The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) - Day 134: The Forgiveness of Sins (2025)

Episode Date: May 14, 2025

The Catechism provides an overview on how Jesus grants the Church the ability to forgive sins through both Baptism and the sacrament of Reconciliation. Fr. Mike doubles down on the revelation that there is no sin that Jesus can’t forgive—and no one is disqualified. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 976-987. This episode has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism by the Institute on the Catechism, under the Subcommittee on the Catechism, USCCB. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/ciy Please note: The Catechism of the Catholic Church contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

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And now, let's get started. Hi, my name is Father Mike Schmitz and you're listening to the Catechism in a Year podcast, where we encounter God's plan of sheer goodness for us, revealed in scripture and passed down through the tradition of the Catholic faith. The Catechism in a Year is brought to you by Ascension in 365 days. We'll read through the Catechism of the Catholic Church, discovering our identity in God's family as we journey together toward our heavenly home. This is Day 134, reading paragraphs 976-987. It is the entire section today.

As always, I'm using the Ascension edition of the Catechism, which includes the Foundations of Faith approach, but you can follow along with any recent version of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. You can also download your own Catechism in your reading plan by visiting ascensionpress.com slash C I Y and you can click follow or subscribe in your podcast app for daily updates and daily notifications today is day 134 as I said it's article 10 that I believe in the forgiveness of sins we're doing the whole article we're doing the whole enchilada today the whole chicken we have not only paragraphs 976 to 983 but we also have four nuggets at the end so

it is the family pack family meal I don't know who's gonna stop this it's ridiculous we get to talk about the forgiveness of sins and this is remarkable the paragraph 976 kicks off by saying the Apostles Creed associates faith in the forgiveness of sins not only with faith in the Holy Spirit because if we think about this believe in the Holy Spirit because if we think about this Believe in the Holy Spirit Holy Catholic Church the communion of saints the forgiveness of sins right starts with that section of the Holy Spirit so associates Forgiveness with faith in the Holy Spirit, but also with faith in the church I believe in the Holy Spirit the Holy Catholic Church the communion of saints

Forgiveness of sins BAM. There we are. Why because it was when Jesus gave the Holy Spirit to the Apostles That Jesus gave them his own power divine power to forgive sins If you remember back in John's gospel chapter 20 Jesus breathes on them It says receive the Holy Spirit if you forgive the sins of any they are forgiven if you retain the sins of any they are retained So he gives to the Apostles his own divine power ability to forgive sins that's how the forgiveness of Jesus Christ comes to us that's how the what he merited by his life death and resurrection on the cross in the death and resurrection and giving us the Holy Spirit that's how it comes to us it

comes to us that forgiveness that mercy that redemption it comes to us through the ministry of the church this is incredible redemption, it comes to us through the ministry of the church. This is incredible. Now, first it comes to us, it says in paragraph 977, through baptism, through faith and baptism. It goes on to quote Mark's Gospel, chapter 16, where Jesus says, go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation.

He who believes and is baptized will be saved. So baptism is the first and chief sacrament of the forgiveness of sins. And that's so important. But also we recognize that after we get baptized, we are truly transformed. We're made into God's sons and daughters. We are truly forgiven of original sin and of any actual sin. Yet we still experience the effects of the fall.

Because of that, we have this inclination towards evil, AKA concupiscence. And so we do, we do choose sin. So rather than leave us on our own, Jesus has given us the grace of forgiveness through the sacrament of reconciliation. So we'll talk about that more in weeks to come, but today we're just, you know, highlighting that as well. So it's so beautiful, so powerful. It really just absolutely incredible. And then also there's the power of the keys and that power of the keys of the kingdom of heaven. So that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in Jesus's name to all nations. We're talking about that today. That there is no offense. This is paragraph 982. There is no offense, however serious, that the church cannot forgive. And that is so encouraging that Jesus Christ giving the Apostles and their successors his own divine ability and power to

forgive sins means that none of us should ever ever despair although at the same time you know many of us are tempted to discouragement or tempted to despair especially when we see our brokenness and our broken hearts so let's begin this day by praying just just calling upon the Lord, we pray. Father in heaven, we give you praise, we thank you. We give you glory, we lift up your name. We ask that you please send your Holy Spirit, a spirit of confidence and of courage,

especially in our moments of discouragement. Lord God, send the grace of the conviction that you love us in the midst of our weakness, especially when we're experiencing despair, temptation towards discouragement. Send your Holy Spirit, the fire of your love, to never give up, to never surrender, but to always lean into your mercy, to always lean into your grace. We thank you for mercy. We thank you for your forgiveness.

And today, Lord God, for all the areas that we need mercy, for all the ways that we need your forgiveness today, please meet us in our need. Please grant us your mercy, grant us your salvation, grant us your forgiveness. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, amen.

