Bag Obeans I wonder if thats how Catholic monks were more connected to God..being disconnected to everything that doesn't matter..and connecting with what matters most.
It's been years since I had my previous relationship and even in that relationship, I learned I yearn for a ME time. Fast forward to present---been living in a foreign land close to 4 years now, away from my homeland which is in another continent and 5 hours delayed...I never felt so alone in my entire life when I got up here...yet it was in that moment where I found Christ---he brought me to a life of peace and order filled with mysterious joy. So whenever loneliness hit me again, I might as well embrace it fearlessly. I knew---he never left my side❤
Father Mike is the future generation of the Catholic Church. I pray that the light he emits inspires more young men to enter the priesthood. On the subject presented, I do not get much alone time resulting in loneliness. But when I do I don't ever consider myself lonely, I consider it me time. Time to reflect, and connect to God. Thank you Father Mike from Houston Texas.
The light has already been there for centuries. He is merely reflecting what it HAS ALWAYS BEEN in the church and is within you and I and all who want it as Mike Schmitz, pastor is. Orginal SIN causes and prevents us being as Mike Schmitz, Pastor is. He has been purified by the Holy Spirit per Holy Orders and his level of surrender and use of the sacraments allows him to be used instrumentally as he is now.... YOU and I and ALL people can be like him if we choose to be since the early beginnings of the chruch :) :) :)
We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence... We need silence to be able to touch souls...
@@aprilunderwood-moore6987 Being single gives us the full freedom to get right with GOD, to build into existence once lost relationship, between GOD and creation, between PARENT and child. 1 Corinthians Chapter 7 KJV 32 But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord: 33 But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife. 34 There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband. 35 And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction. this world presents love as lust, and if you`re not always touched, then you are not loved = lies and fear propaganda. All of it because the MK ULTRA PROJECTS from masons. John 15:13 KJV Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. And being ALONE (not on your own) does bring forth sober mind. What I have witness in my short life so far is, souls get together for money and because they are bored and the 3th reason is, the pressure of peers and older generations. “People around me repeated daily, get married and have children and move out, so I did. Am I happily living after? NO, i`m bitter, angry, sad, broken, in fear, heavy leaden, in darkness, always in somewhat contests with people around me, who has something better, something more and so on…, I succumbed to the fear of the opinions about my life of others, thats the hurtful truth.” We start feeling lonely, because we are on our own, lonely comes not from BEING ALONE. KJV Bible says; Matthew 6:31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? Luke 12:22 And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. Matthew 6:25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
I sit alone most of time, walk alone most of time. Still I dont feel being alone. Walking on nice day is great. Still appreciate time with friends I get.
im not scared of being alone im scared what will happen to me if im alone it seems like when bad things happen, it happens when people are alone ie (get murdered go missing)
mathias antonio I've lived alone. You learn a lot about yourself and come to love yourself more. It's not that bad. I did have my place broken into, but I realized that even though I lived alone, I have a lot of people who care about me. I let my family know and they came right to the rescue.
Thank you for this. I've suffered from loneliness for years and never really understood how to deal with it. The only advice I see is "get laid", so as a practicing Catholic this is such a breath of fresh air.
True. It's helpful when you know that you are not alone in practicing the Catholic faith and that "being laid" is not the answer for loneliness because it would only add up to the void that has been there the entire time. God bless you and will also be praying for you🙏
O Jesus through the most pure heart of Mary we offer you all of our prayers, works, sufferings, & joys of this day for the intentions of Your divine heart. Amen
I like your question, "Who is that loneliness motivating me to love?" Even negative emotions like loneliness can motivate people to do good things and to love.
Fr Mike, This was very insightful and helpful. I am widowed since 2016, I understand loneliness too well. But, I found that going to Eucharistic Adoration every week, and sit in silence and be open to God for 1-2 hours has helped me greatly. ❤️
James, I am so sorry for your loss. I know it must hurt. But I am so glad to hear that you have used the opportunity to grow closer to God’s love. I recently went through the (significantly less difficult) situation of a “breakup” of sorts, and though I’ve healed from the initial pain-the hurt still comes back. But I’m so thankful that God has revealed more of Himself (and even myself) to me in the process. Please pray for me and I’ll pray for you 🙏
Learned how to be content, happy and joyful, and in sadness at times. Letting my life plan go , along with that 'soulmate' was a sacrifice. Your will God. All Glory and Honor in Jesus Name. And bless anyone who is on or just starting there life changing journey with you Lord. 🙏🙌🙏🙌
My loneliness comes from missing my wife so very, very much. I do not want to fill that loneliness with anything other than God but the pain of this loneliness is very nearly unbearable. If anyone reads this, please pray for my beautiful wife to come home to me.
I will pray for you. I would ask you to pray for me for precisely the same thing. People want us to "move on" or stop thinking of them as our beautiful, smiling, loving brides. But that's based in a false anthropology. The women who said "I do" are the very same persons as the ones we desire; do not believe anyone who says they are not. They changed their minds? Then they can change them again, if God softens their hearts toward us and we are ready and worthy, if we work on ourselves and become the best we can be (which is good regardless of the outcome). I often see that spouses in our position are the wives (the standers) and that the ones who are away are the husbands, at least historically. But that's changing. And I think that it's particularly hard for us. Though we're expected to be stronger in the outside world, we rely on the home and our intimate marital relationship as our firm foundation. And when we fulfill our marriage vows right, we are called to love them as Christ loved the Church. So we're conforming to Our Lord, the Bridegroom, in a special way, and reflecting His relationship toward us as His Bride, the Church, that is Israel, in both the Old and New Testaments, where She was at times unfaithful but was made by Him spotless again. So when I start to feel crazy about how much I love and cherish her in her absence and how beautiful and desirable she is even when she turns against me and hurts and betrays me, I just think about the Perfect Man, Who is the very incarnate Logos of the universe, with perfect knowledge, goodness, and wills perfectly in conformity with reason, and how He treated us when we betrayed Him. I think too on the Canticle of Canticles, the love letter of the Groom to His Church, a beautiful and cherished Bride. My serenade to my wife is Vaughan William's prelude on Orlando Gibbon's song 13, the antiphon taken from Cant. 4:1 : "Oh my love, how comely now, and how beautiful art thou! Thou with dove-like eyes a pair, shining hast within thy hair. And thy locks like kidlings be, which from Gilead hill we see."
