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There are always going to be people we don’t like very much… people that “annoy” us. Friends, family members, people that are “always” this or that. It can become easy to define people by their faults. But that’s not what God does with us.
Today, Fr. Mark-Mary shows you how to love people like God loves people, by giving people permission to be themselves.
https://www.youtube.com/@AscensionPresents
What good does feeling sorry for yourself do? Fr. Mike points out a hard truth in saying—while you have the right to grieve when tragic things happen in your life—you never have the right, or permission, to feel sorry for yourself. All it does is shrink the universe down to the size of you. It blocks out the blessings God gave you that you should be thankful for, and paralyzes you from joyfully giving to others. When you feel the temptation to feel sorry for yourself coming on, in the words of St. Paul, Fr. Mike recommends:
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful” (Colossians 3:15).
https://www.youtube.com/@AscensionPresents
Fr. Mike offers insights on how to combat despair. If you feel like you’ve tried everything, see no way out, or think nothing matters, Fr. Mike reminds you of the true meaning of hope. He explains that we can always rely on God’s presence. Choosing hope means choosing to act with courage, even if that victory is as simple as getting out of bed.
Finally, he reminds us that one of the best ways to fight despair is to bring that hopelessness to God in Confession.
You are loved, you are valued, and you are absolutely irreplaceable. Our team at Ascension is thinking of you and praying for you. If you’re going through a difficult time or struggling with your mental health, don’t hesitate to reach out for help. Talk to someone you trust or seek support from a professional. You can also call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 (available 24/7).
https://www.youtube.com/@AscensionPresents
Some folks maintain the notion that Jesus said we “have to love people” but “don’t have to like them”. Besides the fact that Jesus never said this… there are other reasons this false idea is holding you back from loving the way you were made to love.
Today, Fr. Mark-Mary dives deep into what it means to “like” someone and how we can show true, authentic love to everyone (and… in fact… that is our calling).
https://www.youtube.com/@AscensionPresents
If you’ve ever planned to become so holy that you don’t need God’s help anymore, then this video is for you.
Self-reliance is a virtue lauded by modern society in the west. But not only does Jesus warn against it, self-reliance… just… doesn’t even work.
Today, Fr. Mike proposes an alternative that will change your life. Spoiler: it involves relying on someone else…
https://www.youtube.com/@AscensionPresents
“But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord sees not as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.’” – 1 Samuel 16:7
What does God see when he looks into our hearts? Does he see a humble, contrite and broken heart, that he will not spurn?
Today Fr. Mike Schmitz shares a word of encouragement from the book of 1 Samuel for how to shape our hearts so that the Lord can be present to them and abide in them.
https://www.youtube.com/@AscensionPresents
Today Fr. Mike encourages us to consider pursuing this one antidote in combatting pride and to helping you grow in humility today!
https://www.youtube.com/@AscensionPresents
“I don’t… think… I’m prideful…?”
Great! If you examine your actions and intentions and you don’t detect any obvious pride, that’s a wonderful thing. But as each one of us grows deeper in relationship with Jesus, he will reveal ever more nuanced ways that pride can sneak its way into our lives, giving us opportunities to reveal those places to Jesus and letting him perfect us.
Today, Fr. Mike uncovers some of those sneaky areas of our life where pride can burrow itself and cause major problems.
https://www.youtube.com/@AscensionPresents