The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Episode Archive
Episode Archive
579 episodes of The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) since the first episode, which aired on October 7th, 2022.
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Day 239: The Formation of Conscience
August 27th, 2023 | 22 mins 18 secs
conscience, morality, reason, truthful, upright, well-formed conscience
Together, with Fr. Mike, we unpack the formation of our conscience. Fr. Mike emphasizes that a well-formed conscience is one that is both “upright and truthful.” He also highlights the idea that a well-formed intellect is vital to having a well-formed conscience. We cannot just say something is either right or wrong, we have to understand why we think that. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1783-1789.
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Day 238: Our Moral Conscience
August 26th, 2023 | 18 mins 51 secs
conscience, evil, good, judgement, moral, morality, prudence, reason, responsibility
Together, with Fr. Mike, we explore the moral conscience. Fr. Mike emphasizes that even though our intellect has been weakened by sin, we still have some sense, our conscience, that tells us that there is a right and wrong. He also emphasizes the difference between our conscience and our passions. Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 1776-1782.
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Day 237: The Morality of the Passions
August 25th, 2023 | 22 mins 45 secs
anger, desire, fear, feelings, hatred, joy, love, morality, passions, sadness, sensitive appetite, vices, virtue
Together, we examine The Morality of The Passions. Fr. Mike unpacks and explores the different elements of the definition of “passions”. He emphasizes that while passions, themselves, are neither good nor bad, there still is a moral component to them. It is what we do with our passions that can either contribute to virtue or vice. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1762-1775.
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Day 236: The Morality of Human Acts
August 24th, 2023 | 18 mins 24 secs
agency, circumstances, evil, freedom, good, human acts, intention, morality, morality of human acts, object, right, sin, wrong
Together, with Fr. Mike, we examine the article on the morality of human acts. Fr. Mike unpacks the three “sources” of morality: the object chosen, the end in view or the intention, and the circumstances. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the categories of right or wrong, good or evil. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1749-1761.
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Day 235: Human Freedom in Salvation
August 23rd, 2023 | 16 mins 57 secs
freedom, grace, human acts, liberation, moral law, morality, morality of human acts, salvation, sin
Together, with Fr. Mike, we examine the reality of our human freedom in the economy of salvation. Fr. Mike emphasizes that the right to freedom does not imply a right to say or do anything. Rather, it is the power to choose the “right.” He also emphasizes that the moral law actually allows us to live with freedom and joy, and that when we violate the moral law, we violate our own freedom. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1739-1748.
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Day 234: Freedom and Responsibility
August 22nd, 2023 | 16 mins 2 secs
article 3, choosing evil, choosing good, definition of free will, definition of freedom, free will, freedom and responsibility, imputability, involuntary, man’s freedom, negative freedom, original sin, positive freedom, religious freedom, slavery of sin, vice, virtue, voluntary
The Catechism gives us an overview of what it means for humans to have freedom, as well as some of the ramifications of that freedom. It introduces us to the countercultural notion that true freedom is to choose the good—the “freedom” to choose evil is merely the abuse of freedom. Fr. Mike ensures that we understand imputability and culpability because questions about intention, ignorance, and other social factors will be the hinges upon which swing the doors of sin. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1730-1738.
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Day 233: The Beatitudes
August 21st, 2023 | 19 mins 40 secs
apostolic catechesis, augustine, beatitudes, confessions, decalogue, discernment, eternal life, in brief, kingdom of god, kingdom of heaven, meek, nuggest day, poor in spirit, pure in heart, sermon on the mount, vocation to beatitude
“The Beatitudes are at the heart of Jesus’ preaching,” the Catechism tells us. Jesus’ proclamation in Chapter 5 of the Gospel of Matthew purifies our hearts, sets a standard for earthly discernment, and directs our actions towards heaven. Fr. Mike invites us to choose God’s ways and forsake our own ways. Today’s readings and paragraphs 1716-1729.
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Day 232: Man Is Made in the Image of God
August 20th, 2023 | 19 mins 46 secs
beatitude, chapter one, dignity of the human person, divine charity, divine image, filial adoption, for its own sake, free will, human solidarity, image and likeness, in brief, life in the spirit, likeness of god, man’s vocation, nugget day, section 1, section one, the image of god, vocation of man
We enter a new chapter examining the dignity of the human person, and Article 1 shows us that we have dignity because we are made in the image and likeness of God. We preserve that dignity when we exercise virtue and charity, and we do violence to it when we commit sin and evil acts. Fr. Mike hones in on the bold statement that we as humans are “the only creature on earth that God has willed for its own sake.” Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1699-1715.
