The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) - Day 358: Who Art in Heaven (2024)

Episode Date: December 23, 2024

As we reach the conclusion of the article on the opening words of the Our Father, we take a closer look at the phrase, “Who Art in Heaven.” Fr. Mike emphasizes that God is not distant, but is imminently present all around us. He also emphasizes that while sin has exiled us from heaven, conversion of heart allows us to return to the Father in heaven. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 2794-2802. 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.

Hi there, I just wanted to hop in real quick to tell you about a great way to listen to both Bible in a Year and Catechism in a Year. It's called the Ascension app. Not only does the app contain the entirety of both podcasts, it also includes transcripts of each episode, the full text of the Great Adventure Bible and the Ascension Catechism, over 1000 answers to tough Bible questions we couldn't get to in the podcast, bonus content from the Bible in a Companion and so much more. This app really enhances the experience of the podcast and helps you get more out of

the Bible and Catechism. I highly encourage you to check it out in the app store. Just search Ascension App or text the letters APP to the number 71391 to get a download link sent directly to your phone. Thank you so much again for being part of this community, and God bless. scripture and pass 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 and God's family as we journey together toward our heavenly home. This is day 358, reading paragraphs 2794 to 2802. As always, I'm using the Ascension edition of the Catechism, which includes a 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 a Year reading plan by visiting ascensionpress.com slash C-I-Y and you can click follow or subscribe on your podcast app for daily updates and daily notifications. We are trucking along. Day 358, we're reading paragraph 2794, 2802. We have some nuggets here at the end, which is always delicious, always incredible.

But before those four nuggets, I think five six six nuggets We have three paragraphs and we're talking about this our father who art in heaven that last part who art in heaven now One of the things are gonna establish in 20 paragraph 2794 Is that this biblical expression saying God is in heaven does not mean that God is in a place or a space Far away. That doesn't mean that God is distant. It means he's majestic. And I think that doesn't mean he's elsewhere, but he transcends everything we can conceive of in his holiness. I love this.

It's precisely because he is thrice holy that he is so close to the humble and contrite heart, which is just beautiful. We also recognize that we're made for heaven. You're made for heaven. And in many ways, we're the people of God. In 2796 it says, we're the people of God already seated with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Because that's where Jesus is right. On His throne in heaven,

that reality. And if you're in Christ in some mysterious way, the Church is professing that we're the people of God already seated with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. And at the same time, we're still here. At the same time, indeed we groan and we long to put on our heavenly dwelling. That's incredible, just beautiful. We get to talk about heaven today. And heaven is a gift.

Not just heaven, but our Father who art in heaven. So let's take a moment and pray. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. Father in heaven, thank you. Thank you that in heaven you are in your majesty. You are not far from us, you're not distant from us, you're not remote from us.

You are majestic, you are transcendent and yet you are so imminent, you are so close. Oh God, you are closer to us than we are to ourselves. You know us better than we know ourselves. You love us more truly than we love ourselves. Thank you, thank you. May you be praised. May you be glorified.

God, I pray that this day, more and more people come to know you. And in knowing you, knowing your true identity, they love you. And in loving you, we all become like you. Lord God, help us to become like you. We make this prayer in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, amen. In the name of the Father, and of the the Son and of the Holy Spirit Amen today is day 358 reading paragraphs 2794 to 2802 Who art in heaven

This biblical expression does not mean a place space, but a way of being It does not mean that God is distant but majestic space, but a way of being. It does not mean that God is distant, but majestic. Our Father is not elsewhere. He transcends everything we can conceive of His holiness. It is precisely because He is thrice holy that He is so close to the humble and contrite heart. As St. Augustine wrote, our Father who art in heaven is rightly understood to mean that God is in the hearts of the just as in His holy temple. At the same time, it means that those who pray should desire the one they invoke to dwell in them. St. Cyril of Jerusalem stated, Heaven could also be those who bear the image of the

