There is a quote that comes to my mind watching that. "When you are down to nothing, God is up to something." By Robert A. Schuller I would like to take this opportunity to say 3 thank you's. Thank you for all these mini sermons here (and the big ones on iTunes 😁)...thank you for all you do for the Kingdom of God...thank you for your priesthood (for what God called you to be). Merry Christmas from Germany.
Christmas is a pagan holiday celebrating winter solstice,and the birth of the sun god,isis,tammuz ,Baal ,It’s all the same person,better known as Lucifer . It was used by the Catholic Church as another one of their many religious celebrations,same as Easter with the demonic egg laying Easter bunny.
JOEL BRAGANZA I don’t celebrate what you call Christmas because in all probability,JESUS was born in sept. Dec in Bethlehem would have been too cold for Shepards to be in the fields with their flocks. Also dec 25 is the birth/rebirth of the sun god,not THE GOD. it is also the celebration of the winter solstice ,which has always been a traditional pagan holy day, Celebrated by people who worship the earth and animals. To celebrate CHRISTmas is to pay homage to the devil himself.
Thanks Father Mike! I have been going through this struggle for years with illnesses of my own, caring for sick relatives, now my grandmother with dementia and even my elderly dog who has been my companion for 16 years. I had hoped, going on 40 in a few weeks, that I would have had a career I loved, married with children, traveling the world, living somewhere else. Yet I am with my family, working part-time, and not married. It seems its one sacrifice after another and yes, I've whined. But something changed at some point. I realized that I may not have gotten the life I expected at this point, but its the life I have and that's for a reason. I finally have peace about it and try to have patience and know that God is present and doesn't ask of me anything that I can't give. I'm grateful. One of my favorite quotes is from Jeremiah 29:11. I don't know what my future holds but I'm going to go with it. Merry Christmas Father.
The main thing I've always remembered about "It's a Wonderful Life" is the line, "Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings." Actually, I don't remember it -- I remember my daughter as an 8 year old repeating it over and over, and I had no idea where it came from until she told me. Now I can't un-hear it. Funny thing -- my mom's parents were both born on September 24, different years. Grandma died of cancer when I was a baby, but Grandpa died just 2 weeks after becoming a great-great-grandfather. Everyone said Grandma was a saint (she was a convert who really lived the Faith), but Grandpa needed lots of prayers (he was a cradle Catholic who took the Faith for granted and even stopped going to Mass a few years after Grandma died). About 4 years after Grandpa died, at the stroke of midnight on their birthday, after lots of prayers for his soul, a set of bells in my living room rang out. It startled me, because those bells were hung solidly and never moved. They had never rung before and they never rang again. And when it happened, the thought that came to mind was, "Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings." Not that Grandpa became an angel, but he became *like* an angel. This is my hope :)
Thank you, Fr. Mike, for the beautiful message! Please pray for our young adult son, Will, who is very discouraged, has some psychological issues, and has left the faith (he was always very devout before). I pray for him all the time. My mother's heart aches for him because I can still see a small flicker of the little boy he once was, but he's just so lost.
🙏🙏🙏 my family and I are Praying for Will. May JESUS wrap His Arms tight around Will that the Warmth of JESUS Infinite LOVE burst to Will's heart depths renewing your son Will as JESUS Spirit rises within him 🕊🎄🎁💝
My Hubby and I happened to watch this film this Christmas, and I saw your video just today and told my husband about some of the points you make. His observation was that there was a fourth woman important in George's life, that being Violet Bick. He notes that the movie spends time on her, putting her in every time period of Bailey's life. I thought, "Hmm. I think he's right." And the "why" came to me: She is the "lucky" person who seems to have it all -- beauty, popularity, bling -- but she's a restless, "lost" (unmoored) soul -- Bailey helps her, without lecturing or shaming. God allows us all, I believe, to encounter people who are in need of help, but whom we might be tempted to ignore as "undeserving."
Ok, it made me cry. I'm "Sheila Bailey"! I can so relate to this. I go to mass pretty much every day, love God, prayers EVERY day! But discouraged. I feel my life is a football game or something and I'm the benchwarmer. Like I'm not allowed to participate in life. I see friends getting married, having kids. Not me! I take care of my dad who hates God and just a miserable person to live with. But I have to take care of him. I'm trying every day for hope, for life... thank you Fr Mike. Needed this.
Hang in there, Sheila! Also, I'm not sure how this message will resonate, but as someone who is probably closer to the end of his time in this world than you, the 'crosses' never go away and I'm convinced the world to come will be better. But I don't mean to trivialize what you are doing - service is a great thing, and all the greater when it is seemingly unbearable. Again, hang in there.
