When Lent Gets Inconvenient 

Lent is supposed to be inconvenient. We are supposed to interrupt our life and focus on the Lord. I'm working hard to bring the Lord more into my life. Thank you Fr Mike for your words. God Bless. Claire.

Thank you Father!

Happy Ash Wednesday everyone, looking forward to the deep dive and growing in my walk with God and my faith.

I started my day praying the rosary and focused on having a lent full of prayer. Today has been a day full of challenges and stones in my path. BUT this is how I know that I am on the correct path the devil is trying to take my focus away but ill just keep on praying and focusing on the correct path. Praying for everyone to have a blessed lent! ♥️

When my faith was challenged the most, as a young adult, I decided to dive deepest into the Catholic faith, and educated myself the most. Now I've decided to become a Christian Universalist, and that philosophy makes most sense to me, today.

A blessed Easter to all! Thank you, dear Lord Jesus, for your great sacrifice on our behalf!

Amen!

Blessed Ash Wednesday! Thank you for the beautiful message Fr. Mike 🙏🏾

Love without counting the cost

Wishing you all a fruitful Lenten season 💜

I’m praying for you all! And keep me in your prayers! I’m praying for you Fr.Mike Schmitz! Hope I can meet you one day

God bless! 🙂🙏🏼❤️

An invitation to interruption, and love is inconvenient. ❤🛐

God Bless you Father Mike. I pray for you. Please pray for me. I look forward to seeing you EVERY day. I am subscribed to the daily bible reading AND the daily Catechism reading too. 🙏📿😊

Romans 5:3-5 Not only that, but we even boast of our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy Spirit that has been given to us.

Oh man ... this is all true throughout the year as tormenting trials are visited upon us .... I'm grateful to Him who could have made all things new with one drop of His blood, instead He chose to go through what He did so we could do the same and have a share of His glory .... as our Lady of Fatima said "If men (aka mankind) knew what eternity is, they would do everything to change their lives."

Amen Fr.Mike Blessings!

Amen, Fr Mike, Amen!!!

Thank you for this message. Your point about love being inconvenient helped me see it in a new light. It's always more convenient to be self-centered.

I fast everyday for forty days (only one small meal a day no meat and no dairy). Wednesday and Friday I fast the whole day, pray the rosary 📿 everyday, I feed my rice bowl everyday for charity at the end of forty days. I feel the inconvenience and I feel closer to Jesus. I am very pleased and I do not miss the meals and I enjoy my prayers. I always look forward for lent it is passion and love for God. Thanks so much father for your time making this videos and educating us about lent and God. You are always in my prayers. 🙏

Good points all, as usual, Fr. Mike! As I'm sitting here with a grumbling stomach on Ash Wednesday (😄), I just realized how in "inconvenient" it must have been for Christ, our Lord, to be human! Man! Talk about limitations!! But love is inconvenient and so worth it. My prayers go out for all of us that we make it through this inconvenience for the love of God. Blessed Lent, All! ❤‍🔥✝🙏

I believe Lent is a great time to look within in our frailty and dependency from God, taking the opportunity to pray more, opening our heart to the Lord, reflect on our life choices , repent and convert. Personally, I’d suggest to walk Lent with the marian consecration prayers of St Luis De Montfort. The next step is, in God’s grace, that what we aim to do during Lent, truly, should become our usual lifestyle. Don’t you think ? God bless and Joy ❤

Love you, Fr. Mike and praying for you!

Happy Ash Wednesday! I so look forward to the season of Lent just for the exact reason that it calls us to be closer to God. Because it is an inconvenience that makes us think twice before doing. Does anybody else feel a sense of let-down after Easter? Here we’re given structure during Lent and then Easter hits and we’re like YES! But then where did all the things go? Yes we can carry Lent in our hearts all year but the world is a crazy place. Praying for everyone and may we all get a glimpse of Jesus in all of us❤️

There’s no vacation from your vocation. 💯% means ALL the time. ALL IN. There is no off switch. Choose Jesus ALWAYS - especially when it’s inconvenient. Holy Spirit pleas lead and guide me. I consent to LOVE 💕 ❤

Great video , my friend gave up Facebook for lent ...the simplicity of Lent is to Love God , but some have to eat, nourish , Pregnancy, Diabetes, I was told by a devout Catholic give up your pleasures, not just praying and fasting...and not during Lent , our whole life . Giving up our flesh daily , carrying our cross daily....God judges the heart .❤️✝️🙏☝️

Fasting 24+ hours in front of an open box of Little Caesars...I am approaching my limit 😅. Please pray for me!! -Katie

Thank you Father Mike. Great video to think about deeply. In the past, I failed at keeping my Lenten committments, but I WANT to be more like Jesus, so I claim to joyfully commit to my 40 days of Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving with a discipline that I haven't had before. Happy Lent to all!

