Podcast Summary: "The Bible in a Year with Fr. Mike Schmitz"

Episode: Day 284 – Near Occasion of Sin (2025)

Date: October 11, 2025
Host: Fr. Mike Schmitz (Ascension)
Featured Readings:

• 1 Maccabees 3
• Sirach 6–9
• Proverbs 22:5–8

Episode Overview

This episode continues the journey through the Bible, focusing on perseverance in faith, wisdom for daily life, and the importance of avoiding not only sin but also its near occasions. Fr. Mike reflects on the courage of Judas Maccabeus in the revolt against Greek oppression, the practical wisdom literature of Sirach, and key proverbs concerning discipline and temptation. The tone is encouraging and reflective, calling listeners to deeper self-awareness and proactive holiness.

Key Scripture Highlights and Commentary

1. The Courage and Faith of Judas Maccabeus

(1 Maccabees 3)

• Judas’ Early Victories: The chapter recounts how Judas Maccabeus takes command after his father’s death, “like a lion in his deeds,” successfully protecting Israel with faith and valor ([02:00]).
• Faith over Numbers: Despite being outnumbered, Judas rallies his men with the assurance that “victory in battle depends…[not on] the size of the army…but strength comes from heaven” ([07:30]).
  • Notable Quote: “It is easy for many to be hemmed in by the few, for in the sight of heaven there is no difference between saving by many or by few. It is not on the size of the army that victory in battle depends, but strength comes from heaven.” – Fr. Mike reading 1 Maccabees ([07:50])
• Prayer Before Battle: Emphasizing humility, the people pray and fast before fighting, asking God’s mercy, showing reliance on God, not just their own strength.
• Trust and Outcome: Fr. Mike comments on how trusting in God—especially in moments of vulnerability—leads to victory. Even if outcomes aren’t always victorious, God uses all situations for our growth ([27:00]).

2. Proverbs: Wisdom in Scripture

(Proverbs 22:5-8)

• Teaching Children: The proverb “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it” serves as a cornerstone for reflection on spiritual upbringing ([28:10]).
  • Fr. Mike’s Reflection: “That's not a guarantee…but there's something so good, so necessary, about laying a foundation” ([28:30]).
• On Debt: The warning, “the borrower is slave to the lender,” sparks a mention of Dave Ramsey and a brief discussion about the spiritual—and practical—dangers of debt ([29:00]).
  • Quote: “The borrower is slave to the lender. And why it’s so, so deadly to get into debt like this.” – Fr. Mike ([29:10])

3. Sirach: Practical Wisdom for Holy Living

(Sirach 7–9)

a. On Work, Relationships, and Humility

• Work as Divine: Sirach underlines the goodness of hard work and farm labor, echoing Genesis and emphasizing that avoiding such toil neglects a gift from God ([31:10]).
• On Relationships: Cautions are given not to undervalue friends, spouses, servants, and familial responsibilities:
  • “Do not deprive yourself of a wise and good wife…Honor your father…Do not forget the birth pangs of your mother.”
  • Old friendships are particularly valued:
    • Memorable Line: “Forsake not an old friend, for a new one does not compare with him” ([34:40]).
• Responsibility Domains: Fr. Mike notes Sirach’s focus on honoring relationships and domains of responsibility as concrete expressions of godly living.

b. On Prudence and Avoidance of Sin

• Guarding Against Lust and Disordered Attachments: Sirach chapters 8–9 give strong, direct advice on avoiding temptation, especially sexual sin:
  • “Do not go to meet a loose woman, lest you fall into her snares. Do not look intently at a virgin…Do not give yourself to harlots…” ([36:10])
  • Guard your eyes and actions from wandering into dangerous places, both physically and morally.
  • Fr. Mike applies this: “Don't look in deserted sections of the Internet or…what's on TV. What are you gonna find there? You just find death, destruction.” ([37:40])
• Near Occasion of Sin: The idea, while drawn from traditional Catholic moral teaching, is exemplified in Sirach’s instruction—don’t just avoid the sin, but anything that leads close to it.
  • Quote: “Maybe he’s calling me to actually...stop the things that lead me to sin. Those things are called near occasions of sin.” ([38:30])

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Upbringing and Wisdom:
  “You might have been raised in church, you might have rejected what you were raised in, and yet here we are now…There’s something really powerful.” ([28:50]) – Fr. Mike
• On Work:
  “Do not hate toilsome labor or farm work, which were created by the Most High.” ([31:20]) – Fr. Mike quoting Sirach
• On Old Friends:
  “Forsake not an old friend, for a new one does not compare with him…you can’t make old friends, you can only make new friends. So you gotta hold on to those old friends.” ([34:45]) – Fr. Mike
• On Avoiding Sin:
  “It seems to be—this is so wise. I mean, there’s so many people I talk to…who’ve entered into disaster in their personal lives when it comes to this, you know, the sin of lust…” ([36:50]) – Fr. Mike

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:00 – Introduction; Readings for the Day
• 02:00 – Maccabean Revolt and Judas’ Leadership
• 07:30 – Faith and Courage in the Face of Odds
• 27:00 – Reflection on Foundation and Upbringing
• 28:10 – Proverbs: Raising Children, Rich and Poor, On Debt
• 31:10 – Sirach: The Wisdom of Work and Relationships
• 34:40 – The Value of Old Friends and Stewardship
• 36:10 – Guarding Against the Near Occasion of Sin
• 38:30 – Application: Avoiding Not Just Sin, but What Leads to Sin
• 40:00 – Closing Prayer and Final Reflections

Closing Reflection

Fr. Mike urges listeners to not just hear these words but to internalize and act on them. He admits the challenge of living out this wisdom and invites everyone to pray for one another for the grace needed to remain vigilant, avoid near occasions of sin, and honor God in every relationship and area of life.

“I am praying for you. Please pray for me...I cannot wait to see you tomorrow. God bless.” ([40:40]) – Fr. Mike

Summary Themes

• Faith and action go hand-in-hand; success depends on trust in God, not on numbers or resources.
• Parental formation, responsibility in relationships, and practical wisdom are foundational elements for a godly life.
• Holiness requires proactive avoidance of temptation and the courage to honor every responsibility and relationship.
• Real life transformation comes not from merely knowing wisdom, but from living it—supported by prayer and community.