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Episode

Episode 123139: 12/25/25 Waiting Well: Worth the Wait

Podcast
Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
Published
Dec 24, 2025
Duration seconds
1035
Processing state
processed
Canonical source
https://fathermikehomilies.fireside.fm/123139
Audio
https://growx.podkite.com/https/PK4y44mbw3/aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/1b1273a3-3711-4e9f-b187-36a4f8791359/4a460f58-0291-45a7-885b-45f892643441.mp3
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Summary

True gratitude for the Nativity is found not just in celebrating the arrival of Jesus, but in actively living out the relationship He provides. The arrival of the Savior is the fulfillment of a long-awaited promise that demands an active, engaged response.

Topics

  • Nativity of the Lord
  • Christmas
  • Gratitude
  • Faithfulness
  • Christianity
  • Gospel of John
  • Prayer
  • Spiritual Growth

Highlights

  • Main idea: Waiting for God is not a passive state, but an engaged expectation of His presence
  • Practical takeaway: The best way to show gratitude for a gift is to actively use it and live within the relationship it provides
  • Failure mode: Treating Christmas as a mere 'holy day of obligation' rather than a personal encounter with the Word made flesh
  • Main idea: We often take the presence of God for granted because we have never known a life without Him
  • Practical takeaway: Use the access to the Father's heart provided by Jesus to cultivate a life of power, love, and self-control

Chapters

  1. 1:00 The Light in the Darkness: Reflecting on the Gospel of John and the role of John the Baptist in testifying to the true light.
  2. 3:00 The Disappointment of Unmet Expectations: Comparing the long wait for Christ to the letdown of disappointing movie finales and sequels.
  3. 5:00 Is the Savior Worth the Wait?: Questioning if the incarnation of the Word is truly worth the centuries of human longing.
  4. 8:00 The Fragility of Presence: Using the loss of parents to illustrate how we often fail to appreciate what we have until it is gone.
  5. 11:00 A Lesson in Providence: A personal anecdote about a travel crisis and the overwhelming joy of making it to Mass.
  6. 15:00 Using the Gift: Moving beyond simple thankfulness to the active pursuit of living out our relationship with God.