Podcast Episode Summary

Podcast: Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
Host: Ascension
Episode Title: The god of Our Generation
Date: September 27, 2025

Episode Overview

In this homily, Fr. Mike Schmitz addresses the pervasive modern obsession with comfort, challenging listeners to recognize how often “comfort” – rather than God – becomes the ultimate goal and even an unconscious idol in our lives. Through reflections on scripture (Luke 16:19-31), real-life examples, and cultural commentary, Fr. Mike urges listeners to disrupt this captivity to comfort, recognize its spiritual pitfalls, and reclaim God’s will as our true aim, even if it means embracing discomfort and sacrifice.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (00:05–03:50)

• Scripture Read: Luke 16:19-31 – The rich man ignores the suffering Lazarus at his gate, living in luxury and isolating himself from both God and neighbor.
• Central Message: Comfort can blind us to the needs around us and alienate us from love.

2. What is a Masogi? Modern Pursuits of Challenge and Discomfort (03:51–08:30)

• Masogi Defined: A Japanese Shinto ritual for purification, adapted in the West to mean voluntary, challenging experiences that push physical, mental, or emotional limits (examples: extreme endurance events, digital detox, fasting).
• Rules of Masogi:
  • Only a 50% chance of success.
  • Don’t die.
• Source: Book referenced—The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter.

"Our obsession with convenience and comfort has made us weaker, less resilient, actually less happy and unfulfilled." — Fr. Mike, summarizing Michael Easter (07:10)

3. The Crisis of Comfort in Modern Life (08:31–13:45)

• Symptoms of Comfort Addiction:
  • Constant climate control, hyper-processed foods, lack of movement and risk, perpetual access to entertainment.
  • Boredom is “dead” due to smartphones and instant stimulation.
  • Boredom is essential for creativity, problem-solving, and self-reflection.
  • Absence of healthy childhood risks leads to adult anxiety and timidity.
• Cultural Diagnosis:

  “Finally, on June 29, 2007, boredom was pronounced dead thanks to the iPhone.” — Michael Easter via Fr. Mike (10:37)

• Result: We become less creative, less resilient, more anxious, and ultimately, under-live our lives.

4. Comfort as the ‘God’ of Our Generation (13:46–18:34)

• Quote Highlight:

  “Comfort is the God of our generation.” — Matthew Chandler via Fr. Mike (14:46)

• Cultural Observations:
  • Life goals revolve around achieving or maintaining comfort.
  • Even mild discomfort is dramatized (“I’m starving,” “I’m freezing”).
• Personal Story: Fr. Mike recounts his sister’s pragmatic teaching:

  “You’re hungry, you’re not starving. Get over it.” (15:52)

• Destructive Pattern:
  • Escapism through constant stimulation (scrolling, streaming, background noise) to avoid discomfort or silence.
• Crucial Insight:

  “Virtually all of us who are captive to comfort end up underliving our lives.” — Fr. Mike (17:40)

5. Biblical and Theological Perspective on Comfort (18:35–23:50)

• From the Prophet Amos: Parallels between ancient Israel’s complacency and today’s over-indulgence (beds of ivory, bowls of wine, best oils).
• The Origin of Comfort’s Appeal:
  • We are made for love, labor, and leisure.
  • Due to original sin, these goods become distorted; leisure becomes either total collapse or compulsive indulgence.
• On Idolatry:
  • “Idols are rarely bad things; they’re good things made ultimate.”
  • We build our lives around comfort, making it the end rather than a means.

6. Dangers of Deprivation vs. Dangers of Comfort (23:51–28:15)

• Comfort isn't evil: Comfort is a good, but it becomes dangerous when it becomes ultimate.
• Deprivation can lead to desperation.
  • Story from the Great Depression: After facing extreme deprivation, even wartime hardship seemed preferable because it provided basic comforts (steak, ice cream).
  • Quote from Proverbs 30: “Give me neither poverty nor riches, but only my daily bread…” (26:20)

  “Comfort can often lead to complacency.” — Fr. Mike (26:45)

• *We’re not meant to seek either extreme, but a full, meaningful life.