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Day 231: Our Calling
August 19th, 2023 | 19 mins 10 secs
catechesis, catholic morality, children of god, christian morality, dead to sin, ecclesial catechesis, how we live, life in the spirit, man’s vocation, moral teaching, moral theology, morality, of charity, of grace, of sin and forgiveness, of the christian virtues, of the holy spirit, of the human virtues, ourcalling, part 3, part iii, part three, partakers of the divine nature, section one, temple of the holy spirit
As we step into Part Three of the Catechism on How We Live, we begin with an overview of our high calling as sons and daughters of God. Truly our “first and last point of reference” will always be “Jesus Christ himself, who is ‘the way, and the Truth, and the life.’” Fr. Mike identifies for us that when most people say, “I can’t accept what the Church teaches”, it’s rarely about dogma, like the Trinity or the divinity of Christ. More often than not, it’s about Christian morality, and that’s the journey we’re embarking on. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1691-1698.
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Day 230: How We Live (Part 3 Introduction with Dr. Mary Healy)
August 18th, 2023 | 59 mins
3rd part, contraception, dr. mary healy, how we live, intro episode, life in christ, live in the spirit, moral theology, morality, our calling, part 3, part three, sexual ethics, sexual morality, third part
The third part of the Catechism tells us how to live—how God has revealed that we are made to act toward him, toward each other, and toward ourselves. Fr. Mike and Dr. Mary Healy dive deep into moral theology, the state of our culture, and some of the stumbling blocks readers are bound to encounter in this part of the Catechism (as well as how to overcome them).
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Day 229: Christian Funerals
August 17th, 2023 | 20 mins 50 secs
death, funeral, hope, kingdom, mourning, resurrection, reunion
In this final episode of Pillar 2, we learn about the Christian funeral rite. Fr. Mike explains how the new life begun in Baptism comes to greater fulfillment as the Christian passes over from this earthly life into the fullness of the Kingdom. The Church, who has sacramentally nourished her children throughout their earthly pilgrimage, upon their death commends them to the Father and places their bodies in the earth to await the resurrection in hope. Each funeral is to end with a farewell to the beloved dead, knowing that we still share communion in Christ and will reunite in our heavenly home. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1680-1690.
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Day 228: Blessings, Sacramentals, and Popular Piety
August 16th, 2023 | 22 mins 52 secs
blessed, blessing, culture, exorcism, liturgy, pilgrimage, rosary
Sacramentals are sacred signs that resemble the sacraments. Blessings of people, places, and objects are foremost among the various sacramentals found in the life of the Church. Among these blessings are those of exorcism, in both its simple and solemn form. Fr. Mike notes that sacramentals and the many forms of popular piety, such as the Rosary, are noble expressions of faith that prepare us to participate in the Liturgy but can never replace the Liturgy. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1667-1679.
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Day 227: Summary of the Sacrament of Matrimony
August 15th, 2023 | 13 mins 29 secs
education, family, home, kids, love, marriage, wedding
This summary of the Catechism's teaching on the sacrament of Matrimony pulls together several beautiful themes regarding marriage and family. Fr. Mike emphasizes the family as the Domestic Church, that community where parents and children grow in charity, forgiveness, prayer, and self-giving. We're reminded that the communion of love shared by husband and wife in marriage is a sacramental sign of the union between Christ and his Church. Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 1659 through 1666.
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Day 226: The Supreme Gift of Marriage
August 14th, 2023 | 15 mins 40 secs
family, home, infertility, kids, love, marriage, single
“Children are the supreme gift of marriage,” says Vatican II. Marriage is directed by its very nature toward the procreation of children. Beyond this, parents are the primary educators of their children, responsible for their holistic formation. Sadly, many couples suffer from infertility. Even in their struggle, they can provide a powerful witness of love, sacrifice, and fidelity. In all this and more, we see the family as the Domestic Church. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1652-1658.
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Day 225: Total Fidelity in Marriage
August 13th, 2023 | 20 mins 13 secs
covenant, divorce, fidelity, love, marriage, reconciliation, separation
“Love seeks to be definitive,” the Catechism tells us in this section on marital fidelity. The faithfulness of husband and wife in the sacrament of Matrimony is a sign of God’s irrevocable covenant with humanity. This fidelity is both beautiful and challenging. Fr. Mike addresses painful situations of separation and divorce and how the whole ecclesial community should respond with truthful love. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1646 through 1651.
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Day 224: The Grace of the Sacrament of Marriage
August 12th, 2023 | 21 mins 19 secs
catholic marriage, conjugal love, faithfulness, fertility, grace of marriage, husband, indissoluble bond, marriage bond, marriage roles, married love, matrimony, one flesh, spouses, unity in marriage, wives
The grace of the Sacrament of Marriage provides husbands and wives the strength to love one another with supernatural, tender, and fruitful love. Fr. Mike covers the characteristics of the marriage bond and the different roles of husbands and wives. He explains what it means to “be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.” We also learn that indissolubility, faithfulness, and openness to fertility are requirements of conjugal love. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1638-1645.