How many real friends do you have? Honestly, many people we call friends would probably better qualify as pals or buddies. The first step to getting real friends is to recognize how we are all made to be gifts of love. God is love and we were made in his image. We were also made for community, because God is a community of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 

Living out this love and community as God does requires availability and vulnerability.

By availability we mean “care-free timelessness”, as Catholic evangelist Matthew Kelly calls it. 

By vulnerability we mean taking off the mask. This is the really hard part. As a missionary Fr. Mike knows once said, vulnerability is not just transparency. Transparency is letting someone look into the fish bowl. Vulnerability is inviting them into the fishbowl and letting them move things around. 

How can we all learn to grow in love, community, availability, and vulnerability so we can become real friends to others and live as the image of God in the world? Support The Fr. Mike Schmitz Catholic Podcast

How to Get Real Friends

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Does good prayer feel out of reach for you? Do distractions plague you unceasingly? Are you wondering if you're supposed to be getting more out of prayer time?

Fr. Mike proposes a simple 4-part roadmap to better, more fulfilling prayer time. It's not difficult—it just takes practice. Support The Fr. Mike Schmitz Catholic Podcast

4 Keys to Good Prayer

Who is orchestrating your life? If it's God—and not you—what will you say to him? Fr. Mike suggests trying "yes."

Whether life circumstances bring the best out of you or the worst out of you, you need Jesus more than you think you do. And that is a very good thing. Here's why. Support The Fr. Mike Schmitz Catholic Podcast

Saying Yes to a Life You Did Not Plan

Do you have FOMO? Are you always worried about what you might miss out on? 

Today, Fr. Mike explores why this fear of missing out could be a gift in the spiritual life using the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ as he unravels how the disciples' FOMO led them to overlook a pivotal moment in history. 

The call is to BE fully present. Don't miss out on God moments.  Support The Fr. Mike Schmitz Catholic Podcast

Stay. Watch. Pray. (Fr. Mike's Holy Week Special)

Everyone bears burdens and faces unseen challenges. Leading a life filled with love is often the simplest path to personal growth. 

In this discussion, Fr. Mike delves into extending grace to strangers. A small gesture of kindness, such as offering a smile or lending a helping hand, can cultivate a community of grace and love. He reminds us that everyone navigates life's complexities differently. Fr. Mike emphasizes that acts of kindness and compassion pave the way for increased empathy and understanding, even towards those we have yet to encounter. Support The Fr. Mike Schmitz Catholic Podcast

A Simple Key to Extending Grace

Fr. Mike Schmitz delves deeply into the profound significance of the leper's words to Jesus:

'If you will it, you can make me clean.'

This verse from Matthew's Gospel embodies the very essence of faith. Fr. Mike explains how this statement captures the heart of faith in two ways: the trust inherent in believing that Christ can purify us and the trust involved in believing in him even if he chooses not to. Fr. Mike says this is the faith you are made for. It is the kind of faith that can change the world. Support The Fr. Mike Schmitz Catholic Podcast

How to Get Real Friends

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