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

Episode: Day 324 – The Ninth Commandment (2025)

Date: November 20, 2025
Host: Fr. Mike Schmitz
Reading: Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 2514–2519

Overview: Exploring the Ninth Commandment

This episode delves into the Ninth Commandment—"You shall not covet your neighbor's wife"—and its profound implications for the human heart and the struggle with concupiscence (disordered desire). Fr. Mike Schmitz explains how the Ninth Commandment, closely linked with the Sixth (chastity) and Tenth (coveting goods), directs attention from external actions to the interior disposition of our hearts. He emphasizes the Catechism’s teaching on purity of heart, the interconnection of belief, obedience, and living well, and the transformative power of Christ in addressing our deepest desires.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Commandments and the Human Heart

• Scriptural Foundations: Fr. Mike opens by highlighting how the Ninth Commandment (Exodus 20:17) and Jesus’ teaching (Matthew 5) move the focus from outward actions to inner intentions.
• Connection to Earlier Commandments:
  • The Sixth Commandment addresses external acts related to sexuality.
  • The Seventh Commandment addresses external acts regarding possession of goods.
  • The Ninth and Tenth shift inward, dealing with the desires of the heart.

"Where does sin come from? Where do all the tensions in our lives come from? ...They come from a broken heart."
— Fr. Mike Schmitz [01:48]

2. Concupiscence: The Inner Struggle

• Definition & Dimensions:
  • The Catechism (para 2514) and St. John categorize covetousness as lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.
  • "Concupiscence" is an intense desire against right reason—a result of original sin.
• Fr. Mike’s Explanation:
  • Lust of the Flesh: Desire to possess or use another person.
  • Lust of the Eyes: Desire to own or use things not meant for us.
  • Both are rooted in the same brokenness.

3. The "Candy Bowl" Analogy

Fr. Mike shares a relatable story illustrating concupiscence in daily life:

• Anecdote (Candy Bowl & Resort Window):
  • A man at a resort resists taking candy from another company’s conference room because it’s "not his."
  • He catches himself gazing lustfully at women by the water—realizing he’s willing to "take" what isn’t his in a different way.
• Insight:
  • The same attitude—‘this does not belong to me’—applies to both situations.

"He realized that as he was looking out this window and looking at these women, wait, they're not mine either. And he had this conviction of, oh my gosh, this is the same thing."
— Fr. Mike Schmitz [12:32]

4. Purifying the Heart: The Role of Temperance

• Catechism Reference (2517):
  • The heart is the seat of moral personality; evil thoughts and actions stem from it.
  • The struggle against covetousness means purifying our hearts and practicing temperance.
• Fr. Mike's counsel:
  • "Temperance would be able to say, okay, yeah, these treats are good, but they're not mine..." [15:10]
• Anecdote—"Find a Man Who Can Fast":
  • Story about a father's advice to his daughter: marry a man who can fast, since temperance in one area reflects discipline in others.

5. Stories of Transformation & Gradual Conversion

• Freedom from Enslavement:
  • Fr. Mike shares testimony from a man who overcame lifelong struggles with lust through confession, experiencing profound liberation—sometimes instant, usually gradual.
• Faith and Obedience Cycle (St. Augustine’s Insight):
  • Belief leads to obedience, which leads to living well, which purifies the heart, allowing deeper understanding—a compounding cycle.

"By believing we can obey God. And when we obey God, we live well."
— Fr. Mike Schmitz [19:10]

6. The Power of Faith in Christ and the Cross

• Sufficiency of Christ’s Sacrifice:
  • Recounting a Theology of the Body discussion, Fr. Mike stresses that Christ's sacrifice is sufficient for all struggles.
• Challenging Discouragement:
  • "Are you saying that Christ, what he did on the cross is not sufficient for you?... It's enough for everyone else, but it's not enough to heal you?" [22:15]

7. The Promise to the Pure of Heart

• Seeing God & Seeing Others Truly:
  • Paragraph 2519: "The pure of heart are promised... they will see God face to face and be like Him."
  • Purity of heart allows us to see others as temples of the Holy Spirit, not as objects or "parts."
  • St. John Paul II’s quote: The body uniquely makes visible the invisible—the spiritual and the divine.

"We can actually not just see the person as parts that are either more attractive or less attractive, but we can see the human person, right? We can see the human body and see the person."
— Fr. Mike Schmitz [24:15]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Brokenness and Desire:

  "We have this concupiscence, right? We have this desire for what is not good for us or what is not meant for us."
  — Fr. Mike Schmitz [04:15]

• On Temperance:

  "Find a man who can fast. That was it. He said, find a man who can fast because that person who can be temperate, right, that person who can say no to their concupiscence, that their desire for food will also be able to say no to himself in many other desires, because it's all connected."
  — Fr. Mike Schmitz [16:20]

• On Christ's Power:

  "Are you emptying the cross of Jesus Christ of his power? ... Are you saying that there are some people here that Christ did not die to set them free?"
  — Fr. Mike Schmitz [22:25]

• On Vision and Purity:

  "So the more and more we are living in obedience to God, the clearer and clearer we see."
  — Fr. Mike Schmitz [25:10]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:05 – 02:00: Intro, reading plan context, transition from Eighth to Ninth Commandment
• 03:30 – 05:00: The shift from actions to the heart in the Ninth/Tenth Commandment
• 08:25 – 12:45: Story of the man at the conference and the “candy bowl” analogy
• 13:40 – 17:05: Concupiscence, temperance, and the story of “a man who can fast”
• 18:00 – 21:00: Testimonies of liberation, gradual vs. instantaneous healing
• 21:15 – 23:30: Theology of the Body discussion—Christ's sufficiency
• 24:10 – 26:00: The promise of the pure in heart, St. John Paul II’s insight on the body

Conclusion: Living the Ninth Commandment

Fr. Mike concludes by praying for the gift of purity of heart, that listeners may see and love others as God does, embracing the hope and promise of freedom offered in Christ. He encourages ongoing mutual prayer and faithful perseverance on the journey.

Summary prepared for listeners of "The Catechism in a Year with Fr. Mike Schmitz" – Day 324