The Fr. Mike Schmitz Catholic Podcast
Faith, pop culture, and headline reflections from Fr. Mike Schmitz.
Episodes
What's in our heart that refuses to celebrate when good things happen to someone else?
Fr. Mike Schmitz reflects on the story of the man healed on the Sabbath. Many focus on the fact that Jesus healed on the Sabbath, though technically allowed, but Fr. Mike invites us to look deeper.
The real issue isn’t the law. It’s the heart. More than Jesus performing the miracle, what this story exposes is that sometimes we fai...
Did Judas think he was actually helping Jesus fulfill His mission by betraying Him? Was Judas pre-destined to become the traitor of the Lord?
Fr. Mike Schmitz asks these bold questions and unpacks what Scripture says about the person of Judas Iscariot. By evaluating his motivations and his lack of cooperation with the grace given to him, Fr. Mike details what a tragedy it is that he never became St. Judas.
Why do Catholics baptize their babies? Is it even biblical?
At first glance, infant baptism can seem unbiblical. But Fr. Mike points to several instances in Scripture that support the practice and reveal God’s desire to bring children into His covenant family from the very beginning.
Baptizing a child doesn’t replace their freedom — it begins their life of faith. As they grow, they will one day choose Jesus for themselve...
"'Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?' He (Jesus) said to him, 'You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" Matthew 22: 36-39
Fr. Mike Schmitz warns us of the dangers of making our lives too full, even with go...
Fr. Mike jumps into the mystery of Knives Out, not to solve the murder but to understand the truest mission of the priesthood.
In the midst of Hollywood's fascination with Catholicism, they've often had trouble capturing an honest representation of Catholics. However, Fr. Mike explores the success of Rian Johnson's appropriate casting and display of a priest in the midst of impossible odds.
Find out what Fr...
2026 marks the 5th anniversary of Bible in a Year! Over the past five years, the Lord has taken this podcast to extraordinary places -- reaching listeners in more than 150 countries, becoming the #1 podcast in the U.S., and remaining the #1 religious podcast in the world, even five years later.
Through Bible in a Year, God has transformed hearts and minds, and we are deeply grateful to every listener who has made this jou...
Merry Christmas from Fr. Mike Schmitz and all of us here at Ascension! While we celebrate the birth of Christ, the true reason for this season, we also reflect on the many blessings and joys with the ones we love!
Come celebrate with us as Fr. Mike reacts to Christmas movies and shares how each movie reveals a deeply Christian message to all of us!
Fr. Mike shares his favorite — and least favorite — Christmas songs 🎄
Find out which ones he loves enough to sing all year, which he calls manipulative, and which he flat-out labels a pile of trash!
You may have heard the phrase, "Memento Mori" when it comes to reflecting on death, but how should Christians really view death?
Fr. Mike Schmitz explains three common views we may hold about death:
- Death is the enemy
- Death is a natural part of life
- Death is a new birth (but we're not excited about it)
However, Fr. Mike explains that all three fall short; death is actually a lover. Our goal sho...
Do you trust God's timing?
Fr. Mike Schmitz reminds us that God is never late (and never early). We can trust whole heartedly that His timing is always perfect!
"God does not ask us to be successful, He asks us to be faithful." - St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta
Fr. Mike Schmitz reflects on this quote along with the way St. Mother Teresa lived her life. So often we measure our lives by worldly success, however God wants your faithfulness, not your success.
Let us always say, "God let me honor you with my effort."
When you miss an opportunity to share the faith, what's the next step?
Fr. Mike Schmitz reflects on the question, "When should I say something?" We'll never have every answer, but if we take everything to the Lord, He will show us the way.
There have been numerous fake videos of Fr. Mike circulating online: clips of him supposedly asking for money for Lourdes, delivering sermons he never gave, and appearing on accounts that aren’t actually his.
These are all scams — and a concerning reminder of how easy it is to be deceived by AI-generated content.
Fr. Mike addresses these scams, shares tips for spotting fake content, and offers his perspective on artifici...
Can your feelings be sinful?
Fr. Mike Schmitz reminds us that "sin and virtue do not reside in the emotions, they reside in the will." Our emotions, whether positive or negative, don’t make us good or bad; what matters is how we respond to them. Use your emotions to choose and pursue the good!
"Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord. A person should examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment* on himself." - 1 Corinthians 11:27-29
Fr. Mike explains that receiving Holy Communion in a state of mortal sin, is itself a m...
As we discover the lives of the saints, it seems they endured quite a bit of suffering before receiving their eternal reward. It begs the question, is it worth it?
Fr. Mike reminds us that in this life, we will have suffering. The question is not, can you avoid suffering by avoiding Jesus? The question is, can your suffering be transformed by embracing Jesus?
You may have close friends in your life, but do you have virtuous friendships?
Fr. Mike Schmitz shares three kinds of friendship and explains that while it's important to have good friends, you need to have this special kind of friendship with at least one person in your life: virtuous friendship.
Tickets are on sale now for Fr. Mike Schmitz's Parables Tour at https://www.AscensionPress.com/FrMikeTour
October 2...
Big news! Ascension was selected by the USCCB to publish the long-awaited Second Edition of the Liturgy of the Hours!
You may have heard of the Liturgy of the Hours, but not quite like this. Fr. Mike Schmitz shares why this ancient prayer holds such a special place in his heart and how praying it can transform your relationship with God.
For updates and preorder opportunities, sign up at https://www.AscensionPress.com/LO...
Fr. Mike Schmitz is back, reacting to powerful scenes from The Chosen. Find out which moments brought him to tears, which ones he wrestled with, and hear his honest perspective on how the series portrays the life of Christ.
📖 Listen to Fr. Mike’s full recording of "The Imitation of Christ" with commentary, available now on the Ascension App!
Or check out: https://ascensionpress.com/catholicclassics
Fr. Mike Schmitz introduces Thomas à Kempis’ classic, The Imitation of Christ and unpacks its central theme of detachment. He explains how Christian detachment differs from Buddhist detachment.
Christian detachment is not indifferen...
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