You pray to GOD with a humble heart and tell GOD to correct and teach you both how to love his way and his way ONLY!!!! YOU NEED TO PRAY FOR YOUR OWN SITUATION!!!!!!
When time comes that you are not comfortable with being alone or being by yourself, that is a problem……. And that is why millions are addicted to social media
I've been lonely and on my own for years, at times it caused me to seek love and comfort where I should not go. So many times I've tried to reach out and connect with people at church, but find myself being brushed aside as a single man. I'm an extrovert, confident and upfront about things and end up trying too hard to win friendships. I often get involved with activities and show interest in others, but go home feeling dejected. Often after 6 - 10 months of trying, I slide back into the shadows and cry out to Jesus. At times I felt Christians were the coldest, meanest, arrogant people around. All I've done is take strength from the Psalms and now continue to resist the urge to fall into sin.
" . . .the coldest, meanest, arrogant people around. . . " Yes Derek I can tell you even more about that, but thats another item. Now I´ve found to myself - and that´s exactly what the Lord obviously wanted me to learn: To be (almost) completely independent . . . So keep your head up and just keep going your own individualistic path . . .
My Mother told me, that Jesus will always be there for me, and I will never be alone, when you have God in your life, you will never be alone.❤❤🙏🙏 4:27
I searched up: “feeling empty Fr Mike” in my search bar because your advice has always helped to boost me in my journey, and this video popped up. I really do need to learn how to be happy in my own space, in the presence of God. Thank you Father, again.
Hi Fr Mike, your videos are so inspiring. Even though I'm not a Catholic, I love watching your videos. I experience loneliness big time but after a long time I found God drawing me closer to Him through the testimonies of Catholic priests. I've never heard anyone talk about loneliness in such an inspiring way before, it's true what you said about not running away from it and let it purify and move us. Thanks Fr Mike and God bless you too...
I have the exact opposite problem. I'd rather be by myself. People tire me out and I feel the need to run away from them, so I have to force myself to interact. But if you really think about it, we're never alone. Jesus is always with you!
One who is lonely, aught to set up a Home Altar with a Crucifix and images of favorite Saints, and let that be the focus when feeling lonely. It actually fills that void.
Very well said Fr. Mike, thank you. I rather like being alone and being secluded, it's only when I'm out in the world and I observe people who are not alone that I feel those pangs of incomplete loneliness for a moment. So for me, being alone is not not the problem. I'd say my biggest difficulty is having my loneliness motivating me to move outside myself to encounter others because I am very comforted in my complete silent loneliness. One of the things I look forward to the most is being alone in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
"I love my solitude" For me it's my meditation time. Hearing the sound of nature, the birds chirping ✝ My circle..my time..my peace ❤ We all owe this too ourselves
How could you possibly know that seven years ago when you recorded this that I was going to need to hear this today divine providence possibly. The Holy Spirit continuing his magnificent work through you is probably a better answer. I needed to hear what you had to say thank you God bless you.
Wow, I'm so glad I found this today. We spent the morning packing up a truck because my family is moving 1,000 miles away tomorrow for my Dad's job. I'm not looking forward to not having my family, I'm only 17, but I'm also excited to be an adult and start really taking care of myself. I enjoy my alone time, but it's hard knowing I'll only see my family every couple months. God's been building my faith a lot recently, so I'm excited to see how He uses this new chapter in my life.
I have just lost my husband of 50 years, after being locked down & taking him through his terminal cancer illness for past several years. Alone, no children, I now face my own health situations. As I sat @ a Cancer center I started talking with a man who was with his very ill wife. I went into my RN mindset, trying to relieve some of his stress. My small lump impending surgery/ diagnosis faded to the background, as I connected & I saw that I could help him, even for a brief small amount of shared time. Jeanne (retired RN)
Thanks for the reminder. I'm feeling lonely again and you've reminded me and also Bishop Fulton Sheen said when he was lonely he went out and served the poor. We should serve people around us. Not in a forceful way, but to those that welcome our help or reaching out.
I’ve been alone for 22 years now. I wouldn’t go back for anything in the world to what I left but it breaks my heart for the things I’ve lost. For the things aren’t things their people, my son and my daughter and the two granddaughters have never met.For whatever reason they chose their dad over me and so there are no reunion holidays, happy, birthdays, or anything else. It’s just another day on the calendar. In fact this year my family announce that they are not going to have holidays anymore because we’re all too old for them I think it’s a shame, it bothers me a great deal. So between my original family who called off the holidays and my marriage family that align with their father I need to listen to this every once in a while to remind me, that being alone is not a bad thing. Sometimes it’s a hard thing but it’s not bad, you just get used to it you fill it in with books and prayer and a couple of programs in a year to take your mind off things. I know that I am responsible for myself, and therefore there were mistakes that I made. I was not perfect. I never will be, it’s just sometimes it’s really hard to look at families who are joyful and happy during the holidays or even walking out of church and know that I don’t have that. So thanks for the good advice as I was I keep you in my prayers. Especially the accelerator foot when you are driving. Have a good weekend. I’ll see you in mass.
I wish I knew how to be lonely well. It's one of my biggest fears--being lonely. I'm always searching for a connection, or a gratification from social media, or a message from a friend or loved one. I think our "social" (but very distant and very broken) culture shows us fake communications and false connections as band aids for a much bigger need for real relationships and interactions. Our 'likes' and our 'comments' are nothing but a facade and interface for a very unreal contact. The anonymity of the internet creates in our homes, in our hands, a very distracting and very false sense of connection. I agree that our culture teaches us to shut down loneliness with distraction. More so, having us show our best highlights to the select group of 'friends' and making it even more difficult to relate to one another--distancing everyone from our true selves, to just the self we portray and 'share'. Fr. Mike, your video is so real (as most of the Ascension Presents are) and very telling about the suffering (and ultimate grace) of loneliness. I wonder if in the midst of being silent or embracing the loneliness: is there any prayer or reflection to put my heart and mind while doing so. Love your advice and love your videos!
