Summary of “Inheritance”

Podcast: Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
Air Date: October 4, 2025
Host: Fr. Mike Schmitz (Ascension)

Brief Overview

In “Inheritance,” Fr. Mike Schmitz reflects on the concept of spiritual inheritance through the lens of the Sunday Mass readings, focusing on God’s gifts to every believer. Using compelling real-life stories and scriptural insights, he challenges listeners to recognize and fan into flame the spiritual treasures they already possess—instead of constantly yearning for ‘more.’ Fr. Mike weaves together lessons on faith, gratitude, and the practical ways we can live out our Catholic inheritance.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Stories of Unexpected Treasure and Inheritance

• Value Overlooked:
  Fr. Mike opens with anecdotes about people unknowingly possessing valuable items—a $1.25M painting used to cover a wall hole, a $5M photo of Billy the Kid bought for $2, and the world’s largest pearl used as a simple doorstop.
  • Point: “They didn’t realize how valuable it was.” (04:23–06:20)
• A Tragic Inheritance:
  An adult learns his inheritance is not only $14M from a neighbor—but that neighbor was actually his biological father all along.
  • Point: Sometimes we are unaware of what has been given to us, or the relationships behind those gifts. (06:20–07:45)

2. Desire for ‘More’ and the Nature of Problems

• “If I just had more, that would solve so many problems... and I could do so much.”
• Apostles’ Request: The apostles ask Jesus, “Increase our faith.” Fr. Mike connects our longing for ‘more’ (money, faith, power) with their request.
  • Quote: “God, I just want more...I want to trust you more. I want more faith. I want more hope.” (08:30–09:15)
• Problems Are Part of Life:
  Fr. Mike discusses a comedian’s insight: “Problems aren’t a bug, they’re a feature.”
  • Quote: “A problem just means that something needs your attention, and that’s a good thing, because all we have is time and attention.” (13:10)

3. Lasting Satisfaction: Haves Divided by Wants

• Arthur Brooks and “Reverse Bucket List”:
  • Instead of seeking happiness by acquiring more, Brooks (a happiness researcher) suggests decreasing what we want.
    • Quote: “Lasting satisfaction is your haves divided by your wants... you can temporarily increase satisfaction by having more, but you can permanently increase satisfaction by wanting less.” (15:20–17:00)
    • Advice: Write down your wants and cross off what you can let go. “You can’t always have what you want, but you can always want what you have.”

4. Scriptural Foundation: You Already Have What You Need

• Habakkuk:
  • Expresses deep problems in his context, but learns that God is present in the problems—if he has God, he has everything.
    • “God is in the problems,” Fr. Mike emphasizes. (18:05)
• Gospel:
  • Jesus responds, “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed...” (Luke 17).
    • Message: We don’t need ‘more’—we need to use what we have.
    • Quote: “You don’t need more. You just need to simply use what you have.” (19:30)

5. Spiritual Inheritance Described

• St. Paul to Timothy:
  • “Fan into flame the gift of God that you already have.” (2 Timothy)
    • Quote: “How many of us don’t realize we’ve already been given our inheritance?” (20:10)
    • “You have been given everything you need to be a saint.” (20:25)
• Elements of Our Inheritance:
  • Adoption as God’s Children: “You have access to the Father’s heart. The Spirit of God dwells in you at all times.”
  • Belonging & Teaching: The Church as a family, sure teachers, Scripture, all the sacraments—especially those unique to Catholic tradition.
    • Quote: “You might not even realize that this is a part of your inheritance, that the sacraments are a part of your inheritance—and it’s already been given.” (23:35)

6. Trusting God for the Future

• Personal Growth in Crisis:
  • Story of a clinical psychologist whose friend advised:
    • “Trust your future self to handle your future problems.” (27:40)
  • Fr. Mike adds: “We can trust the eternal God to help us handle our future problems.”
• Jesus in Luke 12:
  • "Do not worry about how you are to defend yourself... the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you are to say." (25:30)

7. How to Fan into Flame the Gift: Three Infallible Means of Grace

• Drawn from St. John Paul II:
  • Confession — "Coming back home,” repentance is essential to claim our inheritance.
    • “I can’t be the person God has made me to be unless I repent of my sins.”
  • Eucharist — “The Eucharist is my highway to heaven.” (St. Carlo Acutis, referenced at 32:15)
    • Spending time with Jesus in the Eucharist transforms us.
    • “It’s not an obligation, it’s our inheritance.”
  • Prayer — Through Scripture, rosary, and relationship with Mary as our spiritual mother.
    • “These infallible and indispensable means of grace are the way to fan into flame the gift we’ve been given.” (34:45)

8. Final Challenge & Encouragement

• Don’t Live Unaware of Your Inheritance:
  • “Imagine living your whole life not knowing the inheritance that you’ve been given... That is NOT going to be your story.”
• Concluding Motivation:
  • “You could say, ‘God, increase my faith,’ and he says, ‘No, use what you have, because you have an inheritance. God has given you everything you need to be the saint He’s made you to be.’” (36:00)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You don’t need more. You just need to simply use what you have.” — Fr. Mike, (19:30)
• “You have been given everything you need to be a saint.” — Fr. Mike, (20:25)
• “Lasting satisfaction is your haves divided by your wants.” — Arthur Brooks (as cited), (16:05)
• “You can’t always have what you want, but you can always want what you have.” — Arthur Brooks (quoted), (17:30)
• “You don’t even have to trust your future self; we can trust the eternal God to help us handle our future problems.” — Fr. Mike, (28:50)
• “Confession, Eucharist, and prayer—the infallible and indispensable means of grace.” — Fr. Mike, (33:15)

Important Timestamps

• 04:23–07:45: Stories of unknowingly held treasure and inheritances
• 08:00–09:30: Connection to gospel: the apostles ask for ‘more’
• 13:10: Comedian’s insight about problems being a “feature”
• 15:20–17:30: Arthur Brooks’ “reverse bucket list” and wanting less
• 18:05–20:25: Scriptural examples: Habakkuk and Jesus’ mustard seed lesson
• 23:35: The richness of spiritual inheritance in the Church, Scripture, and sacraments
• 27:40–28:50: Story of trusting God with future crises
• 32:15: St. Carlo Acutis on the Eucharist
• 33:15–34:45: Summing up the three means of grace
• 35:45–36:00: Final encouragement: already given “everything you need”

Takeaway

Fr. Mike’s homily reminds listeners that, as Christians, we already possess a priceless spiritual inheritance—one that surpasses any material windfall. Our faith, the sacraments, the Church, and God’s very presence equip us to become saints here and now. Instead of waiting for ‘more’ or for life’s problems to disappear, we are called to use, cherish, and “fan into flame” the gifts God has already lavished upon us.