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

Day 58: Man’s Spiritual Battle

February 27th, 2023  |  21 mins 58 secs

concupiscence, first sin, original sin, protoevangelium, sin, spiritual battle

Fr. Mike explores the hard battle which each and every one of us must face, the battle with sin. Together, we examine the mystery of us being both free and under the power of the Devil. Fr. Mike emphasizes that if we are unaware of our wounded nature, it can lead to grave errors in our own lives. If we have an attitude that, “since I’m made good, then everything I’m drawn to must be good,” we can fall into temptation and evil. We conclude on a hopeful note; however, that even after we sinned, God did not abandon us to the “domain of death,” and with God’s grace, evil will never have the last word. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 407-412.

Day 57: Consequences of Adam’s Sin

February 26th, 2023  |  15 mins 34 secs

adam, concupiscence, eve, human nature, original sin, personal sin

Fr. Mike examines the consequences of the sin of our first parents, Adam and Eve. He discusses that even though they committed a personal sin, it affected all of human nature. As Fr. Mike states, “Original sin broke the world.” Additionally, we explore the idea that although we are good, we are still broken. Fr. Mike also discusses how each and every one of us has an inclination towards evil and sin known as concupiscence. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 402-406.

Day 56: Man’s First Sin

February 25th, 2023  |  20 mins 57 secs

adam, eve, original sin, sin, the fall

Together, with Fr. Mike, we explore the nature of man’s first sin or our “freedom put to the test.” Fr. Mike unpacks the importance of us understanding that freedom is not the power to “do what we want,” but rather, the power to “do what I ought.” Though the story of the first sin is that of our first parents, Fr. Mike emphasizes that we still repeat the grave error of the first sin in our own lives by preferring our own perceived “goods” over the “goods” of our Creator and Father in heaven. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 396-401.

Day 55: The Fall of the Angels

February 24th, 2023  |  18 mins 43 secs

angels, creation, disobedience, fall, fallen angels, satan

Fr. Mike explores the fall of the angels, and how their fall leads to our own “fall into death out of envy.” Together, we examine what caused some of the angels to fall, whether it be pride or envy, and how it affects humanity's reality within creation. Fr. Mike concludes with a commentary on the mystery of why Divine Providence permits evil and the actions of the fallen angels. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 391-395.

Day 54: The Fall of Man

February 23rd, 2023  |  19 mins 2 secs

adam and eve, evil, evil in the world, fall of man, moral evil, mystery of lawlessness, original sin, paragraph 7, reality of sin, sin, the fall, where sin abounds

The Catechism introduces us to the Fall, beginning with the reality of sin and the mystery of evil. Fr. Mike highlights the fact that sin is not “a developmental flaw, a psychological weakness, a mistake, or the necessary consequence of an inadequate social structure,” but it is man saying, “not your will, but mine be done” to God. Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 385-390.

Day 53: Man in Paradise

February 22nd, 2023  |  16 mins 17 secs

adam and eve, concupiscence, friendship with god, harmony with creation, in brief, in-brief, labor, leisure, love, mastery of self, original justice, original sin, the garden, work

In the beginning, humans were in friendship with God and in harmony with creation. The Catechism unfolds this harmony and introduces us to the “original justice” that our first parents lost in sin. Fr. Mike reminds us that, although our original callings to leisure, love, and labor have been twisted by sin, they are renewed in Christ. Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 374-384.

Day 52: Male and Female

February 21st, 2023  |  15 mins 23 secs

bone of my bones, complementarity, difference, equality, father, feminine, flesh of my flesh, god’s image, helper, helpmate, husband, made for each other, male and female, masculine, men and women, mother, sexism, wife

The Catechism teaches about God’s plan and design for men and women—male and female—and their equality, complementarity, dignity, and destiny. Fr. Mike shows us how men and women can be both complete in themselves and yet made “for each other.” Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 369-373.

Day 51: Unity of Soul and Body

February 20th, 2023  |  16 mins 52 secs

body and soul, body soul unity, corporeal, dualism, dualist, hylomorphic, image of god, spirit, spirit and matter, spiritual

The soul and the body “are not two natures united, but rather their union forms a single nature.” The Catechism introduces us to this profound mystery and begins to unpack our nature as a body and as a soul. Fr. Mike shows us how so much pain and confusion in modern times—and indeed throughout history—stems from an attempt to separate these two inseparable parts of our being. Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 362-368.