I think we can be alone without feeling lonely and truly enjoy our own company. If we feel uncomfortable being by ourselves maybe it is a sign that we should develop a better relationship with ourself because if we truly liked and enjoyed ourself we wouldn’t have a problem being alone!
Loneliness is Gods way of telling you to go out into the world and spread the gospel, what ever that may be helping in a soup kitchen, doing some local work in a charity shop , help someone less fortunate than yourself , there's no excuse for loneliness life is short use your time wisely, and this is coming from someone who has struggled with loneliness...
Your sister is right!! Sometimes we allow ourselves to be validated by a love of / with another, but really our validation is by God's love. So perhaps He allows us to be lonely so we learn where our true source of love comes from. Then we're alone but not lonely. during lock down it was impossible to not feel lonely at times. So I asked Jesus to come & keep me company, to lift my mood. And He did. It was great comfort & although alone I didn't feel as if I was. My mood lifted & I felt quite happy & content. Miracles happen every day.
I have been lonely for a long time and it has been a struggle to fill that feeling of emptiness. Thank you Fr Mike for this message for this journey of turning my loneliness into a blessing 🙏🏼
As a Pentecostal id agree with everything Father Mikes said but I'd go a step further to say that we need learn to be alone WITH Jesus and become a whole person through our own personal relationship with Jesus. Once we are a whole person we can meet another whole person in relationships.
AMEN! That's what I'm trying to tell people who want to jump into marriage. There is a great pitfall there that can just lead to more heartache. Christ is Our Savior, our spouse is someone who leads us and vice versa to greater love of God through each other, but there is no human power to heal insecurities and loneliness.
Father Mike, thanks be to God and thank you! In my first year of college, which I just finished this past Spring, I had a lot of trouble with loneliness. (and I still have a lot of trouble with it now 😅) Isolationism and expecting others to love me were the things I struggled with the most. But, thanks to His grace, He's helping me turn inside out. Please keep me in your prayers Ascension Presents subscribers! :D and I will try to remember to keep you all in mine. :)
I like your sense of humor. Jesus was full of a good sense of humor, right?? He was not a sad person, he was content with His life most of the time. I bet He used to talk to His closest friends the way you do. So nice!! Thank you father for all your advice the way you do, so simple & clear. Really appreciated. God bless!! 😇
I learned that when we develop our faithfulness to God first, before self, we will receive More than when we satisfy our own desires. People look in the places for fulfillment where it will Never last beyond the temporary act that is distracting us from facing ourselves. Facing ourselves and accepting the goodness God loves about us will grow and fill us with a deep lasting complete grace like no other! With this we immediately are transformed,and a quality of love and seeing the beauty in life takes over. Its a given! A no brainer . He's waiting for us to give us His embrace and hold us close to His heart. We are called to the mystical body of CHRIST! 🙏 Nothing else will ever top GOD! 💞
This speaks to me deeply. There is a verse in a song called "Laughing Boy" written about Irish Playwright Brendan Behan which has long resonated with me - "He can't stand up. he can't sit down. He wants to be alone. No! He wants to be surrounded."
I recently lost my husband and although I am going through the rollercoaster of emotions I find great peace and comfort in this new loneliness and quiet time. I trust that God will lead me and I will wait patiently for whats in store for my future. There are no more excuses or distractions but ample time to draw closer to God whole examining my life
Mother Theresa was very lonely. This is a great video I remember in my journey I spent an entire winter not turning on the TV or the computer and just quietly Sewing when I did the dishes after my husband left for work or whatever I had to do I didn’t have anything at all on after a while I got very comfortable, sometimes I would just talk to Jesus but not always. I knew he was there. Sometimes I don’t want to talk at all and that’s when I’m most at Peace
thank you from Puerto Rico!!! I love how God can speak to me through so many ways. I've learned that he always answers. Maybe not how you think but he will, eventually. Heck, even silence is an answer.
LONELINESS is one of the biggest is biggest obstacles I had to face. I lost a marriage through divorce to the woman I loved selflessly, yet she didnt. Many trials, tribulations. AMD LONELINESS was the one thing pervasive in my life. Since very young. I learned and I hope others can take from my experience, that when you accept and enter face forward into loneliness, remember to seek God. And for God to purify your heart as father Mike said. Bc this world is FULL of loneliness. When you envelop yourself into smthg like this, you THEN can feel what others feel. ESPECIALLY bc you've come throu it to the other side and can help others. My divorce, rather than wallow in pity and loneliness, I listened for Gods voice to guide me as there is no mistake in what happens to you. God is guiding you through delicate turmoil and despair. I am now studying to become a hospice nurse. There are many ppl LONELY, & they need ppl to comfort & guide them to the Lord. Bc the fact that the LONELINESS was not a mistake! Learn to be happy with yourself. TRUST IN GOD AND HIS PURPOSE FOR YOU! Everything will fall into place there after. But ppl spend a lifetime running away from LONELINESS. To do God's will we must be brave, pick up that cross and bare LONELINESS to learn from it. Itll take a moment apposed to a lifetime of running from it. I am ever closer to God bc of facing the test of loneliness He has set before me. I wish everyone JOY not happiness. Love one another, with your heart. As God intended you to. Be brave. Take care brothers and sisters
I never wanted to teach again, but due to loneliness reconnected with my friend, get a new job…teaching. And I’ve gotten to share lots of love with children, and lean on God when I feel like falling apart.
I feel most lonely when I am surrounded by people and struggle to keep a conversation. Being alone does not make me feel lonely at all, by God's grace. Praise be Jesus & Mary.
Just wanted to build on these truths Fr. Mike mentions in this video: I found that it is easiest for myself to "embrace the loneliness" by simply entering into prayer. Which in itself is so difficult but is truly a treasure...
