How to Love Someone that is Hard to Love 

Christ loved us when we were unlovable, so let us strive to love _especially_ the unlovable. 🙏❤️🙏

This is amazing, I just had a big fight with my mother who is an incredibly difficult person. Please pray for me it is hard to love her sometimes.

"Love is a one way street. Relationships are two way streets." This line can legit can change my life.

My husband and I separated. I married a difficult person who is difficult in many ways. I love him and I don’t always understand how to properly love him. My husband made some serious mistakes in our marriage and as a result of all this, I pray like crazy. My husband has turned to lies and cheating because of his personal problems to love. I put my foot down and we’re getting help but it’s not easy. It’s not easy dealing someone who struggles with love. God loves us and I understand it all. The truth has set me free but it hasn’t set my husband free. Prayers! I will practice learning to love him more. Hoping God will help his heart. ❤

The one who bites or barks, who behaves in an unloving way, is in pain, and will also likely be feeling separate from love, peace, worthiness or a sense of safety - perhaps, all of these. Unloving behaviour is a revelation as to what is UNSEEN, what is being FELT and experienced within. Thus, behaviour helps make what is invisible to the eye, VISIBLE. The one who has behaved in an unloving or mean way, should not be condemned and judged as "less than human" or not worthy of Love. In fact, it is they who are most worthy of Love, which is by virtue of the reality that their NEED for Love is greatest. It has become clear to me that the person behaving in an unloving way is, in their pain and unbearable suffering, ALLOWING others to see this - to see the Truth of their inner world - in the hope that they receive the help - the love, support, connection and the lessening of their suffering - that they indeed need 🌱 Meanness is not an indication of "badness" within a person... Rather, meanness *reveals* pain. Mean Means Pain 🌱 Moreover, at its core... every unloving behaviour is a Call for Love 🙌🏽🕊 If you read this... God loves you unconditionally and has got you, my friend 🌱

I have a difficult time with my brother. He never stops talking to let others say anything. He complains almost every single day. If we say anything to him about carrying his cross and/or being more positive or we disagree with him, he snaps. The family doesn't want to be around him or lands up on bad terms because he talks and complains too much and, is a know it all. Even though I try so hard and pray so much for him, he seems to be one of my heaviest crosses. God help us. ✝️

Working in customer service is always a test of my charity for sure😂

I have been going through a tough time personally, i have prayed day and night for over a year now for some sort of sign. I truly believe this is the sign i had been needing, i see it loud and clear. God is so good.

Please pray for my daughter who is hard to love 💕 She has a heart of stone and is avoiding to communicate with her family. When all is said and done, I can only pray for her conversion of heart. May God grant her peace and love. Amen 🙏🏻

Dear Father Mike: I have tried for many years tolerating speaking with my brother who is ten years older than me. He’s abrasive and selfish and cruel and abusive. I finally struggled to put up boundaries several times which he overstepped shamelessly and I finally told him he can not speak to me that way. He swore at me and said something vile and told me to never speak to him again. He’s blocked me from reaching him. He’s way too toxic for me so all I can do is to pray for him. I cannot be abused by his narcissistic personality anymore.

"We Are Always Definitively LOVED by God!!" I looked up the word DEFINITIVELY ~it means, in a way that is ❣️Definite, ❣️Complete, ❣️Final, or ❣️Absolute! 🙌 WOW!! Soo Beautiful to think about! Thank You Father Mike for this reflection!!

Hey everyone I have important tests coming up this week could you all please pray for me to do well and answer to the best of my ability. Thanks very much🙏✝️ Mary pray for us!!

Amazing. A relationship is a two-way street. But Love is a one-way street. You just love.

Thank you, father. I was estranged with my dad for a decade by my choice and health and protection of my family. He recently passed away and while most of his side of my family proved they are mad at me at his wake and funeral I know they haven't known that I have prayed for him and offered up sufferings for him for the moment of his death. I didn't pray to be reconciled this side of eternity but rather that he repent and seek God's mercy at the moment if his death in the hopes we could be reconciled in eternity. We always teach our kids that is someone hurts them where they need to set boundaries and not have a relationship with the person that what they can and should do is pray for that person and pray that they repent and seek God's mercy at the moment of death.

To love those who hurt us🙏🏽

Imagine what it’s like to be the one people say is difficult to love….they are often treated with indifference and that’s the opposite of love and they know it and feel it.

The scripture says " Be cunning as Serpents and gentle as Doves. " I really needed this reminder. I have a life full of people who are difficult to love. But I am equally as difficult. Because of this, God gives me plenty of reasons to be patient with those family, friends acquaintances and people that I serve to be patient and love with that one way street. Thank you Father Schmitz.

father Mike, we love you just the way you are. When I started watching I found your energy charming and your enthusiasm infectious and still do.