My daughter has her swimming State competition every year it's the same time of year. It always fall during lent! We now have a church we go to every time we are there and I take the time to do my prayers and also ubstain from meat it's not easy. And up till now I never thought of it as an inconvenience but as the commitment that I had made. I wasn't always perfect in the past while there but always tried my best! I will be there is up coming weekend so again it will be a challenge that I hope to follow through with and get closer the the Lord in the process! Tha ks so much Father Mike for your honesty and candor! Take care God bless!🙏🙏👏

Great video these videos really show how no one is perfect besides Jesus and how we can all improve together

Thank you for being a light in the world and for helping us understand our faith. Every bit of truth spoken brings light. We need it! God bless and protect you, Fr. Mike.

God bless you all!!

Letting and Letting God is the hardest thing to do! God bless. Praise Jesus and Mary always!!!

Gosh, the thought of ditching the Lenten resolutions at weekends or on special occasions that fall in Lent has never entered my mind! This thought is completely new to me.

Thank you Father Mike. Yes, inconvenient is what Lent is. Help me Lord Jesus to do more in this lenten season to get closer to you.

Thank you Fr Mike you have helped me starting this Lent. May God bless you.

Lent is definitely a time for sacrifice. How about people living Lent because of struggles in their lives? What about Birthdays & special feast days? My birthday & St Joseph's feast day & St Patrick's always are during Lent ✝️ A priest explained to me years ago that special celebrations are an exception to Lenten fast. Sundays are also excluded from Lent because Jesus' resurrection ✝️💗 I believe we do the best we can during Lent & the rest of the year... yet it's important to be joyful & a blessing to others 🙏💗 If we're going to be miserable about giving up anything, then it defeats the purpose. Points to ponder..

Father, you are the most lovable person!

Thank you Father Mike for encouraging with your wisdom and enthusiasm to live this lent as an act of love!

Fr. Mike you are not alone in that, and I will admit my inconvenience goes even further. I plan my prayers, fasting, and almsgiving at night when I'm laying in bed saying my nightly prayers and by the time I wake up - it has all become inconvenient.

No pain, no gain! Let’s do this!✝️

Thank you father Mike Schmitz for sharing this knowledge and wisdom. Thank you for your help. God bless you. Amen.

A Blessed Ash Wednesday and Lent Season to everyone here! God Bless you, Father, you are such a good Teacher/Example for us. And God Bless everyone here!

By any chance, I felt like I was invited by the lord to start his path over, the past ash Wednesday One of the most difficult things Catholics are not used to (or at least in my local community) is to evangelize and call the world to know God, but the lecture was precise with it today... "Sheltering the oppressed and homeless; Clothing that naked when you see them, And not turning your back on your own" (...) So, I went out of my house and decided to practice what the lectures told us, I wasn't able to speak of the lord, but I got to meet the reality of some beautiful people, and at least, I felt like I made their day a little easier.... Even though I was to much afraid, I didn't feel it inconvenient, but I know this was a little step to get closer to him, so when the time comes that I may be affected, I will have the courage to carry on, and that's beautiful :) Definitely, when Lent becomes hard, it gets better 😝

God Bless You Father Mike. ✝️🙏💜

Thank you father Mike. I'm listening to your Bible in a year and I enjoy it so much I'm on day 77 already.

Thank you for the video and encouragement Fr. Mike. God bless you.

When you live with mental health and neurological health issues, there is no such thing is convenience. I struggle with Lent because i feel like my life is a perpetual Lent already.

Ah yes, so true. Thanks for the convenient reminder of 'inconvenient' truth that we sacrifice for Jesus!!

Father Mike, I pray you are really, truly as happy as you seem to be! You radiate joy and love and I love your videos and podcasts. I catch those on Hallow. You’re a great spiritual healer. God bless and keep you.

I found your channel as I was being Directed to return to the Church. Your love for Our Father continually inspires me. Thank you. You are in my prayers 🙏

Hi Fr. Mike, thank you for everything you do and did to get me back to church and everything you are helping me to relearn.🙏

Thank you Fr. Mike.

Thank you Father. God bless you!

