07/13/25 Doing - Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz

Summary

Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz Episode: July 13, 2025 - Doing
Release Date: July 12, 2025
Host: Ascension
Duration: 20-30 minutes

Introduction

In this insightful episode of Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz, titled Doing, Fr. Mike delves into the perennial struggle between knowing what is right and actually acting upon it. Drawing inspiration from the Gospel reading in Luke 10:25-37, Fr. Mike sets the stage for a heartfelt exploration of faith, action, and personal responsibility.

Gospel Reference: Luke 10:25-37
Fr. Mike begins by recounting the parable of the Good Samaritan, where Jesus illustrates the essence of being a neighbor through the actions of a compassionate Samaritan versus the passivity of a priest and a Levite.

The Challenge of Doing

Fr. Mike opens with a personal anecdote that vividly illustrates the struggle between knowledge and action:

"[00:15] I know and have been told multiple times exactly what to do. What's even worse is that I believe them. Like, I actually have confidence that if I did what they told me to do, I would get better."

He reflects on his long-standing battle with Achilles tendinitis and plantar fasciitis, emphasizing how despite knowing the necessary steps to heal, he struggles to follow through. This personal story serves as a microcosm for a broader human experience: the difficulty of translating knowledge into action.

Theological Insights

Fr. Mike references Dr. Peter Kreeft, a renowned professor of Philosophy at Boston College, to support his discussion:

"[04:30] Dr. Peter Kreeft is a professor of Philosophy at Boston College. I once heard him say this. He once said that, yeah, life is complicated. Sometimes we don't know what to do. But he said, if we're going to be honest, 99% of the things that we need to do, we know 99% of the things we have to do, we already know that."

He underscores the scriptural truth from Deuteronomy 30, highlighting that God's commandments are not distant or obscure but are written on our hearts and are close to us.

"[10:45] Deuteronomy 30, the first reading today where Moses says this... It's written in your heart. You absolutely. It's near to you. You know exactly what to do."

Fr. Mike further reinforces this point by referencing James 4:

"[25:00] James, chapter four. James says this. It's so powerful. He says, so for the one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, that's a sin."

Psychological Perspective

To illustrate the disconnect between knowledge and action, Fr. Mike recounts a 1973 psychological experiment conducted at Princeton Theological Seminary:

"[12:30] In 1973, they did this psychological experiment at Princeton Theological Seminary... They divided these seminary students into three different groups... The difference between helping and not helping was, I have time or I don't have time."

The experiment revealed that the primary barrier to helping others was not a lack of knowledge or moral grounding but rather the rationalization of not having enough time. This parallels the scriptural narrative where Pontius Pilate knew of Jesus' innocence yet failed to act accordingly:

"[19:15] Pontius Pilate... He says he knows that Jesus is innocent. But then he rationalizes and wishes to satisfy the crowd."

Application and Invitation

Fr. Mike transitions from observation to action, urging listeners to bridge the gap between knowing and doing. He poses a reflective challenge:

"[21:00] What is one thing you know you need to be doing that you aren't doing yet? That's it. Just this."

He encourages practical steps to overcome obstacles, such as creating a plan, seeking accountability, or obtaining assistance:

"[24:50] What would help you? Would a plan help? Okay, I just need to sit down and say, okay, when am I going to make time to call my dad? Maybe a friend would help. I just need some accountability."

Fr. Mike emphasizes that seeking a sign is unnecessary because the answers are already within us:

"[30:10] The one thing we don't need is we don't need a sign. Because what you know you need to do is close to you. It is written in your heart. You and I have only to carry it out."

Conclusion

Fr. Mike concludes by reiterating the central theme:

"[35:00] So often we know what we need to do. And that's great. Knowing is nice, but doing makes the difference."

He ties back to the Gospel of the Good Samaritan, emphasizing that true neighborly love is demonstrated through action, not just understanding. Fr. Mike's homily serves as a compelling call to move beyond mere knowledge and to embody our faith through tangible deeds.

Key Takeaways:

Knowledge vs. Action: It's common to know what needs to be done but falter when it comes to executing those actions.
Scriptural Foundation: Biblical teachings emphasize not just the understanding of God's commandments but the importance of living them out.
Psychological Barriers: Often, rationalizations like lack of time hinder us from acting on what we know is right.
Practical Steps: Identifying obstacles and seeking practical solutions can help bridge the gap between knowing and doing.
Call to Action: Fr. Mike urges listeners to take concrete steps in their faith journey by acting on their knowledge and convictions.

