The Fr. Mike Schmitz Catholic Podcast

Episode: Fr. Mike Schmitz Reacts to The Chosen

Date: October 2, 2025
Host: Fr. Mike Schmitz (Ascension)
Theme: Faith, pop culture, and headline reflections—Fr. Mike gives real-time reactions and spiritual commentary on key scenes from the series The Chosen.

Overview

In this episode, Fr. Mike Schmitz watches and reacts to notable scenes from The Chosen, the popular crowd-funded series dramatizing the lives of Jesus and his disciples. Through his reactions, Fr. Mike explores theological themes, responds to the artistic choices of the showrunners, and invites listeners to reflect more deeply on the biblical texts. He connects the show’s portrayals to real-life struggles—such as shame, unanswered prayers, faith in suffering, and the challenge of trusting God—and frequently highlights how Ignatian prayer and imaginative engagement with scripture can enhance faith.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Mary Magdalene’s Return

[00:01 – 03:24]

• Scene Description: Jesus encounters a deeply troubled Mary Magdalene, who resists his approach.
• Fr. Mike’s Take: Sees this as a powerful depiction of how sin leads us to seek happiness apart from God; Jesus’s insistence that “it’s not for you” is the gentle correction we all need.
• Insight on Shame and Identity: Fr. Mike highlights shame and the pain in the presence of holiness, relating the experience to how many resist God’s call because of feeling unworthy.
• Quotes:
  • “Every sin is an attempt to be happy apart from God.” (Fr. Mike Schmitz, 01:08)
  • “Satan knows our name but calls us by our sin. Jesus knows our sin but he calls us by our name.” (Paraphrasing Fr. John Riccardo, 02:36)

2. Jesus Walks on Water

[03:24 – 09:00]

• Scene Description: The disciples are caught in a storm; Peter asks Jesus to command him to walk on water.
• Fr. Mike’s Take:
  • Questions the plausibility of Peter’s bold request, then reflects (with nod to Jeff Cavins) on discipleship: “A disciple is not just there to learn from the Rabbi…but also to do what the Rabbi can do.” (05:03)
  • Appreciates the show’s added dialogue, which explores Peter’s frustration with Jesus caring for non-Jews, highlighting the messiness of real faith.
  • Emphasizes that faith must be tested to be genuine. “Faith that's not tested can't be trusted.” (08:00)
  • Encourages trusting God even when his ways seem unexpected.
• Memorable moment: Fr. Mike’s amusement at the realism of the depiction and the extra dramatic layers added by the show.

3. Feeding of the 5,000

[09:00 – 13:02]

• Scene Description: The disciples scramble to solve the food crisis amidst the crowd.
• Fr. Mike’s Take:
  • Finds humor in the disciples’ banter and realism in their confusion: “People showed up…they were the crowds. Just came out because I hear the…preacher, the miracle guy is gonna be out there.”
  • Appreciates how the show gives individuality to the apostles, mentioning he knows some extras in the scene.
  • Enjoys the specificity: “Barley loaves. Specific.” (11:53)
  • Observes Jesus still presents as “the boss” and marvels at the depiction of ordinary solutions to extraordinary problems.
• Quotes:
  • “Imagine how hungry they are, and, like, completely insecure. Right? There’s no place to get any food.” (12:20)

4. Jesus and Little James (Unhealed Apostle)

[13:02 – 16:59]

• Scene Description: Jesus commissions the apostles to heal, but Little James doubts because of his own disability.
• Fr. Mike’s Take:
  • Deeply moved by the show's speculative—but profound—theology: Jesus tells James his suffering can itself witness to God.
  • “The witness of someone who’s able to be faithful even when they’re not healed is...vastly more powerful than someone who can tell that story of ‘I’ve been healed by the Lord.’” (15:22)
  • Affirms that Jesus’s answer, though not from Scripture, is “so good. Golly.”
• Reflection: The power of trusting God’s will even when prayers for healing are unanswered.

