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 “justice”.
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Day 301: Peace
October 28th, 2023 | 17 mins 54 secs
10 commandments, 5th commandment, anger, article 5, article five, charity, commandments, dignity, fifth commandment, hatred, high call, how we live, justice, kill, life in christ, love, love of neighbor, mortal sin, part 3, part three, peace, peacemakers, prince of peace, respect, revenge, st augustine, st thomas aquinas, ten commandments, vengeance
Peace is not simply an absence of war. Fr. Mike breaks down the Catechism’s teachings about peace as the "work of justice and the effect of charity.” We learn that to cultivate true peace, we must do more than avoid anger, hatred, and harm to our neighbor; we must actively work toward becoming agents of peace. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 2302-2306.
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Day 293: Legitimate Defense
October 20th, 2023 | 17 mins 9 secs
5th commandment, capital punishment, crime and punishment, criminal justice system, death penalty, fifth commandment, how we live, justice, legitimate defense, life in christ, love of neighbor, love our enemies, love your enemies, love your neighbor as yourself, part 3, part three, protect, punishment, right to life, self-defense, st thomas aquinas, the commandments, thou shalt not kill, you shall not kill
Is there ever a time where legitimate defense is justifiable? The Catechism answers this question and how it relates to honoring the dignity of the human person as we dive deeper into the fifth commandment. We learn about defense of ourselves and others, principles of crime and punishment, and capital punishment. Fr. Mike also explains the Church’s current teaching on the death penalty and why it has changed over time. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 2263-2267.
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Day 290: The Duties of Citizens
October 17th, 2023 | 20 mins 48 secs
4th commandment, armed resistance, article 4, article four, authority, civil authorities, country, foreigner, fourth commandment, freedom, how we live, just war, justice, life in christ, love of neighbor, nation, part 3, part three, patriotism, political authorities, solidarity, st paul, the commandments, the duties of citizens, the duty of citizens, truth
As citizens of a nation, we have certain responsibilities in accordance with God’s Law. The Catechism provides parameters for contributing to society, welcoming the foreigner, refusing obedience, and resisting oppression. Fr. Mike helps us better understand our role as co-collaborators in society within the lens of our world today. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 2238-2243.
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Day 273: Him Only Shall You Serve
September 30th, 2023 | 20 mins 21 secs
10 commandments, 1st commandment, act of the apostles, adoration, cannon law, charity, chastity, commandments, decalogue, deuteronomy, faith, first commandment, hope, justice, love, obedience, poverty, prayer, promises, sacrifice, st augustine, st francis desales, st paul, ten commandments, ten words, vows, worship the lord your god and him only shall you serve
How can we serve God? The Catechism identifies ways in which we can keep the first commandment through adoration, prayer, sacrifice, and promises and vows. Fr. Mike relates these to us and identifies how we can truly worship and serve the Lord throughout our daily lives. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 2095-2103.
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Day 257: The Old Law
September 14th, 2023 | 12 mins 57 secs
justice, law, mercy, moral law, old covenant, old testament, revealed law
We continue the section on moral law, specifically focusing on the Old Law. Fr. Mike emphasizes that the Old Law is the first stage of Revealed Law. He also unpacks how the Old Law acts as preparation for the Gospel. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1961-1964.
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Day 254: Social Justice
September 11th, 2023 | 22 mins 16 secs
dignity, equality, human dignity, justice, love, love your neighbor as yourself, respect, social justice
We begin to look at social justice as outlined by the Catechism by diving into two aspects: respect for the human person and equality and differences among men. The dignity of the human person is at stake without social justice. Fr. Mike highlights that since we are all made in the image and likeness of God, we are all equal in dignity and are to love everyone including our enemies. With that, we must recognize that we are not all the same and work towards fairer conditions for all. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1928-1938.
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Day 253: Participation in Public Life
September 10th, 2023 | 21 mins 51 secs
citizens, common good, fraud, human dignity, in brief, institutions, justice, nugget day, obligation, participation, public life, responsibility, rights and responsibilities, social interchange, subterfuges, voluntary, volunteer
The Catechism has shown us how the common good begins with the good of the individual. It further shows us that each individual can participate in the pursuit of the common good for all—and that this participation is not optional, but an obligation. Fr. Mike explains the nature of this obligation in quite simple terms: “see a need, fill a need.” Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1913-1927.
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Day 250: Conversion in Society
September 7th, 2023 | 22 mins 19 secs
conversion, hierarchy of values, inner conversion, justice, means to an end, social change, social justice, society, unjust structures
Before we can see outward changes for the good in society, there must be inward conversion in the hearts of its members, so says the Catechism. Fr. Mike highlights the fact that societies are made up of people with both body and soul—and the soul is often overlooked. Because we are broken, there is a “permanent need” for our conversion, and any society that fails to take this into account is doomed to do violence to human dignity. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1886-1896.
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Day 248: The Spread of Sin
September 5th, 2023 | 20 mins
injustice, justice, morality, oppression, sin, society
We close the section on human dignity and goodness by learning how sin engenders vice. Our readings today discuss the proliferation of sin and how capital sins, in particular, lead to vices that can become rooted in a person or society. Fr. Mike reminds us that while sin is a personal act, it is also possible for us to cooperate in and encourage the sins of others. This can lead to the formation of “structures of sin” that lead others down the path of evil and contribute to establishing “social sins.” Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1865-1876.
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Day 241: The Cardinal Virtues
August 29th, 2023 | 22 mins 2 secs
being a good person, cardinal virtues, fortitude, human virtues, justice, moral life, morality, prudence, temperance
A virtuous person is someone who consistently chooses the good. Fr. Mike unpacks the four human or cardinal virtues that are essential in helping us become more like Jesus: prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance. We learn that these four virtues make possible “ease, self-mastery, and joy in leading a morally good life.” Today’s Catechism readings are paragraphs 1803-1811.