As I said, it's day 134, reading paragraphs 976 to 987. Article 10. I believe in the forgiveness of sins. The Apostles' Creed associates faith in the forgiveness of sins not only with faith in the Holy Spirit, but also with faith in the Church and in the communion of saints. It was when he gave the Holy Spirit to his apostles that the risen Christ conferred on them his own divine power to forgive sins, when he said in John's Gospel, Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained.

Part 2 of the Catechism will deal explicitly with the forgiveness of sins through baptism, the sacrament of penance, and the other sacraments, especially the Eucharist. Here it will suffice to suggest some basic facts briefly. One Baptism for the Forgiveness of Sins Our Lord tied the forgiveness of sins to faith and baptism. In Mark's Gospel, Jesus stated, Go into all the world, and preach the Gospel to the whole creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved.

Baptism is the first and chief sacrament of forgiveness of sins because it unites us with Christ who died for our sins and rose for our justification so that we too might walk in newness of life. When we made our first profession of faith while receiving the Holy Baptism that cleansed us, the forgiveness we received then was so full and complete that there remained in us absolutely nothing left to efface neither original sin nor offenses committed by our own will, nor was there left any penalty to suffer in order to expiate them. Yet, the grace of baptism delivers no one from all the weakness of nature. On the contrary, we must still combat the movements of concupiscence that never cease

leading us into evil. In this battle against our inclination towards evil, who could be brave and watchful enough to escape every wound of sin? If the Church has the power to forgive sins, then baptism cannot be her only means of using the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven received from Jesus Christ. The Church must be able to forgive all penitents their offenses even if they should sin until the last moment of their lives. It is through the sacrament of penance that the baptized can be reconciled with God and

with the Church. Penance has rightly been called by the Holy Fathers a laborious kind of baptism. This sacrament of penance is necessary for salvation for those who have fallen after baptism just as baptism is necessary for salvation for those who have not yet been reborn. The Power of the Keys After His resurrection, Christ sent His apostles so that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in His name to all nations. The apostles and their successors carry out this ministry of reconciliation not only by announcing to men God's forgiveness merited for us by Christ and calling them to conversion

and faith, but also by communicating to them the forgiveness of sins in baptism and reconciling them with God and with the Church through the power of the keys received from Christ. As St. Augustine stated, The Church has received the keys of the power of the keys received from Christ. As Saint Augustine stated, the Church has received the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, so that in her sins may be forgiven through Christ's blood and the Holy Spirit's action. In this Church, the soul, dead through sin, comes back to life in order to live with Christ, whose grace has saved us. There is no offense, however serious, that the Church cannot forgive. There is no one, however wicked and guilty, who may not confidently hope for forgiveness,

provided his repentance is honest. Christ who died for all men desires that in his Church the gates of forgiveness should always be open to anyone who turns away from sin. Catechesis strives to awaken and nourish in the faithful faith in the incomparable greatness of the risen Christ's gift to his Church, the mission and the power to forgive sins through the ministry of the apostles and their successors. St. Ambrose stated, The Lord wills that his disciples possess a tremendous power, that his lowly servants accomplish in his name all that he did when he was on earth. St. John Chrysostom stated,

Priests have received from God a power that he has given neither to angels nor to archangels. God above confirms what priests do here below. And St. Augustine stated, Were there no forgiveness of sins in the Church, there would be no hope of life to come or eternal liberation. Let us thank God, who has given His Church such a gift. In brief, the Creed links the forgiveness of sins with its profession of faith in the Holy Spirit, for the risen Christ entrusted to the Apostles the power to forgive sins when He gave them the Holy Spirit.

Baptism is the first and chief sacrament of the forgiveness of sins. It unites us to Christ, who died and rose, and gives us the Holy Spirit. By Christ's will, the Church possesses the power to forgive the sins of the baptized and exercises it through bishops and priests normally in the sacrament of penance. In the forgiveness of sins, both priests and sacraments are instruments which our Lord Jesus Christ, the only author and liberal giver of salvation, wills to use in order to efface our sins and give us the grace of justification. Okay, there it is, Article 10. As I said, the whole enchilada, the whole chicken today.