This is something I've realized lately. Loneliness is a time to get closer to God and improve yourself. Loneliness is a time to think with no distractions. Create loneliness once a day.
Being alone and being lonely are two different things. I am totally alone. However, because God is the center of my life I am never lonely, not for a single second.
I'm 75, my husband is deceased, my kids are grown & gone = I'm Finally ALONE. PTL!!! I love it; I love it; I love it; I love it.... I'm my Own BESTIE, & since I Like Me - it's GREAT!!!
Oh My Father, this is something I preach about all the time. This has been my philosophy of life. I have always said that you must learn to be alone before you can be with someone else. This philosophy has served me well throughout my life. My husband used to travel with the UPPR and was gone 8 days and home for 7. I would never been able to survive his schedule if I didn't know how to be alone. It also served me well when he died. I knew how to be alone but not be lonely. I have notice over the years men have more of a problem with this new life than women.
Glad to hear this tonight. I lost my Mom, And a friend of 40 yrs . Both close . This has cause me to be lonely. No family no Best Friend. I will least try now to go with in my self. And not do all this running from lonely sickly feeling i have. The stillness of it. So hard. God Be with me.
I remember some years back a church friend of mine asked me, are you needy Jim? I went into quiet mode instantly. I was hurt but didn't let on.. I went home and pondered that question. Am I needy ? I came to the conclusion that indeed I was. I defined needy as being insecure but when my friend said needy he was just saying needy to be nice I guess. I started praying alot more and asking God to help me with being single and insecure. I didn't like being insecure, I had to change by turning my selfish will over to God. I started volunteering alot at church with, Kiwanis, bible studies , playing guitar at bible study. Getting out of myself and helping others. Getting to know others helped me get out of myself . I am a better person now years later. I got involved with life. God will help you along the journey. One day at a time.
What I learned is that circumstances in life change. Relationships come and go. Sometimes friendships last a long time, and sometimes friendships eventually fall apart. I think being content is not always easy. But when I look at the crucifix in my house and think of Jesus' suffering and loneliness. I'm motivated by being able to do volunteer work at my local church St. Peters in Greeley and by donating food and clothing to the homeless.
Thank you Fr. Mike for your wise words. Through you, I have been able to see the Lord wanting to help me keep my feet on the floor. I can't even explain how my life has changed for the best with your inspirational videos. Thank you. God bless.
Don't be scared of loneliness embrace it. it's your time to really get closer to God. It's a blessing in disguise.
Isnt that an oxymoron though.... cause if you have God ur not alone.
True 💞♥️
Truly, it's a blessing. You get to know yourself and your God. It's a great preparation for our final moment as well.
@@eddieanderson9399 There is a difference between being alone and being lonely.
@@abeladam5997 this isn't a case of loneliness vs. being alone lol
I went on TH-cam to distract myself from loneliness but immediately found this video; I'm so glad I did. :)
Funny how the Holy Spirit times things, huh? :)
Same
Same here, I feel lonely all the time too much of the time too. I must watch this video again as it puts things into a good prespective.
I know right, me too
Same here!
When I am lonely, that is when I feel closest to God.
Bag Obeans I wonder if thats how Catholic monks were more connected to God..being disconnected to everything that doesn't matter..and connecting with what matters most.
me too
Same here.....
It's been years since I had my previous relationship and even in that relationship, I learned I yearn for a ME time. Fast forward to present---been living in a foreign land close to 4 years now, away from my homeland which is in another continent and 5 hours delayed...I never felt so alone in my entire life when I got up here...yet it was in that moment where I found Christ---he brought me to a life of peace and order filled with mysterious joy. So whenever loneliness hit me again, I might as well embrace it fearlessly. I knew---he never left my side❤
You just have nothing else in your way. It makes that connection so much easier.
Father Mike is the future generation of the Catholic Church. I pray that the light he emits inspires more young men to enter the priesthood. On the subject presented, I do not get much alone time resulting in loneliness. But when I do I don't ever consider myself lonely, I consider it me time. Time to reflect, and connect to God. Thank you Father Mike from Houston Texas.
You said it, enough of the homolobby. The once great Jesuits have turned into a homolobby.
Good statement
@@calvinmacarthur3955 This language is despicable and un-Christian. You should be ashamed of yourself.
He's a great man
The light has already been there for centuries. He is merely reflecting what it HAS ALWAYS BEEN in the church and is within you and I and all who want it as Mike Schmitz, pastor is. Orginal SIN causes and prevents us being as Mike Schmitz, Pastor is. He has been purified by the Holy Spirit per Holy Orders and his level of surrender and use of the sacraments allows him to be used instrumentally as he is now.... YOU and I and ALL people can be like him if we choose to be since the early beginnings of the chruch :) :) :)
Nobody is alone. God is always with us.
Remarkable....
We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence... We need silence to be able to touch souls...
Amen!
@@aprilunderwood-moore6987 Being single gives us the full freedom to get right with GOD, to build into existence once lost relationship, between GOD and creation, between PARENT and child.
1 Corinthians Chapter 7 KJV
32 But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord:
33 But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife. 34 There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.
35 And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction.
this world presents love as lust, and if you`re not always touched, then you are not loved = lies and fear propaganda. All of it because the MK ULTRA PROJECTS from masons.
John 15:13 KJV Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
And being ALONE (not on your own) does bring forth sober mind.
What I have witness in my short life so far is, souls get together for money and because they are bored and the 3th reason is, the pressure of peers and older generations. “People around me repeated daily, get married and have children and move out, so I did. Am I happily living after? NO, i`m bitter, angry, sad, broken, in fear, heavy leaden, in darkness, always in somewhat contests with people around me, who has something better, something more and so on…, I succumbed to the fear of the opinions about my life of others, thats the hurtful truth.”
We start feeling lonely, because we are on our own, lonely comes not from BEING ALONE.
KJV Bible says;
Matthew 6:31
Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
Luke 12:22
And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.
