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

Episode: Day 250 – Conversion in Society (2025)
Date: September 7, 2025
Host: Fr. Mike Schmitz (Ascension)
Catechism Paragraphs Covered: 1886-1896

Main Theme

This episode explores how conversion—both personal and societal—is essential for building a just and truly human society. Fr. Mike Schmitz emphasizes the need for an ordered hierarchy of values in society, the necessity of respecting the dignity of the human person, and the irreplaceable role of charity and justice in social life. Drawing from the Catechism and the teachings of St. John XXIII, the discussion centers on how interior transformation and collective action interact to promote the common good.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Society’s Role in Human Fulfillment

[03:15]

• "Society is essential to the fulfillment of the human vocation."
  • Society isn’t optional or an afterthought for human beings but a requirement of our nature as beings made in God’s image and likeness.
  • Jesus came not only to save individual sinners but to establish a “kingdom” – a community, a society.

[03:50] Fr. Mike:

“Any individual you ever meet will outlast every civilization that’s ever been created.”

• The dignity of a single human person surpasses the fleeting nature of societies and civilizations.
• All social organization must keep the dignity of the human person as its central principle.

2. The Right Hierarchy of Values

[04:30]

• To achieve society’s aim—the human vocation—it’s essential to subordinate “physical and instinctual dimensions” to “interior and spiritual ones.”
• Societies must help men and women discern, value, and prioritize things rightly – with God at the pinnacle.

[05:03] Fr. Mike’s Prayer:

“Help us to recognize the best things and place those above the good things. Help us to recognize you as the ultimate best thing and place you at the pinnacle.”

3. The Spiritual Nature of Society

[06:15]

• Citing St. John XXIII:

  • Human society is primarily spiritual in nature, intended for sharing truth and rights, inspiring the search for spiritual values, and fostering the exchange of cultural and spiritual achievements.

• These benefits shape cultural, economic, social, and political institutions.

4. Dangers of Inverted Values

[07:20]

• The “inversion of means and ends”—when things meant to be tools become ultimate goals, or people are used as means to ends—creates unjust structures.
• Such structures make Christian life and ethics harder, sometimes “almost impossible.”

[12:28] Fr. Mike:

“The end is always more important than the means … And I can never view persons as mere means to that end.”

[13:24]

• Only God can be the “priority.” The English concept of “priorities” misunderstands the original singular nature of the term:

“There can only be one first. And God is the priority, right?”

5. The Need for Inner Conversion

[14:30] Catechism Reference:

• Social change begins with an “appeal to the spiritual and moral capacities of the human person and to the permanent need for his inner conversion.”

• The dream of a “utopia” is impossible because fallen human nature is a permanent reality; institutions will always bear marks of human brokenness unless hearts are converted.

[16:10] Fr. Mike:

“Any hope for some kind of future far-off utopia doesn’t exist … That is impossible. It is impossible in this life to create this utopia…”

• Social structures can be unjust, but their brokenness comes from the brokenness of the human heart.

6. The Mutual Obligations of Interior and Societal Reform

[17:14] Catechism Reference:

• The priority of conversion of heart doesn’t remove the obligation to remedy unjust institutions and conditions; both are necessary.

• Working for justice in society is part of living out a converted heart.

[19:02] Fr. Mike:

“Because we’re placing a high, high value on your own immortal soul does not mean that we just simply ignore everyone else. On the contrary, it means that we do what we can to address remedies to institutions and living conditions when they’re an inducement to sin…”

7. The Path of Charity: Between Cowardice and Violence

[21:00] Catechism Reference:

• Without grace, humans can’t “discern the narrow path between cowardice which gives in to evil and the violence which, under the illusion of fighting evil, only makes it worse.”

[21:30] Fr. Mike:

“What’s the way we move forward? This is the path of charity, that is, of the love of God and of neighbor. Charity is the greatest social commandment. It respects others and their rights. It requires the practice of justice, and it alone makes us capable of it.”

• Charity makes self-gift possible; it is the only way to true justice and right living in society.

8. Participation in Voluntary Associations

[09:13]

• Beyond family and state, the Catechism encourages broad participation in voluntary groups: economic, social, cultural, recreational, professional, and political.

[10:52] Fr. Mike:

“If I can create some kind of or be part of some kind of association that would make it so that medicine is even broader than just me … It enables us to share our gifts and enables us to share others’ gifts.”

• Society is richer when individuals join together, allowing their talents to reach farther and to be mutually shared.

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

[03:50] Fr. Mike:

“Any individual you ever meet will outlast every civilization that’s ever been created.”

[05:03] Fr. Mike (Prayer):

“Help us to recognize the best things and place those above the good things. Help us to recognize you as the ultimate best thing and place you at the pinnacle.”

[12:28] Fr. Mike:

“The end is always more important than the means … And I can never view persons as mere means to that end.”

[13:24] Fr. Mike:

“There can only be one first. And God is the priority, right?”

[16:10] Fr. Mike:

“Any hope for some kind of future far-off utopia doesn’t exist … That is impossible.”

[19:02] Fr. Mike:

“Because we’re placing a high, high value on your own immortal soul does not mean that we just simply ignore everyone else. On the contrary … we do what we can to address remedies to institutions and living conditions when they’re an inducement to sin…”

[21:30] Fr. Mike:

“This is the path of charity … Charity is the greatest social commandment. It respects others and their rights. It requires the practice of justice, and it alone makes us capable of it.”

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:15] – Introduction to the day's Catechism section and the centrality of society in human life.
• [04:30] – The hierarchy of values: subordinating the physical to the spiritual.
• [06:15] – Spiritual dimension of society (St. John XXIII quoted).
• [09:13] – The importance of voluntary associations in societal life.
• [12:28] – Dangers of inverting means and ends; singularity of “priority.”
• [14:30] – Conversion of heart as the foundation for real social change.
• [16:10] – The impossibility of earthly utopia.
• [17:14] – Mutual responsibility for personal conversion and just institutions.
• [19:02] – Social action as a fruit of personal conversion.
• [21:00] – The necessity of grace to find the “narrow path” in moral dilemmas.
• [21:30] – Charity as the highest social commandment.

Tone and Original Language

Fr. Mike’s tone is deeply pastoral: encouraging, practical, and rich with scriptural and Church teaching references. He blends direct Catechism reading with real-life application, extemporaneous reflection, and heartfelt prayer.

Summary

This episode underscores that constructing a just society requires both personal conversion (ordering our hearts and priorities toward God) and collective action (reforming unjust institutions). The Catechism teaches, and Fr. Mike affirms, that only through prioritizing spiritual values over physical ones, respecting the irreducible dignity of each human person, and living the commandment of charity can a society become just and allow all to flourish. Conversion of heart is not a private affair; it compels us to transform society through justice, charity, and respect for others’ rights. The path forward is neither passivity nor violence, but the narrow way—illuminated by grace—of self-giving love.

“Charity is the greatest social commandment… Charity inspires a life of self giving. Whoever seeks to gain his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it.”
– Catechism, cited by Fr. Mike, [21:30]