Fr. Mike Schmitz of Minnesota, chaplain for Newman Catholic Campus Ministry at the University of Minnesota Duluth, talks with passion in a new video about how all Christians can achieve a higher state of grace — but only after pushing through the difficulties and darkness we sometimes encounter in the course of our lives, no matter what our situations may be.
That darkness and desolation, in fact, may be the vessel that brings us closer to the Lord.
Sometimes, in our prayer life, notes Fr. Schmitz, we “feel dryness. We feel emptiness” — as if we’re not “getting anything.” What God is trying to share with us, through our prayer, our faith, and our closeness to Scripture readings, is His great grace and His reminder that He is real and “that we can trust Him.”
Do not give up, urges Fr. Schmitz. Don’t despair. “We have to choose Him, even in darkness … Choosing God in the midst of desolation is a huge good.”
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In his latest inspirational video, Fr. Schmitz shares more insights into this revealing faith issue. He explains what’s “happening in our souls when we feel this kind of spiritual darkness, and he encourages us to hang in there when it happens … It means God is preparing our souls for much greater things.”
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Fr. Schmitz’s video series is courtesy of Ascension Presents.
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