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

Episode: Day 265—The Call to Holiness (2025)

Date: September 22, 2025

Host: Fr. Mike Schmitz
Timestamps are in MM:SS format for post-intro content.

Overview

In this episode, Fr. Mike Schmitz focuses on the universal “call to holiness” as outlined in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 2012-2016. He emphasizes that every person, regardless of life circumstances, is called to sanctity and to the fullness of Christian life. The discussion centers on God’s invitation to all to pursue holiness through grace, perseverance, and continual renewal, even after failures. The theme is both inspiring and practical, giving listeners tangible hope for their own spiritual journeys.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Universal Call to Holiness

• Scriptural Foundation:
  • Fr. Mike cites Romans 8, highlighting that God “works for good with those who love him,” and that all are “predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son.”
• Not Just for Clergy or Religious:
  • Strongly refutes the idea that holiness is only for priests, nuns, or church professionals.
  • Quote: “If you thought, ‘well, holiness is for the nuns, holiness is for priests, holiness is for bishops...’ The reality... is that the Church is crying out... that all Christians... are called... All means you, all means all, in any state or walk of life.” (07:30)
• No Exclusions in Life Circumstance:
  • Whether single, married, in a broken vocation, or feeling lost, you are still called to be holy.

2. What Holiness Means and Requires

• Doing the Will of the Father:
  • “The heart of holiness is very simple. It is simply to do the will of the Father. That is it.” (09:45)
  • This is only possible through grace: “We can only do this with God’s grace.” (08:45)
• Holiness in the Everyday:
  • It comes through small acts, through responding moment to moment.
  • “He just wants you to take that next step.” (10:09)

3. Scriptural and Catechetical Citations

• Fr. Mike reads and reflects on several key texts:
  • Romans 8 (St. Paul’s Letter)
  • Lumen Gentium (Second Vatican Council):
    • “All Christians in any state or walk of life are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of charity.” (07:39)
  • Gregory of Nyssa:
    • “He who climbs never stops going from beginning to beginning, through beginnings that have no end. He never stops desiring what he already knows.” (12:05—paraphrased)

4. “Nunc Coepi”—Now I Begin

• Spiritual Principle of Renewal:
  • Derived from Venerable Bruno Lanteri (“Nunc coepi”—Now I begin) and embraced by notable figures like Philip Rivers.
  • Fr. Mike explains:
    • “If I should fall a thousand times a day, a thousand times a day, I will begin again with a new awareness of my weakness, promising God with a peaceful heart to amend my life.” (13:38)
  • The focus is never on previous failures, but on taking the next step—a perpetual invitation to begin again.

5. The Way of the Cross and Perseverance

• No Holiness Without Battle:
  • “There is no holiness without renunciation and spiritual battle. Spiritual progress entails the ascesis and mortification that gradually lead to living in the peace and joy of the Beatitudes.” (11:10)
• Final Perseverance:
  • “It is a unique grace to be given... that grace of final perseverance… that at the end of my life... let me say yes.” (15:05)
• Hope for Everyone:
  • No matter how many times we've failed: “We can always begin again... Now I begin.” (13:55)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Our Shared Vocation:

  • “This is the destiny of every human being. And this is your destiny. This is what God wants.” (07:10)

• On Perseverance in Weakness:

  • “If I should fall a thousand times a day, a thousand times a day, I will begin again with a new awareness of my weakness, promising God with a peaceful heart to amend my life.” (13:38, quoting Venerable Bruno Lanteri)

• On Daily Renewal:

  • “Now I begin. And that’s the heart of it, right? I need to do the will of the Father... I simply start again... All you and I are called to do is take the next step. All you and I are called to do is give the next yes.” (12:32)

• On Holiness Amidst Difficulty:

  • “With battles, right? With trials. But with that confidence. Now I begin. Nunc coepi.” (17:09)

Important Timestamps

• 03:09 — Opening prayer: “We stumble into your presence, Father... You have given us access. You have called us to the heights of holiness...”
• 05:10 — Catechism reading begins (paragraphs 2012–2016).
• 07:10 — Fr. Mike’s core assertion: “This is the destiny of every human being.”
• 07:30–08:20 — Refuting common misconceptions: “All Christians, in any state or walk of life, are called to ... charity.”
• 09:45 — The centrality of doing the Father’s will.
• 10:09 — Practical encouragement: “He just wants you to take that next step.”
• 12:05 — St. Gregory of Nyssa quote: “He who climbs never stops...”
• 12:32–13:55 — Explanation of “Nunc coepi”—the perpetual call to begin anew.
• 13:38 — Venerable Bruno Lanteri’s saying highlighted.
• 15:05 — Prayer for final perseverance.
• 17:09 — Final encouragement to embrace confidence: “Now I begin. Nunc coepi.”

Tone and Language

Fr. Mike speaks with warmth, encouragement, and pastoral urgency. His language is accessible, direct, and full of relatable metaphors, making complex theological concepts feel intimate and actionable. Throughout, he weaves in stories, saints’ wisdom, and repeated invitations to hope and courage, even for those struggling or doubting their call to holiness.

Summary Takeaways

• Holiness is not reserved for the few, but is the calling and destiny of every person.
• The journey to holiness is marked by continual renewal—beginning again after every fall (“Nunc coepi: Now I begin”).
• Holiness requires doing God’s will in each moment, with God’s grace.
• The Christian life entails struggle and battle, but also a deep and abiding hope in God’s mercy and the grace of final perseverance.
• The episode closes with a prayerful call to daily and final perseverance—“Now I begin”—inspired by saints and Church teaching.

“With battles, right? With trials. But with that confidence. Now I begin. Nunc coepi.”
— Fr. Mike Schmitz (17:09)