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

Day 193: Communion Forever in Heaven (2024)

July 11th, 2024  |  14 mins 36 secs

beatific vision, eschataological, eucharist, eucharistic, heaven, heavenly glory, holy communion, last supper, marana tha, maranatha, my father’s kingdom, pledge of glory, veiled

The Catechism wraps up its overview of the Eucharist by reminding us that the sacrament of Holy Communion is a foretaste of what is to come in heaven. Fr. Mike exhorts us to prepare our hearts here on earth so that they might be conformed to God, ready to unite with him forever in heaven. The Eucharist is a most excellent path to such unity. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1402-1405.

Day 192: Unity in the Eucharist (2024)

July 10th, 2024  |  18 mins 14 secs

blood of christ, body of christ, church unity, communion, cup of blessing, eastern church, ecclesial communities, eucharist, full communion, holy supper, in sacris, intercommunion, mystical body, non-catholic, protestant, reformation, sacrament, unity of christians

The sacrament of Holy Communion unites the faithful together in a most profound, visible way. It also makes disunity in the Church all the more painful and apparent. The Catechism reveals the Church’s teachings regarding the Eucharist and Christian churches who are not in full communion with the Catholic Church. Fr. Mike addresses a most common and difficult question: “If a non-Catholic believes that the Eucharist is truly Jesus, why can they not receive him in the sacrament?” Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1396-1401.

Day 191: The Eucharist Changes Us (2024)

July 9th, 2024  |  17 mins 35 secs

drink my blood, eat my flesh, eucharist, eucharistic banquet, eucharistic communion, fruits of holy communion, mortal sins, union with christ, venial sins

As the popular adage goes, “you are what you eat.” The Catechism tells us that, as food nourishes the body, so Jesus present in Holy Communion nourishes the soul. It especially highlights the Eucharist’s role in separating us from sin. Fr. Mike reminds us we must be open to change if Jesus is going to change us in the reception of Holy Communion. If—to use Fr. Mike’s analogy—Holy Communion is a “shower” of graces, we must ensure that we’re not wearing a raincoat. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1391-1395.

Day 190: Receiving Holy Communion (2024)

July 8th, 2024  |  19 mins 37 secs

communion, communion fast, confession, eucharist, profaning the body and blood, reconciliation, species, unworthy manner

The Catechism goes over the prerequisites to receiving Jesus in the Eucharist, as well as how often the faithful can and should receive him. Fr. Mike ensures that we understand the gravity of our obligation to go to the sacrament of Reconciliation before receiving Communion. As St. Paul said, “Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord.” Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1384-1390.

Day 189: Worship of the Eucharist (2024)

July 7th, 2024  |  18 mins 16 secs

adoration, eucharist, paschal banquet, sacraments, true presence, worship

We continue our examination of the sacrament of the Eucharist, specifically how we worship the Eucharist. Fr. Mike examines how we, as Catholics, worship Christ's true and real presence in the Eucharist. He emphasizes how incredibly important the worship of Christ in the Eucharist is, specifically in Adoration. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1378-1383.

Day 188: Christ’s Presence in the Eucharist (2024)

July 6th, 2024  |  18 mins 59 secs

blood, body, bread, eucharist, sacraments, transubstantiation, true presence, wine

Together, with Fr. Mike, we explore the reality of Christ’s true presence in the Eucharist. Fr. Mike unpacks what actually happens during the celebration of the sacrifice of the Eucharist, specifically, transubstantiation. He explains that during the Consecration, the whole substance of bread and wine becomes the whole substance of the Body and Blood of Christ. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1373-1377.

Day 187: The Church’s Sacrificial Unity (2024)

July 5th, 2024  |  18 mins 18 secs

apostolic succession, eucharist, faithful departed, sacraments, sacrifice, sacrificial unity, st. ignatius of antioch, st. monica, unity

Together, we continue our exploration of the sacrificial memorial of the sacrament of the Eucharist. Fr. Mike reiterates that the whole Church, both visible and invisible, is united in the Sacrifice of the Eucharist. He also further unpacks the importance of a quote from St. Ignatius of Antioch, which states that the offering of the sacrifice of the Eucharist must be united with the apostolic succession of our Pope and bishop. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1369-1372.

Day 186: The Sacrificial Memorial (2024)

July 4th, 2024  |  17 mins 48 secs

christ’s passion, eucharist, mass, memorial, sacraments, sacrifice, sacrificial memorial

We continue our examination of the sacrament of the Eucharist. Fr. Mike emphasizes that every element of Christ’s passion, the whole thing, is one, single sacrifice, and when we celebrate the Mass, we are participating in that same sacrifice. He also reiterates that the Eucharist is both a noun and a verb. It “re-presents” the sacrifice of the Cross. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1362-1386.

