Are You a “Child of God”?

"Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. From now on a household of five will be divided, three against two and two against three; a father will be divided against his son and a son against his father, a mother against h ...  Show more

Why can't Catholics scatter ashes? Why does the Church ask us to bury the dead? Fr. Mike Schmitz explores the Catholic understanding of honoring the dead, explains why scattering ashes isn't permitted, and reveals what these practices teach us about the dignity of the human perso ...  Show more

Baptism has profound effects upon the baptized: “purification from sins and new birth in the Holy Spirit.” The Catechism shows us that the graces of Baptism are so deep that—for the newly baptized—“nothing remains that would impede their entry into the Kingdom of God.” Fr. Mike r ...  Show more

Fr. Mike reflects on the powerful reality that the sacrament of Baptism makes us partakers of God's Divine nature, fundamentally changing us into beloved sons and daughters of God the Father. He also highlights how the second coming of Christ will come like a thief in the night, ...  Show more

God’s love has no bounds, and neither should our prayer. Fr. Mike emphasizes that when we say “our” we are highlighting that we have become God’s people. We belong to God, not in a possessive way, but in an “entirely new relationship”. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 27 ...  Show more

Homily from the Baptism of the Lord. At the Incarnation, God joined His divinity to humanity...at the Baptism of Jesus, God identifies with our brokenness. What difference does the Baptism of Jesus make? It means that God doesn't stay away from our sins, but that He takes them up ...  Show more