The Fr. Mike Schmitz Catholic Podcast

The Fr. Mike Schmitz Catholic Podcast episodes:

• 04.25.2024

  A Message to Cradle Catholics

  A question to anyone who is thinking about rejecting Jesus (or has accepted him for that matter): have you even met him? Do you know who you are rejecting? You might think the answer is yes. The answer might even be...

  
• 04.19.2024

  Can I Sin in My Dreams?

  Have you ever had dark, disturbing dreams? If you did, did you feel guilty when you woke up? Did you have some vague sense of shame that such dreams came from your mind? If you’ve ever experienced this, you might have...

  
• 04.11.2024

  4 Keys to Good Prayer

  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....

  
• 04.04.2024

  Saying Yes to a Life You Did Not Plan

  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...

  
• 03.28.2024

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

  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...

  
• 03.21.2024

  A Simple Key to Extending Grace

  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...

  
• 03.14.2024

  When a Miracle Doesn't Happen

  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...

  
• 03.07.2024

  Fr. Mike Schmitz Reviews "Cabrini" Movie

  Do you know the true story of America's first canonized saint? "Cabrini," a movie from Angel Studios, tells the incredible true story of Mother Cabrini, the first American citizen to become a saint. It is a historical biopic showcasing...

  
• 02.29.2024

  What's Inside a Humble Heart?

  "But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord sees not as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but the...

  
• 02.22.2024

  Comparison: The Great Distraction

  St. Francis De Sales, often referred to as the "Saint-maker," liked to say, "Be who you are, and be that well." Each of us is called to pursue a life of holiness, a journey that unfolds uniquely for every individual....

  
• 02.15.2024

  The Symptoms of Vanity (and the Surprising Cure)

  "Vanity of vanities! All is vanity!" Okay maybe not everything, but probably more than you thought. Vanity isn't just looking the mirror too much (although it could be). Vanity isn't just too much plastic surgery (although it could be). Vanity is...

  
• 02.08.2024

  How to Bring Order to Your Life

  When you clean and organize a room, you have to ask one very important question first: what is this room for? Once you can answer that, everything begins falling into place. In order to direct and order your own life, you...

  
• 02.01.2024

  Adam and Eve Ruined Everything for Us. How Is That Fair?

  We were all born sick. The sickness is Sin. It's not a tendency to sin that we brought upon ourselves... it's something we "caught" from our parents, that was passed down to us by our forefathers. This is Original Sin. ...but wait,...

  
• 01.25.2024

  What If Life Doesn't Get Easier?

  Don't let anyone trick you into thinking life isn't hard. Experience tells us all that life is truly difficult at times. But even still... haven't you ever just wished it was easier? Today, Fr. Mike proposes an alternative to just wishing...

  
• 01.18.2024

  What If God Doesn’t Exist?

  What if there were no God? What does that idea look like if you follow it to its logical conclusion? It ain't pretty. Today, Fr. Mike shows us that meaning, dignity, and purpose come from the one who created everything. And...

  
• 01.11.2024

  Have You Forgotten What God Has Done For You?

  God commands his beloved people all throughout scripture: "Remember." And this command continues to resound for us today. Remember the good that God has done for you. Remember the times he has delivered you. Remember when you thought you had nothing...

  
• 01.04.2024

  The Raw Reality of Your Favorite Bible Heroes

  Some of your favorite Bible characters were... terrible sometimes. Abraham lied and said Sarah wasn't his wife. Jacob tricked his father into giving him the birthright instead of his brother. And there are plenty of stories that aren't even appropriate enough...

  
• 12.28.2023

  “God, What’s Your Plan for My Life?”

  The angel Gabriel came to Mary and told her all about how she’d conceive and bear God’s son Jesus, and when she asked how this could be, he elaborated. Wouldn’t that be nice? Wouldn’t it be nice to have an...

  
• 12.21.2023

  How to Celebrate Christmas When Life Is Hard

  Have you ever heard the song "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day"? Have you listened to the lyrics carefully? It's not exactly the blissful naiveté of "Deck the Halls". It's much more real and raw than that. Today, Fr. Mike...