This episode serves as both a reflective and motivational sermon, encouraging believers to align their actions with their faith and convictions, thereby truly embodying the teachings of the Gospel in their daily lives.

Transcript

Fr. Mike Schmitz (0:02)

Welcome to Sunday Homilies with me, Fr. Mike Schmitz. I hope today's homily inspires and motivates you, and I also hope that it leaves you hungry for the One who gave everything to feed you. If you want to get this and other Sunday Mass resources sent straight to your inbox, sign up@ascensionpress.com Sunday or by texting Sunday to 33777. You can also follow or subscribe in your podcast app for weekly notifications. God Bless the Lord be with you. A Reading from the Holy Gospel According to Luke chapter 10, verses 25:37 there was a scholar of the law who stood up to test Jesus and said, teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? Jesus said to him, what is written in the law? How do you read it? He said in reply, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself. He replied to him, you have answered correctly. Do this and you will live. But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus, and who is my neighbor? Jesus replied, a man fell victim to robbers as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. They stripped and beat him and went off, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going on that road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise, a Levite came to the place, but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight. He approached the victim, poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them. Then he lifted him up onto his own animal, took him to an inn, and cared for him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction, take care of him. If you spend more than what I have given you, I shall repay you. On my way back. Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robber's victim? He answered, the one who treated him with mercy. Jesus said to him, go and do likewise. The Gospel of the Lord I should have a seat. So something like 15 years ago I ran my last half marathon because 15 years ago I got injured. It was one of those situations where it was just the overuse kind of a situation. My Achilles tendinitis, tendinopathy actually they call it, you know, and a little plantar fasciitis. It was one of the situations where like, oh my gosh, I was running and running, running and then I couldn't run. And so I did what anybody would do. I went to a physical therapist, and my physical therapist told me exactly what to do to get my Achilles back, exactly what to do to get my plantar fascia fixed. And here we are 15 years later, and I've run like 10 miles in the total. It's one of the situations where I still have an issue with the plantar fascia, still have an issue with the Achilles. And so I go back to the physical therapist and say, yeah, I still have this issue. They say, okay, well, here's some exercises to do. Like, great, awesome, thanks for the tip. And then go back and still don't do them. And then I go try to run and like, oh, it hurts. So I go to physical therapist and they say, do these exercises. I'm like, yes, that sounds great. And then I don't do them. It's one of those situations where I have multiple physical therapists on speed dial, including one of my sisters. And they've told me the same thing to do. They said, just do this. This will help. You know what? I don't do this. I just. This is the crazy thing. I know and have been told multiple times exactly what to do. What's even worse is that I believe them. Like, I actually have confidence that if I did what they told me to do, I would get better. And yet I can have like, oh, my leg hurts. I just don't know what to do. Which is ridiculous, right? Because how many times can this be us? How many times can we hide behind. I don't know. You know, I just. I'm not sure what to do in life, right? We can be in those places in life where we're just like, okay, here's the next step. And I just. I'm not sure. I just don't know. Or even in life, the big questions of I don't know what God wants me to do. And obviously, side point, that can be true. It's very obvious. Life is complicated, right? And there are times sometimes where it's just. It is difficult to know. But if we're honest, we know that Dr. Peter Kreeft is true, is telling the truth. So. Dr. Peter Kreeft is professor of Philosophy at Boston College. I once heard him say this. He once said that, yeah, life is complicated. Sometimes we don't know what to do. But he said, if we're going to be honest, 99% of the things that we need to do, we know 99% of the things we have to do, we already know that. And so I know this in life. I know I need to put the phone down. How many of us are in that place? Like, okay, I know I need to delete Instagram. I get it. I know I need to get to bed on time. I know I need to drink less wine, and I know I need to drink more water. Like, how many of us are in this place here in the middle of summer, and we're like, okay, I know I need to pray. I know I need to read my Bible. Like, I know that I need to call my parents. Or maybe you're someone who's like, I know I need to call my kids. I know. I know I need to love God. And I know I need to love my neighbor. What we need to do, it's like Deuteronomy 30, the first reading today where Moses says this. He says, the command of God is not actually too mysterious for you. It's not far off. It's actually right written on your heart. You absolutely. It's near to you. You know exactly what to do. And then it has the last line. The last line is devastating. You only have to carry it out because we know the truth. We know that the truth is this knowledge is nice, but doing makes the difference. The gospel today. Here's a scholar of the law, and he wanted to know, what must I do to inherit eternal life? Jesus