The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
A day-by-day walk through the transformative beliefs and teachings of the Catholic Church.
Displaying items 1-10 of 52 in total of The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) with the tag "creation".
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Day 46: Heaven and Earth (2026)
February 15th, 2026 | 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
God created heaven and earth — all that we see and all that we don’t see. 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. Fr. Mike explains how human beings are spiritual and corporeal creatures, but angels are immortal, purely spiritual creatures. He tells us more about the role of angels and how, possessing intellect and will, they too are created to glorify God. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 325-330.
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Day 45: Summary of Creation (2026)
February 14th, 2026 | 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. God made man and the entire universe as a manifestation of his love, and he keeps the world and all of us in existence by his will. Fr. Mike discusses one of the greatest mysteries of our faith: God bringing good out of evil. He says we won’t fully understand this mystery until we are united with God in heaven. In a broken world, we are called to trust in the goodness of God. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 315-324.
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Day 43: Creation Is Good (2026)
February 12th, 2026 | 20 mins 7 secs
ascension, bible, catechism, catechism in a year, catechism of the catholic church, catholic, catholic church, catholic doctrine, catholic faith, catholic teachings, catholicism, create, creation, divine providence, father mike, father mike schmitz, foundations of faith, fr mike, fr mike schmitz, freedom, god creates, good, goodness of creation, human nature, jesus, order, primary causey, salvation, scripture, secondary causes, tradition, universe, world
How does God create? We read today 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.
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Day 42: The Work of Creation (2026)
February 11th, 2026 | 17 mins 47 secs
ascension, bible, catechism, catechism in a year, catechism of the catholic church, catholic, catholic church, catholic doctrine, catholic faith, catholic teachings, catholicism, creation, existence, father mike, father mike schmitz, foundations of faith, fr mike, fr mike schmitz, gods create, holy trinity, jesus, love, recreation, scripture, tradition, trinity, world
Why did God create? The Catechism today gives us a glimpse into the reason for our existence as we learn about God’s marvelous work of creation. Fr. Mike emphasizes that creation is ultimately a work of the Holy Trinity and a work of love that reveals the glory of God. He also reminds us that creation is not a work of the past; God is constantly forming and breathing new life into our lives and hearts. Today we read Catechism paragraphs 290-298.
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Day 40: God Is the Creator (2026)
February 9th, 2026 | 18 mins 15 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, earth, father mike, father mike schmitz, foundations of faith, fr mike, fr mike schmitz, god, god the father, heaven, jesus, origins, scripture, tradition
Fr. Mike explores God’s role as “Creator” and the vital importance of understanding God as the Creator of all things: heaven and earth, seen and unseen. Together, we examine the questions of our origins, such as “Where do we come from?” and “Where are we going?” Fr. Mike emphasizes that man is created for a purpose because of the great and eternal love our Father in heaven has for every one of us. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 279-284.
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Day 330: The Revelation of Prayer (2025)
November 26th, 2025 | 21 mins 38 secs
abel, abraham, article 1, article one, ascension, bible, catechism, catechism in a year, catechism of the catholic church, catholic, catholic church, catholic doctrine, catholic faith, catholic teachings, catholicism, chapter 1, chapter one, christian prayer, covenant, creation, enoch, enosh, esau, faith, father mike, father mike schmitz, foundations of faith, fr mike, fr mike schmitz, genesis, god calls man, how we pray, israel, jacob, jesus, noah, old testament, part 4, part four, prayer, prayer in the christian life, promise, revelation of prayer, scripture, section 1, section one, source of prayer, tradition, universal call to prayer
As the Catechism reveals, we are made for worship and called to a relationship with the Lord through prayer. God is the initiator and wants us to walk with him as he “tirelessly calls each person to the mysterious encounter known as prayer.” Fr. Mike reminds us that just like Abraham in the Old Testament, the more we get to know the Lord through prayer, the more we become like him. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 2566-2573.
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Day 323: Truth, Beauty, and Sacred Art (2025)
November 19th, 2025 | 15 mins 41 secs
artists, ascension, beautiful art, beauty, bible, catechism, catechism in a year, catechism of the catholic church, catholic, catholic church, catholic doctrine, catholic faith, catholic teachings, catholicism, creation, eighth commandment, father mike, father mike schmitz, foundations of faith, fr mike, fr mike schmitz, jesus, lying fine arts, music, sacred art, scripture, tradition, truth, truthfulness
Have you ever been moved by beauty? As we conclude our journey through the eighth commandment, we learn that beautiful art points us to the truth and perfection of God. Lastly, Fr. Mike reminds us that this commandment encourages us to always walk in the light and bear witness to Christ in all we say and do. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 2500-2513.
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Day 315: The Church’s Social Doctrine (2025)
November 11th, 2025 | 21 mins 10 secs
animals, ascension, bible, capitalism, catechism, catechism in a year, catechism of the catholic church, catholic, catholic church, catholic doctrine, catholic faith, catholic teachings, catholicism, commandments, communism, creation, economics, father mike, father mike schmitz, foundations of faith, fr mike, fr mike schmitz, jesus, pets, scripture, seventh commandment, social doctrine, socialism, ten commandments, tradition
Together, with Fr. Mike, we examine both our respect for the integrity of creation as well as the Church’s broader social doctrine. Fr. Mike emphasizes that we owe animals kindness because they have been entrusted to our stewardship, but also that we must have a balanced relationship with them. He then goes on to examine the Church’s Social Doctrine in our postmodern world, focusing on capitalism, socialism, and communism. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 2415-2425.
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Day 142: The New Heaven and the New Earth (2025)
May 22nd, 2025 | 15 mins 58 secs
ascension, bible, catechism, catechism in a year, catechism of the catholic church, catholic, catholic church, catholic doctrine, catholic faith, catholic teachings, catholicism, creation, end of time, father mike, father mike schmitz, foundations of faith, fr mike, fr mike schmitz, fullness of time, jesus, kingdom of god, last judgment, new earth, new heaven, redemption of creation, scripture, tradition
What will happen to humanity and the entire universe at the end of time? Fr. Mike shares with us the joyous hope of the new heaven and the new earth that awaits us after the Last Judgment. We learn that “at the end of time, the Kingdom of God will come in its fullness,” and all of creation will be redeemed and renewed. There will be no more weeping, mourning, nor pain, for death shall be no more. Fr. Mike invites us to hold on to this hope as we struggle on this side of heaven and await this great promise. Today’s Catechism readings are paragraphs 1042-1050.
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Day 100: God’s Word and Spirit (2025)
April 10th, 2025 | 21 mins 30 secs
ascension, bible, catechism, catechism in a year, catechism of the catholic church, catholic, catholic church, catholic doctrine, catholic faith, catholic teachings, catholicism, creation, father mike, father mike schmitz, foundations of faith, fr mike, fr mike schmitz, holy spirit, jesus, law, pedagogy, prophets, scripture, spirit, theophanies, tradition, word
Together with Fr. Mike, we unpack the joint mission of God’s Word and the Spirit in the Old and New Testaments. Fr. Mike emphasizes the Spirit’s role in creation, the theophanies, and the Law. We conclude today’s reflection with an examination of the prefiguration of the Church in the exile of the people of God in the Old Testament. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 702-710.