Matthew 6:25
Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
Needed this today. Dealing with loneliness even though people are around me. It’s hard.
God is so mysterious. This video was uploaded with such perfect timing. The message here is just what I needed to hear. 😭
Exactly the same here. My discovery of father Mike is so timely. So far the two videos I've come across of his have been just what I needed to hear.
yep, same here :D
I sit alone most of time, walk alone most of time. Still I dont feel being alone. Walking on nice day is great. Still appreciate time with friends I get.
im not scared of being alone im scared what will happen to me if im alone it seems like when bad things happen, it happens when people are alone ie (get murdered go missing)
mathias antonio I've lived alone. You learn a lot about yourself and come to love yourself more. It's not that bad. I did have my place broken into, but I realized that even though I lived alone, I have a lot of people who care about me. I let my family know and they came right to the rescue.
Father Mike is actually pretty awesome.
Thank you for this. I've suffered from loneliness for years and never really understood how to deal with it. The only advice I see is "get laid", so as a practicing Catholic this is such a breath of fresh air.
Henry Choi Yeah, don’t listen to that “get laid” garbage. The people who tell you to do that are lonely themselves.
"Getting laid" would only make loneliness worse. Adding pain of misused intimacy.
I get it. It stinks. Companionship is much more fulfilling than fornicating..
True. It's helpful when you know that you are not alone in practicing the Catholic faith and that "being laid" is not the answer for loneliness because it would only add up to the void that has been there the entire time. God bless you and will also be praying for you🙏
More bad advice.
Catholics need to have more community like the other Christian denominations. lift each other up .. show love and unity...and connection
O Jesus through the most pure heart of Mary we offer you all of our prayers, works, sufferings, & joys of this day for the intentions of Your divine heart. Amen
I like your question, "Who is that loneliness motivating me to love?" Even negative emotions like loneliness can motivate people to do good things and to love.
Fr Mike, This was very insightful and helpful. I am widowed since 2016, I understand loneliness too well. But, I found that going to Eucharistic Adoration every week, and sit in silence and be open to God for 1-2 hours has helped me greatly. ❤️
I agree.
James, I am so sorry for your loss. I know it must hurt. But I am so glad to hear that you have used the opportunity to grow closer to God’s love.
I recently went through the (significantly less difficult) situation of a “breakup” of sorts, and though I’ve healed from the initial pain-the hurt still comes back. But I’m so thankful that God has revealed more of Himself (and even myself) to me in the process. Please pray for me and I’ll pray for you 🙏
I sit in Eucharistic Adoration 6 days a week. It is the best hour of every day.
@@claybahl5107 sending you all prayers 💖
Learned how to be content, happy and joyful, and in sadness at times. Letting my life plan go , along with that 'soulmate' was a sacrifice. Your will God.
All Glory and Honor in Jesus Name.
And bless anyone who is on or just starting there life changing journey with you Lord. 🙏🙌🙏🙌
I find myself back here again.... Thank you God...
My loneliness comes from missing my wife so very, very much. I do not want to fill that loneliness with anything other than God but the pain of this loneliness is very nearly unbearable. If anyone reads this, please pray for my beautiful wife to come home to me.
I will pray for you. I would ask you to pray for me for precisely the same thing.
People want us to "move on" or stop thinking of them as our beautiful, smiling, loving brides. But that's based in a false anthropology. The women who said "I do" are the very same persons as the ones we desire; do not believe anyone who says they are not. They changed their minds? Then they can change them again, if God softens their hearts toward us and we are ready and worthy, if we work on ourselves and become the best we can be (which is good regardless of the outcome).
I often see that spouses in our position are the wives (the standers) and that the ones who are away are the husbands, at least historically. But that's changing. And I think that it's particularly hard for us. Though we're expected to be stronger in the outside world, we rely on the home and our intimate marital relationship as our firm foundation. And when we fulfill our marriage vows right, we are called to love them as Christ loved the Church. So we're conforming to Our Lord, the Bridegroom, in a special way, and reflecting His relationship toward us as His Bride, the Church, that is Israel, in both the Old and New Testaments, where She was at times unfaithful but was made by Him spotless again.
So when I start to feel crazy about how much I love and cherish her in her absence and how beautiful and desirable she is even when she turns against me and hurts and betrays me, I just think about the Perfect Man, Who is the very incarnate Logos of the universe, with perfect knowledge, goodness, and wills perfectly in conformity with reason, and how He treated us when we betrayed Him.
I think too on the Canticle of Canticles, the love letter of the Groom to His Church, a beautiful and cherished Bride. My serenade to my wife is Vaughan William's prelude on Orlando Gibbon's song 13, the antiphon taken from Cant. 4:1 : "Oh my love, how comely now, and how beautiful art thou! Thou with dove-like eyes a pair, shining hast within thy hair. And thy locks like kidlings be, which from Gilead hill we see."
You are a precious diamond. Place your desires in God hands and your shine will bring back your live one's. God bless you all
Dont give up fellas.
I pray your wife come back to you , God bless
You pray to GOD with a humble heart and tell GOD to correct and teach you both how to love his way and his way ONLY!!!! YOU NEED TO PRAY FOR YOUR OWN SITUATION!!!!!!
When time comes that you are not comfortable with being alone or being by yourself, that is a problem……. And that is why millions are addicted to social media
I've been lonely and on my own for years, at times it caused me to seek love and comfort where I should not go. So many times I've tried to reach out and connect with people at church, but find myself being brushed aside as a single man. I'm an extrovert, confident and upfront about things and end up trying too hard to win friendships. I often get involved with activities and show interest in others, but go home feeling dejected. Often after 6 - 10 months of trying, I slide back into the shadows and cry out to Jesus. At times I felt Christians were the coldest, meanest, arrogant people around. All I've done is take strength from the Psalms and now continue to resist the urge to fall into sin.
" . . .the coldest, meanest, arrogant people around. . . " Yes Derek I can tell you even more about that, but thats another item. Now I´ve found to myself - and that´s exactly what the Lord obviously wanted me to learn:
To be (almost) completely independent . . . So keep your head up and just keep going your own individualistic path . . .
