Freedom and Its Consequences
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ต.ค. 2024
- Fr. Mike points out the false lesson of Disney's The Little Mermaid, a movie that fails to show that freedom to do whatever you want has consequences. He teaches that true freedom is the ability to do what one ought to do. This is the Christian idea of freedom found in the Bible, and it was the idea of freedom the founders of the U.S. knew could not be abandoned if their country was to survive. This Independence Day, and every day, let’s live by the Christian, and only true, idea of freedom.
Fr. Mike is also a presenter in these faith formation programs from Ascension:
Belonging: Baptism in the Family of God (bit.ly/2vQgGRx)
Chosen: This is Your Catholic Faith (bit.ly/2nCKKLK)
Altaration: The Mystery of the Mass Revealed (bit.ly/2vG9KX2)
YOU: Life, Love, and the Theology of the Body (bit.ly/2raspVB)
Get 18 of Fr. Mike’s best Ascension Presents videos in this exclusive DVD from Ascension:
Ascension Presents … Fr. Mike Schmitz (bit.ly/2sKUnJN)
Fr. Mike spoke at the Ascension Cafe during the World Meeting of Families. Watch him and other speakers get fired up over the gospel in the Ascension Cafe DVD (bit.ly/2sYtQaW).
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I heard it once put this way. The freedom to do whatever we want, it like we are just banging on the piano. The freedom that Christ offers us is like learning how to play the piano. We have to be able to learn the laws of music so that we can have the freedom to create a beautiful masterpiece.
That is a great analogy indeed...
Oo! This is excellent!
"make good choices, don't become sea foam" 😏 this is keeper. Thanks Fr.Mike
Hey Caroline.
How are you doing today?
We live in a time when "freedom" means doing what I like whenever I want to, when it should mean doing whatever the Lord wants, whenever He wants me to. We are so willing to choose the parts of religion and faith that suit us instead of accepting the true faith and true religion, all out of our misguided "freedom of choice". True freedom comes from following the Laws of God and His Will, no matter what. Only then are we truly free. And no matter what our decision, our decisions always have consequences, we can never be free of them.
Good comment.
The Sinnoh Firefly you speak the truth thanks for that
The Sinnoh Firefly well said
Happy Independence day to you all from the UK!
Brexiteers don't seem to know what independence actually means.
Two of the best adages I've ever heard: 1) You are free to choose to do what you please, but you are not free to choose the consequences; 2) Don't become sea foam. Thanks for the words of wisdom, Fr. Mike!
An excellent homily, even though l am a Londoner. Thank you, Father.😄😄
Jacqueline Harrod Americans schooling (literally in this case) the UK since 1776 lol
Cool to see a UK Catholic. There aren't that many of you are there?
Ben Cafeo We are working on it, but thousands in London. The churches in Central London are absolutely packed on Sunday.
Jacqueline Harrod Novus Ordo, Anglican Use, or Tridentine?
Father Mike... You are amazing ....I love all your videos... You are such an inspiration... God bless you
As someone who has struggled with an eating disorder I used to crave the freedom to eat/do whatever I want (“no one is going to tell me what to eat!”) but my perspective has shifted in what that freedom actually means. Freedom from these gluttonous addictions is WAY more joyous than any morsel of food. God does not want me chained to food like an idol...he wants me to be happy, healthy, and find love in Him. 💕
@Christ77743 intuitive eating book, Christian therapy, and lots of praying.
I have freedom to choose. I will choose to do good.
Happy 4th Father Mike. Thank you for explaining all your videos to were the world can understand. You speak the truth and we can absorb it our in minds and hearts. Your a true instrument father mike. Peace be with you. ❤
Well said, well explained, well delivered with the reference to the Little mermaid and well reminded to us that with all of our decisions come consequences. We want to do what we want to do but we do not have to pay the price for what we do, many times. Nothing is hidden. All is seen by God. Thanks Father Mike for reminding us that we can't just talk the talk we must walk the walk. God Bless.
