Fr Mike Schmitz Short Videos

[BarbTherese]

I like Fr Mike and find him a great resource at times.  He is very easy to understand and talks in a conversational manner.  His videos mainly go from around 5 mins and never longer in my experience than 10 mins. What follows are four of his videos I have watched:

Is it ok to hate someone?

Save yourself from hopelessness

Decision Making 101

What is freedom?

[Lilllabettt]

I like Fr. Mike too. I am really praying he doesnt go the Fr. Corapi direction. It just seems like a big temptation so many of the "media" priests face.

[tinytherese]

23 hours ago, Lilllabettt said:

I like Fr. Mike too. I am really praying he doesnt go the Fr. Corapi direction. It just seems like a big temptation so many of the "media" priests face.

Yea, that was awkward. It reminds me of this.

1 Corinthians 3 Revised Standard Version (RSV)

On Divisions in the Corinthian Church

3 But I, brethren, could not address you as spiritual men, but as men of the flesh, as babes in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk, not solid food; for you were not ready for it; and even yet you are not ready, 3 for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh, and behaving like ordinary men? 4 For when one says, “I belong to Paul,” and another, “I belong to Apol′los,” are you not merely men?

5 What then is Apol′los? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6 I planted, Apol′los watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 He who plants and he who waters are equal, and each shall receive his wages according to his labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.

10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and another man is building upon it. Let each man take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no other foundation can any one lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any one builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each man’s work will become manifest; for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work which any man has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 17 If any one destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and that temple you are.

18 Let no one deceive himself. If any one among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” 20 and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.” 21 So let no one boast of men. For all things are yours, 22 whether Paul or Apol′los or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future, all are yours; 23 and you are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.

Edited December 16, 2018 by tinytherese

[Guest]

Great quote.  Thank you for sharing.  It does remind me also of why I hold to what Scripture and The Church teaches rather than this or that person, no matter their status in The Church.  Of course, if an article is within Church teaching, it can be very helpful in arriving at a better understanding.  This is a reason I like Fr. Mike.  He is always to date, to my knowledge, spot on with Church Teaching and he can explain it in very ordinary terms, including how to live it out in very ordinary terms.

It was very sad and alarming, a shock, what happened with Fr Corapi, although I don't think he is a fully active priest any longer and has been laicized.  I think that Lillabett hit the nail on the head.  There is much temptation out in the world and our media priests might be particularly vulnerable to the temptations.  Our priests do need our constant prayer, but also on the human level we must do our part and that includes, I think, reform of seminaries and admission standards.........as well as support and encouragement from parishioners on an adult to adult level.  I have had conversations with a couple of priests now and loneliness and isolation can be problematic psychologically, especially as numbers of priests has lowered and they often live alone with twinned parishes or more - i.e. a huge area and number of parishioners to care for, demand of many duties to fulfill.

 

Edited December 16, 2018 by BarbaraTherese

[tinytherese]

6 minutes ago, BarbaraTherese said:

It was very sad and alarming, a shock, what happened with Fr Corapi, although I don't think he is a priest any longer and has been laicized.  I think that Lillabett hit the nail on the head.  There is much temptation out in the world and our media priests might be particularly vulnerable to the temptations.  Our priests do need our constant prayer, but also on the human level we must do our part and that includes, I think, reform of seminaries and admission standards.........as well as support and encouragement from parishioners on an adult to adult level.  I have had conversations with a couple of priests now and loneliness and isolation can be problematic psychologically, especially as numbers of priests has lowered and they often live alone with twinned parishes or more - i.e. a huge area and number of parishioners to care for, demand of many duties to fulfill.

I feel awkward about befriending priests and seminarians as a female. Even if neither of us felt attracted to each other, I wouldn't want anyone gossiping about us because we spend time together. 

[A Yearning Heart]

I like Fr Mike's videos too.  Very informative and he comes across as very personable and aware of people's difficulties.  

[deusluxmea]

I like him too. He seems like the real deal to me. 

[Guest]

6 hours ago, tinytherese said:

I feel awkward about befriending priests and seminarians as a female. Even if neither of us felt attracted to each other, I wouldn't want anyone gossiping about us because we spend time together. 