I have always been brushed added as a single cstholuc woman . I know it's a path God wants for me but it can be hard.
My Mother told me, that Jesus will always be there for me, and I will never be alone, when you have God in your life, you will never be alone.❤❤🙏🙏 4:27
And here I sit, lonely, that's why I'm watching this. You are very consoling Father.
I searched up: “feeling empty Fr Mike” in my search bar because your advice has always helped to boost me in my journey, and this video popped up. I really do need to learn how to be happy in my own space, in the presence of God. Thank you Father, again.
This is a hard pill to swallow. I'm honestly scared now of all the uncertainties that I'm going through right now.
Thank you, from Egypt with love.
From Boston, USA to You With MUCH LOVE ! God Bless You !
As a college student with constant stimuli, this is one of my biggest struggles. Thank you, Father Mike
Hi Fr Mike, your videos are so inspiring. Even though I'm not a Catholic, I love watching your videos. I experience loneliness big time but after a long time I found God drawing me closer to Him through the testimonies of Catholic priests. I've never heard anyone talk about loneliness in such an inspiring way before, it's true what you said about not running away from it and let it purify and move us. Thanks Fr Mike and God bless you too...
that relationship with God will change your life :) Listen to His calling, and God bless you!
I am glad you found this video. Father Mike has great videos!! I hope for you that you come to the Catholic Church..It is soo peaceful!
"Can I get an 'amen' anybody? "
Amen Father!
I have the exact opposite problem. I'd rather be by myself. People tire me out and I feel the need to run away from them, so I have to force myself to interact. But if you really think about it, we're never alone. Jesus is always with you!
Yes HE Is, Always !
@@Sarandib22 You are blessed.
One who is lonely, aught to set up a Home Altar with a Crucifix and images of favorite Saints, and let that be the focus when feeling lonely. It actually fills that void.
It's hard sometimes but I know I am not truly alone with Jesus Christ
Yesssssss, “allow it to purify you, to help you become a Saint or the very least, if I may add, ‘A BETTER PERSON!’”
Again your compassionate insights shine forth! I gently nudge you to write a book, or at least publish a collection of homilies!
Please write a book Father Mike! That would be amazing!
he has a podcast you can find on sound cloud, look up Bulldog Catholic he posts his homily mini series there :)
No! If he does that he might not be able to make as much videos. Plus most of the next gen dont read books. 🙁
We watch TH-cam instead XD
Yes, he needs to help priests write homilies.....! They need help. So shallow and irrelevant! This priest is RIGHT..ON!
Fr Mike helped bring me back to the church....... I've always loved God
God and my guardian angel keep me company
so I am never alone
👍 👍 👍 😁 😁 😁
Hi Father, my distraction is Netflix. I pray for comfort in silence, God bless.
Very well said Fr. Mike, thank you.
I rather like being alone and being secluded, it's only when I'm out in the world and I observe people who are not alone that I feel those pangs of incomplete loneliness for a moment. So for me, being alone is not not the problem. I'd say my biggest difficulty is having my loneliness motivating me to move outside myself to encounter others because I am very comforted in my complete silent loneliness. One of the things I look forward to the most is being alone in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
Jesús Pedroza: It's ok Mr Pedroza, I understand. I choose to love you brother right now.
"I love my solitude" For me it's my meditation time. Hearing the sound of nature, the birds chirping ✝ My circle..my time..my peace ❤ We all owe this too ourselves
How could you possibly know that seven years ago when you recorded this that I was going to need to hear this today divine providence possibly. The Holy Spirit continuing his magnificent work through you is probably a better answer. I needed to hear what you had to say thank you God bless you.
Wow, I'm so glad I found this today. We spent the morning packing up a truck because my family is moving 1,000 miles away tomorrow for my Dad's job. I'm not looking forward to not having my family, I'm only 17, but I'm also excited to be an adult and start really taking care of myself. I enjoy my alone time, but it's hard knowing I'll only see my family every couple months. God's been building my faith a lot recently, so I'm excited to see how He uses this new chapter in my life.
I have just lost my husband of 50 years, after being locked down & taking him through his terminal cancer illness for past several years. Alone, no children, I now face my own health situations. As I sat @ a Cancer center I started talking with a man who was with his very ill wife. I went into my RN mindset, trying to relieve some of his stress. My small lump impending surgery/ diagnosis faded to the background, as I connected & I saw that I could help him, even for a brief small amount of shared time. Jeanne (retired RN)
Delia Owens, the author of "Where the Crawdads Sing". The flood of healing tears word by brilliant word. Wow, devastated.
Thanks for the reminder. I'm feeling lonely again and you've reminded me and also Bishop Fulton Sheen said when he was lonely he went out and served the poor. We should serve people around us. Not in a forceful way, but to those that welcome our help or reaching out.
I’ve been alone for 22 years now. I wouldn’t go back for anything in the world to what I left but it breaks my heart for the things I’ve lost. For the things aren’t things their people, my son and my daughter and the two granddaughters have never met.For whatever reason they chose their dad over me and so there are no reunion holidays, happy, birthdays, or anything else. It’s just another day on the calendar. In fact this year my family announce that they are not going to have holidays anymore because we’re all too old for them I think it’s a shame, it bothers me a great deal. So between my original family who called off the holidays and my marriage family that align with their father I need to listen to this every once in a while to remind me, that being alone is not a bad thing. Sometimes it’s a hard thing but it’s not bad, you just get used to it you fill it in with books and prayer and a couple of programs in a year to take your mind off things. I know that I am responsible for myself, and therefore there were mistakes that I made. I was not perfect. I never will be, it’s just sometimes it’s really hard to look at families who are joyful and happy during the holidays or even walking out of church and know that I don’t have that. So thanks for the good advice as I was I keep you in my prayers. Especially the accelerator foot when you are driving. Have a good weekend. I’ll see you in mass.