As a teacher this touches somewhat on what I needed to hear. There‘a a lot of confusion in me as a first year teacher on how to run a class, be respected, and still practice charity. Students are (let’s face it) self-centered, tyrannical, and abusive if you’re a softie.

Thanks for giving us guidance on this Father Mike. My parents are difficult to love and I know where they’re coming from. I pray that God grant me the grace to be the “bigger person” so I don’t end up resenting them for what they did to me.

BEAUTIFUL! I have no problem with your NORMAL speaking voice and rate, sounds like an enthusiastic speaker WANTING to SHARE the GOOD NEWS! GOD BLESS you Father!

What a wonderful video! It sounds corny, but honestly this video was uploaded at just the perfect moment in my life. Allelujah! Peace be with you Fr. Mike.

Thank you Fr. Mike. I will be sharing this as a number of people I know have expressed that, to be a good Catholic, we are to continuously turn the other cheek and allow ourselves to be a doormat. Some folks need to be loved from a distance!🙏🙏🙏

Hahaha! I always listen to you at 1.5x faster speed already! This video was speaking to me in many ways. Thank you and God bless you!

100% . But there are people with self esteem problems and instead of setting boundaries they prefer to deflect and stay in their comfort zone of being a doormat. Please pray for them Father.🙏

I don't get people complaining about how fast fr. Mike speaks. You listen everithing on 1.5 or 2 anyway! If you can speed up your video, you can also slow it down. Leave poor soul talk in his own pace and be thankful he's still making content! Gosh, some people are really hard to love, arn't they ;)

Please pray for me! I committed terrible sins in the past and am struggling to forgive myself, and I find my mind trying to justify those dreadful actions. The person whom I'm finding hardest to love... Is me. Again please please pray for me!

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂❤ I always changed the video speed when I listened to you, Father, but this, was so funny, I am crying in laughter. I always say, "My goodness, this priest must drink a lot of coffee!"☕️❤

I have a Co-worker who just drives me Bonkers. Good words and advise … I will put into action

Fr. Mike as always you give the Blessings to receive the Blessing. Thank you for the blessing of love and boundaries 🙏🏽🤗

Thanks! I love you father Mike. You helped me come back to the lord God 🙏

Keep speaking your regular 60mph way of talking Father. It honestly is one of the ways your Faith in our religion comes across as far as I'm concerned

God is definitely talking to me right now. I definitely needed this today god bless you Father Mike. Please pray for me and my fiancé. We are going through a rough patch right now after a bad argument. We still love each other. But need prayers thanks. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻✝️✝️✝️✝️✝️

That would include everyone around me. My solution, love God more. I cannot care about the rest more.

This is so helpful, I've been struggling with someone in particular and know that the Our Father tells me what to do. I've been angry for so long, I desperately want to let go, but I do try to sincerely pray for and will her good.

You were not too fast for me before I developed encephalitis, but I have to slow down everyone, and it's not their fault, it's on my end. I found the "setting" on the gear and you can slow it down! You just keep doing what's you're doing. Thank you Father!!

This is a very important message. Yes, I have come across people who are abrasive, bull-headed, rude and difficult to be around. We come across such people in our families or work place and hopefully not too often in our churches. I never heard of love being a one-way street. That is insightful. "I will will your good. You may not will mine." This is sometimes easier when the person has deteriorated mentally due to dementia or illness that affects thinking and responses. We can give excuses then. "I am not willing to be your door mat." Yes, boundaries. Excellent points -- this video, I will listen to several times. Very excellent point: "I cannot give what I do not have." So, we need to receive the love of God's Holy Spirit. Heavenly love is the only love that facilitates the Kingdom of God within us.

Father Mike…I am praying for you! When I heard you will have a new Bishop, I am calling St Michael to protect you. Things will change and your joy has helped me. I went to confession after 30 years and it brought joy! I just was educated on Bishop Barrons new post and it is not close to you. I am praying for you both as you each are uniquely blessed.

I've been looking for advice like this. Have had a huge fight and seperation from my oldest brother who I love very much because sometimes he's a bit difficult for wanting to have the last word. Please pray for those who have hurt and anger in their heart, they need Jesus's love. We all do.

Lately I’ve felt in my heart that Jesus wants me to give more in my relationship with my mother in law she’s not easy to love. She probably feels the same about me. I’m so grateful to her for raising my husband to be the man he is and I want to love her because my husband loves her.

This is because love that is conditional, isn't love at all. Only unconditional love is love. Everything else is a relationship. God provides unconditional love, and it's up to us to have a relationship with Him.

Your videos always seem to be the best thing I need to hear. God bless you Father.

This is so interesting, Fr Mike. Thank you. We can always love and pray for others, whether they are lovable or not. God created them and He wants us to love them and will their good. Thank you, and God Bless. Claire.