Sheila, I'm sorry for your struggles! Please don't be discouraged! You a beautiful soul who is doing her best to serve God. You are a wonderful daughter for taking care of your Father who does not seem to share your love of God. You are doing the will of your Heavenly Father who loves you beyond all measure. I am sure you are close to Our Lady's heart. Entrust yourself to her Immaculate Heart. Keep praying and looking for small opportunities. May God bless you, strengthen you, lift you up, give you hope, and send consolation and encouragement! Amen.
Wow, taking care of a parent must be such a difficult thing, but it makes me want to cry happy tears thinking of the love and sacrifice involved. Keep it up, Sheila. You are the face of Jesus to your dad. (Even though he may not recognize it as such now)
You are a wonder, Father Mike. Stay humble and stay like this. I much rather watch and listen to you here in this venue than at a Big Rally of sorts. And yes, Jesus is always right beside us. When we are crying He is crying with us but will always extend His grace, Love, and Help. I will never forget Him for He has never forgotten me. I can only try to Love Him as much as He loves me. God bless, Father Mike.
Thank you Father Mike. One of my all time favourite movies. God's intervention in our lives at critical moments is so, so powerful and I think sometimes that it is when we are at our lowest, when we are so discouraged that it is revealed to us that without God's grace we really can do nothing. The real message is that it is by grace that we are saved. God is Love. Alleluia!
I'm not Catholic but this message was exactly what I needed to hear tonight. In fact, I've enjoyed all of the messages on this channel. Thank you Fr. Mike.
My wife and I usually watch Family Man, but we think we will watch It's a wonderful life tonight instead. Cause we want to be winners. Besides, father said so
Templar Rain that’s awesome! Hope you add it to the watch list every year! it’s the one tradition my family never breaks on Christmas Day. Love jimmy Stewart too!!
My husband and I just watched this movie. We had not watched it in over 10 years. We were cracking up about how accurate the depiction is of life with 4 children - we have 4 kids the same ages as George Bailey. Very emotional too- we have faced challenges too where we have wanted to give up, but yes our sense of duty to God, each other, and our children, has pushed us forward. We understood this movie so much better now than when we were young.
Hi Fr. Mike. You probably won’t see this, but my firstborn son was born two weeks ago. If you see this, please pray for him, my wife, and myself as we attempt to imitate the Holy family in our lives. Merry Christmas!
Just finished watching it’s a wonderful life just a few more minutes till Christmas. Cried because I struggled like George Bailey these past couple of months. I needed to hear this message again, Merry Christmas everyone.
Merry Christmas Father, thank you for putting me on the road back to my faith, you've done more for me over the past few months than you could possibly imagine.
I watch "It's a Wonderful Life" almost every year at Christmas. What a great movie! George is a man with big dreams. He takes for granted his small hometown of Bedford Falls with its close-knit community of family, friends, and neighbors. He wants desperately to get out and "see the world", but gets stuck at every turn, because it becomes clear that only George can preserve the town from falling into the clutches of Mr. Potter, an evil, greedy business man who seeks to exploit the townspeople. This is a great story, because we all have dreams, but we are not in control of our destiny. Acting out of love and putting others first is what God asks of us, but self sacrifice and duty often lead away from worldly "success" and wealth. However, what is really important is achieving "success" in God's eyes: choosing to love God with all our heart and mind and soul and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Christ our Savior made a total self sacrifice for us in love. If we follow Him, we will be pleasing to God our Father and be called a child of God, the only "success" that actually matters.
I watch this video with my family every christmas, literally about to watch it in a couple hours, weird stuff man, thanks for posting this, merry christmas!
@Pro Justice Hi! :) Sorry for that. We don't have the intention to cause confusion (pretending we are Fr. Mike) nor hide who we truly are. We are just a channel from Brazil that translate Fr. Mike's videos to Portuguese.
The movie is so profound. It is essential Christmas viewing! I watched it for the first time about 7 years ago and I’ve probably seen it about 15 times since then. 💌
Merry Christmas Fr. Mike Schmitz! This reminded me of one of my bosses who was responsible for hundreds of people. Without getting too in-depth, he was fired as a scapegoat to placate board members and stockholders,. right before Christmas.. We decided to give him a huge going away party as everyone was upset about his departure. I heard it took some pushing for him to go ...but during the party he gave a speech, by an all means tough looking business man, and with tears in his eyes said...that while the circumstances were less than ideal ...he considered himself blessed that as people were giving their speeches about him, he said these were the kind of things people say at someone's funeral and he had no idea how many people loved him. His speech was more eloquent than my ackward explanation though.. The point for me though was..how it took that point for him to realize that and maybe we need to be better at letting people know how important they are to our life. Anyway..the really good part is that years later he has become more successful than he probably ever would if he stayed at the company! God shuts one door than opens another! Reminds me to let someone know how much they mean to me today!! Joyous Christmas everyone!