Thanks for this, Fr. Schmitz! People really do confuse what freedom means! Pretty sure Ariel would be one of these people shouting, "You do you." Yikes. Happy 4th and God Bless you all!
Fr. Mike, thank you for any other amazing video. #frmikeforpope
Libertarians are right on policy; conservatives are right on culture. Generally speaking. We can't be forced to serve, but we ought to choose servitude.
Serve Truth. Do not serve humans.
Thank you Fr . I am from India and will be watching your channel. Thank you helping to know more to myself in deep with Christ our Lord
Awesome message. Responsibility is so important. This is one of your best videos yet. Happy fourth father Mike!
Had the same little mermaid experience watching it as an adult. Thank you for this message.
"Those who are willing to give up Freedom for Security will get neither."
Fr. Mike, you are awesome......
This knowledge is so important today because for many the consequences are usually someone else's fault,so a great lesson to learn . Thank you and hello from the U K. God bless.
Thank you Father Mike!
Amen! 🙏🙏🙏! Choices we make have consequences! Thank you, Father Mike! 👍👍👍!
So good ... as all your video clips! Way to teach deep truths in small bites! God bless you Fr. Mike!🙏🏼💜🔥🔥🔥
THE WORLD NEEDS TO HEAR THIS!
Thank you, Fr. From Nigeria.
Thank you, Fr. Mike.
To be honest most Disney movies involve lying or changing something about yourself in order to get something or someone that you want.
I enjoy your outlook on Freedom and how it does relate to Religion. Freedom does require discipline, just as Religion. This is what I concluded is the message you have Given.
Thank you, Fr. Mike. Great video as always. Indeed, with freedom comes responsibility. Freedom isn't about doing whatever one wants. There are consequences to what we do, and if we make bad choices, then the consequences will be accordingly. One of the biggest lies is thinking that you can do whatever you want as long it doesn't hurt anyone. Well, it doesn't have to hurt anyone but yourself.
Anyway, I thank God for being born in this country. Freedom is a beautiful thing, and let's also offer it up to Him. Without Him, we are nothing. God bless you, Fr. Mike & Happy Independence Day!
I'm trying to do what I ought among many obstacles (some natural, some imposed); my problem is knowing the next step.
I am doing all I can to avoid the whole seafoam thing.
Thank you father
...I don't think The Little Mermaid was the best comparison choice. The Little Mermaid wasn't about a rebel daughter who wanted to stick it to the man by disobeying his wishes and getting everything she wanted consequence free... It was about the opposite. The Little Mermaid was about a girl whose soul had been in love with the human world for many years, if not all, of her life and her soul's passion was to explore this world and experience it for all it had to offer. Yes she stormed off and went to the ship in a moment of anger when her father forbade her from going to the ship - but it is a good thing that she did, as she saved a life in the process which brought us back full circle to her passion of fighting for her right to experience a whole new world where she felt she belonged.
As for the consequence-free bit... Her actions gave her all the consequences. She lost her voice (her only tool of communication for both worlds) and nearly lost the love of her life as well as her entire family to boot (not to mention the fate of the sea hanging in the balance 0 pretty big consequence for the sea world). The moral of the lesson wasn't about getting off scott-free, it was about fighting *through* the consequences of her actions, fixing them, restoring peace and balance to humans and merfolk, and *then* proceeding to live her happily ever after after she *earned* it back for herself.
Parents aren't always right, and neither are their rules. It wasn't Ariel's destiny to live under the sea. We all have the right to forge and fight for our own destinies, and that's exactly what Ariel did. She experienced consequences, conquered them, and earned her freedom in the process by trusting herself, her friends, and her heart in spite of a world that could only tell her, "No."
Sorry Father Mike, downright disagree with you on this one lol
(All the love though!)
:)
Great video Father Mike! I have a different spin on the little mermaid movie, though (maybe because I have young daughters). I like to think that although she disobeyed her father, there were many unforeseen negative consequences, the situation quickly spiraled out of control, and eventually things worked out... I tell my kids that even when we make mistakes, bad things might happen and someone might suffer, but God can still bring good out of anything, even if sometimes it doesn’t end how we hoped. :)
Amen.