No matter how hard I try to numb it, the lack of affection is something my soul immensely suffers from.

My older sister was jealous and resentful to me my entire childhood. She’s in a nursing home home, all alone as she never married or had children. I still struggle with this relationship. My brother tells me I need to just get over it after 50 years. But It is very difficult to love someone who was mean to you as a small child and who you don’t like very much as a person. I have to remind myself that she is still my only sister. But I have to be honest, if she weren’t my mother’s daughter, I would have absolutely nothing to do with her. I pray to Jesus for the ability to still love someone so difficult to like even.

Father Mike, quickly or slowly, your reflection upon anything, any subjects are always good, nourished us , enlightened us

Very difficult to hear this, I thought that if I was loving and supportive that my relationship would work, I did not understand the alcoholic mindset and after both verbal and physical abuse I had to realize that it was time to leave and now I pray for him every day. Hopefully he will realize that God’s love is there for him as a great gift 💝🙏🙏🙏

I needed to hear this. Thank you Fr. Mike.

This could not have come at a better time. Thanks be to God for His insight sent to us through Fr. Mike.

This was so helpful! Some upper coworkers of mine can be "hard to love" at times and I never want to come off ugly (I was always raised to "kill em with kindness") but I can never tell the fine line between being loving but firm and trying to be loving but rude. This really clarifies things! Thank you Father!

Thank you so much for this, Father Mike! Would love a follow-up video on how to establish Christian boundaries for the “difficult to love” relationships!

This is such a great message today. It is hard when you love someone and they don't love you back. Boundaries are great advice. 👍 God bless you Fr. Mike.

So true. Loving someone does not mean that you like them. It's easy to think of love as something that is earned after first liking someone, but they are distinct.

Perfect! Thank you! “Love is a one way street. Relationship is a two way street. Remarkable.

My husband is a survivor of abuse as a child. He isn’t easy to love because he doesn’t know love or how to love. So God brought him to my life but now childhood memories are brought back by his mothers death. Please pray that God will give me strength to show him love

Father Mike! This is one of the very best talks, explanations and guidance on true love and how to love. SO grateful you included the boundaries reminder too. Oh! And please, never change your voice nor the way you speak 😇 yours is the best and exactly as it should be. 👍 Going to re-listen to this again now. ❤️

Don’t change a thing! I love the way you speak and your use of humor. God Bless You

Hahahaha .. it's not too quickly, keeps my attention like nobody, there are no gaps in your speech and the dynamic of your voice keep me awake, my kids say the same! They don't wanna watch Mass with anybody else.

Fantastic insight, Father Mike. Your pal Nick is a wise hombre. Blessings!

Oh, how hard it is at times to love who doesn't love back. I am just trying to remember God loves me and I love him and that is all that really matters.

I'm glad I watched this video. I've been wondering if my need to be loved, in order to love was normal :) I could not love when I didn't know God loves me! Now that I know, loving others comes easier. Praise God for His Gifts!

Oh my goodness- I spoke to my father who who is my spiritual director and wow! I m going to tell him to watch this video! Love is a one way street! 💜🙏💜Father Mike God bless your work!

I think this video is very timely, especially with a heated trial between 2 people who said they loved one another, but then grew to hate one another.

You are a man with such wise words Father Mike.

I love the speed you talk. That's why I listen to you read the Bible in a year. There are many other reasons 😊

Great message! Love is to will the good of others. ‘Tough love’ is surely tough, but it is definitely willing the good of others. So many points to contemplate in this message. Love is not reciprocal! WOW Easy to love if we know we are going to be loved back! Thanks for the enlightenment!

O Lord, I need your HELP!!! “Whatever your task, work heartily, as serving the Lord and not men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward; you are serving the Lord Christ.” ‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3:23-24‬ ‭

I heard something that makes sense in relationship to what Fr Mike has said, "Do you have to understand this person to love them?"

Your a wonderful shepherd and funny to hear. Love your messages.

Thank you Fr Mike 🌟 We love because God first loved us. Love is willing the good of the other. "Be Kind & Patient with difficult people" 🌻 ~Timothy

It makes perfect sense, Fr. Mike!

Been praying about this all week. Thank you Fr Mike and everyone at Ascension!!! God speaks to me a lot through all of your videos :)

Thank you for the Mike you have helped me come back to the Lord keep up all this beautiful work that you're doing I tell everybody about you have a great day amen

I really appreciate and respect what you do. It is a difficult field. Tremendous respect.

Sooooooo beautiful....so healing....so true...Thank you, father....the key is to know that I am soooo deeply loved, no matter what happens in my life, no matter who happens in my life.... thank you!