Paragraphs 976 to 987. My goodness, I am, just praise God, just honestly, just for a second, to stop and give the Lord praise. Here we have this article about the forgiveness of sins. So powerful. Okay, where does it come from? Jesus Christ, obviously. Right by the merits of His life, death, and resurrection,

we can have our sins forgiven. That what Jesus made possible is made actual in the Holy Spirit and it's communicated to us by the vehicle of the sacraments, right? Just incredible. So paragraph 977 highlights this. Our Lord tied the forgiveness of sins to faith and baptism. That quote from Mark chapter 16,

who believes and is baptized will be saved. Yes, absolutely. I love this paragraph 978. It is, it's from the Roman Catechism, and it is beautiful. Let's go back through it. Paragraph 978 says, "'When we made our first profession of faith

"'while receiving the Holy Baptism that cleansed us, "'the forgiveness we received then was so full and complete "'that there remained in us absolutely nothing left "'to efface neither original sin sin nor offenses committed by our own will Nor was there left any penalty to suffer in order to expiate them basically This is stating the power of baptism now We're gonna talk about baptism in again as I said in the weeks to come when we get to the second pillar on the sacraments But here is the power of baptism so not only are we ever made sons and daughters of the Lord

We have the temple of the Holy Spirit, but also all sins have been completely effaced So fully that is assessor. There's nothing left to a face. There's nothing left to heal It's all healed and yet and yet this is mmm Grace of baptism delivers no one from all the weakness of nature on the contrary of baptism delivers no one from all the weakness of nature. On the contrary, we must still combat the movements of concupiscence that never cease leading us into evil. Concupiscence is that broken part of us that you know we're made for good, we're made for truth, we're made for beauty and yet we sometimes take counterfeits, sometimes we're drawn to things that are not true, sometimes we do

things that are not true, we're not good, not beautiful, yet we're still oriented that way, we're just kind of twisted. It's one way to say that. And we all still experience this. And that's one of the reasons why I love paragraph 978-9, because it just gets even better and better. It says in this battle against our inclination towards evil, right? Cucupisans. Who could be brave and watchful enough to escape every wound of sin?

Ah, and again, then one of these incredible quotes from the Roman Catechism, it says, if the church has the power to forgive sins, then baptism cannot be her only means of using that power, basically. If the church has power to forgive sins, why? Because I have my sins forgiven once, but then here I am with my broken heart and I choose sin again. And God does not want to leave us abandoned even after we've been restored, but I've fallen away. And therefore, what does he do? The church must be able to forgive all penitence,

their offenses, even if they should sin until the last moment of their lives. Now, there's a word of hope in there. And I hope you hear that word of hope rather than, wait, are you just saying you can sin until the last moment of your life and just be forgiven easily at the end? Well, well, well not easily

We recognize that the price of forgiveness for our sins is the death and resurrection of God himself in the flesh in Jesus Christ So it's not easy And also it's not magic, right? We actually to truly be forgiven of our sins, not only requires the Lord's work that it's accomplished, right? In His giving of the Holy Spirit and going to confession, but also requires this cooperation on our part, also requires real repentance on our part. Again, it's not magic and we don't want to take the sacraments for granted ever. It's not one of those situations where someone says, I mean, the temptation can be there, right?

The temptation can be there to say, well, you know what, I'm not gonna go to confession until some later date, therefore, I'll just get all my sinning in right now. I know that sometimes can be a temptation to people. Father, how do you know that? Well, A, because I have a broken heart myself, and B, because I hear confessions.

And I know that sometimes that's one of the temptations that people will bring, just like it's a temptation that I can experience in my life. And yet what's the Lord call us to? He calls us to true, humble, and authentic repentance, where we actually turn away from our sins and turn towards His grace. Anytime we do that, there is no offense, paragraph 982,

every time we do that, there is no offense, however serious, that the church cannot forgive. That's why this, again, quote from the Roman Catechism says, there is no one, however wicked and guilty, who may not confidently hope for forgiveness provided his repentance is honest. So good. And that last little quote,

let me just last quote, I don't know, second to last quote. Christ, who died for all men, desires that in his church, the gates of forgiveness should always be open to anyone who turns away From sin just such an incredible statement Christ who died for all men desires that in his church the gates of forgiveness should always be open to anyone who turns away From sin that means nobody is too far gone for the Lord. Nobody is disqualified This is this is you. This is me right now gone for the Lord. Nobody is disqualified. This is you. This is me right now. With our broken hearts, our broken past, even our broken present, there is no one

of us who is too far gone that Christ doesn't continually reach out and call us to Himself because He desires. I mean, we realize this. The whole point of His life, death, and resurrection is to bring us His mercy, is to unite us to himself. And it's all been done. His saving work has been accomplished. What remains to be done is what? What remains to be done is our cooperation to let the saving work of Jesus Christ actually be accomplished in my life and in your life in our lives and I'm so grateful for this 983 these three quotes from st. Ambrose st. John Chrysostom and st. Augustine Because these early church fathers right in the first centuries of the church are saying so clearly so clearly that the ordinary means of reconciliation with the Lord comes to the ministry of the priesthood.

Incredible. Again, St. John Christ is saying, Priests have received from God a power that he has given neither to angels nor to archangels. God above confirms what priests do here below. And then St. Augustine, were there no forgiveness of sins in the church, there would be no hope of life to come or eternal liberation. Let us thank