MPF 289: Fr. Mike Schmitz on Parenting and Marriage

Messy Family Podcast : Catholic Conversations on Marriage and Family

Parenting isn’t about doing everything perfectly. It's about showing up over and over again no matter what.

Summary

Some may question how a celibate man could have wisdom for husbands and wives, let alone parents. But in this interview with Fr. Mike Schmitz, host of the Bible in a Year podcast, we think everyone will agree that his insights are awesome! Drawing from his own family experience as well as his role as a spiritual father, Fr. Mike shares with us how to love children who have fallen away from the church, the importance of your marriage to your walk with God, and why you actually don’t need to have the perfect plan for your family. In this conversation we laughed and cried as we reflected on the beauty and difficulties of life in a family (with some special shoutouts to middle children!). Listen in as we have an honest and inspiring talk with a priest whose ministry has blessed so many.

Key Takeaways

• Our family of origin impacts us more than almost anything else in our lives.

• Parents put so much pressure on themselves to be perfect that sometimes they miss out on the joy of family life.

• It's more important that we are intentional about family life than we have the “perfect plan” on how to be a family.

• It's not a bad thing for kids to see their parents have conflict as long as they are also able to experience the effects of their reconciliation.

• We can’t make the world safe for our kids, but we do need to make our kids strong.

• The heart of the Father is the heart of the priesthood.

• If someone falls away from the Church, we may be tempted to cut them out or approve of everything they do, but neither is correct. Remain in their lives in a consistent and uncompromising way, recognizing that their story isn’t over.

Couple Discussion Questions

• Are there areas in our family life that we need to evaluate and possibly change? Is there a course we are on that we need to correct?

• Knowing that our kids will be growing up in a difficult world, how can we make them strong?

• How can we respond better to those who have turned away from Christ or His Church? How can we keep those lines of communication open?

• Who are the “spiritual fathers” in our life? How can we pray for them?

Resources

Bible in a Year Podcast

Ascension videos w Fr Mike

Introduction and Fundraising Campaign (0:00 - 4:04) Interview with Father Mike Schmitz Begins (4:04 - 5:09) Father Mike Schmitz's Background (5:09 - 7:02) Parenting and Family Life (7:02 - 13:23) Insights on Parenting and Perfection (13:23 - 18:13) Parental Sacrifice and Consistency (00:19:32 - 00:21:28) Parental Influence and Decision-Making (00:21:28 - 00:23:42) Navigating Marital Challenges (00:23:43 - 00:27:37) Spiritual Fatherhood (00:37:06 - 00:38:41) Parenting Journey and Impact (00:38:42 - 00:41:36) Understanding Parental Heartache (00:46:43:18 - 00:47:31:20) Dealing with Children Leaving Faith (00:47:31:22 - 00:48:57:00) Parental Support and Communication (00:50:29:03 - 00:52:37:11) Sexual Intimacy and Spirituality (00:56:53:17 - 00:58:32:06) Blessing and Spiritual Growth (01:02:14:04 - 01:03:32:18)