People can change their playback speed to slow it down. Your brain probably works even faster than you’re speaking! Don’t change a thing about your accessible message. We need you! (Also, you can give your opinion in Batman or anything else, especially on Twitter, which is just an opinion platform. You are a priest, but also a human being. You’re allowed to give your opinion on things that aren’t religious. I am so glad I found you!

Just, wow. Thank you for sharing this. From step 1 to 3 like I have never heard of love taught this way. Convicted and enlightened. The realization that I am not a good lover just because I love those that are easy to love and the difference between love and relationship.

Esse vídeo surgiu hoje para mim. E surgiu no momento que eu precisava ouvir. Agradeço ao Nosso Senhor e agradeco ao senhor Padre.

I pray for my worse enemy just about every day. What she did to me and my family is extremely painful. I have PTSD because of it. I have these intrusive memories. These memories that you have no control over, are not thinking about, come out of NOWHERE, are not related to what you are thinking or doing at the moment, it is like a spear through the head, it knocks the wind out of me, it happens from 3 times an hour to 10 times a day. The following is what I do. And it is NOT for relief because I get no relief from it. But first and immediately I offer up the suffering and pain I am feeling to Jesus. I figure he can use it to help make good. Then I pray for her salvation and that she will change before she dies. That she convert to the love of Christ. If you are thinking "oh how nice." That is not what it is about. I do this in obedience to God. He says love one another, it is a commandment. Do I feel good about it? No, it has nothing to do with feelings. It is a choice to take an action out of obedience to God. To me obedience is Love. Please pray for me and for all the people who hurt others. THEY need the prayers too.

Treat them in good way , always , this are command of God. Thank you very much 💕 ⚘️

Thanks, Fr. Mike. "Love is a one way street. Willing the good of the other. " With God's grace I can do this knowing that I am definitively loved. So good!

Thank you, these tips are very helpful to achieve success with relationships. It's refreshing to get effective answers. A.D. 2023 A.D. Praise Jesus, please help us grow big and stronger every day!

Just think about how much you love your teenagers and apply that to others. Teenagers can be so difficult to love. I think that is how God feels with all of us sometimes. Some people got me shaking my head these days. I can only imagine how God feels.

Pray for us Saint Bakhita help us to follow Your Profound example ✝️🙏🌹✨💌You are Awesome Father Mike💜✝️💜Grateful always Gemma

That’s so funny! I was listening to one of your videos during dinner time with my mother in law who only speaks Spanish and understands a little bit of English and she said PORQUE HABLA TAN RAPIDO- ES UN PROFESSOR? I said no he’s not a professor- he’s a catholic priest! My mother in law started laughing out loud!! Don’t slow it down Father Mike! My 16 year old son turned my entire family on to your channel!! He is even considering going to Duluth to continue his Catholic education! May God continue to bless your channel and your ministry! God bless

As a matter of vindication I had to depart from someone beloved, that even loved me back, but couldn't stop doing me harm. So out of love I kept her from practicing evil, even though it was against me. God does just the same with sinners, letting them distance themselves in order not to harm their very Image of Him further, breaking the light bulbs in the middle of a night rage, in a way to lose all track of His Light.

Thanks for the video and sharing your point of view. God bless you Father Mike, have a great week.

Fr. Mike, thank you for this. Could you also talk about guide to putting boundaries?

I needed this reminder today. God bless Fr. Mike 🙏🏻

Im so thankful you made these beautiful videos, they are so insightful to watch!!!

Your videos are so full of energy and you always make so such funny intros I love it! Many good points… love is one way street, they don’t have to love us as we want to be loved. Loving is definitely a decision. I’ll watch this video again and pray for this. Thank you after Mike! Praying for you to keep you in good health and strengthen your faith, heart and soul. God bless!

I like the quick pace. Keep up the good work.

Thank you, Father Mike. I really needed this video as I am struggling with a sibling and his wife. Needed the reminder to "Love your neighbor as yourself". Your videos are always uplifting and inspiring. Don't worry about talking quickly-so do I! I can keep up!

Thank you Father Mike, difficult people need so much love, mercy, understanding, and compassion. I love this channel, I have learned so much from Ascension Presents 🌹

Thank you for the advices! From now on, I will understand how to love troublesome people. Choose to do what means for their good without expectations, and set clear boundaries to not be taken advantaged of by them.

Thank you Father! Such a timely and true reminder! Praying for the grace to truly love as Jesus loved🙏🙏

St. Bakhita pray for us!

Choosing to will the good for others- easy. Getting back nothing or very little is the problem especially why marriages fail, I think. And with that, the church says it is not grounds for divorce. I do appreciate the second part about the boundaries and not having to be a doormat.

Father I love listening to your voice don’t change please God Bless you for your advice on loving a difficult person🙏

Father, we love you just the way you are!!! God has given you a major gift, you are much appreciated for your authenticity.