Rob Santoliquito Mr.Santoliquito..I am adding you to my prayer list so that you may receive the peace you desire...I truly wish you a most blessed Christmas!
Your breakdown of this movie is beautiful. Thank you for this Important message of God being with us during our hard times and the graces he provides us in those times. God bless
Took me a little while, but I'm liking the beard a lot. It's given me the push I needed to grow out mine! God bless you Fr. Mike. Keep strong. Praying for you.
Merry Christmas Fr Mike! Great movie, one of my favorites! Life is so much easier when we surrender completely to Jesus and let Him take care of everything as we trust and follow His loving guidance. Thank you for being God's instrument of truth and love, your yes to Him helps give us the tools, courage and strength to say our yes to Him too. Awesome hey! Souls helping each other find our way home! - God's plan for all of us to do this together is so awesome! Our lives are saved by Grace YAY!! :) Enjoyed a coffee while listening to your clip!
This is literally my favorite movie ever!!! This is such an amazing video! And Fr. Mike quoted one of my favorite verses ever that I've been holding so closely in my heart lately! Thank you so much!💖💖💖
Merry Christmas Father! #askfrmike One of the visible marks of Catholic faith as I see it in my Catholic friends (I want to be Catholic, but am currently living with Southern Baptist parents 😔) is making the sign of the cross before prayer. I think it is a great sign, but I'm wondering about the theological basis for it. If I were to start to perform it, I feel like my family would be surprised by the new sign of faith, and I'm wondering what I would say to defend it. I'm not entirely sure what the Protestant objection to it is either, so if you could shed some light on this, I would be very grateful. -Jack P.s. As an aspiring Catholic, your videos, and all the videos on this channel have been tremendously helpful in rationalizing my faith. Thank you!
Hey there Jack Merry Christmas to you. Just wanted to say don't give up and continue to follow your goals. Hope you find some answers to your question. Your being called home towards the Catholic church. Life will not get any easier, prayer is your best tool in difficult times. Jesus, Mary, Joseph and St. Michael are a great help with prayers of intercession. Some time at eucharistic adoration might also help and give clarity. God bless you buddy best of luck to you in 2019.
Hi Jack, We are making sign of the cross and saying: In the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. We are saying and showing that we belong to Holy Trinity, we believe in Holy Trinity and that we doing everything in the name of Father. God gave us authority of His children and we, in this authority, pray and do everything (because we are called to pray with everything we are doing right? :) ) So we remind us and everyone, that we are Christ's. I hope I'll help.
Just watched Its a wonderful life and bawled like a baby. My favorite seen is when he prays to God in the bar out of total desperation. God is there. God is listening. Thank you for this message today. 🙏🏼
The movie It’s a Wonderful Life has many great attributes that highlight Catholic theology and the seven media keys in many ways. As stated directly in the article, this film is incredibly inspiring to others. Carol, a woman suffering from PTSD and suicidal thoughts, claimed this movie helped her to recognize that “[maybe] the decisions that [she] was making, even the smallest, most insignificant, [might] have a profound influence on those around [her].” It’s a Wonderful Life also places importance on the dignity of human persons. The whole premise of the plot is to place value on each and every individual life. The writers skillfully developed the storyline to have these undeniable truths (such as the value of human life and each individual's impact on society and the people around them). These truths were presented in a way that is able to be easily accepted by all people regardless of their background. This is a large feat in today’s age. In today’s age, so many people quickly cling to the ideology that diminishes the value of humanity. This film was created by professionals whose attitude awareness was superior, as they subtly added these underlying Christian narratives. Balance is represented beautifully throughout the film as well. While most of the storyline follows George Bailey during a crisis, it also essentially highlights the importance of the realizations he makes and the lessons he learns. This movie is also motivated and relevant to experience because it can be relatable to everyone despite their situations.
Here i am 4 years out from when you posted this - and having just made the argument that this movie is the most influential pro life movie EVER made - that in this era of Multi verses & how everything could possibly be altered from what we experienced - this movie highlights the importance of a life well lived to not only the immediate friends & family but ever widening ripples in humanity -
“Joyous Noël.” Thank God for the nose to smell that “Balsam Fir.” One of my favorite movies. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 I guess you hadn’t hung the two stockings yet:) I was so mad at him when he yelled at the sweetheart playing the piano, rascal. I love Clarence. God broke in today when my twin and wife offered to pick my Momma up, a well needed break. Thank you Dear Jesus. Have you every heard @Tim McGraws song called John 3:16?