I've loved that apropos quote of John Paul ii for quite some time.
And I thank God that Christ is being preached for He is the only way to true freedom; for right ordered desires to develop true freedom and do what we aught.
I don’t know about the example, but, as someone who has made some terrible choices in life, as someone who is a penitent, I can only agree with what you are saying.
I am having a quiet, contemplative fourth . Your message was well received on such a day. (I am also re-watching the 1968 Russian film of War and Peace). Peace, Fr. Mike
Fr. Mike. I really wish I could talk to you. Thank you for your love for God and people.
🆓💥Happy Independence Day U.S.A and to you Father Mike.💥🆓
haha Watching this from the U.K. but I'm American. Thanks Fr. Mike!
Today was the day I finally understood the Little Mermaid, a plague of a lifetime resolved!
Good video . . . LOL and a very Happy Independence Day to our American brothers and sisters too from across the pond in the UK .. . . :)
This is extremely well explained, great job!
I see jesus in your eyes ❤❤
Met Fr. mike at Steubenville Dallas!!!!
aww, I liked that film! Thank you for your insight though. Very interesting video!
lots of love!
I recently had this revelation about Ariel (who, growing up, was my FAVORITE Disney princess) and it made me SO. SAD.
Hi, my name's Father Mike Schmidtz.
Thank you so much for this video and all of your other videos! You really are an incredible inspiration and your perspective is truly amazing! And I’ve always disliked The Little Mermaid for that reason so thank you for applying it to our faith!!
Hi father mike 💗
Love u from france
"Run and you'll live -- at least a while. And dying in your beds many years from now, would you be willing to trade all the days from this day to that for one chance, just one chance to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they'll never take our freedom!!!"
-William Wallace from Braveheart
Hey, handsome priest! You make awesome videos! Keep up the good work!
Your ability to communicate so lightening fast in a linear way is an art form. How do you do it?? HOW...
Hey, Fr Mike Schmitz.
From Great Britain.
My parents read Andersen to me and my siblings when we were kids. this was in croatia.
later we immigrated to the usa and we went to see the little mermaid. it was a terrible disappointment.
the original story was teach I g something very valuable: Sony make promises that you can't keep.
the Disney movie was completely obliviating this message.
the graphics were great but the message is satanic behind - and we learned this in our own skin.
It's been 5 years now that I left the usa and I'm much happier in the Old Europe than I ever was in the usa.
freedom is different in Europe - you do what you seem to be ok for you and the community.
thanks father Mike for this video. :)
Loved this one!
I was just talking to someone about this today. He was saying that monogamy was selfish because it restricts the freedom of your partner. I would not see a 'polyamorous' relationship as true freedom, it would lead to insecurity, jealousy, heartbreak and possibly venereal disease. Being in a monogamous and committed marriage means that I can't date other people, but the security and safety of the relationship brings a different type of freedom.
Father Mike slow down pleaseee
Glad that you noticed your speed this week! Otherwise, awesome videos man 👍
THANK YOU, Fr. Mike! I certainly felt frustrated after watching Disney's Little Mermaid! She's a rebellious teenager...and the father apologizes! Ouch! I do love the music, but the story is not about good parenting!
Hi Father Mike, sorry about the delay. I got caught up in life's circumstances. I love this analogy you chose to use. Freedom in *Christ* is the most amazing gift from God. We are all imperfect humans who sometimes make the wrong life choices and therein lays the consequences. Be they big or small, they have the capacity to sting like a bee. Sending you warm love from the UK. P.S. How's the 9 o'clock Shadow coming along? x😉
Thanks Father Mike, you should write a sequence to the "Little Mermaid."
Is there a for the heart broken? My wife left me and it hurts so bad, locked into my Catholic faith, but when I am alone I miss her, dating around only masks the pain, and none are her
Don't take it in a judgmental way, it is an advice like I would say to a friend. If you were married, "dating around" won't feel the void your true wife left, as you are still a married man! Talk to a good priest and to God in intimate prayer about your alternatives.
