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

Episode: Day 325: Battling for Purity (2025)
Date: November 21, 2025
Host: Fr. Mike Schmitz (Ascension)

Episode Overview

This episode continues the journey through the Catechism, focusing on the Ninth Commandment and, specifically, the ongoing “battle for purity.” Fr. Mike explores what it means to strive for purity in heart, intention, and action, discussing topics such as chastity, modesty, internal and external discipline, and how God's grace empowers transformation. He draws from Church teaching, the wisdom of saints (especially St. Augustine), and practical encouragement for those struggling with purity—candidly acknowledging modern challenges unique to our era.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Ninth Commandment and the Battle for Purity

[02:10–03:25]

• Fr. Mike explains that the Ninth Commandment ("You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife") calls for a transformation not just of actions but of the heart and inner disposition.
• He introduces the concept of ethos: the interior orientation that should lead us to be attracted to the good (as Jesus was) and repelled by evil.

2. Purity: What It Is, and Why It Matters

[03:45–04:50]

• Purity isn’t just sexual chastity; it’s a wholeness of intention and vision—pursuing God’s will in everything.
• "We all want to see God. And therefore we all need to have this purity of heart that can only come from God and can only come from our cooperation and corresponding with God’s grace." (Fr. Mike, 03:50)

3. Praying for Purity

[02:55–04:35]

• Fr. Mike leads a prayer asking God to heal, purify, and “untwist” the often-wounded human heart so that we might love rightly and see others as God does.
• Purity is both a gift and a struggle—one requiring God's grace and daily effort.

4. Concupiscence and the Need for Struggle

[05:10–06:00]

• Baptism grants initial purification, but “the baptized must continue to struggle against concupiscence of the flesh and disordered desires.”
• The Catechism is clear: victory relies on both God’s grace and the “virtue and gift of chastity.”

5. The Role of Modesty

[07:05–08:15; 15:00–17:00]

• Modesty is a component of temperance and is essential for protecting “the intimate center of the person.”
• "Modesty is decency. It inspires one's choice of clothing. It keeps silence and reserve where there is evident risk of unhealthy curiosity. It is discreet." (06:30—Catechism summary)

6. Cultural Differences and Universal Principles

[09:10–09:50]

• While forms of modesty vary widely, the intuition behind modesty—respect for the spiritual dignity of each human person—is universal.

7. Social Climate and Media

[11:20–12:30]

• Purity requires a “purification of the social climate,” especially in media and education. Presentations must show “respect and restraint.”
• Moral permissiveness in society is rooted in a misunderstanding of human freedom.

8. St. Augustine's Honest Struggle

[13:15–16:00]

• Powerful paraphrase of Augustine’s famous prayer: “God, please make me chaste—but not yet,” illustrating the internal tension between desiring virtue and clinging to sin.
• Augustine’s experience is shared: “I thought that continence arose from one’s own powers, which I did not recognize in myself. I was foolish enough not to know that no one can be continent unless you grant it.” (St. Augustine, quoted at 06:45)

9. Contemporary Challenges to Purity

[17:05–20:10]

• Fr. Mike addresses unique 21st-century obstacles: the prevalence of online pornography and the accessibility, affordability, anonymity, and availability (“the three A’s”) of impure content.
• "You exist at a time and a place that no other Christian has ever had to face the battle for purity in the way that you are having to face the battle for purity." (Fr. Mike, 18:25)

10. Practical Disciplines for Purity

[20:15–23:00; 25:10–29:00]

• Techniques: discipline of feelings, imagination, and avoiding complicity in impure thoughts.
• Emphasizes importance of external and internal discipline—guarding eyes, entertainment, and media consumption.
• Encourages making a "covenant with our eyes" (from Job)—consciously committing not to look lustfully.
• “It only starts when I start…Let me start now with what I’m looking at. Let me start now with whether I take that second glance…” (Fr. Mike, 27:10)

11. Seeing Others as Persons, Not Objects

[22:30–25:00]

• With time, discipline and grace, we can reach a point of freedom: "to see the person and not just reduce them to their parts."
• Fr. Mike shares a story: a friend recognizes his sister is beautiful but never objects or reduces her because of a deeply ordered heart—this is the goal with all persons.

12. Transforming Our Hearts: The “Untwisting” Prayer

[29:10–30:00]

• Invites regular prayer: “God, untwist in my heart whatever has been twisted by lust, so that I can see in this person my sister, my brother, and have no desire to use them, but simply a desire to love them as you do.”
• This is true freedom, the heart of the Ninth Commandment, and what God desires for us.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Purity and Grace:
  “We all need to have this purity of heart that can only come from God and can only come from our cooperation and corresponding with God’s grace.” — Fr. Mike [03:50]
• On Modern Challenges:
  "You exist at a time and a place that no other Christian has ever had to face the battle for purity in the way that you are having to face the battle for purity." — Fr. Mike [18:25]
• From St. Augustine:
  “I was foolish enough not to know that no one can be continent unless you grant it.” — St. Augustine, quoted by Fr. Mike [06:45]
• On Formation and Discipline:
  “Internal freedom comes by internal and external discipline. And part of that discipline is...modesty, which is an integral part of temperance.” — Fr. Mike [13:05]
• Seeing Others with Freedom:
  “I don’t need the commandment, ‘thou shalt not objectify your sister,’ because I’m free of that…That kind of freedom can be the kind of freedom that you have and I have when it comes to anybody we can see...” — Fr. Mike [23:30]
• Prayer for Transformation:
  “God, untwist in my heart whatever has been twisted by lust, so that I can see others as brothers and sisters.” — Fr. Mike [29:11]

Important Timestamps

• Introduction and Theme: [00:00–02:55]
• Opening Prayer: [03:15–04:35]
• Catechism Reading (2520–2533): [04:55–13:10]
• St. Augustine’s Experience: [13:15–16:00]
• Modern Struggles (Internet, Media): [17:05–20:10]
• Practical Guidance & Visual Discipline: [20:15–29:10]
• Transformational Prayer and Final Encouragement: [29:11–end]

Tone & Final Takeaways

Fr. Mike’s tone is compassionate, honest, and hopeful—acknowledging real struggles while always pointing to God’s superabundant grace and the power of daily discipline. He challenges listeners to begin “right now”—surrendering the desire to be pure to God, praying constantly for “untwisting of the heart,” and committing to formation of both eyes and imagination. The path to purity isn’t instant, but by God’s grace, it is possible, and it is freeing.

Closing Prayer & Encouragement:
“I’m praying for you. Please pray for me. My name is Father Mike. I cannot wait to see you tomorrow. God bless.” [31:00]