Thank you so much Father Mike 🙏. I watched It’s a Wonderful Life a couple of days before you released this video and it couldn’t have come at a better time. The film itself really touched my soul and your clarification of it’s message was just what I needed right now. God bless and merry Christmas 🎄
A fantastic articulation on one of my favorite movies. Nothing short from a masterful piece of art. May we all be rich in relationships on Earth and with God.
You can prepare by going to confession and if you can try and find a sponsor to help guide you through this process. Also you could research the saints and choose a patron saint to pray for you in heaven. I'm here if you would like to send a message and ask any questions! Congrats sister!
Sarah Young hey Sarah! I was also a catechumen, baptized Easter Vigil 2017. I encourage you to check out these podcasts which really helped me understand so many aspects especially the sacraments of our profound faith: Catholic Answers, Bishop Baron, The Art of Catholic, and Bill Creasy’s Bible study. Try lectio divina to really pray the scripture and listen to God speak to you. I pray that you have a strong RCIA group and that you continue to seek Him. God bless you
Thank you, Father Mike, for all the inspiration you give to me, not only now but every time I open your video. Merry Christmas, and may God bless you always.
Thank you Father Mike. I once saw a book of scenes from “It’s a Wonderful Life” that we’re cut from the final version. The scenes didn’t add to the film and a tw hour long film was considered the maximum length of time the audience would sit still for.
There is this book called “52 little lessons from It’s a Wonderful Life” by Bob Welch. Super good book and really opened my eyes to all of the ways that God speaks to us from in the film. Highly recommend.
This sounds like a movie inspired by some Kierkegaard philosophy tbh. Thanks for the lesson and the great recommendation Fr. May God give you prosperity in this Christmas.
There is a quote that comes to my mind watching that. "When you are down to nothing, God is up to something." By Robert A. Schuller
I would like to take this opportunity to say 3 thank you's. Thank you for all these mini sermons here (and the big ones on iTunes 😁)...thank you for all you do for the Kingdom of God...thank you for your priesthood (for what God called you to be).
Merry Christmas from Germany.
Oh, I LOVE that quote!!
Christmas is a pagan holiday celebrating winter solstice,and the birth of the sun god,isis,tammuz ,Baal ,It’s all the same person,better known as Lucifer .
It was used by the Catholic Church as another one of their many religious celebrations,same as Easter with the
demonic egg laying Easter bunny.
@@dominic5520 Merry Christmas Dominic.
God bless you.
JOEL BRAGANZA I don’t celebrate what you call Christmas because in all probability,JESUS was born in sept.
Dec in Bethlehem would have been too cold for Shepards to be in the fields with their flocks.
Also dec 25 is the birth/rebirth of the sun god,not THE GOD.
it is also the celebration of the winter solstice ,which has always been a traditional pagan holy day,
Celebrated by people who worship the earth and animals.
To celebrate CHRISTmas is to pay homage to the devil himself.
Steffi Berlin I’m not familiar with the sermons on iTunes.... I tried to search for them. How can I find what your referring to? Thanks!
Thanks Father Mike! I have been going through this struggle for years with illnesses of my own, caring for sick relatives, now my grandmother with dementia and even my elderly dog who has been my companion for 16 years. I had hoped, going on 40 in a few weeks, that I would have had a career I loved, married with children, traveling the world, living somewhere else. Yet I am with my family, working part-time, and not married. It seems its one sacrifice after another and yes, I've whined. But something changed at some point. I realized that I may not have gotten the life I expected at this point, but its the life I have and that's for a reason. I finally have peace about it and try to have patience and know that God is present and doesn't ask of me anything that I can't give. I'm grateful. One of my favorite quotes is from Jeremiah 29:11. I don't know what my future holds but I'm going to go with it. Merry Christmas Father.
The main thing I've always remembered about "It's a Wonderful Life" is the line, "Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings." Actually, I don't remember it -- I remember my daughter as an 8 year old repeating it over and over, and I had no idea where it came from until she told me. Now I can't un-hear it. Funny thing -- my mom's parents were both born on September 24, different years. Grandma died of cancer when I was a baby, but Grandpa died just 2 weeks after becoming a great-great-grandfather. Everyone said Grandma was a saint (she was a convert who really lived the Faith), but Grandpa needed lots of prayers (he was a cradle Catholic who took the Faith for granted and even stopped going to Mass a few years after Grandma died). About 4 years after Grandpa died, at the stroke of midnight on their birthday, after lots of prayers for his soul, a set of bells in my living room rang out. It startled me, because those bells were hung solidly and never moved. They had never rung before and they never rang again. And when it happened, the thought that came to mind was, "Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings." Not that Grandpa became an angel, but he became *like* an angel. This is my hope :)
Thank you, Fr. Mike, for the beautiful message! Please pray for our young adult son, Will, who is very discouraged, has some psychological issues, and has left the faith (he was always very devout before). I pray for him all the time. My mother's heart aches for him because I can still see a small flicker of the little boy he once was, but he's just so lost.
