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 “faith”.
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Day 24: Unity of Faith (2024)
January 24th, 2024 | 15 mins 52 secs
apostolic succession, belief, church, cultures, faith, formulas, st ireneous, tradition, united church, unity of faith, universal faith
As we wrap up the current section, we learn about the unity of faith and how the Church is meant to be united in Christ through apostolic succession. In addition, Fr. Mike reminds us that, as Catholics, we don’t just believe in formulas. We believe in the realities those formulas express. Lastly, Fr. Mike encourages us to trust in the Church, who guards the truths of the Faith and passes them down through the ages. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 170-175.
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Day 23: We Believe (2024)
January 23rd, 2024 | 15 mins 52 secs
apostles creed, belief, catholic creed, community, creed, eternal life, faith, hope, profession of faith, we believe
While faith is deeply personal, it is not an isolated act. Today, Fr. Mike reflects on the reality that our faith is communal. It is lived out and passed down in the context of community. We also learn that faith is truly the beginning of eternal life. Despite the sufferings of this world, when we walk by faith, we experience a taste of heaven here and now. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 163-169.
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Day 22: Wrestling with Faith (2024)
January 22nd, 2024 | 17 mins 26 secs
belief, believing god, doubts, faith, miracles, proofs of god, signs, struggles with faith, trusting god, wrestling with faith
In our Catechism readings today, Fr. Mike reflects on the motives of credibility for believing in God. We learn that God offers us signs and proofs that show us that he truly is who he says he is. Fr. Mike also clarifies the difference between doubting the Faith and struggling with it. He assures us that wrestling with faith is a normal human experience. Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 156-162.
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Day 21: Believing God (2024)
January 21st, 2024 | 14 mins 6 secs
belief, believing god, faith, freedom, having faith, revelation, supernatural virtue, truth
Fr. Mike continues reflecting on the meaning of faith and how it works in our lives. We learn that faith is a grace from God, a supernatural virtue that is not contrary to human freedom or reason. Fr. Mike reminds us that to have faith is not just to believe in God, but to believe God and everything he says. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 150-155.
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Day 20: Stepping in Faith (2024)
January 20th, 2024 | 15 mins 13 secs
abraham, belief, believing, faith, mans response to god, mary, obedience, revelation, stepping in faith
As we dive into a new chapter today, we learn about how we are called to respond to God’s Revelation. In particular, we discover that Mary and Abraham are models of faith who show us how to be obedient by submitting our intellect and will to God. Fr. Mike assures us that even though God doesn’t usually give us the whole picture of our lives, he gives us just enough light to take the next step in faith. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 142-149.
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Day 15: Interpreting Scripture (2024)
January 15th, 2024 | 16 mins 32 secs
ascension, bible, catechism, catechism in a year, catholic, catholic church, catholicism, faith, father mike schmitz, fr mike schmitz, holy bible, holy spirit, interpretation of scripture, interpreting scripture, revelation, scripture, scriptures, tradition, word of god
How do Catholics interpret Scripture? Fr. Mike breaks down the three basic principles for interpreting Scripture: attentiveness to the content and unity of the whole Bible, reading Scripture within the living Tradition of the Church, and attentiveness to the analogy of Faith. These criteria allow the Church to interpret Scripture accurately and prevent us from taking Scripture out of context. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs are 109-114.
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Day 12: Receiving Dogmas (2024)
January 12th, 2024 | 15 mins 33 secs
belief, binding truths, catechism, divine revelation, dogmas, faith, magisterium, salvation of souls, teachings of the church, truth
How do we come to accept the binding truths of the Faith? Fr. Mike explains how the dogmas of the Faith are boundaries designed to help us know God and ourselves accurately. He invites us to see these boundaries as lights along our path that enable us to love God and fully do his will. If we can understand that these dogmas are guided by love, we can come to receive them as gifts for the salvation of our souls. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 88-95.
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Day 11: Sources of Divine Revelation (2024)
January 11th, 2024 | 19 mins 25 secs
apostles, apostolic tradition, bible, bishops, church, divine revelation, faith, magisterium, pope, sacred scripture, sacred tradition, teaching of the church, word of god
Fr. Mike breaks down the Catechism’s teaching that divine revelation consists of both Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition and emphasizes why both sources are of equal importance in the Faith. He also clarifies the difference between Apostolic Tradition and ecclesial traditions. Lastly, Fr. Mike encourages us to receive with docility the teachings and directives of the Magisterium of the Church, trusting in the authority of the Pope and the bishops. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 80-87.
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Day 10: The Apostolic Tradition (2024)
January 10th, 2024 | 16 mins 48 secs
apostolic succession, catholic church, divine teaching, faith, god’s word, handing on the faith, holy spirit, revelation, scripture, teaching authority, tradition
The Gospel was handed on in two ways — orally and in writing. Both Scripture and Tradition are sources of Divine Revelation. Fr. Mike describes how the first apostles left bishops as their successors, passing down to them their teaching authority, and this apostolic succession is preserved until the end of time. The passing on of the Faith isn’t something reserved for bishops but something we are all called to participate in. Through the Holy Spirit, God’s Word is present and active in the Church today. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 74-79.
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Day 4: Our Capacity for God (2024)
January 4th, 2024 | 19 mins 4 secs
belief, chapter 1, desire for god, divine revelation, faith, i believe, knowing god, man’s capacity for god, part 1, pillar 1, profession of faith, proofs for god, religious being, response to god, restless until we rest in you, st. augustine, st. thomas aquinas, the creed, the search, we believe
The Catechism begins to explore what it means “to believe” by examining our innate desire for God and all the ways we can come to know him. Fr. Mike grounds us in a refrain he promises to repeat throughout the year—God loves you. Not in an abstract way, but in a concrete, unique way. God knows you, and he wants you to know him. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 26-35.