Day 250: Conversion in Society (2025)

We're reading paragraphs 1886 to 1896. As always, I'm using the Ascension Edition of the Catechism, which includes the Foundations of Faith Approach, but you can follow along with any recent version of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. You can also download your own catechism into your reading plan.

by visiting AscensionPress.com slash CIY and you can click follow or subscribe in your podcast app for daily updates and daily notifications. Also just a quick thank you to all those who have supported the production of this podcast through your prayers. Can't do without them your financial gift.

We couldn't do any of this without you. Thank you so much. Today is day two fifty. We're reading paragraphs eighteen eighty six to eighteen ninety six. Remember yesterday we started talking about the human community, right? We went from individual human dignity, talking about, okay, the person and society. We need there's a communal character of the human vocation. There's a communal character of human nature even. And so we talked about that. We talked about

How again, society is not optional. Society is not extraneous for us. It's a requirement of our nature because we're made in God's image and likeness. We need each other. Also because if we're going to accomplish God's will in this world, we need each other. Remember, Jesus Christ came to establish the kingdom of heaven, right? The kingdom of God. Not simply, not simply I want to save individual sinners. But he came to establish a kingdom, a society, right? Some some unique, mysterious

Community. And so we're gonna talk about that. Also today, you know, as this next the last piece of Article One, the person and society, we're gonna talk about conversion and society. And so one of the big statements we're leading off with the paragraph eighteen eighty six is

Society is essential to the fulfillment of the human vocation. But and that not well, the church doesn't say but I'm gonna say but but to attain that aim, right? The fulfillment of the human vocation, which is society is essential towards. To attain this aim, respect must be accorded to the just hierarchy of values.

Which subordinate physical and instinctual dimensions to interior and spiritual ones. What that means is we need conversion. That that we have to recognize, our our society has to recognize that yes, we are physical beings. Yes, we have human or natural or physical drives. But we are also spiritual beings. and the physical is subordinated.

to the spiritual, to the interior and spiritual. So we need conversion. We need to get a right ordering of what's most important. One way to say it is as I heard Dr. Peter Kraft say once, he said that, and I've repeated it so many times, is that Any individual you ever meet will outlast every civilization that's ever been created.

Any individual, and any individual, whether they are great or small, whether they are incredibly wise or deficient in wisdom, whether they are powerful or whether they are paralyzed. Every human being, every individual human being will outlast every human society. Therefore, the human being is essential, right? The human being has a dignity that cannot be wiped away, that cannot be taken away, that cannot be mitigated.

And so we need to have right order, right? We need to subordinate physical and instinctual dimensions. Those values are good. To interior and spiritual ones. So we need conversion and we also need right ordering of what our lives are. And that's the thing, is we need to know what the value of a thing is in order to. appropriately like use it, right? Or appropriately live life. We need to know the value of things. And so we're just gonna ask the Lord right now today.

as we talk about conversion, as we talk about society, as we talk about getting right orders and in knowing the value of things, to give us clear sight, to give us true wisdom in being able to value those things. So we pray, Father in heaven, We first, we first praise your name. Above all things, may you be glorified. In all things, may you be glorified. And you've you filled this world, Lord. You've filled our lives with good things.

Help us to recognize the best things and place those above the good things. Help us to recognize you as the ultimate best thing and place you at the pinnacle, you at the top, to treat you, the ultimate being, as the ultimate being and everything else. As less than the ultimate. Help us to treat you as you are for who you are, God Himself.

Help us to keep the best things best, the better things better, and the good things good. Lord God, help us to order our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart. We make this prayer in the mighty name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. It is day two hundred and fifty. We are reading paragraphs eighteen eighty-six to eighteen ninety-six. Conversion and society.

Society is essential to the fulfillment of the human vocation. To attain this aim, respect must be accorded to the just hierarchy of values, which subordinates physical and instinctual dimensions to interior and spiritual ones. As Saint John the twenty third wrote in the Human society must primarily be considered something pertaining to the spiritual.

Through it, in the bright light of truth, men should share their knowledge, be able to exercise their rights and fulfill their obligations, be inspired to seek spiritual values. mutually deriving genuine pleasure from the beautiful of whatever order it be, always be readily disposed to pass on to others the best of their own cultural heritage, and eagerly strive to make their own the spiritual achievements of others.