🙏🙏🙏 my family and I are Praying for Will. May JESUS wrap His Arms tight around Will that the Warmth of JESUS Infinite LOVE burst to Will's heart depths renewing your son Will as JESUS Spirit rises within him 🕊🎄🎁💝
Hi Danielle, the novena to St Martha was recommended to me, I gladly pass this beautiful prayer to you in full confidence, God bless all your family.
I watched this movie two nights ago with my lovely family, only movie that makes my husband cry, it's beautiful
My Hubby and I happened to watch this film this Christmas, and I saw your video just today and told my husband about some of the points you make. His observation was that there was a fourth woman important in George's life, that being Violet Bick. He notes that the movie spends time on her, putting her in every time period of Bailey's life. I thought, "Hmm. I think he's right." And the "why" came to me: She is the "lucky" person who seems to have it all -- beauty, popularity, bling -- but she's a restless, "lost" (unmoored) soul -- Bailey helps her, without lecturing or shaming. God allows us all, I believe, to encounter people who are in need of help, but whom we might be tempted to ignore as "undeserving."
Wow! Nice observation. Just I thought Fr Mike had said it all.
Ok, it made me cry. I'm "Sheila Bailey"! I can so relate to this. I go to mass pretty much every day, love God, prayers EVERY day! But discouraged. I feel my life is a football game or something and I'm the benchwarmer. Like I'm not allowed to participate in life. I see friends getting married, having kids. Not me! I take care of my dad who hates God and just a miserable person to live with. But I have to take care of him. I'm trying every day for hope, for life... thank you Fr Mike. Needed this.
Hang in there, Sheila! Also, I'm not sure how this message will resonate, but as someone who is probably closer to the end of his time in this world than you, the 'crosses' never go away and I'm convinced the world to come will be better. But I don't mean to trivialize what you are doing - service is a great thing, and all the greater when it is seemingly unbearable. Again, hang in there.
@@paulmiller3469 Thank you. I don't know, this video made me vent. 🙂
Don't mean to spill all my problems on TH-cam. I'm hanging in there. 😉
Sheila, I'm sorry for your struggles! Please don't be discouraged! You a beautiful soul who is doing her best to serve God. You are a wonderful daughter for taking care of your Father who does not seem to share your love of God. You are doing the will of your Heavenly Father who loves you beyond all measure. I am sure you are close to Our Lady's heart. Entrust yourself to her Immaculate Heart.
Keep praying and looking for small opportunities. May God bless you, strengthen you, lift you up, give you hope, and send consolation and encouragement! Amen.
Wow, taking care of a parent must be such a difficult thing, but it makes me want to cry happy tears thinking of the love and sacrifice involved. Keep it up, Sheila. You are the face of Jesus to your dad. (Even though he may not recognize it as such now)
@@AnnInFL Thank you so much!
You are a wonder, Father Mike. Stay humble and stay like this. I much rather watch and listen to you here in this venue than at a Big Rally of sorts. And yes, Jesus is always right beside us. When we are crying He is crying with us but will always extend His grace, Love, and Help. I will never forget Him for He has never forgotten me. I can only try to Love Him as much as He loves me. God bless, Father Mike.
One of my favorite movies of all time!
“God has not forgotten”
Thank you Father Mike
Thank you Father Mike. One of my all time favourite movies. God's intervention in our lives at critical moments is so, so powerful and I think sometimes that it is when we are at our lowest, when we are so discouraged that it is revealed to us that without God's grace we really can do nothing. The real message is that it is by grace that we are saved. God is Love. Alleluia!
I appreciate that Fr. Mike recorded this whole video while holding a coffee mug
Breaking down the movies like Bishop Barron, I love it! What a great reminder of how God can add more to our lives than we can manage on our own.
"You don't have the ability to smell my house through the TH-cam" This padre puts me in stitches.
Thank you, Father. I’ve been listening to you and Sensus and My values have been transformed. I feel like a different person now. Thank you very much.
I'm not Catholic but this message was exactly what I needed to hear tonight. In fact, I've enjoyed all of the messages on this channel. Thank you Fr. Mike.
My wife and I usually watch Family Man, but we think we will watch It's a wonderful life tonight instead.
Cause we want to be winners.
Besides, father said so
Templar Rain what did you think? :)
Loooooooooved it!!!!! I can't believe how good the acting was, and it sure made a man appreciate his circumstances even more after watching it
Templar Rain that’s awesome! Hope you add it to the watch list every year! it’s the one tradition my family never breaks on Christmas Day. Love jimmy Stewart too!!