#askfrmike Hey Father Mike! Could you talk more about how to resist sin when in desolation? It seems easier to choose sin when I’m not feeling God in prayer/action, since I feel more closed into the worldly things.
Angela D Hi, I’m not Fr. Mike, but I have what I hope will be a helpful suggestion to you: Read a good translation of St. Ignatius of Loyola’s “Rules for the discernment of spirits.” Specifically, dealing with the spirit of desolation, as in this, from rule 319: “Though in desolation we must never change from our former resolutions, it will be very advantageous to intensify our activity against the desolation.We can insist upon more prayer, upon meditation, and on much examination of ourselves. We can make an effort in a suitable way to do some penance.”
This works for me very well. I say a rosary pretty much daily now; it really does help. Before you start your rosary, you can ask for graces for yourself, and intentions for others, for saying the rosary. Our Blessed Mother is a great ally for resisting temptations; I speak from experience.
Whenever you feel tempted by a habitual sin, say a Hail Mary. I know this sounds easy and trite, but it works!
Also, Fr. Mike has at least one good video on fasting as a way to learn to curb giving in to temptations. Jesus said that fasting and prayer are the (most effective?) ways to grow in holiness. He was on to something! 😉 The saints are big on fasting for this reason. I hope this helps you in some way. Good luck, may God bless you!
I disagree slightly, freedom does mean liscence, however, it does not absolve us from the resulting consequences.
That’s one of the reasons we weren’t allowed to watch the little mermaid when we were little! And having read the Anderson version before being exposed to the Disney version I vastly prefer it!
"It's full of contradictions! So is independence."
I hear a discourse recently that stated that God is the one that sets the standards of right and wrong, peroid. Our freedom exists within whether we will or will not live within those standards. They are always consequences, it's based on physics: every action has an equal and opposite reaction. One can never esacpe consequences. The Little Mermaid is a "fairy" tale. (Even that can be a questionable genre for a Christian) As you said, being free moral agents supposes that we will behave morally and care about what effect we are having on others and hopefully that will matter to us more than any punishment. This made me think of these scriptures: Job 27:5, Prov 19:17, Mal 4:2, Eph 5:10,11, 1 Cor 10:24, 2 Cor 2:9, 10:5, 1 Tim 1:12-17, Rom 15:2,3, Heb 5:7,8 Jas 3:13. Oh dear this got long and I could go on but Phil 2:13 sums up our reasons for what we do, if we rely on God and his will and not our own. Then we have the possibility of understanding and experiencing the tremendous joy of being a real giver: True happiness. Acts 20:35
This is a great point if you disregard the whole movie.
JESUS CHRIST bless!!!
Love your talks.Kindly slow down a little I couldn't follow you on this, you were too fast.Thanks
Hi can you help me ... my parents are atheists and I don’t know how to reach them 😭 I feel guilty for not telling them about God but at the same time I’m scared to help me please xx
Rosie, I'll pray for you and your family.
Sue Warren thank you x
Rosie Riddle If I were you I wouldn't put so much pressure on myself. Learn all you can to defend your faith. G.K Chesterton is a great place to start along with St. Thomas Aquinas. The holy Spirit will open up opportunities for you to share him with your parents I guarantee it. I got to speak to my dad in that way the day before he died of a heart attack and the last words we said to each other was I love you. Your parents are responsible for there own souls. If I were you I would just look for small opportunities to talk.