7. Resilience, ‘Toughening,’ and the Role of Challenge (28:16–31:00)

• Stanford Squirrel Monkey Study: Intermittent, manageable challenges make for more resilient, capable adults.
• Application to Christian Life:
  • “If comfort is our God, we end up missing God’s will.”
  • The goal is not discomfort, but the freedom to pursue God’s will without fearing hardship.

8. Love is Incompatible with the Idol of Comfort (31:01–34:30)

• Foundational Insight:

  "If we're bound by a love of comfort, we will never be able to love anything else. Because love always involves sacrifice." — Fr. Mike (32:15)

• Movie Retelling: Scene with Matthew Broderick—arbitrary suffering for “love.”
  • Distinction: Christian love is not arbitrary pain for its own sake. The Cross is not meaningless suffering—Jesus pursued us, and sacrifice was intrinsic to his love.

9. Practical Example: Sacrifice for Love (34:31–36:10)

• Story: Young woman struggles with caring for sick parents, tempted to prioritize her comfort, but chooses the discomfort of love.

  “To put to death that god of comfort and replace it with real love, even though it’s uncomfortable, it’s always worth it.” — Fr. Mike (35:35)

10. What Do We Do? Mortification & Christian Practice (36:11–40:50)

• Paul’s Command:

  “Compete well for the faith. Lay hold of eternal life…” — St. Paul to Timothy (36:30)

• Christian Response: Put false gods to death—through mortification (“to die”).
• Active Mortifications: Intentional acts—fasting, media breaks, cold showers, extra effort—done not to glorify discomfort but to build freedom from the slavery to comfort.
• Passive Mortifications: Accepting life’s inconveniences as opportunities for grace—enduring delays, weather, obstacles “No problem.”
• The Goal:

  “We are not pursuing discomfort. We are pursuing God’s will, and demonstrating that the fear of discomfort has no place in my life.” — Fr. Mike (39:36) “Refuse to dread discomfort, and pursue God’s will with no fear of difficulty.” — Fr. Mike (40:30)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Comfort is the God of our generation.” (Matthew Chandler via Fr. Mike, 14:46)
• “Virtually all of us who are captive to comfort end up underliving our lives.” (Fr. Mike, 17:40)
• “If we're bound by a love of comfort, we will never be able to love anything else." (Fr. Mike, 32:15)
• “We’re not made for comfort. We’re made for God.” (implied throughout)
• “If comfort is our God, we end up missing God’s will.” (Fr. Mike, 29:50)
• “Refuse to dread discomfort, and pursue God’s will with no fear of difficulty.” (Fr. Mike, 40:30)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 00:05 – Gospel Reading: The Rich Man and Lazarus
• 03:51 – Masogi: The Westernized Challenge Ritual
• 08:31 – Symptoms of Comfort Addiction & End of Boredom
• 13:46 – Comfort as the God of Our Generation
• 18:35 – Biblical Reflections: Amos and the Roots of Comfort-Seeking
• 23:51 – Comfort vs. Deprivation: Finding a Balance
• 28:16 – Resilience and Research Insights
• 31:01 – Love, Sacrifice, and Intrinsic Discomfort
• 34:31 – Real-Life Example: Sacrificing Comfort for Parental Care
• 36:11 – Christian Response: Mortification and Embracing Discomfort
• 40:30 – Closing Challenge: Pursue God’s Will, Not Comfort

Conclusion

Fr. Mike Schmitz’s homily issues a direct invitation: examine whether comfort has stealthily become your goal, your idol—even your god. Through biblical wisdom, cultural critique, and personal stories, he urges: don’t worship comfort. Worship God. Courageously break free from attitudes and habits that keep you captive in comfort, and re-orient your heart to pursue God’s will, even when it costs you. Only then will you truly live.