Sometimes they're things we don't want to do... but we have to do them anyway. Sometimes you make it through saying, "I'll learn to like it." But what about if you never do? Today, Fr. Mike gives us a word of encouragement to find joy even in the midst of suffering and to avoid falling into despair or resentment as we walk toward eternity.
Want to know what the #1 goal of Lent is? Believe it or not, we don't have to feel the joy of the season to reach it. Instead, we have to focus on living it! Today, Fr. Mike challenges us to go beyond performing our works of penance for selfish reasons but instead to model our prayer, fasting. and almsgiving in a way that helps us become more like Jesus.
Lent has begun and with it our season of penance and fasting. What are you planning on giving up or adding to your spiritual life? Today, Fr. Mike helps us understand that Lent is less like a crockpot—which you can set and forge—and more like an ongoing, iterative process that requires our continual discernment about how we are drawing closer to Jesus. God wants to give you more. How will you respond this Lent? Order the Lenten Companion today: https://tinyurl.com/yb9vsuva
"It’s time to stop watching and start worshiping." - Fr. Mike Today, Fr. Mike continues part two of his series on worshipping God each Sunday at Mass and why our Sunday obligation is more about our relationship with a loving Father than a rule of Church law alone.
What does God want from us? What does God deserve from us given that he's our creator? Today, Fr. Mike shows how we can actually turn God into an idol—when we "choose our version of God." This is what happens when we pull God off the shelf when we want him or need him, but put him back on the shelf when we don't. Today, Fr. Mike invites us to ask God what he wants from us.
Why should you consider getting married, if as Jesus states in Matthew 22:30; "at the resurrection, they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like the angels in heaven?" Today Fr. Mike continues his series dealing with questions related to the vocation of marriage.
Today, Fr. Mike delves into this age old question.
As we know, an essential part of the Sacrament of Marriage is entering into the sexual embrace. And yet, our Catholic faith teaches that Mary and Joseph remained lifelong virgins even after they were married. So, how does this make their marriage different? Today, Fr. Mike unpacks this common question and helps us further understand the beauty and grace of the Sacrament of Marriage.
For probably the first time in human history, the common perception of children as a gift has been under attack by our culture at large. More and more the world sees kids as an affront to our personal autonomy or the driver of a pending apocalyptic catastrophe. Today, Fr. Mike weighs in on the "primary goods" of marriage and why we need to re-orient our mindset when it comes to children.
You said an unkind word or reacted rashly. You feel terrible because it was directed at someone you love. When you ask for their forgiveness the wound they feel is too raw and they don't accept your apology. What can you do? Today, Fr. Mike shares a word of challenge and encouragement on how to exercise the virtue of patience and show mercy as you wait to be forgiven.
Have you ever heard the expression, ‘To err is human; to forgive, divine?’ Surprisingly this well-known phrase does not come from the Bible but a poem by the English poet Alexander Pope. Today, Fr. Mike shares some great insights into the process of forgiveness, reconciliation, and restoration and how God offers all three stages to us in the Sacrament of Confession.
Can you believe it's almost a new year!? Are you reflecting on both the suffering and gifts of the past year and also looking to the future and making resolutions for 2022? Today, Fr. Mike gives us a word of encouragement and challenge to surrender our past brokenness and sin as well as the future blessings and difficulties to the lordship of Jesus Christ!
Have you ever gone to a carnival or fair and had a caricature drawn of yourself? Did it seem to highlight some parts of you but fail to really create a complete picture of who you are? Today, Fr. Mike explores the nature of Jesus’ true physical appearance, and the spiritual reasons he may appear so diverse in different works of art.
In this throwback talk from the 2015 World Meeting of Families, Fr. Mike introduces us to the Theology of the Body and inspires us with a new vision of what it means to have a human form.
Happy Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary! But wait... what is the Immaculate Conception? How does that even work? And why does it matter? Fr. Mike is glad you asked.
As St. Thomas Aquinas writes: "As often as a husband and wife enter into the sexual embrace in a state of grace, they are growing in grace and in glory." Today, Fr. Mike delves into one of the greatest secrets of Catholic morality and the sacrament of Matrimony, namely that when spouses share the marital embrace that they are growing in holiness.
Do you know how to receive a gift? It's not as easy as it sounds. It might sound like gift-giving is the lesson to learn, but receiving can be so much more difficult—and just as important. Today, Fr. Mike gives us 4 steps to successfully receive the gifts all around us.