5. The Calling of Matthew

[16:59 – 18:53]

• Scene Description: Jesus calls Matthew, the tax collector, to follow him, facing others’ outrage.
• Fr. Mike’s Take:
  • Shares his own prayer life—longing to hear Jesus say, “Come, follow me.”
  • Highlights the universal invitation of Jesus: “This is Jesus, who knows your name, who calls you. ‘Come, follow me.’” (17:33)
  • Notes how we often accept God’s love for us but struggle with the idea He could call others we least expect.
• Quote:
  • “Why would God want them?…That’s kind of what we sometimes believe. Even if we don’t say it out loud, sometimes that sneaks into our hearts.” (18:29)

6. Healing at the Pool of Bethesda

[18:53 – 24:24]

• Scene Description: Jesus heals a man crippled for 38 years, asking “Do you want to be healed?”
• Fr. Mike’s Take:
  • Praises Jonathan Roumie’s chill, approachable depiction of Jesus.
  • Links the scene to Ignatian prayer, encouraging viewers to enter into the story, using holy imagination.
  • Reflects on addiction, stuckness, and the “identity” of suffering:
    • “Sometimes we get so used to being stuck, so used to being sick…that’s who I am…And Jesus saying, ‘Do you want to be well?’ is that question breaks through.” (20:37)
  • Draws a parallel to striving for freedom (from addiction or sin) and needing Christ’s help: “My guess is because you tried without me. Jesus says, for a long time, I know, but here. Oh, God’s compassion, right?” (22:33)
  • Notes the healing brings not just relief, but a changed identity and a call to leave the old life behind: “You’re not coming back. There’s a new life.” (24:17)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the nature of sin:
  • “Every sin is an attempt to be happy apart from God.” (Fr. Mike, 01:08)
• On identity and God’s call:
  • “Satan knows our name but calls us by our sin. Jesus knows our sin but he calls us by our name.” (Paraphrased, 02:36)
• On faith’s trials:
  • “Faith that’s not tested can’t be trusted.” (08:00)
• On unanswered prayers:
  • “The witness of someone who’s able to be faithful even when they’re not healed is...vastly more powerful than someone who can tell that story of ‘I’ve been healed by the Lord.’” (15:22)
• On encountering Jesus:
  • “This is Jesus, who knows your name, who calls you. ‘Come, follow me.’” (17:33)
• On freedom from suffering:
  • “Sometimes we get so used to being stuck…that’s who I am…And Jesus saying, ‘Do you want to be well?’ is that question breaks through.” (20:37)
• On the show’s impact:
  • Comparing The Chosen to the impact of Lord of the Rings films: “From now on, Frodo looks like Elijah Wood...Same with scripture…from now on, Jesus’s interactions could look a lot like Jonathan Roumie’s nuanced take.” (24:24)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Mary Magdalene’s Return: 00:01 – 03:24
• Jesus Walks on Water: 03:24 – 09:00
• Feeding of the 5,000: 09:00 – 13:02
• Jesus and Little James: 13:02 – 16:59
• The Calling of Matthew: 16:59 – 18:53
• Healing at the Pool: 18:53 – 24:24
• Final Reflections on the Series: 24:24 – end

Tone and Delivery

Fr. Mike approaches each scene with humor, warmth, and openness, alternating between theological insights and candid, relatable commentary. He invites listeners to use the imaginative, emotional, and personal richness of dramatizations like The Chosen to deepen scriptural prayer.

Closing Thoughts

Fr. Mike recognizes both the strengths and necessary limitations of dramatizing the Gospel. He encourages embracing these imaginative interpretations as tools to go “past just the surface of the words,” engaging Ignatian prayer and making the life of Jesus more accessible and real. The episode is not only a “reaction video,” but an invitation to contemplate the familiar stories of faith in a new way—anchored always in the truth that God calls each of us by name.