lord, come to my aid!
2bThe LORD heard my cry.
3 He drew me out of the pit of destruction,
 out of the mud of the swamp;
he set my feet upon a crag;
 he made firm my steps.
R. Lord, come to my aid!
4 And he put a new song into my mouth,
 a hymn to our God.
Many shall look on in awe
 and trust in the LORD.
R. Lord, come to my aid!
18 Though I am afflicted and poor,
 yet the LORD thinks of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
 O my God, hold not back!
R. Lord, come to my aid!

Second Reading:
Hebrews 12:1-4
1 Brothers and sisters: Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us 2 while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith. For the sake of the joy that lay before him he endured the cross, despising its shame, and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God. 3 Consider how he endured such opposition from sinners, in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart. 4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood.

Alleluia:
John 10:27
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
27 My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Reading:
Luke 12:49-53
49 Jesus said to his disciples: “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing! 50 There is a baptism with which I must be baptized, and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished! 51 Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. 52 From now on a household of five will be divided, three against two and two against three; 53 a father will be divided against his son and a son against his father, a mother against her daughter and a daughter against her mother, a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”
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