What do we owe each other?
And does that come down to a choice?
I’ve covered this topic a few times. And the Catechism in a Year podcast brought me back to it this week.
“In the presence of Christ, who is truth itself, the truth of each man’s relationship with God will be laid bare. Now, that truth, that honesty is so important. Why?
Because sometimes we deceive ourselves, right? We can deceive ourselves into thinking that we’re better than we are and we can deceive ourselves into thinking that we’re worse than we are”
From The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz): Day 141: The Last Judgment (2026), May 21, 2026
Action at every level
Discussing Heaven and Hell, Fr. Mike Schmitz describes something we choose.
We can’t just drift into Heaven. We have to actively choose loving God and serving out His commandments.
That certainly applies to the “haves”. There’s no shortage admonishing billionaires to care for the poor.
But that’s not where the lesson stops.
It keeps going to contentions around voluntary giving. Any giving is good, right?
If government forces more giving to happen through taxation, that should do the most good.
But there’s enough precedent for that method failing.
Instead, it creates dependency. Dependency dulls the senses for short-term gain and makes it difficult to improve your situation.
Especially when you realize your needs are no longer met.
Rather than staying awake and being responsible for your actions, dependency lulls you into a false sense of contentedness.
Then what happens to your full calling?
Fewer excuses than you thought
Yes, there are exceptions for widows, orphans, and the disabled. But even those exceptions are capable of great things.
Think of the widow Judith beheading Holofrenes.
Think of the slender Esther appealing to King Ahasuerus on behalf of her father’s loyalty and Haman being executed.
Think of the housewife Jael nailing the commander Sisera to the ground.
Not the glorious, shining heroes we expect to save the day. Just people going about their normal lives and using the opportunity given them to help their neighbors.
(NOTE: not advocating violent overthrow here when we’ve lost the culture of building generative systems 😅)
Another path?
Here’s the thing for those complaining about the “have nots” not having: If you see the ways people could be helped, but haven’t built a system for the haves to pour into, that’s wrong.
And you’re shorting others on a huge opportunity. Because the haves invest in systems that work. They just can’t do all the work themselves.
If you’ve been told all your life it’s over if you lose your government aid, that you’re too weak to do anything but accept it, I want to challenge that assumption.
Because in this moment, I owe you an explanation that there’s more for you.
If you want it.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a billionaire or dirt poor. The message doesn’t change.
Don’t deceive yourself into being better or worse than you are.
What happens next depends on whether you accept it. Because you’re the only one who can.
No drifters allowed.
Affiliate corner
What happens when you stop drifting? You don’t have to go it alone.
If you’re ready to get off the sidelines and do something to help yourself and others, join me in the accountability groups at Tom Woods’ School of Life. It’s full of people finding their own breakthroughs and encouraging others in the same.
There’s more to learn! Dig deeper before you go:
Liberty Begins At Home 
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