These benefits not only influence, but at the same time give aim and scope to all that is bearing on cultural expressions, economic and social institutions, political movements and forms. laws, and all other structures by which society is outwardly established and constantly developed.

The inversion of means and ends, which results in giving the value of ultimate end to what is only a means for attaining it, or in viewing persons as mere means to that end, engenders unjust structures which make Christian conduct in keeping with the commandments of the divine lawgiver difficult and almost impossible.

It is necessary, then, to appeal to the spiritual and moral capacities of the human person and to the permanent need for his inner conversion so as to obtain social changes that will really serve him. The acknowledged priority of the conversion of heart in no way eliminates, but on the contrary, imposes the obligation of bringing the appropriate remedies to institutions and living conditions when they are an inducement to sin.

So that they conform to the norms of justice and advance the good rather than hinder it. Without the help of grace, men would not know how to discern the often narrow path between the cowardice which gives in to evil and the violence which under the illusion of fighting evil only makes it worse.

This is the path of charity, that is, of the love of God and of neighbor. Charity is the greatest social commandment. It respects others and their rights. It requires the practice of justice, and it alone makes us capable of it. Charity inspires a life of self giving. Whoever seeks to gain his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it. In brief.

There is a certain resemblance between the unity of the divine persons and the fraternity that men ought to establish among themselves. The human person needs life in society in order to develop in accordance with his nature. Certain societies, such as the family and the state, correspond more directly to the nature of man. The human person is and ought to be the principle, the subject, and the object of every social organization.

Widespread participation in voluntary associations and institutions is to be encouraged. In accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, neither the state nor any larger society should substitute itself for the initiative and responsibility of individuals and intermediary bodies. Society ought to promote the exercise of virtue, not obstruct it. It should be animated by a just hierarchy of values.

Where sin has perverted the social climate, it is necessary to call for the conversion of hearts and appeal to the grace of God. Charity urges just reforms. There is no solution to the social question apart from the gospel.

Right, that's it. Paragraph eighteen eighty six to eighteen ninety six. One of the things I forgot to mention or I neglected to mention yesterday was remember paragraph eighteen eighty two said there were certain societies, such as the family and the state, that correspond more directly to the nature of man. They're necessary to him. We just heard that in the nuggets today. So it's family in the state. Very, very important, right?

But there's an aspect they went on to say that there are other voluntary associations and institutions that ought to be or must be encouraged on both the national and international levels and it could relate to economic and social goals.

to cultural and recreational activities, to sport, to various professions, and to political affairs. And I just we I I kind of glossed over that. I didn't really even address it. But I think it's really interesting, fascinating in fact, that the church does say, okay, what do we need? Family and the state. Of course, that's the most basic, right? That corresponds more directly to the nature of man. And yet.

There is participation in other voluntary institutions. For example, those that relate to economic and social goals. That makes sense that you would get together, whether that be businesses, whether that be corporations, whether that be uh you know, bodies in society that say, You know, we want to help raise boys. Let's start the Boy Scouts. We want to help raise girls. Let's start the Girl Scouts. That kind of thing. Economic and social goals to cultural and recreational activities.

So you have like a Lions Club, right? Or you have it goes on to say it's to to sport. So you have the local volleyball league or you have the softball league or you even have, you know, other kind of aspects of that are more even more serious. when it comes to these associations that involve sports. to various professions and to political affairs. That, yeah, to have politics, to have professional organizations, all of those things.

They add dimension, they add color to life. And not only dimension and color, they had power, right? So if I'm simply a maybe I'm a physician, maybe I'm a teacher and and I'm doing my doctoring thing or I'm doing my teaching thing. That's that's one thing. I I can only go as far as me. But if I can create some kind of a or be part of some kind of association. That would be Make it so that medicine is even

m broader than just me. That it that if the reach of medicine can be across a community or across a country, then maybe there should be an association of doctors. when it comes to teaching. If it's just me, that's great. But maybe there's a thing like a school, you know, maybe there's a collection of schools that work together so that even more people are educated. It's one of those things that just again highlighting this reality of why it's so important to have societies.

is because of course we're made for relationship. Yes, definitely. Is because those societies they they g they give a a color, a dimension, a depth to life. Yes, of course. But also Because we have societies, it enables the gifts of the individual to go beyond the individual. And it enables us to share other people's gifts. And that's that's so so key. It's so key. It enables us to share our gift.

