The Fr. Mike Schmitz Catholic Podcast

Are there things in my life that are incompatible with holiness? We all wish to be saints—God's people with him forever in heaven. But do we will it? Do we choose it? Fr. Mike wants you to know that today is the day. This is the moment. There's only one reason you're not a saint yet. Support The Fr. Mike Schmitz Catholic Podcast

Have you heard the phrase, "Ora et Labora" before? What about the maxim, "Pray as if everything depends on God. And work as if everything depends on you." Today Fr. Mike breaks down the Benedictine charism of prayer AND work and offers us some food for thought when tempted to fall into fatalism or quietism and remove our will from the equation.Support The Fr. Mike Schmitz Catholic Podcast

"Love your neighbor as yourself." We all know the drill. Jesus calls us to love even our enemies. But loving people can be so HARD. Today Fr. Mike offers us some 3 practical tips and a word of challenge to lean into loving those we find difficult to love and care for. Support The Fr. Mike Schmitz Catholic Podcast

Are you feeling tired and spiritually exhausted? Do you feel like throwing in the towel on everything? Today Fr. Mike offers us a way to evaluate our spiritual practices, service, and prayer based on our relationship, identity, and mission (RIM) to know what we can remove and keep from our Catholic spiritual life.Support The Fr. Mike Schmitz Catholic Podcast

Most of us are familiar with the 5 Love Languages; gift-giving acts of service, physical touch, words of affirmation, and quality time. But which of these is how God gives and receives love? Today Fr. Mike shares with us how God often loves us not in the way we might expect or prefer but in the way that most draws us into union with him. Support The Fr. Mike Schmitz Catholic Podcast

What happened? Did Fr. Mike change his mind on tattoos? Today Fr. Mike reveals his recent tattoo, why he got it, and why he’s not really happy about it.Support The Fr. Mike Schmitz Catholic Podcast

Dive into the exploration of the three Transcendentals: Truth, Goodness, and Beauty. Discover how emotions can lead us astray from these fundamental principles. Learn from C.S. Lewis about the interplay between faith, intellect, and heart. Unpack the necessity of aligning our desires with these core values. Fr. Mike shares Solomon's story as a cautionary tale about wisdom undermined by the heart. Finally, he encourages listeners to nourish their hearts with true, good, and beautiful influences for genuine human flourishing.

Today Fr. Mike had the chance to interview Mark Wahlberg about his amazing new movie, "Father Stu," which follows the incredible true story of Fr. Stuart Long, a "boxer-turned-priest who inspired countless people during his journey from self-destruction to redemption." Support The Fr. Mike Schmitz Catholic Podcast

If you're Catholic, you know the drill: we sin, we break our relationship with God, and then he offers us the incomprehensible mercy to restore that relationship with him. You can see this beautiful grace most Saturday afternoons at parishes around the world in the Sacrament of Reconciliation—or, Confession. But have you heard of "general absolution"? Is it a way to skip the confession line and get "bulk forgiveness"? Today, Fr. Mike dispels the confusion around general absolution and redirects us to the true source of reconciliation that Christ has given his Church.Support The Fr. Mike Schmitz Catholic Podcast

Will Smith slapping Chris Rock. Vladimir Putin and Russia invading Ukraine. COVID ripping through the world. What do these all have in common? The rules get broken. We all know the rules. The lights turn on. The toilet flushes. We all play nice. But that’s not "how things work". That’s "how things have been working". Today, Fr. Mike tells you what to do when you get slapped in the face by a broken world.Support The Fr. Mike Schmitz Catholic Podcast