Day 50: The Dignity of Man

February 19th, 2023  |  16 mins 29 secs

brethren, charity, communion, dignity of life, dignity of man, friendship of god, god created man, human race, image of god, imago dei, male and female, man, paragraph 6, racism, self-knowledge, self-possession, sexism, solidarity, unity of persons

“God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him, male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27). The Catechism teaches us about man’s God-given dignity and unique place in creation. Fr. Mike explains the unity that exists between all persons, and how this necessitates a “law of human solidarity and charity.” Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 355-361.

Day 49: We Are Created For Worship

February 18th, 2023  |  20 mins 13 secs

ascension, bible, catechism, catechism in a year, catechism of the catholic church, catholic, catholic church, catholic doctrine, catholic faith, catholic teachings, catholicism, creation, creatures, earth, father mike, father mike schmitz, foundations of faith, fr mike, fr mike schmitz, heaven, jesus, rest, sabbath, scripture, tradition, worship

There is a solidarity among all of God’s creatures because all are oriented to give glory to God. We learn that God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh day, sanctifying it and blessing it.

Day 48: Creation in Order

February 17th, 2023  |  18 mins 59 secs

corporeal, creation, creatures, dominion, earth, heaven, hierarchy, human beings, interdependence, stewardship, universe, visible

God created all of the visible world in richness, diversity, and order, and everything owes its existence to God. Because all of creation comes from God, every creature has its own goodness and perfection.

Day 47: The Angels

February 16th, 2023  |  17 mins 58 secs

angels, ascension, bible, catechism, catechism in a year, catechism of the catholic church, catholic, catholic church, catholic doctrine, catholic faith, catholic teachings, catholicism, church, corporeal, creation, creatures, earth, father mike, father mike schmitz, foundations of faith, fr mike, fr mike schmitz, gloria, heaven, intercession, jesus, jesus christ, liturgy, saints, scripture, spiritual, spiritual world, tradition, worship

We learn that angels have been present throughout the history of salvation, and the life of Christ is surrounded by the adoration and service of angels.

Day 46: Heaven and Earth

February 15th, 2023  |  18 mins 12 secs

angels, ascension, bible, catechism, catechism in a year, catechism of the catholic church, catholic, catholic church, catholic doctrine, catholic faith, catholic teachings, catholicism, corporeal, creation, earth, father mike, father mike schmitz, foundations of faith, fr mike, fr mike schmitz, heaven, jesus, scripture, spiritual, spiritual world, tradition

We learn that the earth is filled with men and many things we can see, but our faith tells us that there are many things on earth that we cannot see, including the presence of God and angels.

Day 45: Summary of Creation

February 14th, 2023  |  13 mins 45 secs

ascension, bible, catechism, catechism in a year, catechism of the catholic church, catholic, catholic church, catholic doctrine, catholic faith, catholic teachings, catholicism, creation, creator, evil, father mike, father mike schmitz, foundations of faith, fr mike, fr mike schmitz, jesus, sacrifice, scripture, suffering, surrender, tradition, transform, trust, universe

In this “In Brief” section of the Catechism, we review that only God has the power to create, that is, to call into existence something from nothing.

Day 44: The Scandal of Evil

February 13th, 2023  |  17 mins 45 secs

ascension, bible, brokenness, catechism, catechism in a year, catechism of the catholic church, catholic, catholic church, catholic doctrine, catholic faith, catholic teachings, catholicism, evil, fallen world, father mike, father mike schmitz, foundations of faith, fr mike, fr mike schmitz, jesus, physical evil moral evil, saints, scandal of evil, scripture, sin, suffering, tradition

If God is a good Father and creates a good world, why does evil exist? The Catechism addresses this profound and often painful question. Fr. Mike helps us understand how to reconcile sin, evil, and suffering with God’s loving Providence. He assures us that while God does not remove evil, he does redeem it, offering himself as the solution. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 309-314.

Day 43: Creation Is Good

February 12th, 2023  |  20 mins 7 secs

How does God create? We read about the reality that God creates an ordered and good world. Moreover, he is continually present in his creation, upholding and sustaining it. We also learn that God grants human beings the dignity of being causes, giving us the incredible power to share in his Divine Providence freely. Finally, Fr. Mike reminds us that because we can participate in God’s plan, our suffering is not meaningless. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 299-308.