The Fr. Mike Schmitz Catholic Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Motivation to Go to Catholic Mass Feb 01, 2018

Show notes

You may have heard priests or devout Catholics say something like, “If only people knew what was happening at Mass, they’d be more willing to go.” That may be true, but in this episode, Fr. Mike also gets to the more practical—and painfully direct—heart of the matter. He points out that the heart of worship is sacrifice, and ultimately it’s not about how engaged or entertained we are. Mass isn’t about us; it’s about God and what he asks of us.

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Why God Gave Us Bodies Jan 25, 2018

Show notes

God made the world—and you—on purpose. What is that purpose? Well, that’s what St. John Paul II went to great lengths to explain in his Theology of the Body talks, which Fr. Mike sums up beautifully in this episode. With profound simplicity, Fr. Mike—inspired by St. John Paul II—shares the fundamental truths of this ingenious vision of humanity and sexuality. Made in God’s image and likeness, you are your body, and you are made for love. What you do with your body matters. You’ll have to watch the video to get the last and most powerful point. It’s amazing.

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Inspiration to Stop Complaining Jan 18, 2018

Show notes

St. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, “In all things give thanks” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). In this episode, Fr. Mike shows us how to live up to that challenge, helping us to see that everything we complain about can be viewed as an opportunity to praise God. This isn’t just good advice. It is what’s required of us as Christians. Sure, we will have times when we need to vent to a confidant; but—as Fr. Mike suggests—keeping our complaining to a minimum is a great way to prove we are striving to do God’s will.

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The Virgin Mary's Struggles Jan 11, 2018

Show notes

If we want to be holy, the Virgin Mary should have an integral role in our spiritual life; but sometimes, perhaps, you might think you cannot relate to the Blessed Mother because she was immaculately conceived and didn’t have to struggle with sin as we do. In this episode, Fr. Mike shares how even though Mary did not struggle with sin, she still had her own unique struggle that we can relate to when we are seeking holiness.

Fr. Mike is also a presenter in these faith formation programs from Ascension:
Belonging: Baptism in the Family of God (http://bit.ly/2rdOFy7)
Chosen: This is Your Catholic Faith (http://bit.ly/2r32vUK)
Altaration: The Mystery of the Mass Revealed (http://bit.ly/2rIYjfE)
YOU: Life, Love and the Theology of the Body (http://bit.ly/2nKLug5)
Get 18 of Fr. Mike’s best Ascension Presents videos in this exclusive DVD from Ascension:
Ascension Presents … Fr. Mike Schmitz (http://bit.ly/2sKUnJN)
Fr. Mike spoke at the Ascension Cafe during the World Meeting of Families. Watch him and other speakers get fired up over the gospel in the Ascension Cafe DVD (http://bit.ly/2sYtQaW).

MORE FROM ASCENSION:

Ascension Press main website: http://ascensionpress.com
Ascension Presents website: http://ascensionpresents.com
The Great Adventure Blog: http://biblestudyforcatholics.com/blog

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The Secret to Sticking to a New Year's Resolution Jan 04, 2018

Show notes

So you felt a strong wave of inspiration and became determined to make a New Year’s resolution. Great. Now what? In this episode, Fr. Mike teaches how to strike a balance between great change and manageable consistency, so you can tackle that resolution with determination and wisdom. By starting with small steps and plotting a course of action, you will experience what it means to be faithful and become who God is calling you to be by the end of the year.

Fr. Mike is also a presenter in these faith formation programs from Ascension:

Belonging: Baptism in the Family of God (http://bit.ly/2rdOFy7)
Chosen: This is Your Catholic Faith (http://bit.ly/2r32vUK)
Altaration: The Mystery of the Mass Revealed (http://bit.ly/2rIYjfE)
YOU: Life, Love and the Theology of the Body (http://bit.ly/2nKLug5)

Get 18 of Fr. Mike’s best Ascension Presents videos in this exclusive DVD from Ascension:
Ascension Presents … Fr. Mike Schmitz (http://bit.ly/2sKUnJN)

Fr. Mike spoke at the Ascension Cafe during the World Meeting of Families. Watch him and other speakers get fired up over the gospel in the Ascension Cafe DVD (http://bit.ly/2sYtQaW).

Support The Fr. Mike Schmitz Catholic Podcast

Christmas: A Time for Hope Dec 28, 2017

Show notes

While many of us may become stressed out before Christmas and depressed afterwards—working hard to make the holiday perfect and burning out once it’s all “over”—the Light of the season can still shine through if we remember one thing. In this episode, Fr. Mike Schmitz explains what it means for Christmas to be a season of hope, and reminds us that strengthening our relationship with Jesus while learning to trust him is the one thing that matters this season.

