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

Episode: Day 253: Participation in Public Life (2025)
Date: September 10, 2025
Host: Fr. Mike Schmitz
Readings: Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraphs 1913–1927

Overview

Main Theme:
This episode explores the Catholic Church’s teaching on “Responsibility and Participation” in public and social life. Fr. Mike Schmitz walks through Catechism paragraphs 1913–1927, emphasizing the individual obligation to participate in promoting the common good and how personal and social responsibility anchor a just and flourishing society.

Fr. Mike highlights that participation is not just passive consumption of social benefits; it is a free, voluntary, and active contribution—rooted in the dignity of every human person. This responsibility extends from family and work life to wider public and civic engagement, underlining the need for a continual conversion and growth in virtue.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Necessity and Nature of Participation

• Participation is Voluntary and Generous
  • “Participation is the voluntary and generous engagement of a person in social interchange.” (04:37)
  • Participation stems from human dignity and must be freely chosen, not coerced.
• Everyone's Obligation
  • “It is necessary that all participate, each according to his position and role in promoting the common good. This obligation is inherent in the dignity of the human person.” (04:58)
  • No one is merely a consumer or passive recipient; all are called to be contributors.

2. Personal Responsibility — ‘See a Need, Fill a Need’

• Principle of Subsidiarity
  • “If a thing can be done at the local level…it should not be taken away by a higher level. Therefore, if I can do the thing, then I should do the thing.” (08:02)
  • Fr. Mike shares a motto from his Newman Center: “See a need, fill a need.” (08:24)
  • Fostering a culture where everyone steps up fosters both maturity and the common good.

3. Maturity through Personal Responsibility

• Growth in Christian Life
  • “We cannot be mature Christians unless we take responsibility—personal responsibility—for our own spiritual growth. We cannot be mature adults until we take personal responsibility for the areas in which we ought to be responsible.” (10:00)
  • Participation begins at home, through committed care for family and through diligent, conscientious work in whatever form it takes, paid or unpaid.

4. Active Participation in Public Life

• A Civic and Christian Duty
  • “As far as possible, citizens should take an active part in public life.” (12:18)
  • Rights come with corresponding responsibilities—such as the obligation to vote and to do so wisely.
• Tribute to Free Societies
  • Citing Gaudium et Spes, Fr. Mike notes: “One must pay tribute to those nations whose systems permit the largest possible number of the citizens to take part in public life in a climate of genuine freedom.” (13:36)
  • He recognizes the imperfection of all societies, but underscores the call to improve community conditions wherever possible.

5. Conversion and Integrity in Social Life

• Ongoing Renewal
  • “As with any ethical obligation, participation…calls for a continually renewed conversion of the social partners.” (15:24)
  • Society must reject fraud and injustice, and promote institutions that foster truly human conditions.
• Everyone is Affected by Sin
  • Fr. Mike warns of the constant temptation “towards fraud, towards subterfuges, towards evasion of law,” and insists these must be “firmly condemned.” (15:38)

6. The Role of Authority: Inspiring and Forming Values

• Responsibility of Leaders
  • “It is incumbent on those who exercise authority to strengthen the values that inspire the confidence of the members of the group and encourage them to put themselves at the service of others.” (17:02)
  • Leadership is about forming virtues in others—especially the young—through stories and example.
• Power of Stories
  • Fr. Mike shares a moving example about a Medal of Honor recipient whose repeated checkout of a library book on heroism reflected how stories of virtue shape action: “We tell stories, and stories move us. Stories shape us… If we want the next generation to be courageous, we tell stories of courage.” (18:16)
  • The future “is in the hands of those who are capable of providing the generations to come with reasons for life and optimism.” (19:50, quoting Gaudium et Spes)

Memorable Quotes

• On Participation:
  “Participation is the voluntary and generous engagement of a person in social interchange… It must come from a place of freedom.” (04:37, Fr. Mike)

• On Personal Responsibility:
  “See a need, fill a need. If we did that, if we were to say, okay, this is according to my position, my role: promote the common good… that’s the principle of subsidiarity.” (08:24, Fr. Mike)

• On Growth:
  “We cannot be mature Christians unless we take responsibility—personal responsibility—for our own spiritual growth.” (10:00, Fr. Mike)

• On Civic Life:
  “We must take an active part in public life. If we have the right to vote, we’re under an obligation to vote… and to learn enough to vote wisely.” (12:40, Fr. Mike)

• On Authority and Storytelling:
  “It’s necessary—incumbent—on those who exercise authority to strengthen the values that inspire the confidence of the members of the group and encourage them to put themselves at the service of others.” (17:02, Fr. Mike)

• On the Future:
  “One is entitled to think that the future of humanity is in the hands of those who are capable of providing the generations to come with reasons for life and optimism.” (19:50, Catechism/ Gaudium et Spes)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:05 – Opening, prayer, and introduction of the theme
• 04:37 – Defining participation as voluntary and generous engagement
• 08:02–09:10 – Subsidiarity and Fr. Mike’s “see a need, fill a need” motto
• 10:00 – Personal responsibility and maturity as a Christian/adult
• 12:18 – The duty and forms of public participation
• 13:36 – Nations and systems that allow broad citizen participation
• 15:24–15:50 – The call for ongoing conversion and rejection of injustice
• 17:02 – The role of authority in inspiring group members
• 18:16–19:20 – The Medal of Honor story and formative power of example
• 19:50 – The importance of culture, education, and providing reasons for hope
• End – Preview of next episode: Social Justice

Tone & Style

Fr. Mike’s tone is warm, inviting, and practical. He interweaves personal stories, lived examples, and theological reflection. The language is accessible, direct, and often punctuated with encouragement and gentle challenges to listeners. There’s a recurring emphasis on the transformative nature of Catholic teaching—not merely information, but a call to deep personal and social conversion.

Conclusion

In this episode, Fr. Mike Schmitz powerfully underscores that each person, by virtue of their dignity, is obliged to take a role—however small or large—in promoting the common good. This is actualized through personal responsibility first at home, then in work, and also in wider public life. Ongoing conversion, wise leadership, and the capacity to inspire others through stories and examples are all essential to building a just society. The episode closes with an invitation to continue this journey toward deeper justice in the next installment.

Next Episode Preview:
Fr. Mike will explore the concept of social justice and its application to contemporary society.