  
• 12.14.2023

  You CAN Quit Porn. Here’s How.

  This is not the first video on Ascension Presents about how to overcome an addiction to pornography, but it might be one of the simplest and most actionable. Since 2000, Covenant Eyes has been a leader in the online accountability space....

  
• 12.07.2023

  When God Doesn’t Answer Your Prayers

  If it feels like God isn't answering your prayers, that can be disheartening. But it can also be devastating. Today, Fr. Mike offers the good word that your God is your loving Father who wants to give you good things. But...

  
• 11.30.2023

  How Guardian Angels Actually Work

  Are angels real? Why did God make them? What do guardian angels do? Do I have one? Does it have a name? Can I name it? ...All these questions and more answered today by Fr. Mike Schmitz. Support The Fr. Mike...

  
• 11.23.2023

  Sneaky Ways to Be Prideful (and How to Stop)

  "I don't... think... I'm prideful...?" Great! If you examine your actions and intentions and you don't detect any obvious pride, that's a wonderful thing. But as each one of us grows deeper in relationship with Jesus, he will reveal ever more...

  
• 11.16.2023

  Why You’ll Never Be Strong Enough

  If you've ever planned to become so holy that you don't need God's help anymore, then this video is for you. Self-reliance is a virtue lauded by modern society in the west. But not only does Jesus warn against it, self-reliance......

  
• 11.09.2023

  Facing the Consequences of Your Actions

  Free will is an incredible gift from God that we often underestimate. We truly get to make a choice in every decision that we come across—even the smallest decisions. But guess what we DON'T get to choose? The consequences. Today, Fr. Mike...

  
• 11.02.2023

  Are Your Sins the Same Story Again and Again? Rewrite the Script.

  Do you commit the same sins over and over again? Does it feel like a bad movie that you’re stuck watching, with the same sad script playing over and over again? Rewrite it. Rewrite the script. Today, Fr. Mike gives us some...

  
• 10.26.2023

  Superheroes vs. Saints

  Some people pour through comic books like they're devotional works, following the lives of superheroes like some study the lives of the saints. In this redux from the archives, Fr. Mike interviews sacred artist Neilson Carlin about the crossover between comics...

  
• 10.19.2023

  Your Pastor Needs Help. Here's Where You Come In.

  Today, Ascension is pulling one out of the vault, and Fr. Mike tells you why your parish priest needs you (and how you can help). The value of a new parishioner introducing him or herself to the parish and just asking...

  
• 10.12.2023

  Prayer is a Battle: Strategies for Victory

  When we read the lives of the saints it can appear like prayer comes so easily to them; almost as if they were soaking in a hot tub of grace. But then when we go to pray we are confronted...

  
• 10.05.2023

  When You’re Distracted in Prayer

  When you're first growing in prayer and developing your relationship with Jesus, it is worth the effort to fight distractions in prayer. The more you can focus on our Lord, the more fruit you can see from prayer, and the...

  
• 09.28.2023

  How to Be Excellent (NOT a Perfectionist)

  They say that perfection is the enemy of the good. But what is true goodness in a pursuit? What does excellence actually look like and consist of? Today, Fr. Mike urges us to practice two qualities that lie at the heart...

  
• 09.21.2023

  How Do I Know If I've Actually Encountered Jesus?

  How do you know you've had an encounter with God? Sometimes it's hard to tell, especially if you were raised in the Faith. Today, Fr. Mike shares his own conversion story, and encourages us to think of a time or a...

  
• 09.14.2023

  The Christian Response to Grief

  Grief is a human emotion and and affects each of us at one time or another. The Catholic Church in all her wisdom offers us this beautiful prayer in the rite of Christian burial: "Indeed for your faithful, Lord, life...

  
• 09.07.2023

  Facing the Death of Those You Love

  Everyone you know and love is going to die someday. You will too, but... the thought of losing everyone else can sometimes be all the more frightening. This is a natural response to the ugly, "unnatural" reality of death, and...

  
• 08.31.2023

  Did God Create Aliens?

