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

Episode: Day 319 – Summary of the Seventh Commandment (2025)
Date: November 15, 2025
Host: Fr. Mike Schmitz (Ascension)
Coverage: Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraphs 2450–2463 (the “in brief” or “nuggets” summarizing the Seventh Commandment: “You shall not steal”)

Episode Overview

This episode marks “Nugget Day” for the Seventh Commandment, as Fr. Mike leads listeners through the Catechism’s official summary of Church teaching on theft, justice, property, work, economic and social order, and care for the poor and creation. He emphasizes the wisdom in the Catechism’s concise summaries—each a distilled essence of previous deeper dives into the commandment’s meaning. The episode examines not only what not to do (don’t steal), but also the high calling of stewardship, justice, charity, and authentic Christian attitudes regarding material goods, work, and care for others.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Value of the Catechism’s Summaries ("Nuggets")

• Fr. Mike shares how, earlier in his faith journey, he would skip these “in brief” summaries but has come to value their clarity and pedagogy.
  • Quote [02:20]:
    “All of these nuggets are basically one sentence. And all these nuggets of one sentence are like, yeah, that was that. That was. This is a summary of what that section was about.”

Core Teachings (Paragraphs 2450–2463): The Seventh Commandment “In Brief”

Fr. Mike walks through the major takeaways:

1. Justice and Charity in Goods and Labor

• The Seventh Commandment guides just and charitable stewardship of goods and the fruit of labor.
• The goods of creation are ultimately intended for the whole human race (“universal destination of goods”), alongside the right to private property.

2. What Constitutes Theft?

• Theft is the unjust use or seizure of another’s property against the owner’s reasonable will.
• All unjust taking or intent to deprive is forbidden; reparation and restitution of stolen goods is required.

3. Human Dignity and Economic/Social Order

• Human beings must never be enslaved, bought, or sold for profit.
  • Quote [05:30]:
    “Human beings with their dignity may never be enslaved or never treated like merchandise. ... Human beings are always meant to be loved. Things are meant to be used, never the other way around.”
• Animals and creation require stewardship and kindness, but may rightly serve human needs (within bounds of justice and care).

4. The Church’s Role in Economic and Social Life

• The Church speaks out in economic and social matters when human rights or salvation demand it.

• To be concerned with the “temporal common good” is ultimately concern for souls, as the temporal order is oriented to eternal ends.

• Notable segment [08:40]:
  Fr. Mike explains why the Church must engage in public matters: “If people are being objectified, if people are being trodden upon, if people are not ... treated as individuals made in God's image, then the Church will weigh in. And if there's economic systems that are unjust, the Church is going to weigh in.”

5. The Human Person at the Center

• The human being is “author, center and goal of all economic and social life.”

• Economic systems must ensure that God-created goods reach everyone, through justice and charity.

• Quote (paraphrasing 2459) [10:00]:
  “The decisive point of the social question is that goods created by God for everyone should in fact reach everyone in accordance with justice and with the help of charity.”

6. The Dignity and Value of Labor

• Labor has innate dignity; by working, humans share in God’s creative work.
• Fr. Mike retells the story of Jesus and Joseph as tektons (Greek: craftsmen, carpenters, or even laborers/stoneworkers)—emphasizing that no honest work is “beneath” anyone, since Jesus himself spent years at such labor.
  • Quote [13:00]:
    “There is no such thing as work that’s beneath you. Because our God himself has sanctified all labor.”

7. Care for the Poor – Almsgiving as Justice, Not Optional Charity

• Giving to the poor is “a work of justice pleasing to God,” not just charity.

• Fr. Mike highlights the parable of Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31), and Jesus’ words: “As you did it to one of the least of these ... you did it to me.”

• Memorable moment [15:35]:
  “Who are the people around me who are in need? I don’t want to ignore Jesus. I don’t want to see Jesus in what Mother Teresa called ‘the distressing disguise of the poor’ and just walk by him.”

• The episode ends with a challenge:

  • We may not always know exactly how to help—but we must see Christ in those in need and respond with discernment and compassion.

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• On summaries:
  “All of these nuggets are basically one sentence … This is a summary of what that section was about.” — Fr. Mike, [02:20]

• On human dignity:
  “Human beings with their dignity may never be enslaved or never treated like merchandise. ... Human beings are always meant to be loved. Things are meant to be used, never the other way around.” — [05:30]

• On the Church's public voice:
  "If people are being objectified, if people are being trodden upon, if people are not ... treated as individuals made in God's image, then the Church will weigh in. And if there's economic systems that are unjust, the Church is going to weigh in.” — [08:40]

• On the social question:
  “The decisive point of the social question is that goods created by God for everyone should in fact reach everyone in accordance with justice and with the help of charity.” — [10:00]

• On sanctity of work:
  “There is no such thing as work that’s beneath you. Because our God himself has sanctified all labor.” — [13:00]

• On the challenge of encountering the poor:
  “I don’t want to ignore Jesus. I don’t want to see Jesus in what Mother Teresa called ‘the distressing disguise of the poor’ and just walk by him.” — [15:35]

Important Segments & Timestamps

• [02:20] — The value and pedagogical wisdom of the Catechism’s summarized “nuggets”
• [05:00-06:30] — The right to private property, universal destination of goods, and reparation for theft
• [08:40] — The Church’s active concern for justice and the common good
• [10:00-13:00] — Dignity and meaning of labor, the example of Jesus as tekton
• [15:00-end] — The imperative to see and serve Christ in the poor (parable of Lazarus and “the distressing disguise of the poor”)

Episode Tone & Style

Fr. Mike maintains his trademark mix of warmth, humor (“I did want to rhyme there, that was intentional”), encouragement, and challenge—always inviting listeners both to deepen their understanding and to see how Church teaching speaks into everyday life and the world’s urgent needs.

Summary Table

| Theme | Core Message | Quote/Note | Timestamp | |----------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------|----------------| | Summaries & Nuggets | Catechism’s summaries clarify and reinforce deep truths in memorable form | “All of these nuggets…one sentence…” | 02:20 | | Justice, Property & Goods | Right to private property and universal destination of goods; theft forbidden; restitution needed | “That we might need to have our lens reshaped…” | 05:00-06:00 | | Human Dignity | People are never to be bought, sold, or used; stewardship over creation and animals | “Never treated like merchandise…” | 05:30 | | Church’s Social Role | Church must speak out for justice, especially when dignity and salvation are at stake | “The Church will weigh in…” | 08:40 | | Centering the Individual | Economic/social life must center the person; goods for all | “Goods created by God…should in fact reach everyone…” | 10:00 | | Value of Labor | No work is beneath anyone; all labor shares in creation and redemptive possibilities | “Our God…sanctified all labor.” | 13:00 | | Preferential Option for the Poor | Almsgiving is justice; see Christ in the poor; challenge and discernment in giving | “‘The distressing disguise of the poor’…walk by him.” | 15:35 |

Conclusion

This tightly packed summary episode enshrines the essentials of the Seventh Commandment: justice, stewardship, the dignity of property and labor, the social mission of the Church, and—above all—a radical call to recognize and respond to Christ in the least among us. Fr. Mike’s reflections root doctrine in everyday discipleship, challenging listeners to shape their worldview anew: not just avoiding theft, but actively ensuring justice and charity govern our relationship to wealth, work, and each other.

Next episode: The Eighth Commandment – Bearing false witness.

Final Blessing: “I’m praying for you. Please pray for me. My name is Father Mike. I cannot wait to see you tomorrow. God bless.” [16:45]