asks him, what? How do you read the commandments? He already knows, yeah, I need to love the Lord, my God, with everything I've got, and I know I need to love my neighbor as myself. There is nothing that Jesus teaches him that he didn't already know. Jesus even says, you're right. And then what does he say? He says, do this and you will live. Our issue, I think maybe more than anything, is, we know, but we don't do. And I think it's for that reason that the next word in the gospel is, but. Jesus says, do this and you will live. The next word says, but, but wishing to justify himself. Another way to say it is but wishing to have permission to not do the thing he knew he needed to do. And again, this is all of us. We rationalize not doing what we know we need to do. We say, like, well, I've done enough. There's not enough time. Say, I would just make it worse. We'd say things. It won't make a difference. Maybe it's not the right time. Or we say, just again, I'm in a hurry. In 1973, they did this psychological experiment at Princeton Theological Seminary, where they had the group of students they were seminarians at the Princeton Theological Seminary, and they had to write a paper, and they were going to present the paper, like, write out a sermon, write out a, you know, examine part of the Bible, pray through this whole thing, write this whole thing. And then they told them at one point, okay, you need to go across campus and you need to deliver your paper. You need to, like, basically preach your sermon. But what the experimenters did is that in the path of each individual student, they placed a man who was an actor, but he was, you know, cost gasping and coughing and clearly in distress. Clearly needed help. Because they wanted to see how many of these seminary students would stop and help a man in distress. They divided these seminary students into three different groups. The first group, roughly 63%, stopped and helped. Not bad. This middle group, about 45%, or less than half, stopped. And the third group, only 10% of this third group actually stopped and helped the man. You know, the only difference was this wasn't because they divided them into, like, the really good seminary students and the kind of mediocre and the really bad seminary students. The only difference was this. The group of 63% that stopped and actually helped the man. They told him, you have plenty of time. No hurry. The middle group were let. Only 45% stopped and helped. They told them, okay, you need to be there right now. The group of 10% that only 10% stopped and helped. All they told them was, you're late. That's it. The difference between helping and not helping was, I have time or I don't have time. The heart wasn't the difference and knowledge wasn't the difference. But here's the reality. So many things can get in our way and we can rationalize. I just don't have time. I mean, think about in the Gospels, Pontius Pilate. Pontius Pilate, he even says this. He says he knows that Jesus is innocent. He says, I find no guilt in the man. But then he rationalizes and wishes to satisfy the crowd. It's one of those situations. I remember hearing someone say this. Said, when we rationalize, we end up telling ourselves rational lies. I know what I need to do, but here's the reason why in this case, I don't have to do what I know I need to do. Knowing is nice, but doing makes the difference. You know, James, chapter four. James says this. It's so powerful. He says, so for the one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, that's a sin. Here we are where 99% of the things that we need to do, we know we need to do them. So here's the question. What's getting in the way? What are those rational lies? What are those obstacles? What are the objections? What are the things that are stopping us from doing Deuteronomy? You have only to do it. Well, what's stopping me from doing it? And ask this question, how about this for this week? Here's a question. This week. What is one thing you know you need to be doing that you aren't doing yet? That's it. Just this. Pick one this week. What's one thing that you know you need to be doing but you aren't doing yet? What's one thing that you know you need to do but you've been telling those rational lies that have been your excuse? And then my invitation is this next thing. What will help you? That's not a question like to condemn yourself. That's a question to say, okay, what would help you? If I already know that I need to be doing this thing and I'm not doing it, there must be something getting in my way. So what would help you? Would a plan help? Okay, I just need to sit down and say, okay, when am I going to make time to call my dad? Okay, maybe a plan would help. Maybe a friend would help. I just need some accountability. I just need to check in on a regular basis. Maybe assistance would help. Maybe this is actually the thing I need to do is something that I can't do on my own. I need help to move forward. You know, we might need those. We might need a plan. We might need a friend. We might need assistance. You know, the one thing we don't need is we don't need a sign. Because what you know you need to do is close to you. It is written in your heart. You and I have only to carry it out. This is the last thing. It's kind of a funny thing, but also kind of a devastatingly painful thing about our human hearts. Those students at Princeton, the ones that are on their way to give a talk, they're on the way to give a sermon. The scripture passage that they were asked to preach on was Luke, chapter 10, verses 25 through 37, which is the scripture that we heard in the Gospel today, the parable of the Good Samaritan, the parable of the person who came across someone who was in need and wasn't helped, and was in need and was helped. So often we know what we need to do. And that's great. Knowing is nice, but doing makes the difference.