I feel happiest and closest to God when I'm alone ❤️
I wish I knew how to be lonely well. It's one of my biggest fears--being lonely. I'm always searching for a connection, or a gratification from social media, or a message from a friend or loved one. I think our "social" (but very distant and very broken) culture shows us fake communications and false connections as band aids for a much bigger need for real relationships and interactions. Our 'likes' and our 'comments' are nothing but a facade and interface for a very unreal contact. The anonymity of the internet creates in our homes, in our hands, a very distracting and very false sense of connection. I agree that our culture teaches us to shut down loneliness with distraction. More so, having us show our best highlights to the select group of 'friends' and making it even more difficult to relate to one another--distancing everyone from our true selves, to just the self we portray and 'share'.
Fr. Mike, your video is so real (as most of the Ascension Presents are) and very telling about the suffering (and ultimate grace) of loneliness. I wonder if in the midst of being silent or embracing the loneliness: is there any prayer or reflection to put my heart and mind while doing so. Love your advice and love your videos!
I think we can be alone without feeling lonely and truly enjoy our own company. If we feel uncomfortable being by ourselves maybe it is a sign that we should develop a better relationship with ourself because if we truly liked and enjoyed ourself we wouldn’t have a problem being alone!
May the Holy Spirit guide you and the Father keep you as you shepherd us in our walk with Christ and his cross Father
Brilliant. Just brilliant 😊
I like to listen and learn, and I get that every time I listen I learn from Fr. Mike. What a gift he is!!
Loneliness is Gods way of telling you to go out into the world and spread the gospel, what ever that may be helping in a soup kitchen, doing some local work in a charity shop , help someone less fortunate than yourself , there's no excuse for loneliness life is short use your time wisely, and this is coming from someone who has struggled with loneliness...
I’ve been feeling lonely for the past two weeks on and off. Your video has broken my depression; thank you 🙏
We are never alone...having the meat ...getting off the milk will keep us full in spirit gb
Your sister is right!!
Sometimes we allow ourselves to be validated by a love of / with another, but really our validation is by God's love.
So perhaps He allows us to be lonely so we learn where our true source of love comes from.
Then we're alone but not lonely.
during lock down it was impossible to not feel lonely at times.
So I asked Jesus to come & keep me company, to lift my mood. And He did.
It was great comfort & although alone I didn't feel as if I was.
My mood lifted & I felt quite happy & content.
Miracles happen every day.
Being INFP... I'm comfortable being alone physically...but spiritually...I am not alone because I believe in God. :D
Same. 🙌🏻 infp and growing in relationship with God 💫✨
I have been lonely for a long time and it has been a struggle to fill that feeling of emptiness. Thank you Fr Mike for this message for this journey of turning my loneliness into a blessing 🙏🏼
Thank you for sharing. I am more a Protestant but I agree with you ❤❤
As a Pentecostal id agree with everything Father Mikes said but I'd go a step further to say that we need learn to be alone WITH Jesus and become a whole person through our own personal relationship with Jesus. Once we are a whole person we can meet another whole person in relationships.
AMEN! That's what I'm trying to tell people who want to jump into marriage. There is a great pitfall there that can just lead to more heartache. Christ is Our Savior, our spouse is someone who leads us and vice versa to greater love of God through each other, but there is no human power to heal insecurities and loneliness.
THANK YOU FATHER MIKE, from Bavaria, Germany!! We need much more priests like you, thank you so much for doing the Lord's work!
We are never truely alone. Jesus is with us til the end. Thanks Father Mike your messages are really goodness
Father Mike, thanks be to God and thank you! In my first year of college, which I just finished this past Spring, I had a lot of trouble with loneliness. (and I still have a lot of trouble with it now 😅) Isolationism and expecting others to love me were the things I struggled with the most. But, thanks to His grace, He's helping me turn inside out. Please keep me in your prayers Ascension Presents subscribers! :D and I will try to remember to keep you all in mine. :)
i am muslim, but it gives me happiness to listen to you
God bless you, Father
Wow great reply gentleman above saying when he is alone he feels closest to God, and Jesus
I like your sense of humor. Jesus was full of a good sense of humor, right?? He was not a sad person, he was content with His life most of the time. I bet He used to talk to His closest friends the way you do. So nice!! Thank you father for all your advice the way you do, so simple & clear. Really appreciated. God bless!! 😇
Father I think this is one of the best talks you've given. God bless you!!!
I learned that when we develop our faithfulness to God first, before self, we will receive More than when we satisfy our own desires.
People look in the places for fulfillment where it will Never last beyond the temporary act that is distracting us from facing ourselves.
Facing ourselves and accepting the goodness God loves about us will grow and fill us with a deep lasting complete grace like no other!
With this we immediately are transformed,and a quality of love and seeing the beauty in life takes over.
Its a given!
A no brainer . He's waiting for us to give us His embrace and hold us close to His heart.
We are called to the mystical body of CHRIST!
🙏
Nothing else will ever top GOD!
💞
Yes when you are alone you can reflect well in your life... Very true ... Discover yourself... More in Jesus ... Amen
This speaks to me deeply. There is a verse in a song called "Laughing Boy" written about Irish Playwright Brendan Behan which has long resonated with me - "He can't stand up. he can't sit down. He wants to be alone. No! He wants to be surrounded."
Incredible, even coming from a large family you have to learn to be alone first leaving the nest. Never thought of it that way.
I recently lost my husband and although I am going through the rollercoaster of emotions I find great peace and comfort in this new loneliness and quiet time. I trust that God will lead me and I will wait patiently for whats in store for my future. There are no more excuses or distractions but ample time to draw closer to God whole examining my life
Thank you Father for this light:)
Sitting alone for an hour by yourself. That is called meditation 🧘♀️ and we sleep dream and function more efficiently 🙏🏻Lovely message 🤗
Love you Fr Mike . You are incredible❤
Mother Theresa was very lonely. This is a great video I remember in my journey I spent an entire winter not turning on the TV or the computer and just quietly Sewing when I did the dishes after my husband left for work or whatever I had to do I didn’t have anything at all on after a while I got very comfortable, sometimes I would just talk to Jesus but not always. I knew he was there. Sometimes I don’t want to talk at all and that’s when I’m most at Peace
Thank you Fr. You r really God's instrument . God bless you.