heavenly world and in whom God dwells and tarries. The symbol of the heavens refers us back to the mystery of the covenant we are living when we pray to our Father. He is in heaven, His dwelling place. The Father's house is our homeland. Sin has exiled us from the land of the covenant, but conversion of heart enables us to return to the Father, to heaven. In Christ then, heaven and earth are reconciled, for the Son alone descended from heaven, and causes us

to ascend there with Him by His cross, resurrection, and ascension. When the Church prays our Father who art in heaven, she is professing that we are the people of God, already seated with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus and hidden with Christ in God. Yet at the same time, here indeed we groan, and long to put on our heavenly dwelling. Christians are in the flesh, but they do not live according to the flesh. They spend their lives on earth, but are citizens of heaven. In brief, simple and faithful trust, humble and joyous assurance are the proper dispositions

for one who prays the Our Father. We can invoke God as Father because the Son of God-made man has revealed Him to us. In this Son, through baptism, we are incorporated and adopted as sons of God. The Lord's Prayer brings us into communion with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. At the same time, it reveals us to ourselves. Praying to our Father should develop in us the will to become like Him and foster in us a humble and trusting heart. When we say our Father, we are invoking the new covenant in Jesus Christ, communion with

the Holy Trinity, and the divine love which spreads through the Church to encompass the world. Who art in heaven does not refer to a place, but to God's majesty and His presence in the hearts of the just. Heaven, the Father's house, is the true homeland toward which we are heading and to which already we belong. There we have it, paragraph 2794 to 2802. I keep saying it, but beautiful.

It's just beautiful. Let's go back to this 2794 reminder. Biblical expression, our Father who art in heaven does not mean a place or a space, but a way of being. Does not mean God is distant, but majestic. Our Father is not elsewhere. He transcends everything we can conceive of His holiness. This is just so, so beautiful.

Because again, so God is not distant. God is not absent. Our Father who art in heaven does not imply that he can't hear anything or he's just watching. You know, there was a song like way back when, I think it was Bette Midler, and it was called From a Distance, I think so. And the line at, you know, kind of the tagline,

the refrain line was, God is watching us, God is watching us, God is watching us from a distance. And I think about this and just think, that is, that's not true. That's not true. That vision of God, he's not watching us from a distance. Yes, God is, see, that thing is, God is present to us. He's imminent. In fact, yes, he transcends everything,

but he's not distant. Our Father is not elsewhere, but he's close. And in fact, paragraph 2794 highlights this. It's because he is the Christ's holy God, holy, holy, holy, that he is so close to the humble and contrite heart. He's so close. This is the remarkable thing.

It's just incredible. God is close. He's not watching us from a distance. He is with you right now. I mean, pause on this moment. Remember, this last pillar is on prayer. And this whole time, all 365 days that we're shooting for here, this is not

about information transfer, this is about transformation. Not just about data, it's about conversion. It's about hearing. This is what prayer is like so that you and I can become people of prayer. So pause for a moment and realize God is with you right now. Just as God is with me right now in this moment where I'm standing here talking to this microphone, reading from this catechism, right now God is with me right now in this moment where I'm standing here talking to this microphone reading from this catechism right now God is truly present Right now as you're listening He's he's with you. He's not watching you from unlike, you know some CTT, you know closed circuit television kind of a situation

he's with you and to realize God's presence is one of the Critical aspects of prayer that I'm not talking to the ceiling when I'm praying. I'm not talking to a crucifix if I'm using that to reflect on or to an icon or anything. God is present and He's the one we're talking to. He's not distant. He's not watching us from a distance.

He's not like we don't have to pick up the phone and call Him. He is, again I keep saying it imminently present He is so close to the humble and contrite heart and so you think like oh, yeah But I'm touching my sinner. He can't be present to me. Okay The humble and contrite heart that's who he's close to Not close to the perfect heart Not close to the sinless heart But to the humble and contrite heart your heart my heart. That's

Incredible but to the humble and contrite heart. Your heart, my heart, that's incredible. And again, if we're not gonna take the time to actually pause and acknowledge, God, you are here. You're not just here when I press stop. You're not just here when I go into a church. God, you're here right now. If we're not gonna do that, then we're missing something really important. We're missing something critical.

