Fr. Mike is the director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the Diocese of Duluth. He also serves as the chaplain for the Newman Catholic Campus Ministry at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. You can access Fr. Mike's homilies at umdcatholic.org or on iTunes.
Why do less than 30% of Catholics believe in the Real Presence? It seems like many have forgotten that Jesus gave his...
We can be 100% confident that when we confess our sins, we receive complete and total forgiveness from God. However, God...
The sacraments that Christ gave his church are powerful. They are life changing. But... they are not magic. Jesus...
What is the priest thinking when you make your confession? Fr. Mike reveals the answer in this video from The 99, a...
It’s an age old question; “Why do I have to confess my sins to a priest?” Today Fr. Mike encourages and challenges...
If you have ever wondered how to make a good confession, Fr. Mike Schmitz has some solid advice for you. He points out...
If you’re not feeling loved by someone you love, take courage in the story of Leah in Genesis. Jacob, Leah’s husband,...
Is there any hope for unity in the United States of America? Fr. Mike gives a resounding "yes". But not over politics...
Which is better, being an owner or a steward? Fr. Mike reminds us of the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14 -30) as...
Fr. Mike is at the library of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia, and he’s answering the most asked questions...
We often use the term “friend” loosely, introducing casual acquaintances as “My friends Lucy and John.” But what is...
Change is always hard. Transitions in life are difficult. Goodbyes are never easy. Endings are rarely joyful. But today,...
Sometimes life brings us down. Difficult situations cause us to become discouraged. This is natural (and inevitable)....
Fr. Mike Schmitz delves deeply into the profound significance of the leper's words to Jesus: 'If you will it, you can...
“What should I do with my life?” It’s a question on many hearts, maybe even our own. In this video, Father Mike...
Father Mike Schmitz examines the loneliness and depression that often accompanies young adults after graduation. Father...
It’s all too common for us to think of our work as either the thing that gives us our identity, or something to be avoided at...
The first step is to stop. Once we realize that we have to repent...that we are called to "change our minds"...the first step...
When you clean and organize a room, you have to ask one very important question first: what is this room for? Once you can...
How do you know you've had an encounter with God? Sometimes it's hard to tell, especially if you were raised in the Faith. ...
"I don't... think... I'm prideful...?" Great! If you examine your actions and intentions and you don't detect any obvious...
God never ignores us, but sometimes we simply can’t hear him due to all of the distractions in our life. That’s why Fr. Mike...
Jesus asked the crippled man at the pool of Bethesda, “Do you want to be well?” It seems like an obvious question, but—as Fr....
Playing a video game called Injustice helps Fr. Mike explain the real answer to why God allows suffering. In Injustice,...
Lent is about transformation, but that transformation will be incomplete if we make it about ourselves. Instead of aiming for...
Fr. Mike knows the tricks we can play on ourselves when it comes to picking something for Lent. So he gives a straightforward...
In the spiritual life, it’s difficult to know whether striving to do God’s will or just abiding in him is better. But why can’t...
This video is an excerpt from, "The 99, A New System for Evangelization." To learn more about this amazing resource, visit:...
If you want to know how to share the gospel, it’s important to have the love and courage to not just give answers and...
If it feels like God isn't answering your prayers, that can be disheartening. But it can also be devastating. Today, Fr....
Father Mike Schmitz discusses the difference between one’s perception of gender and gender reality. Gender stereotypes have...
What is the best way to prepare for the season of Advent? You’re free to do what you know will help you prepare for Christmas...
Mary and Her Immaculate Conception Truly loving Mary will never lessen our faith in God, or take attention away from Christ....
Stepping into Advent What does Advent mean to you? A time to put the lights up, gift shop, and eat chocolate? Or is it...
God wants our brokenness. He wants everything that makes us imperfect in the eyes of the world. In this video, Fr. Mike...
At a glance, you may look at friendship and say it’s not necessary for day-to-day life. It’s just “nice to have.” And the truth...
If we put on a mask when we come to God in prayer, how can he love that fake version of us? In this week’s video from Fr. Mike,...
