If you’ve been back to Mass at St. Joseph recently, you know it is a different experience than it was before COVID-19. We aren’t singing with all our might. We’re spread out strangely. Our voices are muffled by masks. These are all important and good temporary changes for our times. I’ve heard some people say without singing it just doesn’t feel like Mass. I can understand and my heart is with that thought.  At the core of Mass isn’t singing or the homily. At the heart of Mass is Jesus in the Word and the Eucharist. This week I am reviewing at talk given by Fr. Mike Schmitz called “True Worship.”

Title: True Worship

https://watch.formed.org/true-worship-by-fr-mike-schmitz/videos/true-worship-by-frmike-schmitz

Presenter:  Fr. Mike Schmitz is a nationally recognized Catholic speaker and works with Catholic young people in college and high school in the Duluth, MN area.

Length: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Style of Content: • Audio recording of Fr. Mike Schmitz giving a series of homilies at the Newman Center at the University of Minnesota Duluth.  • TBH - The recording is a little rough. With a fair amount of echo and a tinny sound. Also, Fr. Mike is a fast talker. Those could be deterrents for some people. The content is so good you’ll probably be able to listen past the poor recording.

Content:  Fr. Mike Schmitz gives a series of homilies about the Eucharist and the Mass. The first talk centers on the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist and how when we believe that, we attend Mass differently. The second homily is about our role in every Mass we attend. The third homily is the challenge of overcoming complacency in our attitude towards the Eucharist and God. The series ends very practically in suggesting four ways we can come to Mass hungry for Jesus in the Eucharist.

Scripture: John 6 - The Bread of Life Discourse

Why You Should Listen to These Talks:  If you are looking to understand why we need to attend Mass and receive the Eucharist, you might find some answers. If you want to be inspired by God’s real presence in the Eucharist, then you should take a listen. If you want to figure out how to come hungry to the Eucharist, then check out this homily series.

Why Skip It: If a tinny, echoey recording will be so annoying that you won’t be able to listen, than you might want to listen to something else. If you struggle with a fast talker, Fr. Mike Schmitz is a fast talk and so you may want to skip it.

The Ratings: I am rating each resource in terms of how Informative, Transformative, and Engaging I find that resource. Information refers to how much information and how well the video presents that faith knowledge. Transformative refers to how well the resource invites participants to conform their life to follow Jesus Christ. Engaging (-ative) refers to how entertaining, gripping, or interesting I find the resource.

In the midst of being socially isolated and with Masses being said in our Archdiocese, (but the feel is quite different right now), we can feel pretty separated not only from each other, but from the Eucharist as well. This might just be the time to learn a little more about the Eucharist and Mass. Today I review Presence a study series on FORMED.org. Maybe learning about the Eucharist while being absent from it will be difficult. My hope is that learning about Jesus and Eucharist will bring us closer when we feel far from it.

Title: Presence

https://watch.formed.org/presence/season:1

Presenter:  An ensemble of theologian, catechists, and missionaries Chris Stefanick, Dr. Ed Sri, Deb Holiday, Dr. Time Gray, Jim Beckman, Luis Soto, Dr. Sean Innerst, Dr. Mark Giszczak, Dr. Scott Powell among others.

Length: Three Sessions, each last 35-40 minutes. Plus four bonus videos about the Eucharist including one design for Children to get an up close view of altar during Mass.

Style of Content: • A mix of narrated images, talking-head teaching and explanations of scriptures, works of art, reenactments of historical moments, scriptural scenes, and saint stories.
TBH - One of the best produced and most professional looking things on FORMED. Honestly, the study is fast paced and full of rich and engaging images and content.

Content: Starting with examples of heroic devotion and the power of the Eucharist from the lives of Saints, the Presence study goes on to explain what the Eucharist is, why we believe what we believe, and why it should matter to us. There is a strong connection made between God’s plan for our salvation, Jesus Christ, Holy Scripture and the Church’s practice of the Mass.

Scripture: Exodus 3, Acts 2:42, Psalms, John 6, Last Supper accounts, Multiplication of Loaves, and many books of the New and Old Testament are discussed and explained in light of the Eucharist.

BONUS: Digital Study guide available for download!

Why You Should Listen to These Talks: You should watch this video if you want your faith in and understanding of the Eucharist to deepen and grow. If you want to make your participation at Mass more meaningful, you should watch this study series. If you want to grow in your desire for God, understand better His plan for your Salvation, or Mass to be a powerful moment of faith no matter the distractions, this video is for you.

Why Skip It: If you are looking for an intellectually heavy scripture study or lighthearted romanic comedy with the unlikely coupling of a bumbling hero and uptight heroine, then maybe skip this video series.

The Ratings: I am rating each resource in terms of how informative, transformative, and engaging I find that resource. Information refers to how much information and how well the video presents that faith knowledge. Transformative refers to how well the resource invites participants to conform their life to follow Jesus Christ. Engaging (-ative) refers to how entertaining, gripping, or interesting I find the resource.