The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)

Episode: Day 233: Correct me, O Lord (2025)

Date: August 21, 2025
Host: Fr. Mike Schmitz
Content Covered: Jeremiah 10–11, Ezekiel 40, Proverbs 15:5–8

Main Theme & Purpose

In this episode, Fr. Mike Schmitz guides listeners through challenging scripture passages about idolatry, covenant infidelity, prophetic suffering, and the visionary description of the future temple. The episode focuses on how giving oneself to false gods leads to spiritual ruin and foolishness, the personal cost of prophetic witness, and how Old Testament visions point to spiritual realities fulfilled in Christ. Fr. Mike emphasizes personal repentance, trust in God's correction, and reading the Old Testament through the lens of the New Testament.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Jeremiah 10 – Idolatry and Its Consequences

• Summary: The chapter condemns Israel's idolatry, emphasizing the futility and foolishness of worshipping man-made objects:
  • Idols are described as powerless, lifeless, and incapable of good or evil (“Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field, and they cannot speak…” – Jeremiah 10:5).
  • The true God, unlike idols, is living and mighty.
  • Fr. Mike connects idolatry to spiritual foolishness: when we give our hearts to anything less than God, we “become stupid” (as the text literally states).
• Notable Insight: “When we give our hearts and our minds over to anything other than the Lord, there is a foolishness... we've now traded the true God for whatever false God we have.” – [22:33]
• Memorable Verse: “Every man is stupid and without knowledge. Every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols, for his images are false, and there is no breath in them.” (Jeremiah 10:14)
• Reflection: Fr. Mike urges listeners to be wary of allowing anything to take the place of God in their lives, highlighting how idols cannot direct our steps or truly satisfy.

2. Repentance and Trusting in Correction

• Key Prayer from Jeremiah: “Correct me, O Lord, but in just measure, not in your anger, lest you bring me to nothing.” (Jeremiah 10:24)
• Fr. Mike’s Commentary:
  • Emphasizes the humility required to ask for correction but pleads for God’s gentleness, not wrath.
  • Links repentance to a twofold movement: to “distrust myself and trust in the Lord.”
• Quote: “Lord, please direct me, guide me, correct me, but in just measure, not in your anger, lest you bring me to nothing.” – [24:12]

3. Jeremiah 11 – Covenant Broken and Prophet Persecuted

• Summary:
  • God accuses Israel and Judah of breaking the covenant through continual idolatry and disobedience.
  • Jeremiah is thrust into the role of suffering prophet—his own community plots against his life for speaking God’s truth.
  • The personal cost of being God’s messenger is underscored.
• Notable Quote:
  • “I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter. I did not know it was against me they devised schemes saying, let us destroy the tree with its fruit...” – Fr. Mike, quoting Jeremiah 11:19 [29:20]
• Foreshadowing: Jeremiah’s suffering is a type (foreshadowing) of Jesus’ own suffering and rejection.
• Contextual Reflection: Fr. Mike describes Jeremiah as the “weeping prophet” who feels both the heartbreak of God and the anguish of the very people who reject him.

4. Ezekiel 40 – The Vision of the Temple

• Summary:
  • Detailed, technical measurements of the new temple’s gates, courts, and chambers are described; the temple is meticulously depicted.
  • Fr. Mike admits such passages can feel overwhelming and abstract.
• Spiritual Meaning:
  • Invites listeners to read even technical Old Testament texts with a New Testament “lens.”
  • Shares insight from St. Gregory the Great, who interprets the temple gates as symbolizing different spiritual paths:
    • East: those returning from darkness (sin) to light (repentance)
    • North: coldness of sinners
    • South: fervor and virtue, kindled by the Holy Spirit
  • Quote from Gregory the Great: “Just as the cold of the north denotes sinners, so the southern way stands for the fervent in spirit, who, kindled by the heat of the Holy Spirit, grow up in virtues as in the noonday light.” – [32:14]
• Fr. Mike’s Encouragement: Assures that over the next eight chapters, deeper spiritual interpretations of these technical descriptions will emerge.

5. Proverbs 15:5–8 – Wisdom and Sacrifice

• Main Points:
  • Contrasts the prudent and the foolish, righteous and wicked:
    • “A fool despises his Father's instruction, but he who heeds admonition is prudent.”
    • “The lips of the wise spread knowledge… The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is his delight.”
• Application: Fr. Mike underscores the importance of humility, openness to correction, and the difference between empty ritual and true relationship with God.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On the danger of idolatry:
  • “When we let as our North Star... be anything other than God, what happens is we've now traded the true God for whatever false god we have.” – Fr. Mike [23:15]
• On self-distrust and God’s guidance:
  • “I distrust myself and I trust in the Lord. That's what Jeremiah is saying here... It's not in me to direct my steps.” – [24:00]
• Jeremiah as Christ figure:
  • “He is such an image of Jesus Christ... the one who's speaking the truth and is hated for it, who loves and is hated for it.” – [29:55]
• On reading Old in light of New Testament:
  • “St. Augustine once said the Old Testament is revealed in the New and the New Testament is hidden in the Old.” – [31:15]
• On spiritual interpretations of Ezekiel:
  • “In the next few days, as we go through Ezekiel 40 to 48, one of the things we're going to realize is that there's always a spiritual interpretation of what might seem like an obscure vision.” – [34:17]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:04: Introduction and overview of the day’s readings.
• 03:00–11:00: Jeremiah 10 – The ruin of idolatry and Jeremiah’s prayer for correction.
• 12:00–19:00: Jeremiah 11 – Broken covenant and conspiracy against Jeremiah.
• 19:30–27:00: Ezekiel 40 – Vision and measurements of the future temple.
• 27:10–28:00: Proverbs 15:5–8 – Wisdom and sacrifice.
• 28:10–34:30: Reflection, spiritual interpretation, and connection between Old and New Testaments.
• 34:45: Closing encouragement and call to continued prayer and unity.

Final Reflections & Takeaways

• Repentance is not just feeling sorry: It’s turning away from false gods, distrusting self, and turning toward God for correction and direction.
• Prophetic witness comes with personal cost: Jeremiah’s suffering prefigures Christ, reminding believers that speaking truth and loving well may incur opposition.
• Even “dry” or technical scripture passages point to deeper spiritual realities: They are to be interpreted in light of Christ and the Church.
• Community and prayer unite listeners: Each day’s “pressing play” is an act of shared journey and spiritual solidarity.

Closing Blessing

“My name is Father Mike. I cannot wait to see you tomorrow. God bless.”