How many real friends do you have? Honestly, many people we call friends would probably better qualify as pals or buddies. The...
Getting Closer to God When you're first growing in prayer and developing your relationship with Jesus, it is worth the...
When was the last time you told God “thank you”? We live in an extremely hectic world, full of distractions,...
How we spend our time is one of the most valuable decisions we make, because time is one thing we can never get back once it’s...
There’s an old saying, “Why put off until tomorrow what you could do today?” Our culture’s "seize-the-day" mentality can be a...
Signs are often tricky and fuzzy. They’re not always such a good tool for helping you make a decision. Let’s be honest: we...
Jesus challenges us in the Gospels to “love your neighbor as yourself.” But what if you struggle to love yourself? How can we...
What do you do when you don’t have the desire to pray? Today Fr. Mike encourages and challenges us to ask God to give us...
So... Why do we practice Lent? What’s the real connection between the Israelites’ forty years in the desert and the...
How can we prepare our hearts to make the most of Lent? In this video, Fr. Mike explains how prayer, fasting, and...
Let's talk about exercise! Today Fr. Mike challenges us to re-evaluate the way we treat and view our bodies as well as to...
When you are struggling to forgive yourself As Catholics, we believe in the forgiveness of our sins through the graces of...
The age-old question: why do I need to pray?
Don’t Let The Important Moments Pass You By Saint Teresa of Calcutta once said, "We cannot all do great things. But we...
Running the Spiritual Race What does a triathlon have to do with the Communion of Saints? Fr. Mike Schmitz draws...
Why Does God Need Us to Worship Him? God is an infinite, perfect, communion of persons, responsible for the intentional...
Fr. Mike With Ascension Presents You may have seen the movie Rudy. Its eponymous protagonist is a not-so-athletic college...
Do you ver feel like your worst comes out when you get with your family? Even if you think you’ve gotten more patient, kind,...
Good people go to heaven when they die, right? Well, according to the Gospels, not exactly. Fr. Mike Schmitz points to at...
It may be difficult to tell a non-practicing Catholic that he or she can’t receive Communion, but—as Fr. Mike Schmitz proves in...
Fr. Mike Schmitz sits down with Fr. Josh Johnson to discuss racial division in the Church and how Catholics can strive to...
Fr. Mike Schmitz gives us some things to consider before getting a tattoo. If we do choose to place permanent marks on our...
They may just be ashes, but Fr. Mike points out that what they represent goes far beyond mere dust of the earth. With a simple...
How can God be good, but allow bad things to happen? Fr. Mike Schmitz tackles one of the toughest questions religious believers...
Books upon books have been written about the problem of suffering. Fr. Mike isn’t about to reinvent the wheel in this video,...
A great way to make this Lent even better spiritually is to offer up not only something you chose, but also to offer up your...
Fr. Mike talks about the real reasons Christ tells us to fast. It isn’t just about strengthening our will and showing our love...
Why do we fast? Fr. Mike explains that it’s not about getting more love and attention from God. Fasting is about self-mastery,...
By genuflecting before the tabernacle at church, we’re saying at least one of three things with our bodies. Those three things...
You may have heard priests or devout Catholics say something like, “If only people knew what was happening at Mass, they’d be...
Even though mortal sins are more deadly than venial sins, that doesn’t mean venial sins are harmless. Fr. Mike explains the...
It’s a question that arises whenever someone challenges the beliefs of Christianity: If God is all-loving, why does he send...
Whether it’s our reputation as the smartest person in the class or office or a signature beard that makes us look like Chuck...
God wants our brokenness. He wants everything that makes us imperfect in the eyes of the world. In this video, Fr. Mike Schmitz...
First Thessalonians 5:17 says to “pray constantly,” but how do we do that? In this video, Fr. Mike Schmitz suggests a...
“I don’t understand the concept of an annulment. It seems like it is just a term for ‘Catholic divorce.’” I am very glad that...
I’ve heard that everyone is called by God to some vocation. How do I find my vocation? Fantastic. This is one of my favorite...