The Fr. Mike Schmitz Catholic Podcast

Sometimes when God tells us to wait he wants us to actively receive his grace for that moment. This is especially true during Advent. In this video, Fr. Mike Schmitz encourages us to prepare our souls for the arrival of Christ as we wait for Christmas Day.

What does Advent mean to you? A time to put the lights up, gift shop, and eat chocolate? Or is it something more? Fr. Mike says it’s good to prepare ourselves for Christmas during Advent, but ultimately that’s not what the liturgical season is about.

G.K. Chesterton said “thanks are the highest form of thought, and gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” In this video, Fr. Mike Schmitz maintains that a sense of gratitude is much more powerful than a sense of entitlement. We all have certain rights we should stand up for, but to recognize and appreciate a gift when it’s given to us is even more beautiful.

Fr. Mike Schmitz shines light on the blind spots in our spiritual life and points out that sometimes we are unaware of spiritual battles waging within our souls. He encourages us to be attentive and patient with ourselves and with others, while asking God to reveal to us the hidden areas of our life where we can grow in holiness.

Fr. Mike lays down the reasons we should pray and gives a few spot-on examples of how real life reflects the nature of prayer. Through prayer, God invites us into his will and gives us the dignity to participate in it, which strengthens our relationship with him. Fr. Mike covers these truths and more in this week’s episode.

Fr. Mike Schmitz reminds us to appreciate our blessings while we have them, rather than complaining when they are taken from us. Gratitude is a powerful vehicle for change when we use the gifts given to us … and use them well.

Fr. Mike’s answer to this question may make you think differently about God’s love. He helps to reorient our perspective—explaining that it is not about how much God loves us, but about our capacity to receive his love. If the most valuable thing in the world is limited only by our desire for it, why not take as much of it as we can get?

With the way our culture disregards life sometimes, it is easy for the question “Is life worth living?” to surface. In this episode, Fr. Mike Schmitz emphatically states that not only is life worth living—it is sacred. If there is anyone you know who is weary of life, reach out to them and show them they are wanted.

When life throws challenge after challenge at us, it is easy to just give in and think we are helpless. In this episode, Fr. Mike Schmitz offers an uplifting message for those tough times. No matter how dire the circumstances, with God’s grace, there is always something we can do.

The mere thought of ghosts can give us goose bumps sometimes, but there are still moments when we think ghost stories are just made up to scare us. Maybe it’s time for some real talk about things that go bump in the night and other stirrings we suspect may be specters. Can souls continue to communicate with the living after they die? In this episode, Fr. Mike gives a powerful reason for why he believes they can.

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They may just be ashes, but Fr. Mike points out that what they represent goes far beyond mere dust of the earth. With a simple cross on the forehead, we are recognizing that we are far from perfect, but that God loves and redeems us—not despite our brokenness, but in the midst of it. If you want to start off your Lent with a reminder of Ash Wednesday’s deeper meaning, listen to Fr. Mike’s heartfelt words in this video.

Fr. Mike Schmitz tackles several tough questions from his listeners, like “Who became the new light-bearer after Lucifer fell?” and “How do we make Sunday a time of rest amidst our busy schedules?” If you ever wondered about these things, Fr. Mike may have the answers you’ve been looking for.

When we inconvenience someone, we may feel like we are in their debt. If so, Fr. Mike Schmitz encourages us to apologize to that person, but further, to offer our gratitude in response to his or her forgiveness. We should especially respond this way when we offend our merciful God, who wants to forgive us our debt and help us move forward with grace.

Maybe you used to read the Bible for inspiration, for its great stories, or for answers to the big questions in life. But now, it sits on your nightstand gathering dust. Perhaps you gave up reading it because it seemed irrelevant to your everyday life or because it became too hard to follow. If so, Fr. Mike Schmitz offers several reasons for you to pick up your Bible again, see it with new eyes, and allow it to transform your life.

When we think of indulgences, many of us think of an outdated and unfair Church practice that alienated many Catholics and sparked the Reformation centuries ago. In this episode, Fr. Mike Schmitz sets things straight, explaining how indulgences are an offering of God’s grace—a way to remove the temporal consequences of sin.

Fr. Mike Schmitz offers a relieving truth about God's paradoxical love for us, how he loves us: not in spite of our weaknesses, but because of them.

Everyone has influence over someone. If we are striving to be great saints, then the people we influence will observe how we live and model themselves after us. Fr. Mike Schmitz encourages us to take St. Paul’s advice and imitate Christ, and in the process, we will inspire others to live holy lives.

If you have ever wondered how to make a good confession, Fr. Mike Schmitz offers four powerful ways we can examine our consciences so that our experience of reconciliation moves us towards that holiness to which we are called.

What if today's attempts to be productive deprive us of the sleep we need to function tomorrow? Fr. Mike Schmitz gives us several good reasons to stop our work at the end of the day, relax, and prioritize getting a good night's sleep.