My husband and I just watched this movie. We had not watched it in over 10 years. We were cracking up about how accurate the depiction is of life with 4 children - we have 4 kids the same ages as George Bailey. Very emotional too- we have faced challenges too where we have wanted to give up, but yes our sense of duty to God, each other, and our children, has pushed us forward. We understood this movie so much better now than when we were young.
Hi Fr. Mike. You probably won’t see this, but my firstborn son was born two weeks ago. If you see this, please pray for him, my wife, and myself as we attempt to imitate the Holy family in our lives. Merry Christmas!
Just finished watching it’s a wonderful life just a few more minutes till Christmas. Cried because I struggled like George Bailey these past couple of months. I needed to hear this message again, Merry Christmas everyone.
MY FAVORITE MOVIE ❤
Merry Christmas Father, thank you for putting me on the road back to my faith, you've done more for me over the past few months than you could possibly imagine.
I watch "It's a Wonderful Life" almost every year at Christmas. What a great movie! George is a man with big dreams. He takes for granted his small hometown of Bedford Falls with its close-knit community of family, friends, and neighbors. He wants desperately to get out and "see the world", but gets stuck at every turn, because it becomes clear that only George can preserve the town from falling into the clutches of Mr. Potter, an evil, greedy business man who seeks to exploit the townspeople.
This is a great story, because we all have dreams, but we are not in control of our destiny. Acting out of love and putting others first is what God asks of us, but self sacrifice and duty often lead away from worldly "success" and wealth. However, what is really important is achieving "success" in God's eyes: choosing to love God with all our heart and mind and soul and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Christ our Savior made a total self sacrifice for us in love. If we follow Him, we will be pleasing to God our Father and be called a child of God, the only "success" that actually matters.
I love “It’s A Wonderful” we watch it every year! It’s so good! Great video as always Father!
I watch this video with my family every christmas, literally about to watch it in a couple hours, weird stuff man, thanks for posting this, merry christmas!
Merry Christmas, Fr. Mike!
Merry Christmas. Thank you for this. It's been a tough year. I will re-consider converting to Catholicism.
Catholico Perfect timing for this video, I just watched it for the first time yesterday. Merry Christmas, Fr. Mike!
@Pro Justice Hi! :) Sorry for that. We don't have the intention to cause confusion (pretending we are Fr. Mike) nor hide who we truly are. We are just a channel from Brazil that translate Fr. Mike's videos to Portuguese.
I literally finished watching this movie for the first time like 5 minutes ago! Thank you for this message Fr. Mike! Merry Christmas!!
Thank you soooooooooooooo much Father. I love this.
Anyone else feel that “Merry Christmas” touches something a little deeper when Fr. Mike says it?
I immediately went to watch the movie and fell in LOVE WITH IT! Great job father
The movie is so profound. It is essential Christmas viewing! I watched it for the first time about 7 years ago and I’ve probably seen it about 15 times since then. 💌
Hope you had a wonderful and blessed Christmas Fr. Mike and thank you for all of your great messages in your videos.
Happy third day of Christmas, Father! Thanks for the encouragement you provide for us all throughout the whole year.
Best movie of all time. Hands down.
Thank you, Fr. Mike. I needed this.
Thank you Father Mike. Hope your Christmas season is wonderful!
Merry Christmas Fr. Mike Schmitz! This reminded me of one of my bosses who was responsible for hundreds of people. Without getting too in-depth, he was fired as a scapegoat to placate board members and stockholders,. right before Christmas.. We decided to give him a huge going away party as everyone was upset about his departure. I heard it took some pushing for him to go ...but during the party he gave a speech, by an all means tough looking business man, and with tears in his eyes said...that while the circumstances were less than ideal ...he considered himself blessed that as people were giving their speeches about him, he said these were the kind of things people say at someone's funeral and he had no idea how many people loved him. His speech was more eloquent than my ackward explanation though.. The point for me though was..how it took that point for him to realize that and maybe we need to be better at letting people know how important they are to our life. Anyway..the really good part is that years later he has become more successful than he probably ever would if he stayed at the company! God shuts one door than opens another! Reminds me to let someone know how much they mean to me today!!
Joyous Christmas everyone!
Rob Santoliquito Mr.Santoliquito..I am adding you to my prayer list so that you may receive the peace you desire...I truly wish you a most blessed Christmas!
Thank you Father!
Your breakdown of this movie is beautiful. Thank you for this Important message of God being with us during our hard times and the graces he provides us in those times. God bless
Mind blown!! Thank you so much, Father Mike!!!
You need to do more wonderful videos for us🙌🏻 I love your messages for us. God bless you father🤗
Took me a little while, but I'm liking the beard a lot. It's given me the push I needed to grow out mine! God bless you Fr. Mike. Keep strong. Praying for you.
