IIn this short (edited) video, Fr. Mike Schmitz recounts how a Chinese man suffered brutal torture in an attempt to give up the name of a priest who was saying masses illegally, all to no avail. Later that same man made his way to America, and found freedom to practice his religion, only to have the culture do what no amount of torture could.
Source: Ascension Presents via YouTube Throughout the Gospels Jesus says, “Remain in me” or “abide in me,” which—in simplified terms—means whatever you do, invite Jesus along. Ask him to “come with.” This is a way to grow in your relationship with him, but it’s also a smart thing to do […]
Source: Ascension Presents on YouTube When we pray “lead us not into temptation”, it may seem like God has the capacity to tempt us. But that’s not the case. God does not tempt us, but he can and sometimes must put us through tests. Here are a four helpful ways […]
Source: Fr. Mike Schmitz of Ascension Presents on YouTube Header image: via Ascension Presents on YouTube
Source: Ascension Presents on YouTube Why is Ash Wednesday not a holy day of obligation? A holy day is a day that has been consecrated for God, so in that sense Ash Wednesday is a holy day. At the heart of a holy day of obligation, however, is the Resurrection. […]
Source: Ascension Presents on YouTube Why do we fast? Fr. Mike explains that it’s not about getting more love and attention from God. Fasting is about self-mastery, discernment, sacrifice, and being a co-redeemer with Jesus. In this video, Fr. Mike dives deeper into these four reasons, helping you make the […]
Source: Ascension Presents on YouTube How Catholics Should Connect with Others There’s justice and prudence and temperance and fortitude, faith, and hope, and love. But do you recall the social virtues at all? Thankfulness and affability are some social virtues that show us how Catholics should connect with others in […]
Source: Ascension Presents on YouTube There are many similarities and differences between the Catholic Church and the Protestant denominations. In this video, Fr. Mike Schmitz narrows the differences down to one thing that really sets Catholicism apart from other Christian Churches: authoritative teaching. If you like this video, you may […]
Source: Ascension Presents on YouTube What is meant by the final purification? Understanding the Catholic notion of purgatory requires knowing the difference between a temporal consequence and an eternal consequence; this difference has nothing to do with damnation and salvation. Some people reject the idea of purgatory because they misunderstand […]
Source: Ascension Presents on YouTube We often use the term “friend” loosely, introducing casual acquaintances as “My friends Lucy and John.” But what is friendship, really? In this video, Fr. Mike uses Aristotle’s three kinds of friendship—pleasant friendships, useful friendships, and virtuous friendships—as guidelines. While all three can be good, […]
Source: Ascension Presents on YouTube Good people go to heaven when they die, right? Well, according to the Gospels, not exactly. Fr. Mike Schmitz points to at least four things Christ says we need for salvation: 1. Baptism (John 3) 2. The Eucharist (John 6) 3. Faith (Romans 10:9) 4. […]
Source: Ascension Presents on YouTube It’s a question that arises whenever someone challenges the beliefs of Christianity: If God is all-loving, why does he send people to hell? Some Christians choose to believe that hell doesn’t exist, or if it does, then only those guilty of the most heinous sins […]