Hi Rosie, maybe you could buy 2 green scapulars and put them under your parents bed. Pray "immaculate heart of Mary, pray for us now and at the hour of our death, Amen" for each parent with faith. Also ask for Mary's intersession that their hearts can be softened. Ill pray for you. www.greenscapular.com/ Also how old are you? if you dont mind me asking. Are you able to go to mass? or attend a RCIA group? Im 16, my mum is Anglican, my dad an atheist, I was baptized and confirmed last Easter. With prayer my dad is happy for me and so is my mum, Mary's intersession is working though the green scapular devotion on my mum and she is going to attend an RCIA group soon. :)
CHAZER 2222 hi I’m 14 and I really would like to be baptised and go to church 😭
Hey Fr. Mike! I've recently seen an argument about whether it is sinful to shop at or spend money at places that are not in full agreement with the morals of the Catholic church. Mainly the debate was about wether to go to disneyland or buy disney products because disney has some conflicting views with the church. I would love to hear about what the church really teaches on where we spend our money, vacations, etc. Is it really wrong to go to disneyland?
Kayla Garone - your tax dollars fund immoral institutions, immoral wars, and missile strikes that even kill innocent children.
Do you still pay taxes? If you apply your reasoning to every business, you would never spend another penny. Because you can then say the same thing about the individual workers. What if they used their paycheck to do things that the customers didn't agree to in private?
If you're against drinking alcohol but spend money on a business that employs someone who drinks - do you then stop spending money at that business?
Forgive me father for I have sinned. I finally got to be the person who clicked the 1000th like. From 999 to 1K. First time ever. I got so excited about this I missed the whole point of your video. All i got was 'sea foam'. So embarresed. 😢
I prefer the little mermaid 1975 version because it shows the true ending. I remember crying a lot when I saw it. anyway I agree with Fr Mike. freedom required making choices and to make choices you need discernment.
Not all fathers deserve respect. In freedom, we develop individuality. Life is not a cartoon. Failures built character.
#askfrmike
I've encountered several people practicing zen meditation, or yoga and everytime even if I didn't know it first, I feel that they have something more. They spread love and light, peace and true freedom. They make people happy around them. And anyone can become the same person by following the same teachings and habits. Unfortunately I don't find the same thing in catholics. Maybe in some monks or priests but not in the same way and not in regular people. And i experienced the same peace when doing breathing exercises, reconnecting to the body and reflecting on some of their teachings. It is also very healing. So I'm very confused : why are catholics so disconnected from their body? Isn't it God that you can find inside yourself and radiate?
These practices don't seem to annihilate the human nature as some think. But it's more like a forestate of eternal immutable love. For me evil can see itself with its fruits and also on someone's face. And i don't find any evil there, no selfishness, no pride. Their deeds, their peace, their gratefulness and joy can testify of it as long as their remarkably good health or longevity. It really seems that they live life as it is intend to be and that they have a better "user manual" than us. The church condemns it but Jesus said to follow the ones who were giving the good fruits. I don't know what to think. Can you help me there?
And Thank you so much for all your awesome videos❣️i find them very clear with good examples and with the right explanations! And true to the teachings of Jesus and of tradition..
I actually don't agree with the interpretation of Anderson. She is basically transformed into an ethereal being at the end.
Ariel's inspiration says Happy 4th July
Father Mike, I am 13 and for some reason I have homosexual problems and it is really interfering with my life and it’s giving me extreme social problems and anxiety. I know that being attracted to the same gender as yourself is wrong and I never wanted it to be this way. I pray for it to go away and the best thing it has ever done is make it go away for a little bit but it always comes back. I am very confused with homosexuality and what the actual cause of it is and I want to change for the better, please help. Thanks. -Adam
In the original story by Hans Christian Anderson, she dies.
That's what I thought. Now I have to go read it, it's been so long.
I didn't know that!! Now I'm going to look that up..
Thanks for the spoiler.
Edit: I'm joking, I only read the bible, manuals and newspaper.
There is another cartoon version where in the end she turns to stone and becomes a statue. I was a kid when I saw that version and cried.
I think a positive view one could take about the Disney version is Ariel overcoming her situation and becoming more, albeit through means that are not justified (disobeying her father and sea witchcraft). It's the way she did what she did that's wrong, not necessarily her having legs or even the desire to have them.
Anyway thank you Fr. Mike
Woah, Fr! You need to re-read Anderson's tale!! That's not how it ends at all!
