Will Smith, Vladimir Putin, and When Rules Get Broken

Will Smith slapping Chris Rock. Vladimir Putin and Russia invading Ukraine. COVID ripping through the world. What do these all have in common? The rules get broken.

We all know the rules. The lights turn on. The toilet flushes. We all play nice. But that’s not "how things work". That’s "how things have been working".

Today, Fr. Mike tells you what to do when you get slapped in the face by a broken world.

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[johnl]

Fr. Mike this is fantastic. Please talk more about current events and how we as Catholics should respond. Too many within the Church are afraid to take on the current world affairs. You are an amazing and entertaining speaker. I would love to hear your thoughts more often on what's going on with the world and guidance for getting through it.

[nicholassevos]

Father Mike, I know u probably won’t ever even see this, but I love your videos, and this is now one of my favorite. I have been preaching this message for years after serving two tours in Iraq as active duty army infantry. Peace is a gift, but mankind’s brokenness makes it fleeting. Be ready always for change and always trust in God when it happens because no one else can carry you through!

[dakotastrasinger]

As a Protestant considering Catholicism, I really appreciated this video, Fr. Mike. It’s really good to know we as the Church are willing to concretely tackle this type of thing.

[lemmdus]

Fr. Mike is the Arch. Bishop Fulton Sheen of our time! God Bless him.

[Angelina-knpr]

We are called to prepare and ask, "How will I respond? .... How can I serve?"
Thank you for planting seeds about this forward thinking.

[katrinajimenez]

I was about 11 yrs. old during the 1983 Ethiopian famine. I remember lying in bed at night and a feeling washed over me of great intensity that this could happen to us. Are we really more special than Ethiopians or any other people? Even then I thought the Lord was preparing me for an unknown future. I’ve had many blessings in my life but I’ve never forgotten that lesson.

[rosemariemichael]

I praise God for your podcasts Fr Mike. The Lord has raised a good shepherd to feed his sheep. So many Catholics need to understand the word of God and you do it so well through the gifts of God. God bless you! Thanks for praying for us and we will keep you in our prayers. Following Bible in a year too! So good! Inpires me to love God!

[iamtomie]

I often forget how fragile our way of life is. Thank you for reminding me Father.

[PatMcAnn]

I feel like I've spent more time with Fr. Mike over this past year than I have with my family. He doesn't know me, but to me, he's a trusted friend. I appreciate his timely reminder to prepare for the inevitable.

[bugsybaguio]

Very true when hurricane Odette struck our city last Dec 16, 2021 during pandemic. No electricity here. No water. Everyone in my neighborhood is busy fixing their homes in the aftermath. We had to fetch water, take a bath and do laundry at a creek 4 km away in the mountain parts, on foot. Looking back, Im grateful with my neighbors. Nobody hoarded the releif goods. People with generators shared their power. We all went together on the same creek, rich and poor alike. Its very dark at night bec electricity was out for half a month. Despite all that, there was more laughter. We gather at night time and tell stories of how we survived the day to day living.

[pattisiedlicki]

My maternal grandparents were from Ukraine. When I saw all the constant news about the Will Smith slap it deeply saddened me. Innocent people are dying in Ukraine. I’d much rather view Pope Francis speaking with Ukrainian children. Thank you, Father Mike, for focusing us on prayer for Ukraine and Russia. God Bless. 🙏

[ks]

You are serving every day, Fr. Mike! Thank you for being such a strong and loving and Good Shepherd! Thank you for shedding light on these current events! May God Bless You!

[farmersdaughter]

Many of us have had pretty stable lives. Thank you Father for the wake up call that many of us or all of us will face. God bless you! Praying for peace in the world.

[FranksPH]

Unbelievable Fr. Mike you are spot on. Once again you Father have hit it right on. As a returning Catholic we need to hear more of current events, this is why we lost so many Catholics in the first place Father Mike. You have much courage to be able to speak your thoughts in a way that captures our THOUGHTS and makes us THINK about Jesus and his teachings. You have such a powerful platform to reach so many people. I will continue to pray for you everyday Father Mike, God bless you and the people who allow you to teach us. 🙏🙏🙏

[susanmayotte]

Thank you for this message! People around me keep saying they aren’t too concerned that their grown children don’t go to Mass because they are good people. It’s not enough folks!

[cooldev]

The fact that we are in unstable times reflects the brokenness that's in ourselves, Community and the world.
Right now, If we ordinary people focus on healing ourselves, to help heal each other, heal family, then community, then Government then international, only then can stability return...today let's make an example of ourselves for the sake of a better tomorrow..Thank you Father! 🇮🇪

[tlsmith]

Yes! I will be sharing this with my students. The question every Christian gets to ask is, “Where do I serve?” Thank you, Father Mike. You are held in prayer.

[michellealonzo]

my daughter's teacher was murdered by her former teacher a month ago. that instability, that broken rule has been earth shattering. I appreciate these thoughts today

[lorrengonzalez]

Thank you for your insight Fr. Mike
Also John we don't pray "to" Mary or any Saint we pray asking them to intercede for us. Just like we ask others to pray for us. Prayer is powerful. God Bless EVERYONE IN THE WORLD.

[sagapoetic]

THIS is one of the best advice / sermons I've heard. It is also the best advocacy why we need to be better Catholics or if people are not Catholic, why they need an ethical system. No one ever talks about this. If someone breaks the rules -- we need an ethical and purposeful way to address and remedy serious problems. THIS is how you do that.

I was a Peace Corps volunteer in the former Soviet Central Asia. You got to see the breakdown of society and what happens when people fail to follow the rules, often in the most horrible ways. Unfotunately, many people turned to addiction - drinking and/or drugs -- to be able to cope with the harmful effects of people failing to follow rules. Having an ethical system helps you "keep it together" and hold on, when insecurity results and/or rocks your universe.

I love being Catholic but I believe everyone, non-Catholic and Atheist, you need ETHICS. I find that Catholicism speaks so deeply and talks about uncomfortable things rarely mentioned in our society. Yes, ethics matter. There are uncomfortable things that Catholicism advocates -- like forgiving people who've failed to follow the rules and/or have wronged or harmed us. Asking for God's forgiveness if we are the ones breaking the rules and have the sense to regret this. Protecting life -- not just babies but adults, too. Being kind to each other and treating each other how we want to be treated. These might seem 'softball' actions but they are the most powerful and impactful. We can intervene and say, this is NOT the way, to show -- there is a better way to share God's planet with each other, and strive to play a fruitful part by remembering to love each other and try to fix what is broken so that suffering is reduced and people have an idea of what a good model of living is. Thank you for this powerfully introspective and call to action-video.