  Do aliens from outer space really exist? Did God create them? Are they intelligent? What does that mean for our faith? Today, Fr. Mike's answer might not be what you're looking for, but... it's the truth. Support The Fr. Mike Schmitz...

  
• 08.25.2023

  Would It Just Be Easier Not to Be Christian?

  What if no one ever told you about Jesus? Your life probably wouldn't have so many rules. You wouldn't be as guilty for any sins you commit (you wouldn't even know they were sins in the first place). You wouldn't need...

  
• 08.17.2023

  Expectations vs. Reality

  When things don't go the way we expect, it's hard not to be frustrated and disappointed. How do we move on after unmet expectations? And how do we break the vicious cycle? Today, Fr. Mike tells us how to keep it...

  
• 08.10.2023

  Why Holy Mass Never Gets Old

  When you go to a concert for your favorite band, and that band has been around for a while, what songs are everybody showing up for? The new ones off of the most recent EP? Or the classics? And when that...

  
• 08.03.2023

  What You Need to Be Saved (Faith vs. Works)

  There is an age old question often debated among between Catholics and Protestant. Are we saved by faith or works? How are we saved? Today, Fr. Mike continues the discussion on faith and weighs in on the Catholic Church's teaching...

  
• 07.27.2023

  What REAL Faith Looks Like

  We must place our faith in Christ in order to allow him to save us. But what does it actually mean to have faith? What does it look like? Does it mean you just "agree" with everything Jesus and his...

  
• 07.20.2023

  Fr. Mike Schmitz Reviews "Sound of Freedom" Movie

  In our world today, there are millions trapped in slavery and sex trafficking. The most horrific and devastating example of this is the sale of the weakest and most vulnerable in society, our children. Today, Fr. Mike shares his honest review...

  
• 07.13.2023

  Which Jesus Is the Real Jesus?

  If you profess to be a Christian, that means that you profess to follow Jesus Christ. But, of course, that presupposes that you know who Jesus is—where he came from, what he came to do, where he went, and what...

  
• 07.06.2023

  Why You're Telling Little Lies and How to Stop

  You probably don't outright lie on a regular basis. But, do you exaggerate? Do you give half truths sometimes, or leave things unclear on purpose? Do you hide some facts in order to smooth things over? Today, Fr. Mike shows us...

  
• 06.29.2023

  Fr. Mike’s Prayer for Beginners

  Whether you're cultivating a life of prayer with Jesus for the first time or you're trying to reignite that fire in your soul, the breadth of prayer advice can be dizzyingly overwhelming. If you're open to it, today, Fr. Mike has...

  
• 06.22.2023

  Do Wives Have to Be Submissive?

  "Wives, be subject to your husbands, as to the Lord." (Ephesians 5:22) Woah! Come again? On the list of controversial and misunderstood Bible verses, this is near the top. When it swings through in the cycle of Mass readings, folks are often...

  
• 06.15.2023

  3 Reasons You Still Feel Bad After Confession

  We know this: when we go to the sacrament of reconciliation with a truly contrite heart and receive absolution, we are forgiven of our sins by the blood of Jesus Christ. So, if you've ever left the confessional still feeling...

  
• 06.08.2023

  Can I Sin on Accident?

  "If no one gets hurt is it still a sin?" "It was just an accident." How can we know if our actions are a sin or just a mistake? Can we be committing sin without knowing it? Today Fr. Mike...

  
• 06.01.2023

  Is it Possible to Pray Too Much?

  How much prayer is too much prayer? Our relationship with God is the most important relationship we will ever have. But what about when our devotions clash with our responsibilities to our loved ones? Or attendance to other obligations? Today, Fr. Mike...

  
• 05.25.2023

  The Christian Life IS Impossible

  The call to holiness can feel like an overwhelming challenge. In fact it can seem downright impossible. But in spite of our brokenness, sinfulness and littleness God keeps calling us to "walk on the water" with Him. Today Fr. Mike contrasts...

  
• 05.18.2023

  If I'm Suffering, Is It Better Never to Be Born?

  The question of evil, suffering and brokenness in our world can be a hard one to grapple with. Sometimes, when we're in a place of darkness, the question can arise, "Would it be better if I had never been born?" Today,...