For lent I’m,which I started today, I know I’m 2 days late, going to pray the rosary, and hoping it sticks with me even after lent. my sister, my dad and my mom, whose about to be Catholic, told me that it helps them in their life and is powerful. I know it’ll help me in mine also

Lent is our going into the desert with Jesus - 40 days! You are right this doesn't get us to heaven but it is a time of thinking and focusing on getting closer to Jesus. To meditate on his sacrifice for us, all of us. He is the center of this just like Fr. Mike says. Some of your comments have been offensive but Jesus taught us to love you too. Return to me! We should all return to Jesus, but it is hard to stay on the path. Lent is that opportunity to try harder to stay on the path! Blessed Lent

Oh Boy i wish i Could hug this Priest and never Let him Go he is really amazing i Could tell compliments about him 24/7 non stop 😅😀😊

Beautiful message

THANK YOU FATHER MIKE

Today was incredibly inconvenient in a lot of ways for our family. But the least of any complications was anything related to lent. I made us a big lunch, and a small fruit each 2x today. We spent a good bit of time in prayer and thought. But goodness... from the moment I got up at 4 to go to work today was a test of patience and humility.

Jesus at the center 👌

I attended my Latin Mass Chapel this evening (Ash Wednesday). The reverence cannot be described, it can only be experienced. The ashes blessing before the High Mass prepared us for the Mass to come. Empty? Ah, no. So many, many young people and young families with little children in attendance. Pray for us that Pope Francis does not take our reverent Mass away, think Benediction with a guitar (RU-vid available). Blessings to you and your family.

Hi. I really like your Sunday in Assentian channel with mass. I’m a nonbeliever but I would like to become Catholic. I love how easy you make it to understand what’s happening so thank you

Thank you Father Mike, for I will never look at Lent the same way again! God bless you!😇🙏

Thanks so much Fr. Mike for your encouraging words to begin this Lent in the right frame of mind.🙏

Everyday, All day for Our Heavenly Father 🧡

This "when convenient" aspect hits hard. In my family there are 4 birthdays in March including my own and they are always inevitably during Lent 😅

Love always involves sacrifice. Thank you Father Mike for reminding us that we need to put the Lord over convenience. I hold on to Matthew 6:33 because I know that by putting Jesus first - all the things shall me added unto me.

Dearest Father - thank you for your wonderful self in all your works - May God bless and protect you. M

Yep. Definitely anticipating the most inconvenient lent ever!!! Can't wait😊😊

GOD BLESS you Fr. Mike for your honesty and straitforward approach to our Catholic faith...We ❤ you + 🙏 for you daily❣

Thznk you Fr Mike. 🙏❤️🙏

Oh yeah. My wife and her sister planned a sea cruise for us last year....right smack in the middle of Lent. Now I'm shaking my head. Hoping Jesus has a real sense of humor. If nothing else, being prayerful is going to be an even harder challenge. Pray for me, Father.

Happy Lent!

This guy's eyes man... He looks like he's seen alot of violence and pain throughout his life and it only brought him closer to God. 💪🏻

Great advice as usual, Father Mike!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My suggestion for managing motivation and avoiding spiritual pride: remember that fasting isn't a end, but a goal so that selfish desire may decrease to make room in one's heart for Christ to increase. Take your time and don't have any expectations or ego stroking. Keep Jesus in mind and let Him fast through you vicariously. By depending upon Him to fast, there's no room for pride. Try skipping one meal at a time and don't overdo it. Also, don't eat your favorite food or any desert for your next meal or you may be tempted to over-eat at your next meal. In fact, the plainer the food for your next meal, the better and easier it should be for you. Build slowly and then Jesus may enable you to drop two meals in one day. With Him it's actually easy and no big deal. It's only when you are consciously or subconsciously navel gazing at yourself that you would perceive it as a big deal. For Jesus Who knocked off 40 days, what's a couple of meals. You might even go for a whole day, but be careful, especially if your health is sensitive or if you're diabetic etc. Always obey your doctor's orders and your spiritual advisor's instructions. It's better to remain obedient which entails its own sacrifice and fast from selfishness. Personally, when I've looked how Jesus has carried me through fasting for two or three days (no food or water), I start laughing, because I know that I could never do it on my own. I really like how it stretches my heart wide open and I can pray to God to feed me with the graces I so desperately need than the food I desire. It's also good for dropping weight if you're overweight like I have been. I just see that I've already got food around my waist. So, it's no big deal to metabolize it like a bear during his hibernation. Fasting until one goes from feeling peckish to famished can really dispose me to concentrate my prayer even more strongly and I also wake up more easily in the morning, since having a hearty appetite will do that. Sometimes I have little goals, but it can be as well simply to let Jesus lead you and don't capitulate to hunger too easily. After all, Easter lasts 50 days until Pentecost during which there's plenty of time to eat. Never taking fasting or yourself too seriously. In fact, it's better to do it as silently as possible and avoid any notice. If someone offers you food during an intended fast, you can always pay it forward and re-gift the food to the poor. Or you can tuck it away. If someone asks if you've already eaten and you only consumed the Eucharist, I say, "yes, I've eaten already." If your listener assumes you've eaten something else, that's their decision. Meanwhile, you can remain as silent as a church mouse. If asked what you ate, "I ate some lamb." can be your answer. ;)