Day 185: Thanksgiving, Memorial, Presence (2024)

July 3rd, 2024  |  14 mins 13 secs

eucharist, exodus, genesis, memorial, presence of christ, sacrifice, sacrificial memorial, thanksgiving

Together with Fr. Mike, we continue our examination of the sacrament of the Eucharist. Fr. Mike takes us back to the Book of Genesis, the sacrifices of Cain and Abel, and the Book of Exodus, the story of Moses and Pharaoh. He emphasizes that the point of freedom in life is to be led to the freedom to worship God and that it matters to God that we freely choose to attend the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1356-1361.

Day 184: The Movement of the Mass (2024)

July 2nd, 2024  |  17 mins 22 secs

celebration of the mass, eucharist, high priest, liturgy, melchizedek, worship

There is great depth to the movement of the celebration of the Mass. Fr. Mike highlights the role of Christ as the head and high priest and the role of the laity as the body of Christ at Mass. Fr. Mike also emphasizes the importance of the altar at Mass, reminding us that the heart of religion is worship, and the heart of worship is sacrifice. Lastly, Fr. Mike explains how God’s love requires a response from each of us, making it both inclusive and exclusive love. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1348-1355.

Day 183: The Mass of All Ages (2024)

July 1st, 2024  |  15 mins 10 secs

body and blood of jesus, body of christ, church father, eucharist, holy mass, mass, mass of all ages, paschal lamb, road to emmaus, st justin martyr

Celebrating the sacrament of the Eucharist has been part of the Tradition of the Catholic Church for 2,000 years. Fr. Mike unpacks the citation from St. Justin Martyr's First Apology, which beautifully describes the structure of the Mass in AD 155 and captures how the Early Church had the same understanding of the Eucharist as we do today. Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 1341-1347.

Day 182: The Signs of Bread and Wine (2024)

June 30th, 2024  |  19 mins 44 secs

body and blood of jesus, daily bread, eucharist, last supper, manna, mass, multiplication of loaves, passion, passover meal, signs of bread and wine

Fr. Mike breaks down the various ways the Eucharist fulfills the sacrifices of bread and wine of the Old Covenant and explains why the Eucharist is central to God’s plan of salvation. We learn that the Eucharist is a pledge of God’s love for each one of us and a tangible reminder that Jesus is always with us. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1333-1340.

Day 181: The Sacrament of the Eucharist (2024)

June 29th, 2024  |  13 mins 37 secs

The sacrament of the Eucharist has many different names, and "each name evokes certain aspects of it." Fr. Mike explains the meaning behind this sacrament's various titles, including; thanksgiving to God, the Lord's Supper, Breaking of Bread, the Holy Sacrifice, Holy Mass, and others. All the names of this sacrament ultimately remind us that the Eucharist is both a noun and a verb. It is the Son's great sacrifice to the Father and Jesus Christ himself. Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 1328-1332.

Day 180: The Source and Summit (2024)

June 28th, 2024  |  11 mins 6 secs

The Eucharist is “the source and summit of the Christian life.” Today, we begin our journey into the mystery of the Eucharist. Fr. Mike emphasizes that the Eucharist is particularly unique in relation to the other sacraments because it unites us to the heavenly liturgy and draws us into communion with God. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1322-1327.

Day 179: Summary of Confirmation (2024)

June 27th, 2024  |  16 mins 39 secs

Together, with Fr. Mike, we have arrived at the conclusion and nugget day for the section on the sacrament of Confirmation. Fr. Mike reiterates the idea that, “What God has done in me cannot stop with me.” We receive God’s gifts at Confirmation, and it is now up to us to use these gifts. He also emphasizes the importance of having the desire for the sacrament of Confirmation when the sacrament is received. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1315-1321.

Day 178: Who Receives Confirmation (2024)

June 26th, 2024  |  15 mins 37 secs

age of discretion, bishop, confirmation, minister, sacraments, sacraments of initiation, sponsor

We continue our examination of the sacrament of Confirmation, specifically both who should receive Confirmation and who can act as the minister of the sacrament. Fr. Mike reiterates that every baptized person, not yet confirmed, should receive the sacrament of Confirmation. Without Confirmation, Christian initiation remains incomplete. He also emphasizes the importance of choosing someone who can help you grow in the Faith as a sponsor. Fr. Mike concludes with an examination of who the minister of Confirmation is, and how its minister ties us to the apostolic succession. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1306-1314.