Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz

Episode: "Two Mule Loads"
Date: October 11, 2025
Host: Fr. Mike Schmitz (Ascension)
Based on: Luke 17:11–19 (The Healing of the Ten Lepers) & Reference to the story of Naaman (2 Kings 5)

Episode Overview

In “Two Mule Loads,” Fr. Mike Schmitz delves into the recurring spiritual cycle of desperation, divine intervention, gratitude, and forgetfulness, as illustrated in the stories of the ten lepers healed by Jesus and Naaman the Syrian. He reflects on the human tendency to move on after an answered prayer without truly integrating God’s miracles into daily life. Drawing from personal anecdotes, Scripture, Church teaching, and memorable examples, Fr. Mike challenges listeners to “break the cycle” by intentionally grounding their lives in ongoing gratitude and relationship with God. The titular "two mule loads" refer to the earth Naaman requests to carry home as a permanent reminder of God’s saving action—a metaphor for how Christians can live more deeply in remembrance and thanksgiving.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Cycle of Desperation and Forgetfulness

Timestamps: 04:15–10:30

• Fr. Mike’s Personal Story:
  Fr. Mike recounts a high school vacation in Mexico, where he lost hope of ever finding a misplaced car key on a long beach. After a desperate prayer to St. Anthony—including some classic Catholic “bargaining”—he miraculously finds the key exactly beneath his feet.

  “I said, St. Anthony, if you help me find this key, I will tell everybody I know about you helping me find this key ... I looked down between my feet in the sand ... and pulled out the key.” (08:35)

• The Universal Pattern:
  This anecdote illustrates a common spiritual cycle:

  1. Crisis leads to desperate prayer.
  2. God answers.
  3. We feel grateful—for a time.
  4. Eventually, the memory and gratitude fade.

  “We're in some kind of crisis. We cry out to God in desperation ... He answers and we're grateful ... and then we forget that it happened.” (10:04)

2. Becoming “Numb to the Astounding”

Timestamps: 10:30–13:45

• Fr. Mike highlights how even the miraculous can become routine or forgotten:

  “We become numb to the astounding. Could you witness a miracle and then go back to your life as if nothing happened? ... I think we all could.” (11:59)

• Everyday wonders—like working legs, sunrises, indoor plumbing—lose their sense of awe.

3. Naaman and the Two Mule Loads (Old Testament Reference)

Timestamps: 13:45–18:20

• Background:
  Naaman, a Syrian general stricken with leprosy, seeks healing from the prophet Elisha at the suggestion of a captured Jewish servant girl.

• Breaking the Cycle:
  Unlike many, Naaman doesn’t just accept his healing and move on. He asks to take “two mule loads of earth” from Israel back home.

  “He did not want to go back home and stay the same ... every time he stood on that earth, he is standing on the land of the God who saved his life.” (16:55)

• Why It Matters:
  This is more than a souvenir; it’s a physical way to live in permanent memory and active relationship with God.

  “He made a choice to build his life on what God had done for him. He made a choice to build his life on the God who saved his life. And that's what breaks the cycle.” (17:26)

4. Biblical Analogy: Leprosy as Sin

Timestamps: 18:20–21:15

• Fr. Mike draws parallels between leprosy and sin:

  • Both are fatal and contagious.
  • God intervenes, offers salvation, and the recipient’s response often fades unless rooted deeply.

  “Leprosy is a biblical analogy for sin ... leprosy is fatal. So is sin. Leprosy is contagious and so is sin. And God's grace steps in and saves us.” (19:12)

• To truly break the cycle, we need to build our lives on God’s saving action and continually speak of it.

5. The Essential Encounter & Its Ongoing Impact

Timestamps: 21:15–28:00

• Pope Benedict XVI’s Wisdom:

  “‘Being a Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty ideal ... it is the result of an encounter with a person that gives one's life a new horizon and sets it in a decisive direction.’” (22:15)

  • Fr. Mike stresses Christianity is not just about making “good choices” or living a “decent life”—the foundation is an encounter with Jesus.

