The Fr. Mike Schmitz Catholic Podcast

Fr. Mike explains why hope is the best remedy for suicidal thoughts. If you know someone struggling with such thoughts, don’t hesitate to reach out to them with reasons to have hope. If someone you know or love has committed suicide, pray for them and don’t lose hope for their soul. If you struggle with suicidal thoughts, don’t be ashamed to seek help. Fr. Mike shares these words of encouragement and more in this episode.

You may be familiar with the expression, “Hate the sin, not the sinner.” Fr. Mike would agree, especially when it comes to ourselves. We are quick to point out the sin we observe around us, but not as quick to examine our own souls. Along with this challenge to look inward, in this video Fr. Mike explains why we must hate sin in order to love God. Fr. Mike is also a presenter in these faith formation programs from Ascension: Belonging: Baptism in the Family of God Chosen: This is Your Catholic Faith Altaration: The Mystery of the Mass Revealed YOU: Life, Love and the Theology of the Body

Fr. Mike addresses some of the disagreements his audience expressed regarding last week’s video on mixed martial arts. Showing that he wasn’t singling out MMA, he gets to the root of the issue and asks, “Does the entertainment I choose help or harm my commitment to be like Jesus?”

Sometimes the forms of entertainment we choose to watch raise important moral questions. In this episode, Fr. Mike puts the sport of mixed martial arts on trial for its glorification of unnecessary violence. He distinguishes between the ability to defend yourself and forcing someone into submission through physical strength. Drawing from Christ’s example of meekness, Fr. Mike explains how martial arts as a discipline can be noble while mixed martial arts as entertainment is not.

In Matthew 17:20,​ Jesus tells us if we have faith as small as a mustard seed we could move mountains. The problem is most of us don’t put our faith to use. In this video, Fr. Mike invites us to make use of the gifts God has already given us. In doing so, we may become so overjoyed by our natural gifts that we can’t help but share them with others. Fr. Mike is also a presenter in these faith formation programs from Ascension:

The Book of Eli (Denzel Washington) and The Road (Viggo Mortensen) provide powerful illustrations for Fr. Mike’s talk about hope this week. These two dystopian stories demonstrate how hope can give us the strength to put everything on the line for something or someone we love, even when we know we may not see the fruits of our sacrifice. Fr. Mike is also a presenter in these faith formation programs from Ascension: Belonging: Baptism in the Family of God Chosen: This is Your Catholic Faith Altaration: The Mystery of the Mass Revealed

Fr. Mike Schmitz wants to straighten out some confusion regarding Catholics’ veneration of saints. In this episode, he explains how—far from being icons to worship—statues and paintings of the saints are reminders of what God can do in someone’s life, so honoring the saints doesn’t take away from the glory we give God. It actually brings him greater glory. You may also like the article “Why Pray to Mary and the Saints?” on The Great Adventure Blog.

Leaving our coffee cups outside - there are a few reasons for this. Fr. Mike reminds us that we all have a vital role to play in the Mass, and it’s probably more significant than any of us realized!

There are many similarities and differences between the Catholic Church and the Protestant churches. In this video, Fr. Mike Schmitz narrows the differences down to one thing that really sets Catholicism apart from the rest. If you like this video, you may also like Sonja Corbitt’s blog post “Is Jesus the Only Mediator” on The Great Adventure Blog.

Father Mike uses the classic myths involving the Sirens to explain some ways to avoid temptation. He points out the differences between the ways Ulysses, his crew, and Jason of the Argonauts dealt with the monsters and suggests we use some advice St. Paul gave to the Philippians when dealing with temptations.

Fr. Mike uses a memory from the seminary to discuss a lesson about self-identity. He asks us what we would like to be known for at the end of the day. Some of us want to be recognized for our talents or for our interests, but Fr. Mike narrows it down to the identity in life that matters most.

Some people reject the idea of purgatory because they misunderstand its purpose. In this episode, Fr. Mike explains why purgatory is needed and straightens out some of those misunderstandings.

Does your life revolve around your relationship with God, or is your relationship with him just a side-note?

What do we need to do as Catholic Christians to convey that the message of our religion is one of pure love? So often we misrepresent what it means to be Christian, causing many people to just see judgment when they see us upholding our principles. In this episode, Fr. Mike emphasizes how important it is to live what we believe, and that means loving people so much that even when they harm us, we continue to love them.

Many of us have learned the hard way that too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. In this episode, Fr. Mike shows us how to savor life’s delights without losing our ability to enjoy life. He gives palpable examples as he demonstrates how our favorite things—when enjoyed in the right quantity and for the right reasons—can give us more patience, temperance, freedom, and joy.

When we’re going through hard times, it’s easy to think we deserve better from God. In this episode, Fr. Mike uses a compelling story from the book of Daniel to exemplify the challenging but proper response to adversity. As tough as it may be, finding a way to thank God no matter the situation is a sure way to holiness.

Many people wonder, and even become angry, about God’s ways. In this episode for Good Friday, Fr. Mike explains why God’s answers often seem like contradictions to us. While Jesus dying on the Cross makes no sense according to human wisdom, according to God’s perfect wisdom​,​ the Cross answers all our most burning questions in a way only God can answer them.

It’s a question that arises whenever someone challenges the beliefs of Christianity: If God is all-loving, why does he send people to hell? Some Christians choose to believe that hell doesn’t exist, or if it does, then only those guilty of the most heinous sins go there. Fr. Mike’s response in this video makes much more sense, and he offers an explanation of hell you can take to your grave.

Just about any question you might have about Lent is answered in this episode. Fr. Mike explains where the observance of Lent came from (the Bible), clarifies why Catholics observe the season, and shares how it can make a difference in our lives. Find more at www.ascensionpress.com/podcasts.