And enables us to share others' gifts. In fact, that's what Saint John the twenty third says in this extended quote in paragraph eighteen eighty six from today. It says we should always be readily disposed to pass on to others the best of their own cultural heritage.

That that sense of like here here's what I've received. Let me pass that on to others. Let me share that with others. That's what a society will do. It goes on to say, so not only should I be readily disposed to pass on to others the best of our own cultural heritage and eagerly strive To make their own the spiritual achievement of others.

And that's that's something so good that recognize that we belong to each other. We've said that so many times. We belong to each other. And so a society, even say like the larger society of the human community, right? The global community in the sense that we're all human beings. That whatever I have, yeah, if I can share it with you, wonderful. And whatever you have, wow, if I can take what you have and and incorporate that into my life, that is just blessing. That is just goodness.

And it's so good. Now, at the same time, one of the things we have to realize is that there are many expressions, right? There's many societies. We have this economic, social institutions, political movements. Forms, laws, all other structures which societies outwardly established and constantly developed. John the twenty third highlights those.

But then the next paragraph highlights the the challenge. Paragraph eighteen eighty seven says the no the inversion of means and ends, right? So

The ends never justify the means. Remember that's a moral principle. The ends never justify the means. I may never do evil, the good may come. And so the end is always more important than the means. Yet If I would invert that, right, if I turn that upside down, the inversion of means and ends, which results in giving the value of ultimate end to what is only a means for attaining it. or in viewing persons as mere means to that end, engenders unjust destructures.

Which make Christian conduct in keeping with the commandments of the divine lawgiver difficult and almost impossible. This is so important. This is where we need to keep first things first. This is where we need to say, okay, the ultimate, meaning God, the ultimate end, has to be the ultimate end. And I can never replace the means for that end.

I can never value the means more than the ultimate end. And also, I can never view persons as mere means to that end. Remember we had mentioned that the human person is the only creature that God made as an end in himself, and so we must never Treat human beings as mere means to any end.

So we have to have the right valuing of our priorities. And remember, I I've maybe I've mentioned this before, but the term priority is is really interesting that in the English language it came about in maybe I think the sixteen hundreds. And it was the word priority, it was singular. And somewhere in the last century in the nineteen hundred something, like maybe, you know, three hundred, four hundred years after the invention, the coining of the term priority was always singular, that

Someone made it plural. Now we now we talk about not just priority, but we talk about our priorities. And the reality is, of course, there can be only one priority. When if priority means first, right, there can only be one first. And God is the priority, right? God is the ultimate end. And therefore all other ends are subordinate to that ultimate end. And so we just have to keep first things first. Our our priority has to be first. Now moving on, paragraph eighteen eighty eight.

The church goes on to say, it is necessary then. Like all that being said, right? All that being said about why it's it's so helpful to be able to share culture, why it's so helpful to be able to share what gift you have with others and to share in the gift other people have, as well as

To keep first things first, It's necessary then, paragraph eighteen eighty eight, it's necessary then to appeal to the spiritual and moral capacities of the human person, and to the permanent need for his inner conversion so as to obtain social changes that will really serve him. We have to acknowledge that yes, human beings are physical, we are also spiritual.

And we're also moral. So there's this reality that means the human person, that freedom that we have intrinsic to our nature, must always be respected. And that there is degree to which we will always need inner conversion because why? Because we recognize this, that while we have dignity, while we have goodness, while we're made in God's image and likeness, we are also broken.

there is a permanent need for our inner conversion. So any hope, any any any kind of wish, I'd I'd say it like this, any wish for some kind of future far off utopia Doesn't exist. That is impossible. It is impossible in this life to create this utopia that some somehow a if we just get our social structures right, if we just get our economic principles right, if we just get our education right, if we just get healthcare right, if we just get w you know society right, then we'll be fine.

That is a lie. That is always constantly a lie. Why? Because we are not mere animals. We are not mere robots. We are spiritual animals, right? We have moral capacity and we have brokenness. And so we have a permanent need for our inner conversion. And so if we're gonna have social changes, we have to have interior change. So the yep, there are such things as broken structures, right? There there are broken structures that are unjust.

