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 “love”.
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Day 273: Him Only Shall You Serve (2024)
September 29th, 2024 | 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 272: You Shall Worship the Lord Your God (2024)
September 28th, 2024 | 25 mins 10 secs
10 commandments, 1st commandment, acedia, apostasy, article 1, article one, chapter 1, chapter one, charity, commandments, decalogue, despair, faith, first commandment, hatred of god, heresy, hope, incredulity, indifference, ingratitude, love, love the lord your god with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind, lukewarmness, presumption, schism, st justin, st paul, ten commandments, ten words, voluntary doubt, worship the lord your god and him only shall you serve
“You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.” Taking a look at the first commandment, we see how we are called to love and worship God above all else. The Catechism also lists the ways in which we may potentially fall into sins against faith, hope, and charity. Fr. Mike elaborates on these violations and reminds us that while it may seem overwhelming, God loved us first, and we must trust in him. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 2083-2094.
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Day 266: The Gift of Grace (2024)
September 22nd, 2024 | 17 mins 10 secs
conversion, freedom, grace, heaven, love, perfection, salvation
In this summary of the Catechism’s teaching on holiness, justification, and merit, we briefly consider the work of God’s grace and mercy. His grace moves us from sin and toward him, making us his sons and daughters and bringing us into the very life of the Trinity. This gift of grace invites us to respond to his promptings and invitations freely. Finally, God offers “all the graces needed to attain eternal life.” Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 2017-2029.
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Day 265: The Call to Holiness (2024)
September 21st, 2024 | 13 mins 26 secs
battle, heaven, holiness, holy, love, mystical, perfection
Each of us is called to holiness. As Fr. Mike puts it, we’re all called to the “heights of holiness.” No matter our station in life, we’re meant for ever greater union with Christ, devoting ourselves to the love of God and neighbor. The path of holiness also entails the Cross, self-denial, and the sacrifice that ultimately leads to peace. And as Fr. Mike reminds us, even if we stumble or fail, we know that we can, time after time, “begin again.” Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 2012-2016.
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Day 254: Social Justice (2024)
September 10th, 2024 | 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 247: The Weight of Sin (2024)
September 3rd, 2024 | 21 mins 47 secs
bullfighting, freedom, hell, love, mercy, reconciliation, sin
We can consider the variety of sins in light of their gravity or seriousness. In doing so, we see that some sins weaken charity while others destroy it. The first we call venial sins, the second mortal. Our very freedom makes possible this rejection of God. Yet, God’s mercy has no limits. God can and will forgive every sin of which we repent. Fr. Mike invites all listeners to seek this forgiveness and go to Confession. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1854-1864.
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Day 246: Mercy and the Mystery of Sin (2024)
September 2nd, 2024 | 24 mins 37 secs
conversion, forgiveness, love, mercy, reason, sin
Jesus reveals God’s offer of loving mercy to sinners. To accept this gift, we must identify and admit our failings. Recognizing our sins enables us to further cooperate in our redemption. Sin can be understood and categorized in several ways, but every sin wounds our nature and damages our relationships with God and neighbor. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1846-1853.
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Day 245: Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit (2024)
September 1st, 2024 | 19 mins 19 secs
courage, gifts, joy, love, perfection, spirit
As we end our exploration of the virtues, we learn about the gifts of the Holy Spirit. These gifts perfect our virtues and increase our ability to respond to God’s guidance and inspiration. The fruits of the Holy Spirit perfect us, are signs of a life lived in the Spirit, and are “the first fruits of eternal glory,” as the Catechism tells us. Our cooperation with the Holy Spirit sustains and perfects our moral life, enabling us to live a more full and joyful life. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1830-1845.
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Day 244: The Virtue of Charity (2024)
August 31st, 2024 | 21 mins 43 secs
charity, love, virtue of charity, virtues
The greatest of all the theological virtues is charity. Fr. Mike explains that charity, or love, is to love God above all things for his own sake and to love our neighbor as ourselves. This includes loving our enemies and also obeying God's commandments, two actions that are not always easy. Most importantly, today's readings remind us that true charity is not loving the Father as servants in fear or as mercenaries looking for a reward but rather as his beloved children responding to him who "first loved us." Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 1822-1829.
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Day 237: The Morality of the Passions (2024)
August 24th, 2024 | 22 mins 45 secs
anger, desire, fear, feelings, hatred, joy, love, morality, passions, sadness, sensitive appetite, vices, virtue
Together, we examine The Morality of The Passions. Fr. Mike unpacks and explores the different elements of the definition of “passions”. He emphasizes that while passions, themselves, are neither good nor bad, there still is a moral component to them. It is what we do with our passions that can either contribute to virtue or vice. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1762-1775.