• Personal Encounters:

  • Retreats, confession, adoration, community experiences—these are all potential decisive encounters, but the “retreat high” often fades when returning to ordinary life.
  • The encounter is meant to spark an ongoing relationship, not just become a fond memory.

  “That encounter gives one's life a new horizon and sets it in a decisive direction.” (22:50)

6. Making the Encounter Last: Practical Steps

Timestamps: 28:00–37:29 (end)

• Keep Reminders

  • Physical/bodily signs (cross, ring, etc.) should serve not just as memories but as present realities tying us to God’s work.

  “Imagine every time if you wear a crucifix ... you're holding it in your hand and you're saying: ‘this is what Jesus has done for me now.’” (31:02)

• Sacred Place

  • Like Naaman’s earth, having a place for prayer makes God’s intervention an anchor in daily life.

  “That's the place where you're like, okay, this is ... where I live out that relationship with Jesus.” (33:02)

• Sacred Time

  • Specificity in prayer is essential: “It’s impossible to pray always, unless we pray at specific times.” (33:40)

• Express Gratitude

  • Pray “God, thank you” by:
    1. Noticing what’s good.
    2. Tracking it to its source (ultimately God).
    3. Thanking Him explicitly.

  “Notice what's good in your life. Secondly, track down the source of what's good ... then say thank you.” (34:24)

• Speak the Story

  • Share testimonies with others. Fr. Mike recounts a bishop whose grandparents witnessed the Miracle of Fatima and “never stopped talking about it.”

  “That's the difference ... they always talked about it.” (36:08)

• Repeat, Don’t Forget

  • “Above all, we have to find our two mule loads worth of earth ... and now I am building my life on these two mule loads worth of earth of the God who saved my life.” (37:29)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “We're leaky, right? We forget things so easily.” (10:14, Fr. Mike Schmitz)
• “We become numb to the astounding.” (11:59, Fr. Mike Schmitz)
• “[Naaman] did not want to go back home and stay the same ... he made a choice to build his life on the God who saved his life.” (16:55–17:26)
• “Being a Christian is ... the result of an encounter with a person that gives one's life a new horizon and sets it in a decisive direction.” (22:15, Pope Benedict XVI as quoted by Fr. Mike)
• “The encounter was meant to be the beginning of a relationship.” (25:42)
• “What is your sacred place? What is your sacred time?” (33:12)
• “Make ‘God, thank you’ a regular part of your prayer.” (34:09)
• “My grandparents never stopped talking about it ... that's the difference.” (36:08, Fr. Mike relaying the bishop’s words)

Episode Structure & Key Timestamps

• 00:02–03:00: Introduction & Gospel Reading (Luke 17:11–19)
• 03:00–10:30: Fr. Mike’s Mexico story; Introduction of the cycle.
• 10:30–13:45: Discussion of miracle forgetfulness and daily numbness.
• 13:45–18:20: The story of Naaman and the “two mule loads.”
• 18:20–21:15: Analogy of leprosy and sin; risk of forgetting salvation.
• 21:15–28:00: The role of encounter in the Christian journey; lasting transformation.
• 28:00–37:29: Practical steps: reminders, sacred place, sacred time, thanksgiving, testimony, and final challenge.

Conclusion & Takeaway

Fr. Mike Schmitz passionately invites listeners to extract themselves from the default cycle of need and forgetfulness. He urges each person to intentionally construct their spiritual life on daily, lived gratitude for what God has done and to embed the memory and marvel of their “encounter” through reminders, sacred places and times, and the habit of sharing their story. The “two mule loads” become a metaphor for concrete practices that make God’s past actions perpetually present, transforming them from isolated memories into the very ground of life.

For Reflection:
➤ What are your “two mule loads”—visible, tangible, or habitual reminders of God’s saving action in your life?
➤ How can you “build your life on the God who saved your life” so the encounter becomes an ongoing relationship?