Thank you Father Mike
Merry Christmas Fr Mike! Great movie, one of my favorites! Life is so much easier when we surrender completely to Jesus and let Him take care of everything as we trust and follow His loving guidance. Thank you for being God's instrument of truth and love, your yes to Him helps give us the tools, courage and strength to say our yes to Him too. Awesome hey! Souls helping each other find our way home! - God's plan for all of us to do this together is so awesome! Our lives are saved by Grace YAY!! :) Enjoyed a coffee while listening to your clip!
Wonderful Father!!! I love “Its AWonderful Life”. And I love the movie “The Bishop’s Wife”! Merry Christmas Father Mike
Merry Christmas, Fr. Mike. Thanks for your insights in 2018.
This is literally my favorite movie ever!!! This is such an amazing video! And Fr. Mike quoted one of my favorite verses ever that I've been holding so closely in my heart lately! Thank you so much!💖💖💖
I love this so much i had to watch it again - thanks for sharing this insight to this film and the message of Christmas and the gift of grace
You are awesome...thank God and you 😇😇😇
Definitely one of my favorite movies as well!!
Merry Christmas Father!
#askfrmike One of the visible marks of Catholic faith as I see it in my Catholic friends (I want to be Catholic, but am currently living with Southern Baptist parents 😔) is making the sign of the cross before prayer. I think it is a great sign, but I'm wondering about the theological basis for it. If I were to start to perform it, I feel like my family would be surprised by the new sign of faith, and I'm wondering what I would say to defend it. I'm not entirely sure what the Protestant objection to it is either, so if you could shed some light on this, I would be very grateful. -Jack
P.s. As an aspiring Catholic, your videos, and all the videos on this channel have been tremendously helpful in rationalizing my faith. Thank you!
Hey there Jack
Merry Christmas to you. Just wanted to say don't give up and continue to follow your goals. Hope you find some answers to your question. Your being called home towards the Catholic church. Life will not get any easier, prayer is your best tool in difficult times. Jesus, Mary, Joseph and St. Michael are a great help with prayers of intercession. Some time at eucharistic adoration might also help and give clarity. God bless you buddy best of luck to you in 2019.
Hi Jack,
We are making sign of the cross and saying: In the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. We are saying and showing that we belong to Holy Trinity, we believe in Holy Trinity and that we doing everything in the name of Father. God gave us authority of His children and we, in this authority, pray and do everything (because we are called to pray with everything we are doing right? :) ) So we remind us and everyone, that we are Christ's. I hope I'll help.
@@cath-alpino-jager7012 Thank you so much! That truly means alot. God bless!
@@helenagallusova4940 Thank you! I think it's a really beautiful sign, and I want to start using it more often!
Jack Jackson Fr. mike did made a video on this called, 3 things to know about the sign of the cross: th-cam.com/video/yRDCWacBAcY/w-d-xo.html
Merry Christmas, Father!
Thank you Father Mike and Merry Christmas. God bless you.
Best.... Movie.... Ever!
Just watched Its a wonderful life and bawled like a baby. My favorite seen is when he prays to God in the bar out of total desperation. God is there. God is listening. Thank you for this message today. 🙏🏼
Merry Christmas Father!
Literally the best movie ever made 😆 I've never thought of duty like that before, thank you
Thank you Fr. Mike x Merry Christmas x
The movie It’s a Wonderful Life has many great attributes that highlight Catholic theology and the seven media keys in many ways. As stated directly in the article, this film is incredibly inspiring to others. Carol, a woman suffering from PTSD and suicidal thoughts, claimed this movie helped her to recognize that “[maybe] the decisions that [she] was making, even the smallest, most insignificant, [might] have a profound influence on those around [her].” It’s a Wonderful Life also places importance on the dignity of human persons. The whole premise of the plot is to place value on each and every individual life. The writers skillfully developed the storyline to have these undeniable truths (such as the value of human life and each individual's impact on society and the people around them). These truths were presented in a way that is able to be easily accepted by all people regardless of their background. This is a large feat in today’s age. In today’s age, so many people quickly cling to the ideology that diminishes the value of humanity. This film was created by professionals whose attitude awareness was superior, as they subtly added these underlying Christian narratives. Balance is represented beautifully throughout the film as well. While most of the storyline follows George Bailey during a crisis, it also essentially highlights the importance of the realizations he makes and the lessons he learns. This movie is also motivated and relevant to experience because it can be relatable to everyone despite their situations.
Beautiful! Thank you!