You might have heard that Sunday, as the Sabbath, is a "day of rest." But is that just, like, an honorary title? What does that actually mean for Christians? What should be doing—or not doing—on Sundays? Today, Fr. Mike tells us why Christians are asked to rest from work on Sundays.
Saint Teresa of Calcutta once said, "We cannot all do great things. But we can do small things with great love." The reality is that most of our lives are made up of seemingly small decisions and yet they do truly matter in how we are to be judged. Today, Fr. Mike shares how our faithfulness to God in the small daily decisions actually amounts to the sum of our spiritual life and the growth in our holiness. What does God want this Advent? Simple. He wants you. He wants a personal encounter with ...
As Catholics, we believe in the forgiveness of our sins through the graces of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. But often, even though we are absolved but we can struggle to forgive ourselves for our past faults and failings. Today, Fr. Mike shares the main reason why we struggle to let go of the past and surrender to God who is our loving Father. What does God want this Advent? Simple. He wants you. He wants a personal encounter with you. This year, journey through Advent with "Rejoice! Finding ...
Why do we go to Mass every Sunday? Is it because of what we “get out of it”? Is it the way it makes us feel? Is it out of love for God? Or something even deeper and more profound? Today, Fr. Mike explains the Church’s teaching on Sunday Mass obligation, and why this is the way that God has asked us to worship him.
Have you ever wondered why we celebrate the Sabbath on Sunday? Have you asked yourself, what does Jesus mean when he says, “Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them." (Mt 5:17) And why does this new covenant change the Sabbath? "...This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood." (Lk. 22:20) Today, Fr. Mike delves into the scriptural roots of the Sabbath and why we as Catholics celebrate it on Sunday ...
Have you heard the phrase, "never doubt in the darkness what you knew was true in the light?" Do you find yourself intellectually convinced that our faith makes sense but in times of difficulty, struggle to assent to those truths?
How is it that a young French girl who entered the convent at 15 years old and died at only 24 years old would become a Doctor of the Church? How is it that on her deathbed her own sisters thought her life was so unremarkable that they struggled to write her obituary? Today, Fr. Mike reflects on how the "Little Way" of St. Thérèse of Lisieux contains a secret to holiness for every modern Catholic.
Do you find that you give others too much influence over your mood and emotions? Do you find yourself caught in a cycle of judging all your choices based on what others think about that decision? Today, Fr. Mike reflects on the role of positive and negative influences in our lives and how to discern if we are giving others too much power over our lives.
Sometimes the smallest things annoy us the most. Minor inconveniences can easily make us forget to be thankful for all of the gifts God is constantly bestowing upon us. But what if we could find things to be thankful for inside of those small annoyances? Today, Fr. Mike teaches us the art of uncovering the “backwards blessings” all around us, and how to have “reverse gratitude”.
What does God really want from us? When you look at every religion, Christian or otherwise, you’ll find worship at the heart. No matter who or what our religion is calling us to, we are meant to worship. And even further, the heart of worship is sacrifice. In order to truly love and worship something or someone, we must give something up in return, whether that be time, attention, or material possessions. Today, Fr. Mike explains what’s at the heart of religion, and how realizing this can streng...
Sometimes saying sorry just isn’t enough. Chances are that you can remember a time you hurt someone through your actions. Maybe it was just missing something important to them, or letting your words slip to someone else, but whatever you did cost them something. And when your mistakes lead to someone in your life losing something, saying you’re sorry just isn’t enough. Today, Fr. Mike explains why we have to ask people for forgiveness and not just say we’re sorry. For more on reconciliation from...
It’s not unusual to experience discouragement on the road to holiness, especially when we live in a world that is filled with temptations and persecution. With God on our side, nothing the devil can do will ever prevail over us. However, it’s the moment we become too discouraged to ask God for help that the devil is waiting for. So how can we prevent this from happening? Today, Fr. Mike explains the root of discouragement in our faith journey, and how to keep leaning on God through that struggle...
Last week, we talked about Holy Communion being a gift and not a right owed to us by God. This may sound like the Church doesn’t want you if you’ve sinned, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. The reality is, every one of us is in need of repentance, and there is not one person on this earth who isn’t a sinner. What we need to examine within ourselves is how we can realign our souls back to God and enter a union with him in the Holy Sacrament. Today, Fr. Mike clarifies some points he mad...