Fr. Mike is also a presenter in these faith formation programs from Ascension:

Get 18 of Fr. Mike’s best Ascension Presents videos in this exclusive DVD from Ascension:
Ascension Presents … Fr. Mike Schmitz (http://bit.ly/2sKUnJN)

Fr. Mike spoke at the Ascension Cafe during the World Meeting of Families. Watch him and other speakers get fired up over the gospel in the Ascension Cafe DVD (http://bit.ly/2sYtQaW).

MORE FROM ASCENSION:

Ascension Press main website: http://ascensionpress.com
Ascension Presents website: http://ascensionpresents.com
The Great Adventure Blog: http://biblestudyforcatholics.com/blog

Support The Fr. Mike Schmitz Catholic Podcast

Learning How To Love from the Bible Dec 21, 2017

Show notes

Do you want to learn how to love like the Bible teaches? Bible-based love, indeed any Bible-based relationships, can be attained if we understand what the Bible says about love. Loving someone rightly is difficult because selfish motives often seep into even our closest relationships. In this episode, Fr. Mike Schmitz connects the Old and New Testaments, using the story of the Fall in Genesis to show how, despite our selfish motives, we are still made for love. He shows how the Fall was not a curse from God but a remedy for humanity’s broken idea of love. Because Adam and Eve — and subsequently, each one of us — chose self-preservation over self-gift and wanted pleasure apart from sacrifice, God had to teach us that love costs something. He provided a remedy and a Redeemer so we could learn to be a gift from him to others.

Fr. Mike is also a presenter in these faith formation programs from Ascension:

Get 18 of Fr. Mike’s best Ascension Presents videos in this exclusive DVD from Ascension:
Ascension Presents … Fr. Mike Schmitz (http://bit.ly/2sKUnJN)

Fr. Mike spoke at the Ascension Cafe during the World Meeting of Families. Watch him and other speakers get fired up over the gospel in the Ascension Cafe DVD (http://bit.ly/2sYtQaW).

MORE FROM ASCENSION:

Ascension Press main website: http://ascensionpress.com
Ascension Presents website: http://ascensionpresents.com
The Great Adventure Blog: http://biblestudyforcatholics.com/blog

Support The Fr. Mike Schmitz Catholic Podcast

Straightforward Career and Job Advice Dec 13, 2017

Show notes

It’s all too common for us to think of our work as either the thing that gives us our identity, or something to be avoided at all cost, or some unhealthy combination of those two misleading philosophies. In this episode, Fr. Mike aims to bring inspiration to our everyday jobs by showing us how our labor can be a way to share in God’s nature. By striving to look past humanity’s brokenness and sin, we can move beyond seeing work as a burden, and see how every act of work has dignity.

Fr. Mike is also a presenter in these faith formation programs from Ascension:

Get 18 of Fr. Mike’s best Ascension Presents videos in this exclusive DVD from Ascension:
Ascension Presents … Fr. Mike Schmitz (http://bit.ly/2sKUnJN)

Fr. Mike spoke at the Ascension Cafe during the World Meeting of Families. Watch him and other speakers get fired up over the gospel in the Ascension Cafe DVD (http://bit.ly/2sYtQaW).

MORE FROM ASCENSION:

Ascension Press main website: http://ascensionpress.com
Ascension Presents website: http://ascensionpresents.com
The Great Adventure Blog: http://biblestudyforcatholics.com/blog

Support The Fr. Mike Schmitz Catholic Podcast

The Problem With Criticism Dec 07, 2017

Show notes

In this episode, Fr. Mike delivers a crackdown on habitual criticism. He discusses how easy it is to criticize something, and how hard it is to create something and open yourself to be critiqued. While pointing out how excessive criticism is a form of cowardice, he invites us to have courage and stand for the Creed while accepting the risk of criticism that comes with doing so.

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Finding God in Darkness Nov 30, 2017

Show notes

The phrase “dark night of the soul” is thrown around quite a bit in Catholic circles, but what does it mean exactly? In this episode, Fr. Mike Schmitz explains precisely what is happening in our souls when we feel this kind of spiritual darkness, and he encourages us to hang in there when it happens; because it means God is preparing our souls for much greater things.

Support The Fr. Mike Schmitz Catholic Podcast