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 68: The Mystery of the Incarnation (2024)
March 8th, 2024 | 17 mins 41 secs
body, divine, divine love, heart, human, human love, incarnation, jesus, love, mystery, nature, sacred heart, salvation, will, word made flesh
We learn more about Jesus Christ’s nature as fully God and fully human. Because he was fully human, “like us in all things but sin,” Jesus had a human will that was perfectly aligned with the will of God the Father, a human body that can be seen and venerated, and a human heart with which he loves us. Fr. Mike sums up the teachings in recent readings by reviewing that the Incarnation is the mystery of the union of the divine and human natures in the one person of the Word. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 475-483.
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Day 65: Why the Word Became Flesh (2024)
March 5th, 2024 | 19 mins 9 secs
divine nature, flesh, holiness, incarnation, jesus, love, salvation, son of god, word
The Word became flesh to reconcile us with God, to manifest God’s love for us, to model holiness, and to make us partakers of the divine nature. We learn that the “Incarnation” refers to the fact that the Son of God assumed human nature in order to accomplish our salvation. Fr. Mike explains that belief in the Incarnation of God is the distinctive sign of Christian faith. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 456-463.
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Day 53: Man in Paradise (2024)
February 22nd, 2024 | 16 mins 17 secs
adam and eve, concupiscence, friendship with god, harmony with creation, in brief, in-brief, labor, leisure, love, mastery of self, original justice, original sin, the garden, work
In the beginning, humans were in friendship with God and in harmony with creation. The Catechism unfolds this harmony and introduces us to the “original justice” that our first parents lost in sin. Fr. Mike reminds us that, although our original callings to leisure, love, and labor have been twisted by sin, they are renewed in Christ. Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 374-384.
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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 350: Persevering in Prayer
December 16th, 2023 | 16 mins 13 secs
article 2, article two, chapter 3, chapter three, christian prayer, evagrius ponticus, filial trust, giver, how is our prayer efficacious, how we pray, it is always possible to pray, love, origen, part 4, part four, persevering in love, pray, prayer and christian life are inseparable, prayer in the christian life, prayer is a vital necessity, relationship, section 1, section one, st alphonsus liguori, st john chrysostom, st paul, the battle of prayer, the life of prayer
The Catechism teaches about the effectiveness of prayer and how to persevere in prayer. Fr. Mike explains that although God already knows what we need before we ask, he wants us to pray, and he extends us dignity by allowing us to pray and ask for what we need. In the process of prayer, we are able to learn the heart of the Father, grow closer to him, and become more like him. The Catechism goes on to state that when it comes to prayer, it is always possible, a vital necessity, and inseparable from the Christian life. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 2738-2745.
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Day 348: The Battle of Prayer
December 14th, 2023 | 25 mins 41 secs
battle, failure, grace, grit, humility, love, prayer
Prayer is "grace and grit," as Fr. Mike phrases it. In this section, one of Fr. Mike's favorites in the Catechism, we hear that "we pray as we live because we live as we pray." This living and praying is a battle in which we must confront our failures and accept the Holy Spirit's grace and aid. Prayer requires humility, trust, and perseverance on our part. In this struggle, we must battle against distraction, ourselves, dryness, and temptation. Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 2725-2731.
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Day 341: The Theological Virtues
December 7th, 2023 | 13 mins 58 secs
article 1, article one, at the wellsprings of prayer, chapter 2, chapter two, christian prayer, cure of ars, curé of ars, faith, holy spirit, hope, how we pray, in brief, love, nugget, nuggets, part 4, part four, prayer, prayer in the christian life, scripture, section 1, section one, st john vianney, theological virtues, today, tradition of prayer
The Catechism reveals the theological virtues of faith, hope, and love as additional “wellsprings” of prayer for us to connect with the Father. Fr. Mike explains that we must enter into prayer with faith, pray in hope, and love as God loves us. Fr. Mike also addresses the Catechism's view on praying in the present, not looking at the past or future. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 2656-2662.
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Day 338: Intercession and Thanksgiving
December 4th, 2023 | 13 mins 4 secs
grief, intercession, love, prayer, praying, saints, thanksgiving
We look at two more forms of prayer: intercession and thanksgiving. Fr. Mike emphasizes that in the age of the Church, intercession, or asking on behalf of another, is participating in Christ’s mediation. He also emphasizes that in all things we must give thanks, even in times of suffering and grief. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 2634-2638.
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Day 337: Blessing, Adoration, and Petition
December 3rd, 2023 | 23 mins 13 secs
grief, intercession, love, prayer, praying, saints, thanksgiving
Prayer in the age of the Church takes on many different forms. Together, we examine specifically blessing, adoration, and petition. Fr. Mike emphasizes the beauty that all of our prayers of blessing are a response to God’s blessings for us. He also explores how common and spontaneous prayers of petition to our Father in heaven truly are, but in the age of the Church, our petition is full of hope and not lamentation. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 2623-2633.
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Day 325: Battling for Purity
November 21st, 2023 | 22 mins 27 secs
heart, love, lust, modesty, pornography, purity
As Fr. Mike suggests, the battle for purity is never more difficult than in our own day. With God’s grace, we can prevail and find freedom from our temptations. Fr. Mike explains that we win this battle through chastity, purity of intention, purity of vision, and prayerful reliance on the Lord. He tells us how to pray for a pure gaze that allows us to see our brothers and sisters as God sees them. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 2520-2533.