I finally watched this movie tonight just so I could watch this
Here i am 4 years out from when you posted this - and having just made the argument that this movie is the most influential pro life movie EVER made - that in this era of Multi verses & how everything could possibly be altered from what we experienced - this movie highlights the importance of a life well lived to not only the immediate friends & family but ever widening ripples in humanity -
Thanks Father Mike. That was a great message. Merry Christmas to you my friend.
Thank you father! Your videos always remind me that God is always first in my life
Excellent movie, and, as usual, excellent commentary from Fr. Mike. Thank you for you, Fr. Mike. Enjoy the joy of the Christmas season!
Yes Emanuel.
Thankyou Father Mike for all you do for the glory of God. You are Godsend. Merry Christmas. Christ is born. Let us glorify him.
Thanks Father.
:-)Father as priest as a form of respect. Fr. Mike is not God of course- it's just for respect.
I love the movie, “It’s a wonderful life!” Such a great movie and I love the way you explained it Fr. Mike thank you! Merry Christmas and God bless!!
“Joyous Noël.” Thank God for the nose to smell that “Balsam Fir.”
One of my favorite movies. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
I guess you hadn’t hung the two stockings yet:)
I was so mad at him when he yelled at the sweetheart playing the piano, rascal. I love Clarence.
God broke in today when my twin and wife offered to pick my Momma up, a well needed break. Thank you Dear Jesus. Have you every heard @Tim McGraws song called John 3:16?
One of my favourite movies too, God bless and Merry Christmas Fr Mike
Thank you so much Father Mike 🙏. I watched It’s a Wonderful Life a couple of days before you released this video and it couldn’t have come at a better time. The film itself really touched my soul and your clarification of it’s message was just what I needed right now. God bless and merry Christmas 🎄
Thank you for reminding me that "God has not forgotten" me.
A fantastic articulation on one of my favorite movies. Nothing short from a masterful piece of art. May we all be rich in relationships on Earth and with God.
Thank you I needed this words today
I just finished watching it; I’m a WINNER!!!!!
Thank you for this message of encouragement. I can’t begin to express how much I needed it at this very moment. Merry Christmas. ❤️💔❤️
#askfrmike I'm in rcia getting baptized Easter vigil was atheist until March 2018 how can I prepare for my baptism and lent
You can prepare by going to confession and if you can try and find a sponsor to help guide you through this process. Also you could research the saints and choose a patron saint to pray for you in heaven. I'm here if you would like to send a message and ask any questions! Congrats sister!
Welcome Sarah I’m very happy for you
I was baptised Easter 2018 best thing I have done
Sarah Young hey Sarah! I was also a catechumen, baptized Easter Vigil 2017. I encourage you to check out these podcasts which really helped me understand so many aspects especially the sacraments of our profound faith: Catholic Answers, Bishop Baron, The Art of Catholic, and Bill Creasy’s Bible study. Try lectio divina to really pray the scripture and listen to God speak to you. I pray that you have a strong RCIA group and that you continue to seek Him. God bless you
Thank you guys so much!! Its all really helpful because I'm so new to the faith ❤
@@sarahyoung3709 me too and this journey is so beautiful!
Thank you, Father Mike, for all the inspiration you give to me, not only now but every time I open your video. Merry Christmas, and may God bless you always.
God bless
Have a blessed Christmas
Beautiful!
Im sorry father for I haven't been in your house in awhile, but know that he is always on my mind.
Merry Christmas father
Merry Christmas Father Mike.
Wonderful message and a wonderful movie.
Wonderful.
I so needed this message. Thank you for sharing
And can any further details be added?
Thank you Father Mike. I once saw a book of scenes from “It’s a Wonderful Life” that we’re cut from the final version. The scenes didn’t add to the film and a tw hour long film was considered the maximum length of time the audience would sit still for.
Merry Christmas Father.
best film ever. very human. i would love to spend 24 hours in bedford falls.
Thank you Fr. Mike! Have a wonderful Christmas season!
Thank you so much for this video. I need to hear this. Merry Christmas Fr. Mike
How I needed to hear exactly those words! Thank you!
You should watch St Giuseppe Moscati, its English subtitled but a very good movie.
There is this book called “52 little lessons from It’s a Wonderful Life” by Bob Welch. Super good book and really opened my eyes to all of the ways that God speaks to us from in the film. Highly recommend.
You got the mail on the head for me. Many thanks!
This sounds like a movie inspired by some Kierkegaard philosophy tbh.
Thanks for the lesson and the great recommendation Fr.
May God give you prosperity in this Christmas.
Awesome video and Merry Christmas to you and everyone at Ascension Press!
Thankyou So much Fr.Mike.
I needed this. Just the right time. 😊
I can’t forget the scene when he meets his mother, as she would have been if he was never born. Could hardly believe it was the same actress.
Have a blessed Christmas season, Father Mike!