So far so good is about all I can say I think and something in what you have stated.  I have most always found an opportunity to have an informal chat with a priest at parish venues.  Nowadays, I certainly have never invited a priest for a meal or something private, but we did while I was married, Father came to dinner every Monday night. My previous spiritual director, now deceased, would drop in now and then.  As did my previous parish priest.

Gossipers are going to gossip, just as haters are going to hate.   But I do think we need to be protective of our priests, including their reputations.   The priest, now deceased, who was also a religious living and working in the seminary lecturing in theology - and also my spiritual director - would at first meet me in the library.  The first time he took me up to his rooms, he thought it was great fun and  would give them all something to talk about.  That was all around 35 years ago.

But I do agree that we need to be protective of our priests and use common sense.  If I was married, I certainly would be inviting Father for a meal every so often. 

Edited December 16, 2018 by BarbaraTherese

[Ash Wednesday]

I like Fr. Mike Schmitz too. He seems very friendly and down to earth but he's clear and smart.

I think Fr. Corapi had some underlying issues or demons from his early life that never really went away. The other warning sign with him was that he admitted that he spent almost all of his time on speaking engagements, writing and appearances and not actually spending a lot of time participating in the sacramental life as a priest -- saying Mass, baptising, anointing of the sick, etc. 

And I've seen it with other "famous" priests, not going to name names or single anyone out here, but we see them traveling around, promoting books, making appearances, being "activists", appearing on TV or radio and I never hear them talk about celebrating mass, or see them celebrating the sacraments. Not that I really know for sure what goes on in their daily lives, but I've wondered about that. When a priest is being a media figure and focuses on that more than the actual sacramental life, I could see where things start to go sour.

I know of some priests that are on twitter and like to blog or have their sermons or snippets uploaded on youtube, but generally that doesn't concern me as much because as far as I can tell most of them don't travel and still actively work as priests first and foremost. 

 

[Lilllabettt]

16 hours ago, tinytherese said:

I feel awkward about befriending priests and seminarians as a female. Even if neither of us felt attracted to each other, I wouldn't want anyone gossiping about us because we spend time together. 

Heres a trick the nuns taught me. Whenever you are going to be speaking privately with a priest or married man, or just someone you dont want any appearance of impropriety, leave the door open, at least a little. Takes a lot of awkwardness out of the sitch.

[Lilllabettt]

5 hours ago, Ash Wednesday said:

I like Fr. Mike Schmitz too. He seems very friendly and down to earth but he's clear and smart.

I think Fr. Corapi had some underlying issues or demons from his early life that never really went away. The other warning sign with him was that he admitted that he spent almost all of his time on speaking engagements, writing and appearances and not actually spending a lot of time participating in the sacramental life as a priest -- saying Mass, baptising, anointing of the sick, etc. 

And I've seen it with other "famous" priests, not going to name names or single anyone out here, but we see them traveling around, promoting books, making appearances, being "activists", appearing on TV or radio and I never hear them talk about celebrating mass, or see them celebrating the sacraments. Not that I really know for sure what goes on in their daily lives, but I've wondered about that. When a priest is being a media figure and focuses on that more than the actual sacramental life, I could see where things start to go sour.

I know of some priests that are on twitter and like to blog or have their sermons or snippets uploaded on youtube, but generally that doesn't concern me as much because as far as I can tell most of them don't travel and still actively work as priests first and foremost. 

 

Yeah, this. 

Also the divine office.  When priests start getting away from praying the liturgy of the hours, or making excuses why they dont have time to do so  - that's a warning sign.

 

[Guest]

Don't know what it is like elsewhere, but here in Adelaide, one priest can have a massive parish over a huge area (due to lack of priests).   Two and sometimes three parishes are made into the one parish with one priest in some cases. I do not know how they keep up with all they have to do and all Hours of The Divine Office as well.   It could possibly lead to depression and burnout.  It is not a matter of completing all The Hours so much as having the time to prayerfully complete them. I certainly do not envy them their vocation while realising the great blessing and value of Holy Orders.

If we had more deacons and perhaps more lay people undertaking some appropriate duties in the parish, it might help.  Sometimes too, it can be difficult for especially older priests to delegate.