Podcast Summary: Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz

Episode: “12/25/25 Waiting Well: Worth the Wait”
Date: December 24, 2025
Host: Fr. Mike Schmitz (Ascension)
Length: ~25 minutes

Overview

On this Christmas episode, Fr. Mike Schmitz concludes a season-long journey of “waiting well” during Advent. With personal stories, scriptural reflection, and practical wisdom, he asks the ultimate Christmas question: Was Jesus—God made flesh—worth the wait? Fr. Mike explores disappointment, gratitude, and the call to live the reality of Christ’s gift, challenging listeners to move from mere waiting to active relationship with Jesus.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Disappointment in Waiting (04:40)

• Fr. Mike opens by relating the universal experience of waiting for something—like a TV show finale or a long-awaited movie—only to be let down.
  • Example: He jokes about listeners sharing stories of disappointing sequels and even humorously references “Pretty Little Liars” and its ever-changing villain, A.

    “You are so excited for this thing to come out. And it was definitely, absolutely, like, not worth the wait.” (05:51)

• Draws the parallel to spiritual waiting: Sometimes the things we anticipate most do not live up to expectation.

2. Advent as Active, Hopeful Waiting (07:13)

• Fr. Mike recaps the Advent theme:
  • Waiting is not passive; it’s engaged, trusting God, being patient, praising instead of complaining.
  • Even if we don’t get what we want, we can still rejoice.
  • Quote:

    “Waiting is not being passive. Waiting is being engaged. Waiting is not giving into worry, but waiting with trust. Waiting is not just being in a hurry, but being patient.” (07:33)

• The difference between generic waiting and Christian waiting: we wait not for a thing, but for a Person—Jesus.

3. What Are We Really Waiting For? (08:30)

• Challenges listeners to examine if Christ alone would be “enough”:
  • What if Christmas was stripped of songs, presents, food, and gatherings—would Jesus, and Jesus alone, be enough?

  • “What if all we had on December 25th is just a holy day of obligation ... would that be worth the wait?” (10:05)

• Fr. Mike notes that for many, Jesus is taken for granted—he’s always been present, never “waited for.” Like family we never had to miss until loss makes us realize their value.

4. Personal Story — Learning the Value of the Gift (13:46)

• Fr. Mike shares about his mother’s passing and realizing the unique, non-repeatable gift she was.

  • “I always had her, until I didn’t. That’s the one mom I got. That’s the one dad you got. There’s not going to be another one.” (14:41)

• Connects this to how many Christians have “always had Jesus” and may not feel the gravity of longing for Him.

5. Personal Story — The Airport Race (16:23)

• Tells a story about nearly missing a flight home for Mass after an event in California.
  • Details the frantic, prayerful, and grateful moments as he narrowly makes it to the gate.

  • “For the next number of weeks, even now, almost a year later, I think about that and ... this sense of gratitude, this sense of thankfulness just bubbles up. Why? Because I look back and think: if only one thing was different, I would have missed that flight.” (20:46)

• Relates this to salvation and Christmas:
  • If any person in the long Biblical line—Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Ruth, Mary—had chosen otherwise, everything would be different.
  • Key insight: We have one chance, and everything aligned so we could receive Jesus.

6. The Only Right Response: Gratitude (22:00)

• The fitting response to Christ’s coming is not just verbal thanks but using the gift:

  • “The best way to thank someone for a gift is to actually use the gift.” (22:20)

• Jesus offers access to the Father, life in the Spirit, power, and love—are we living that reality, not just receiving it?

7. Living the Relationship (24:00)

• Closing story: A friend, after years of prayers, receives the gift of marriage. The real call is not just receiving but living the relationship.

  • “The best way to thank God for the gift of his Son is to use the gift. The best way to live now is to live that relationship because we have waited well and he is worth the wait.” (24:57)

• Christmas challenges us: Now that we have waited and received Christ, will we actively live out our relationship with Him?

Memorable Quotes & Timestamps

• “You are so excited for this thing to come out. And it was definitely, absolutely, like, not worth the wait.” (05:51) — Fr. Mike Schmitz
• “Waiting is not being passive. Waiting is being engaged. Waiting is not giving into worry, but waiting with trust. Waiting is not just being in a hurry, but being patient.” (07:33) — Fr. Mike Schmitz
• “What if all we had on December 25th is just a holy day of obligation ... would that be worth the wait?” (10:05) — Fr. Mike Schmitz
• “I always had her, until I didn’t. That’s the one mom I got. That’s the one dad you got. There’s not going to be another one.” (14:41) — Fr. Mike Schmitz
• “If only one thing was different, I would have missed that flight.” (20:46) — Fr. Mike Schmitz
• “The best way to thank someone for a gift is to actually use the gift.” (22:20) — Fr. Mike Schmitz
• "The best way to live now is to live that relationship because we have waited well and he is worth the weight." (24:57) — Fr. Mike Schmitz

Important Segments & Timestamps

• Intro & Gospel Reading (John 1:1-18): 00:02 – 03:55
• Letdowns and Disappointments in Waiting: 04:30 – 07:13
• Recapping Advent’s Message of Waiting Well: 07:13 – 08:50
• Would Christ Alone Be Enough?: 08:50 – 11:50
• Personal Reflection on Losing His Mother: 13:46 – 16:23
• The Airport Story & The Weight of One Chance: 16:23 – 22:00
• Gratitude and Using the Gift of Jesus: 22:00 – 24:00
• Living Out the Gift — Wedding Story & Conclusion: 24:00 – 25:10

Tone and Language

Fr. Mike’s tone is conversational, candid, and pastoral—mixing humor (Minnesotan “sorries,” pop culture), vulnerability (mom’s passing, travel anxiety), and deep theological reflection. He moves fluidly from anecdotes to scriptural truths, always circling back to gratitude, personal challenge, and reassurance.

Takeaway

This Christmas, Fr. Mike urges listeners to reflect on the true object of our waiting: Jesus, the ultimate gift who is always worth the wait. Our gratitude should move from words to action—by living the relationship we have waited for, every day, with renewed thankfulness and commitment.