But those broken structures that are unjust, they come from a a broken heart. They come from a broken human person. And so we always have to acknowledge that there is a the Permanent need for inner conversion. Now it goes on to say in the paragraph 1888, it says the acknowledged priority of the conversion of heart, right? We all have to convert our heart.

in no way eliminates, but on the contrary, imposes the obligation of bringing the appropriate remedies to institutions and living conditions when they are inducement to sin. Right. So so just because we say, Okay, Every human being, we are called not simply to change social structures. We're not simply called to to try to fashion a utopia on this world. We can't do that.

Saying that does not mean, oh, just take care of yourself. Saying that does not mean just, you know, go to confession regularly and and make sure that you're living a virtuous life. It says that because you want to have a conversion of heart, because you want to live a virtuous life, Part of that is not just living your own life, but part of that is saying, now how can I make an impact on the world around me? When I see injustice and

How can I make sure that I'm acting against that injustice? How can I make sure that I actually am willing to right wrongs when I find those wrongs? Because that's a part of inner conversion. Does that make sense? And so to recognize this.

To note the last line in paragraph eighteen eighty eight, to help change those institutions, to remedy those institutions in living situations when they're an inducement to sin so that they conform to the norms of justice and advance the good rather than hinder it. So just because we're concerned about our own individual soul does not mean that everyone else can just go their own way.

Because we're we're put placing a high, high value on your own immortal soul does not mean that we just simply ignore everyone else. On the contrary, it means that we do what we can to address. Remedies to institutions and living conditions are the same.

when they're an inducement to sin, so they conform to the norms of justice and advance the good rather than hinder it. And the last thing I want to highlight is paragraph eighteen eighty nine. Which is so good because we look at that then and we say, Okay, where do we start? How how in the world do we start? What what what is the level of evil that we're willing to tolerate that we have to tolerate? And where is it we can say, Nope, no more. We have we have to do something about this right now.

Paragraph eighteen eighty nine says, Without the help of grace, men would not know how to discern the often narrow path between the cowardice which gives in to evil and the violence which under the illusion of fighting evil only makes it worse. Right that just kinda says, Yeah, I mean that's how it is in these days. You can't make a utopia, so we might as well not even try. And the violence which under the illusion of fighting evil only makes it worse.

That we have to put a stop to this and so now I'm gonna be a dictator. Right. That that there is this Hmm. There is so much wisdom. that is necessary to be able to discern that often narrow path between cowardice which gives into evil and the violence which under the illusion of fighting evil only makes it worse. And so what's the way? What's the way we move forward? This is the path of charity. That is, of the love of God and of neighbor.

Charity is the greatest social commandment. It goes on and just these last sentences are so powerful because he They will chart the course for us for everything we talk about when it comes to participation in social life. They'll chart the course for us when it comes to everything we talk about when it comes to how do I make that discernment between the cowardice that gives into evil and the violence, which under the illusion of fighting evil only makes it worse. It says this.

Charity, greatest social commandment. It respects others and their rights. Okay, that's first. Respects others and their rights. Got it. It requires the practice of justice. Remember what justice is? Giving another what is their due. And it alone, love alone, makes us capable of justice. And that's so important for us to understand. Love alone makes us capable of justice. It goes on to say: charity inspires a life of self-giving. So just these these brief points.

That if we're going to be able to discern between the cowardice that gives into evil and the violence which under the illusion of fighting evil only makes it worse, we have to be able to walk the path of charity.

It's the greatest social commandment to love God above everything and to love our neighbor as ourselves. It respects others and their rights. It requires the practice of justice and Charity alone makes us capable of it, and charity inspires a life of self giving, because as Jesus said, whoever seeks to gain his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will

We'll preserve it. As we move forward in the next number of days, it's gonna be so good. This is it gets even better because we have we have this rich history, what we call Catholic social teaching.

In this rich history of Catholic social teaching, we recognize that for two thousand years, plus you using the heritage that we receive from our Jewish brothers and sisters, we have this view of not only of the human person, but also a view of what it is to have a Christian society, or what it is to be a Christian living in a non Christian society. What is a well ordered Human society. What is the way in which human beings can flourish the best?

That's what we'll be talking about in the next number of days. I don't know. Hopefully this makes sense. Hopefully you're excited by this. Hopefully we're convicted by this because it's not just about learning more. Remember, this is about conversion.

Inner conversion. That is the goal of this whole entire catechism in a year. And so we belong to the Lord more and more with God's grace. With God's grace, I am praying for you. Please pray for me. My name is Father Mike. I cannot wait to see you tomorrow. God bless.