Now, paragraph 2795 took me by surprise. I have to tell you that. 2795 took me by surprise. It's just, it's the gospel. It is amazing. I almost wanna just read the whole thing again. But if you missed it, paragraph 2795 says that the symbol of the heavens refers us back to the mystery of the covenant we're living when we

pray to our Father. He is in heaven, His dwelling place. The Father's house is our homeland. Okay, so He's in heaven, which is true, right? He's in heaven and He's present to all of us here on earth in time. The Father's house where He is is where you and I are meant to be. Sin has exiled us from the land of the covenant, but conversion of heart enables us to return to the Father, to heaven. So in Christ then, heaven and earth are reconciled. This is amazing.

In Jesus, heaven and earth are reconciled. Again, we've been exiled, exiled from the land of the covenant, exiled from heaven. The conversion of heart enables us to return to the Father, to heaven. In Christ then, heaven and earth are reconciled for the Son alone descended from heaven and causes us to ascend there with him by his cross, resurrection, and ascension.

That is, you guys, it's amazing. Take my word, if you're like, hmm, I'm not moved by that, take my word for it. This is amazing, this is worth going back and just hearing the gospel message. If you want to know what's the gospel, paragraph 2795. You're made for God, you're made for each other, made for love, and yet sin exiles us from the land of the covenant, the land we're made for. Sin has exiled us from our homeland, and yet Jesus Christ has reconciled heaven and earth,

divinity and humanity, God and us. And so we have conversion of heart and we can return to the Father because of what Jesus has done in his cross, death and resurrection and ascension. Amazing, amazing. And we're already experiencing this, even though, yes, even though here on earth we've grown in this life, we've grown, we long to put on our heavenly dwelling, we long to go to the Father's house, we long to dwell with Him forever and eternity, and yet we already have a foretaste of that.

Because if you are in Christ, if you've been baptized, you're brought into Christ, He is already seated with Him in the heavenly places. And so there's this, hear Jesus' words, I know this is not the same thing, but just hear the words of Jesus, in my Father's house, there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have said, I would go ahead and prepare a place for you, and then I'll return to you. I'll come back to you and bring you to myself

so that where I am, you also may be. Where I'm going, you know the way. Incredible. My Father's house, many dwelling places. I'll go and prepare a place for you and then I'll come back and bring you to myself so that where I am you also may be. Here's the words of God for you. Where I am you also may be. Here's Jesus who loves you so much. You're like, yeah but I'm a sinner and I'm not very good. I'm not a very good mom, not very good dad, not a

very good priest, you know, not a very good person. But here's Jesus who knows all that, He knows you. He's like, I prepared a place for you. When I come back, I'm gonna bring you to myself. Why? So that where I am, you also may be. I want to be with you. Just pause for that.

I keep saying pause today, but pause on that. Do you realize that God wants to be with you? He wants to be with you. He wants you to be where He is. And right now even, we experience this already, but ultimately in heaven, here is God's love for you. It's personal. He has a place for you and just you.

Of course, it's in the great kingdom great kingdom, in the great family of God, it's the great church of God, the church triumphant, it's part of brothers and sisters, but he wants you. So that where I am, you also may be. Then he goes on to say, where I'm going, you know the way. And that's when I think it's Thomas who stands up and says, Lord, we don't know where you're going. How can we know the way? And Jesus says these words that were so powerful? He says I am the way and the truth and the life

No one comes to the father except through me Let our prayer today be that that sense. Okay God Jesus Christ father in heaven. Holy Spirit come And bring me to yourselfself, so that where You are, we also may be. I'm praying for You. Please pray for me. My name's Father Mike. I cannot wait to see you tomorrow. God bless!