The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
A day-by-day walk through the transformative beliefs and teachings of the Catholic Church.
We found 10 episodes of The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) with the tag “creation”.
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Day 47: The Angels (2024)
February 16th, 2024 | 17 mins 58 secs
angels, church, corporeal, creation, creatures, earth, gloria, heaven, intercession, jesus christ, liturgy, saints, spiritual, spiritual world, worship
The angels belong to Christ as they were made through him and for him, and he has made them messengers of his saving plan. 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. Fr. Mike explains how in the liturgy, we join the angels in praising God, and all of human life is surrounded by angels’ care and protection. He reminds us that all angels and saints have the power to intercede for us before God. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 331-336.
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Day 46: Heaven and Earth (2024)
February 15th, 2024 | 18 mins 12 secs
angels, corporeal, creation, earth, heaven, spiritual, spiritual world
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 (2024)
February 14th, 2024 | 13 mins 45 secs
creation, creator, evil, sacrifice, suffering, surrender, 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 (2024)
February 12th, 2024 | 20 mins 7 secs
create, creation, divine providence, freedom, god creates, good, goodness of creation, human nature, order, primary causey, salvation, secondary causes, 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 (2024)
February 11th, 2024 | 17 mins 47 secs
creation, existence, gods create, holy trinity, love, recreation, 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 (2024)
February 9th, 2024 | 18 mins 15 secs
creation, creator, earth, god, god the father, heaven, origins
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 7: God Reveals Himself (2024)
January 7th, 2024 | 16 mins 30 secs
creation, creation of man, fullness of truth, god’s plan for man, grace, knowing god, love of god, loving god, meaning of life, promise of salvation, redemption, revelation, seeking truth, truth, understanding god, unity
God reveals himself to man and gives us the capacity to know and love him beyond our own natural abilities. From the very beginning, even after the first sin of Adam and Eve, God made himself known to human beings and gave us a promise of redemption. Fr. Mike explains how God’s covenant with Noah offers hope for salvation and unity that are only made possible in Christ. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 50-58.
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Day 6: Knowing God With Certainty (2024)
January 6th, 2024 | 19 mins 26 secs
creation, creation of the universe, creator, creature, god in nature, god is real, god made the world, intelligent design, knowing god, made by god, meaning of life, naming god, objective reality, objective truth, proof of god, proving god, purpose of creation, seeking truth, speaking of god, truth, truth about god
Today’s reading is a summation of what we have learned so far. Man is made for God, and we are born with a capacity for knowing God. Using our senses, listening to our consciences, and employing our gift of reason, we can know with certainty that God exists. Fr. Mike explains how we live freely only in communion with our Creator, even if we are limited in our capacity of comprehension. Knowing this compels us to share our faith in God with those who do not yet believe. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 44-49.
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Day 330: The Revelation of Prayer
November 26th, 2023 | 20 mins 48 secs
abel, abraham, article 1, article one, chapter 1, chapter one, christian prayer, covenant, creation, enoch, enosh, esau, faith, genesis, god calls man, how we pray, israel, jacob, 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, 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
November 19th, 2023 | 16 mins 30 secs
artists, beautiful art, beauty, creation, eighth commandment, lying fine arts, music, sacred art, 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.