Thank you so much for this video. I lost my husband 6 weeks ago. I’m lonely and trying to make it.
Thats exactly a real g r e a t chance to cope with such situatioins and come to yourself !!
Thank you ascension presents, thank you Fr Mike. May the Lord keep you on this path , this ministry., God bless
thank you from Puerto Rico!!! I love how God can speak to me through so many ways. I've learned that he always answers. Maybe not how you think but he will, eventually. Heck, even silence is an answer.
Wow, I never knew enduring loneliness with strength and dignity could have such sanctifying power. Thanks Fr. Mike!
I've been dealing with this....for decades. Hard to learn to be with myself...because that's frequently all there is. Myself.
Fr. Mike GOD BLESS U .Are So Precious and A GIFT OF HEAVEN
"Learn to be lonely, well!!!" That was a cute statement! I liked it. It sat in my heart! Well said, you! :-)
LONELINESS is one of the biggest is biggest obstacles I had to face.
I lost a marriage through divorce to the woman I loved selflessly, yet she didnt.
Many trials, tribulations.
AMD LONELINESS was the one thing pervasive in my life. Since very young.
I learned and I hope others can take from my experience, that when you accept and enter face forward into loneliness, remember to seek God.
And for God to purify your heart as father Mike said.
Bc this world is FULL of loneliness.
When you envelop yourself into smthg like this, you THEN can feel what others feel.
ESPECIALLY bc you've come throu it to the other side and can help others.
My divorce, rather than wallow in pity and loneliness, I listened for Gods voice to guide me as there is no mistake in what happens to you.
God is guiding you through delicate turmoil and despair.
I am now studying to become a hospice nurse. There are many ppl LONELY, & they need ppl to comfort & guide them to the Lord. Bc the fact that the LONELINESS was not a mistake!
Learn to be happy with yourself. TRUST IN GOD AND HIS PURPOSE FOR YOU!
Everything will fall into place there after.
But ppl spend a lifetime running away from LONELINESS.
To do God's will we must be brave, pick up that cross and bare LONELINESS to learn from it.
Itll take a moment apposed to a lifetime of running from it.
I am ever closer to God bc of facing the test of loneliness He has set before me.
I wish everyone JOY not happiness.
Love one another, with your heart.
As God intended you to.
Be brave.
Take care brothers and sisters
Absolutely brilliant! Thank you, Father Mike.
You must have a family background from SL
I never wanted to teach again, but due to loneliness reconnected with my friend, get a new job…teaching. And I’ve gotten to share lots of love with children, and lean on God when I feel like falling apart.
Your Sister is indeed wise. If you don’t know yourself - THE relationship could pass you by because you weren’t ready. ❤ blessings
Father it's as if you're doing God's work. Answering all my questions to bring me closer to him... He's smiling upon you Father!
I feel most lonely when I am surrounded by people and struggle to keep a conversation. Being alone does not make me feel lonely at all, by God's grace. Praise be Jesus & Mary.
Thank you, Fr. Mike. As a young, lonely person, this video provided me with much-needed insight.
Just wanted to build on these truths Fr. Mike mentions in this video: I found that it is easiest for myself to "embrace the loneliness" by simply entering into prayer. Which in itself is so difficult but is truly a treasure...
Needed to hear this. From a non-Christian trying to find God, thanks.
This is something I've realized lately. Loneliness is a time to get closer to God and improve yourself. Loneliness is a time to think with no distractions. Create loneliness once a day.
Being alone and being lonely are two different things. I am totally alone. However, because God is the center of my life I am never lonely, not for a single second.
I love this motivational speeches on TH-cam, but Fahter Mike Schmitz potcast even more motivational.
Friendly greetings from Germany.
I'm 75, my husband is deceased, my kids are grown & gone = I'm Finally ALONE. PTL!!! I love it; I love it; I love it; I love it.... I'm my Own BESTIE, & since I Like Me - it's GREAT!!!
Genesis 2:18 'And the Lord God said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suited to him.' (The woman, Eve.)
Oh My Father, this is something I preach about all the time. This has been my philosophy of life. I have always said that you must learn to be alone before you can be with someone else. This philosophy has served me well throughout my life. My husband used to travel with the UPPR and was gone 8 days and home for 7. I would never been able to survive his schedule if I didn't know how to be alone. It also served me well when he died. I knew how to be alone but not be lonely. I have notice over the years men have more of a problem with this new life than women.
Glad to hear this tonight. I lost my Mom, And a friend of 40 yrs . Both close . This has cause me to be lonely. No family no Best Friend. I will least try now to go with in my self. And not do all this running from lonely sickly feeling i have. The stillness of it. So hard. God Be with me.
I remember some years back a church friend of mine asked me, are you needy Jim?
I went into quiet mode instantly. I was hurt but didn't let on.. I went home and pondered that question. Am I needy ?
I came to the conclusion that indeed I was. I defined needy as being insecure but when my friend said needy he was
just saying needy to be nice I guess.
I started praying alot more and asking God to help me with being single and
insecure. I didn't like being insecure, I had to change by turning my selfish will over to God. I started volunteering alot at church with, Kiwanis, bible studies , playing guitar at bible study. Getting out of myself and helping others. Getting to know others helped me get out of myself . I am a better person now years later. I got involved with life. God will help you along the journey. One day at a time.
What I learned is that circumstances in life change. Relationships come and go. Sometimes friendships last a long time, and sometimes friendships eventually fall apart. I think being content is not always easy. But when I look at the crucifix in my house and think of Jesus' suffering and loneliness. I'm motivated by being able to do volunteer work at my local church St. Peters in Greeley and by donating food and clothing to the homeless.
Mary Sue Krier AMEN
Thank you Fr. Mike for your wise words. Through you, I have been able to see the Lord wanting to help me keep my feet on the floor. I can't even explain how my life has changed for the best with your inspirational videos. Thank you. God bless.