Is It Ever OK to Deny Christ?

November 15, 2018 Fr. Mike Schmitz

Given dire circumstances, like torture and death, is it ever okay to deny Christ? And is it possible to work out too much? #AskFrMike Fr. Mike answers this first question from an #askfrmike inquirer, specifically referring to the controversial book and movie, “Silence”, (**spoiler alert**) wherein two renowned Portuguese priests travel to Japan and deny Christ to prevent the suffering of their parishioners. After telling the story, Fr. Mike says if we ever were placed in such a dire situation, the question would not be “What should I do?” but rather, “What is the right thing to do?” Fr. Mike clarifies, “To deny Jesus will always be the wrong thing to do.” Blaming someone for not denying Jesus, and thereby allowing suffering, is a red herring because it distracts people from the ones truly causing the suffering, the actual torturers. Answering another question from his listeners, Fr. Mike addresses the need to keep a healthy balance between caring for our bodies and caring for our souls. That means putting prayer and time with Jesus before working out. Click here to see Bobby Angel’s take on working out.

Fr. Mike is also a presenter in these faith formation programs from Ascension: