We believe as Catholics that at every Mass the simple bread and wine are transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit into the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus.

But do we need to receive both species, namely the Eucharist and the Precious Blood in order to receive ALL of Jesus?

Today Fr. Mike explains the practice of intinction, dipping the Holy Eucharist into the chalice of the Precious Blood and when it's a bad idea and when it may be appropriate.

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Today Fr. Mike shares with us how to approach praying a novena, whether it be a traditional nine day novena, a 33 day Consecration or even a 54 day Rosary Novena and what pitfalls to avoid when praying this way.

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You're with a group of friends and they start gossiping about another friend; what do you say? You're with a coworker and they take the Lord's name in vain and blaspheme the Catholic Church; how do you respond?

Today Fr. Mike challenges us to speak up for the truth and why you or I might have these three spiritual defects, lacking in wisdom, courage or love.

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Sometimes when we look at the lives of the Saints we can be tempted to think that God singled them out to suffer more than most. But maybe that suffering is actually a gift...

Today, Fr. Mike shares with us how we must orient our lives towards the cross and keep Christ's passion and death always before us so that when we encounter suffering we will have God's strength to sustain us.

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(Today's video/podcast is an excerpt from, "The 99, A New System for Evangelization." To learn more about this amazing resource, visit: https://bit.ly/3E39THU)

Every Christian is called to go into the world and make disciples. But how do we actually do this?

Today, Fr. Mike tells us that before we can live out the mission of the Church, one thing is needed: a personal relationship with Jesus and his Church. Without this relationship, our missionary efforts simply become another well-meaning chore or good deed. Our relationship with Christ gives our works meaning and purpose. It is vital, then, that our missionary identity be rooted in a personal relationship with Jesus and his Church.

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(Today's video/podcast is an excerpt from "Belonging: Baptism in the Family of God." To learn more about this amazing resource visit: https://tinyurl.com/2hms5dbe )

What happens when we get baptized? What exactly is the transformative power of the Holy Spirit? One of the best ways to understand this sacrament’s effect is through analogies of superheroes.

Today, Fr. Mike explains the power of baptism by first recognizing what it is not. Because we are fallen creatures, we can’t be Superman, who has all of his powers within him–we need help from the outside. In other words, we need grace. Grace changes us and alters us internally so that when baptized, we aren’t simply putting on a covering but instead fully healing from our original wounds.

Only one superhero, Fr. Mike believes, encompasses the true power of baptism. This hero was good and was made great, just as the Holy Spirit takes us, good sons and daughters of Christ, and makes us great sons and daughters of Christ.

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We all want to be saints, but the struggle against sin and selfishness can feel overwhelming. There may be days where we might feel satisfied simply making it to purgatory rather than entering the pearly gates. But is this lukewarm path the only way to make it to heaven?

Today Fr. Mike delves into the reality that in this life, we are given every opportunity to prepare our souls for God’s presence. Embracing the sufferings of this moment purifies us the way the refining fire of purgatory would. In this way, we can prepare ourselves in this temporary world to live alongside our Lord in the everlasting world.

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(Today's video/podcast is an excerpt from "The 99, A New System for Evangelization." To learn more about this amazing resource visit: https://tinyurl.com/2fwtspve )

One of the most difficult groups to bring the Gospel to right now is young adults. Fr. Mike proposes that it's not a lack of time or interest preventing them from receiving the Good News—it's their perception of Christianity.

How can anyone evangelize in a culture so opposed to Jesus? We need to meet a hurting world where it is at and bring it the only medicine that will heal it.

We'll be doing things a little bit differently on Wednesdays for the next few weeks while Fr. Mike and Ascension work on the Catechism in a Year podcast. If you'd like to learn more about the podcast (and help support our work!) check out http://ascensionpress.com/ciy

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(Today's video/podcast is an excerpt from "Belonging: Baptism in the Family of God." To learn more about this amazing resource visit: https://tinyurl.com/2gscjojo )

Is Jesus who He says He is? How do we know he's not a liar or a lunatic?

Today, Fr. Mike shares a story from his own life about a time when he was taking a class on world religions and their belief systems and how a quote from C.S. Lewis changed everything for him about how he came to understand who Jesus truly is.

We'll be doing things a little bit differently for the next few weeks while Fr. Mike and Ascension work on the Catechism in a Year podcast. If you'd like to learn more about the podcast (and help support our work!) check out http://ascensionpress.com/ciy

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Can I be cremated? Is it okay to donate my body to science? What about the relics of Saints, they aren't buried in the ground?

Last week, Fr. Mike began our discussion on death and burial, especially when it comes to the Catholic Church's teaching on "scattering your ashes." Today, he answers some of the most common questions from the comments of that video and delves deeper into why we should listen to our Mother, the Church, when she is instructing and guiding us in these matters.

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