Can you please do one explaining why we should or shouldn’t watch “The Young Pope” i have a friend who likes the show and I’m very bad at giving a reason to not watch it
I thought in the original story the Sea Hag makes another deal with Arial that she would return her to the way she was at a price of killing the Prince stabbing him in the heart with a knife. She agreed and sneaked into his bedchamber at night while sleeping with his wife and Arial was about to kill him with a knife but because of her love for him she ended up stabbing the knife in her own chest.
I’m catholic
Thank you Father. Where can I find the version of The Little Mermaid that you mentioned (sea foam), my wife and I have three daughters.
The idea of handing out "licenses" as a promise of liberty is a very progressive concept. It makes you think that the argument for same-sex marriage is valid as long as you can hand out the license saying two men or two women are "legally" married. Driving a car or the James Bond franchise with the catchphrase"License to Kill" toy with the idea that you can drive a car or kill someone as long as you are licensed to operate by the state or the government in charge of maintaining the peace. We get into the concept of free will at this point, and there are people who say it doesn't exist and those who say that God created us to take moral responsibility for every perceived wrong in our little worlds. You also have to straddle the line between order and chaos.
Question about the 4th of July: if it's the day you celebrate independence from the UK, why is it the only day of the year you date the British way? Shouldn't it be July the 4th?
Look in the bright side. It can also be seen as a injunction to reject unlawful power. If you see the path she choose as the path of the Lord, than Triton is a dictator who is keeping her imprisoned. The story becomes the redemption of Triton though matyrdom at the hands of Ursula and his consequent ressurection.
Great points. How about Finding Nemo? Same message?...although I guess that Nemo did not get everything he wanted in the end and hopefully he learned his lesson but also the message that the dad was too strict and that's why Nemo disobeyed. I think a lot of the things geared towards children have that same message.
Well, Fr... Her consequence is that she lives in the realm of the humans for the rest of her life. That's hell! :p
(Ignore the sequel where she (and her daughter) kinda gets the best of both worlds...)
#ASKFRMIKE Hi Father, please advise on how support or cure a person with deep commitment issues... My final advice for her was "go to adoration and there ask for guidance from Lord himself"... Anyway, I would be glad to hear your point of view on commitment issues
Thank you
Relationship commitment...
On 6/29/2018 gold sparkles appeared to me. It reminded me of sparklers. The were floating around for about half of a minute and disappeared into the floor. I wasnt scared but I was confused. I wiped my eyes, looked away and looked back and it was still there. I will never forget this. My dog of 13 years died two days before. What do you think this was? What was it trying to communicate with me? Was this connected to my dogs passing? Please help me make sense of this. Thank you❤
Natalie V - Christian perspective is bright light or sparkles representing themselves as ur Guardian Angel. All Christians have them. They are of light - celestial beings sent by God to comfort us when we most need it. 😊 Just pray & they usually communicate when ur receptive & open. Reading a Bible passage or a hymn also helps. 😀
So many kids movies have very poor messages 😢
Hey Father Mike! I definitely agree with what you are saying about freedom, but using the Little Mermaid didn't really work in my opinion. One of the main points of the Little Mermaid was Ariel reconciling mermaids with humans, since King Tritom was scarred by humans in the past and was bigoted against them. The movie was going for a different moral than the one you were applying to the movie. Everything that happened in the movie was necessary for humans and mermaids to come together. So that's just my take. Not your best talk, but I understand the main message 😊
Pray the Rosary and don't become sea foam!😂❤
Is disobeying God a freue choice? In your definitition No, because you ought to obey him. And why do you decide only one definition of freedom is valid? There are plenty more.
FINALLY! I thought I was the only one who noticed that terrible message
Good Gawd - who is this guy!
what does mean by "you matter"?
Thanks Ft Mike for ruining my favorite childhood movie 😭🤣 haha kidding...I don’t want to become sea foam. Never thought about how naughty Ariel really was!
*goes to Google the Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen*
Daisy J yea lol I didnt know there was a non-disney version of the little mermaid