God bless you Father Mike and Ascension team.

Oh, Father, this makes total sense! I am inspired because I love Jesus to commit to ALL His requests, everything! Including the joyful commitment to Lent. And when, not if, it becomes “inconvenient “ and difficult I will pray to the Holy Spirit for the gift of fortitude and piety to support my resolve to stay the course! Thank you. Absolutely no wiggle room, that’s true and Holy Love!

My son’s birthday is April 8th. It nearly always falls in Lent. When he was little I would make my Lenten sacrifices with the provisio (yes gave myself a pass) that we would still celebrate his birthday. You’re right father, I feel better when I don’t make excuses to cheat.

Thank You Father Mike, for helping us understand how to begin a Lenten season filled with love for God .🙏

Fr. Thank you 😇

May we all draw closer to the Lord during this season of Lent✨🙏✝️👑✨

I’m 14 years old I wasn’t able to attend mass I am very grateful that I was able to attend virtually. This three ways that Jesus avoids sin are genius. Father mike and the ascension team I am in the process of confirmation in the diosce of the lady of the bright mt in Los Angeles it’s a polish church. Using your guys program has been life changing for me I read the Bible every day, I’m excited to go the church I find so much deep wisdom in the homily and gospels now. I’m a changed person. Thank you so much

Lent is a “blessed” inconvenience just as love is inconvenient (as Fr Mike beautifully puts it). Often times in this world, loving GOD openly and unconditionally is inconvenient.

Thank you for making this video

Keep up the great videos you never know who needs it

A blessed Lent to all.

This is a change in paradigm to hear your thoughts about Lent Fr Mike . I was gratefully shaken .thank you

Great topic and solutions.

God bless ❤️🙏🏻

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! I didn't watch this until Sat. after Ash Wednesday; was pretty depressed b/c I didn't succeed on Day One of one of my sacrifices. Didn't understand Lenten "interruption" until Fr Mike explained it here. THANK YOU, Father, for the "normal" vs. "Lenten" sacrifice. You've blessed me so much in so many ways - you are God's Warrior. As a convert, I needed so much more instruction after Formation (32 yrs ago) - technology enabled your videos, BIAY & CIAY. I'm still learning and appreciate your instruction. God bless you.

Thank you Fr Mike

Prayer, fasting and almsgiving 🙏

Knowing that one of my teachers literally considers himself assigned 5 kinds of work loads, which then increased my work loads and added two new women to one of our diocesan offices, I am going to say that you work waaayyy more than "just Sundays." For that reason alone, I have gratitude for my travel experiences, school, and these online educational videos as well as Mass. Thanks Ascension Presents!

Happy Ash Wednesday! 😁 Fr. Mike, this week I started your Acension Adventure Bible in a Year podcast and I love it! Excited to grow with God one podcast at a time! It makes for a good distraction when my mind wanders to food! Thank you so much for all you do! Your wonderful! 🩵🪽

Thank you Father!! 🥰🙏🏼 Wishing everyone a successfully inconvenient Lent….I like it!! 🙌🏼

According to the United State Conference of Catholic Bishops: "The Sundays of Lent are certainly part of the Time of Lent, but they are not prescribed days of fast and abstinence." There are forty days for fasting in Lent, but the Sundays are not part of the forty. The Resurrection trumps everything. However, Sundays are for extra prayer, extra alms, extra humility, kindness and patience.

Thank you father for the episode, one of the best way to observe Lent.

I've tried so hard to regain my faith, I've read St John of the cross I listen to different Catholic RU-vid channels every day but I just can't believe any more 😢.

Thank you it's not even a week life happened and I was really considering that I've already failed lent this year I was about to give in and say it's just not the right time but I'm thankful I saw your video, my faith is restored thank you 🙏