Happiness is circumstantial. In fact, the word has the same root as the word “happenstance”. And yet, despite how fickle it is, many of us base our lives on the pursuit of happiness. Joy, on the other hand, is the abiding and pervasive sense of well-being. Fr. Mike explains that joy is, as G.K. Chesterton wrote, “the gigantic secret of the Christian.” The Christian understands that God knows his name, loves him, and is here with him now. This never changes, and it is what gives the Christian a p...
Sep 27, 2018•8 min
The Karate Kid didn’t know waxing a car would teach him karate, but Miyagi knew. In a similar way the Church, in her wisdom, teaches us certain motions—kneeling at Mass, making the sign of the Cross, etcetera—so we may learn the deeper virtues that will lead us to holiness. In this video, Fr. Mike encourages us to keep going through the motions, if that’s all it feels like we’re doing at Mass, because it’s in times of desolation that our faith grows the most.
Sep 20, 2018•10 min
Sometimes it can be hard to respect the character of a person you really don’t like. That’s no problem, says Fr. Mike, because you can still respect them as a human being and—if they are in a position of authority—you can still respect their position. Not everyone in our lives is going to earn the kind of respect that Fr. Mike would equate with trust. Those who have a respectable character will earn that trust though, and that’s the kind of person we should strive to be in other people’s lives....
Sep 14, 2018•9 min
Sure, there are times when it’s just hard to believe what the Catholic Faith tells us, but when someone says “I’m losing my faith,” or “I lost my faith,” there’s something much more serious going on there. Fr. Mike examines this problem, but emphasizes that we actually can’t lose faith because it’s a gift from God. We can use that gift wrongly and put it into what Fr. Mike calls “God’s chief rivals” or, in other words, idols; but the faith is still there and we can still put it in God if we simp...
Sep 06, 2018•11 min
Anyone can and should condemn the sins of the priests and cardinals that have been all over the news. The real challenge is to ask God what he is expecting us to do within this time, our time, in history. If he has created us to live in these difficult times for Catholics, he must be calling us to some great task to help bring renewal to his Church and individual souls. Here's a link to last week's episode. (https://media.ascensionpress.com/podcast/pennsylvania-sex-abuse-scandal/)
Aug 30, 2018•10 min
Aug 23, 2018•16 min
Aug 16, 2018•10 min
Aug 09, 2018•8 min
Aug 02, 2018•11 min
Jul 27, 2018•7 min
Jul 19, 2018•8 min
The wisdom he shares here is akin to that of many successful, insightful writers such as Cal Newport and Josef Pieper. You can find the works Fr. Mike references here: Cal Newport's Deep Work (http://calnewport.com/books/deep-work/) Josef Pieper's Leisure, the Basis of Culture (https://bit.ly/2Je5FwU)
Jul 12, 2018•9 min
Jul 05, 2018•6 min
Jun 28, 2018•9 min
Jun 21, 2018•7 min
Jun 14, 2018•9 min
Jun 07, 2018•8 min
May 31, 2018•8 min
May 25, 2018•11 min
May 18, 2018•7 min
May 14, 2018•8 min
May 09, 2018•9 min
Apr 27, 2018•4 min
Fr. Mike offers a message that may be hard to accept for some of us, but his intention is to help us live happily and get to heaven. In a culture where anything goes, the Catholic views on dating can seem strict, but behind them are very good reasons. If you’ve ever wondered why the Church advises unmarried couples to avoid living together or spending the night together, listen to this episode to find out.
Apr 20, 2018•8 min
Every generation has its own code words for things that are taboo, but when watching TV and relaxing could mean having casual sex, it’s fair to say we’ve reached a tipping point in our culture. In this episode, Fr. Mike examines the “Netflix and chill” lifestyle, borrowing some ideas from Boston College professor Kerry Cronin, who appears in a new documentary called The Dating Project, which addresses the problems inherent in a hookup culture.
Apr 13, 2018•9 min
Have you ever left Mass feeling like the homily just wasn't satisfactory? In this episode, Father Mike Schmitz shows us how to always gain what we need from the Sunday readings, regardless of the quality of the homily. Father Mike also tells us not to be so hard on priests when they miss the mark, because their job is harder than it seems from the pew.
Apr 06, 2018•8 min
This episode is not a new autobiography by Fr. Mike Schmitz. It’s about everyone’s autobiography, which is—in a word—the crucifix. Jesus' dying on the Cross sums up every person’s life story because it shows what our sins did and God's power to forgive them, so our lives can be defined by love and not shame. This Good Friday, let God’s sacrifice be your identity.
Mar 29, 2018•6 min
It's easy to think of courage as something we only need when facing our greatest fears, but in this episode Fr. Mike explains how courage is necessary to live out every virtue. He shows how cowardice can seem harmless in the ways it sneaks into our thoughts, and shares words from great saints who commissioned the faithful to practice fortitude in our everyday lives.
Mar 23, 2018•8 min
We fast during Lent for many reasons. Whether those reasons are good or not is hard to tell sometimes, though. Sometimes we fast and do penance for personal reasons (I want to lose weight), or for practical reasons (I can save my family money or feed poor children), but too often our fasting is not actually about God. In this episode, Fr. Mike reminds us that God cares about us so much he is willing to notice our sacrifices—no matter how meager they may seem—and he wants us to use those sacrific...
Mar 16, 2018•7 min
Fr. Mike discusses why confessing the same sins over and over isn’t entirely a bad thing. He also offers some ways we can make our confessions more effective in helping us avoid those same sins in the future. The practice of naming, confessing, and renouncing our sins in Jesus’ name before, during, or after confession is one suggestion Fr. Mike shares. He also encourages us to move past simply wanting forgiveness and into having true repentance so we can experience deep conversion and freedom....
Mar 07, 2018•8 min
