Podcast Summary: Fr. Mike Reacts to His First Video Ever

The Fr. Mike Schmitz Catholic Podcast | Ascension
Episode Date: August 28, 2025

Episode Overview

In this special 10-year anniversary episode, Fr. Mike Schmitz celebrates a decade of "Ascension Presents" by watching and reacting to his very first video, titled "Bromance, pizza, and your mom." The episode blends humorous self-reflection with rich theological discussion, as Fr. Mike evaluates his early video style and delves into C.S. Lewis’s "Four Loves," exploring how our culture understands love, friendship, and faith.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Reacting to the First-Ever Video (00:00–01:40)

• Fr. Mike humorously comments on the logistics of finding and viewing his first video, highlighting the sheer number of episodes he's made.
• He jokes about the original video title's lack of an Oxford comma:

  "If I would have been in charge of the title, I would have put a comma after pizza because I just. That's how. I mean, I know English." (00:23)

2. Self-Awareness & Early Filming Struggles (01:06–02:05)

• Fr. Mike acknowledges the slow pace and background noise in his early recording, poking fun at himself:

  "Oh, my goodness. A, I do not like listening to the sound of my own voice. B, I do not like listening to how slowly I'm speaking. This is driving me crazy." (01:45)

3. The Problem with the Term "Bromance" (02:07–03:23)

• Fr. Mike’s younger self suggests that "bromance" reflects a cultural misunderstanding of love, reducing every intimate relationship to romance or sexual connotation.
• Modern commentary recognizes Bobby Angel as the source of the original comment and reiterates the main issue:

  "I really dislike that term bromance…because I think the term bromance reveals something about our culture. We look at everything. Every single significant relationship or every significant love…through the lens of romance." (02:25)

4. C.S. Lewis’ Four Loves Explored (03:23–04:43)

• Fr. Mike outlines Lewis's categories:
  • Eros: Romantic/desirous love
  • Storge: Affection (e.g., familial or comfort love)
  • Philia: Deep friendship
  • Agape: Self-sacrificing, divine love
• He applies these concepts to contemporary culture:

  "That idea of reducing this huge thing called love to this not as huge thing called romance or this not as huge thing called Eros, it just. I find it a little bit annoying. And here's why." (02:52)

• Fr. Mike's live commentary:

  "I like where he's going with this. I speak of him in the third person because that was me 10 years ago." (03:23)

5. Friendship (Philia) and Possessiveness (05:27–06:37)

• True friendship (philia) is rare and distinct from romantic, familial, or possessive love.
• Fr. Mike discusses how healthy friendship is non-possessive:

  "Possessiveness and friendship. Poison, basically, it's poison to friendship. It's poison to Philia." (06:05)

6. Shared Pursuit as the Basis of Friendship (06:37–07:41)

• Drawing from Lewis, Fr. Mike highlights a core trait of genuine friendship:

  "CS Lewis described it in his book The Four Loves, and he says Philia does not involve two people looking at each other. Philia typically involves two people standing side by side, pursuing the same goal." (07:01)

• Illustration via pop culture:

  "This is the reason why that we can't watch Lord of the Rings and see Frodo and Sam be really, really close and not think, oh. Is there something going on there? No, it's called Philia." (07:27)

7. Marriage, Friendship, and Higher Forms of Love (07:41–08:41)

• Fr. Mike notes that deep marital love often incorporates friendship:

  "Eros is good and it is good. But there's something even more pure and often richer than Eros, and that's Philia." (08:16)

• He then moves to agape as the fullest expression of love, exemplified in Christ.

8. How to Pursue and Cultivate True Friendship (08:41–10:44)

• Practical advice:
  • Pray for God to send true friends.
  • Take initiative: “Be a friend.”
• Fr. Mike urges listeners to get outside themselves and pursue meaningful goals, opening pathways to shared purpose and real friendship:

  "Find something passionate, something that you want to pursue with everything you have and then pursue him. Jesus. And you'll find sooner or later there's someone who is racing alongside you." (10:31–10:44)

• Empathy towards the lonely and encouragement to reach out:

  "There are people around us who just if we gave them a little bit of our eyeball time, a little bit of our heart, a little bit of our attention and affection, make all the difference for them." (10:16)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Early Video Nerves:

  "I don't know how this is going to go. It's going to go how it goes. You know, that's how it always goes." (00:01)

• Fr. Mike’s Critique of Himself:

  "Nice beard. Nice. Well, also, hi, my name is Father." (01:32)
  "I do not like listening to the sound of my own voice." (01:45)

• Why "Bromance" Misses the Mark:

  "I really dislike that term bromance…because I think the term bromance reveals something about our culture." (02:25)

• On Friendship vs. Romance:

  "True friendship…there can't be possessiveness…it's poison to Philia." (06:05)

• On Friendship in Popular Culture:

  "We can't watch Lord of the Rings and see Frodo and Sam be really, really close and not think, oh. Is there something going on there? No, it's called Philia." (07:27)

• On Building Friendship:

  "Pray for a friend. Be a friend. Find something passionate, something that you want to pursue with everything you have and then pursue him. Jesus. And you'll find sooner or later there's someone who is racing alongside you." (10:31–10:44)

Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|------------------------------------------------------| | 00:00 | Introduction & 10th anniversary context | | 01:06 | Self-critique on video style and voice | | 02:25 | The term "bromance" and our culture's misunderstanding of love | | 03:23 | C.S. Lewis "Four Loves" overview | | 06:05 | The importance of non-possessiveness in friendship | | 07:01 | Friendship as "side by side" pursuit | | 07:27 | Bromance, LOTR, and rethinking close male friendships| | 08:16 | Marriage, friendship, and agape | | 09:03 | Prayer and initiative in cultivating friendship | | 10:31 | Be a friend, pursue something meaningful, find Jesus |

Tone & Language

True to Fr. Mike’s style, the episode is warm, lighthearted, and deeply insightful. He pokes fun at his younger self’s delivery, intertwines personal anecdotes, and grounds his reflections in theology and literature. The conversational pace makes complex topics on love and relationships both accessible and practical for listeners of all backgrounds.

Final Thoughts

Fr. Mike uses the milestone of his first video to spark a powerful discussion on the nature of love and friendship, blending humility, humor, and wisdom. Listeners are left with both theological clarity and practical encouragement to seek, build, and cherish authentic friendships grounded in shared goals and faith.