The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) - Day 365: So Be It (2025)

Episode Date: December 31, 2025

Congratulations, you have reached Day 365! We conclude our journey through the Catechism with the final “nugget day” as we review the seven petitions of the Lord’s prayer. In closing, Fr. Mike reminds us of the purpose of our time with the Catechism: recognizing that every part of our human experience matters to God simply because he loves us. It matters to God that we know him, worship him, live in his love, and draw near to him in prayer. We respond to God’s astounding love for each of us with our final “Amen- so be it.” Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 2857-2865. 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, my name's Father Mike Schmitz, and you're listening to The Catechism Ineer podcast, where we encounter God's plan of sure goodness for us, revealed in scripture, and passed down through the tradition of the Catholic faith. The Catechism in Here 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 365, out of 365. We're reading paragraphs 2857 to 2865. 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, this is ridiculous. I don't

why am I even saying this? You can also download your own cacism in a year reading plan by visiting Accenturepress.com slash C-I-Y. Also, you can. Maybe just for fun. Maybe just for fun. You can click follow or subscribe to your podcast app for daily updates, daily the notifications. Also, before anything further, I want to thank you so much. All of you who have been, you're here, day 365 this is crazy this is amazing did you ever think that you would read through the entire catechism i can't imagine so thank you so much also thank you for your prayers again the people who are on this who produce this podcast are incredible people people edit things i'm making all these mistakes and saying all the wrong things and people who go over like what i've said

and make sure that it's actually consistent with what the catholic church teaches i don't want to teach any error at all but also just the ways in which we're praying for each other hopefully you've been spending a good portion of the last 365 days praying for each other. I truly have been praying for you. I'm so grateful for your prayers and your financial gifts. Like again, this podcast is free to have but not free to make and we couldn't do it without you. Okay, so let's get started. This is the where nugget day and how perfect is this for us to have our final day of nuggets and there are quite a few 2857 to 2865 going through basically all that we just

covered when we're talking about the Lord's Prayer. We're talking about the Our Father. So an incredible, incredible review as we've launched into today. Let's just say a prayer before we dive into the chicky-nuggies, you know. Ridiculous. Okay, in the name of the Father and of the Son of Always Spirit, Amen, Father in Heaven, I thank you. I thank you for this opportunity, this chance to learn, this chance to hear the truth as articulated to us through the catechism by your church that you founded upon the rock of peter that you founded upon the apostles that you filled with your holy spirit and have brought to this day thank you so much father thank you for this chance i thank you for all the people who have worked on this project all of them

every single one of them from those who have the biggest most important and most visible jobs to those who have the least visible jobs that we might never hear of but because of them because of their willingness, their hard work, their perseverance. We get this incredible gift of the catechism. We get this incredible gift of this podcast. Thank you so much. And Father, thank you for every person who's pressed play. Those who did the catechism in a year and those who are just finishing now the categism in two and a half or three years. Lord God, I thank you for every one of them. I ask that you please, just like your son Jesus prayed, I ask that you to keep them in your hand. Lord God, keep them close to your heart.

I pray for them. Hold us and help us to hold on to you. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. State 365, we're reading paragraphs 2857 to 2865. In brief, in the Our Father,

the object of the first three petitions is the glory of the Father, the sanctification of his name, the coming of the kingdom, and the fulfillment of his will. The four others present our wants to him, they ask that our lives be nourished, healed of sin, and made victorious in the struggle of good over evil. By asking hallowed be thy name, we enter into God's plan, the sanctification of his name, revealed first to Moses and then in Jesus, by us and in us, in every nation, and in each man.

By the second petition, the church looks first to Christ's return and the final coming of the reign of God. It also prays for the growth of the kingdom of God in the today of our own lives. In the third petition, we ask our Father to unite our will to that of his son, so as to fulfill his plan of salvation in the life of the world. In the fourth petition, by saying, give us, we express in communion with our brethren our filial trust in our Heavenly Father. Our daily bread refers to the earthly nourishment necessary to everyone for subsistence, and also to the bread of life, the Word of God and the body of Christ. It is received in God's today as the indispensable, super-essential nourishment

of the feast of the coming kingdom anticipated in the Eucharist. The fifth petition begs God's mercy for our offenses, mercy which can penetrate our hearts only if we have learned to forgive our enemies with the example and help of Christ. When we say, lead us not into temptation, we are asking God not to allow us to take the path that leads to sin. This petition implores the spirit of discernment and strength. It requests the grace of vigilance and final perseverance.

In the last petition, but deliver us from evil, Christians pray to God with the church to shore forth the victory already won by Christ over the ruler of this world, Satan, the angel personally opposed to God and to his plan of salvation. by the final amen we express our fiat concerning the seven petitions so be it right there we have it paragraphs 2857 2865 nugget day this is incredible okay this is the review obviously we know all of these things and there's some things to highlight so paragraph 2857 nugget number one here the object of

the first three petitions is the glory of the father right so the sanctification of his name the coming of the kingdom and the fulfillment of his will. This is so vitally important. Remember, in so many ways to be able to give God praise and to be able to recognize that we want his name to be hallowed. We want his name to be known and loved adored, the coming of his kingdom and the fulfillment of his will. Remember that sense of God, give me a heart like your sons. Unite my will to that of your son so as to fulfill the plan of salvation in the life of the world. And then in the four petitions, we have, give us this day our daily bread, forgive us our trespasses as we feel the trespass against us, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. We recognize that we're praying because we

realize we have this incredible dependence on God, that this world, our hearts, our lives, we are broken. God is so good that he wants us to bring everything to him and to entrust everything we have to him. And so we say give us. And that's, remember, we have the heart of children, the heart of children who trust in their dad. to say, okay, God, dad, our father, you know what we need. And so we are children who trust in you to give us exactly what we need. And that's the key thing. I just, I mean, we can go through the petitions again, but you know when we started the catechism, maybe 365 days ago, maybe again, as I said, two and a half years ago, how long it's been for you. It doesn't matter. You're here now.

when we started this we were saying the thing that we've repeated so many times and that that word is that this isn't just about information transfer right this is about transformation this is not just about communication of data or wanting to know more things it's about conversion of heart and this last section this last pillar right on prayer has been i mean all of the catechism is meant to affect our life right it's meant to bring us to a place in conversion so the first section on the creed what we believe that's meant to shape our lens right so i see god as he true really is. I see salvation and faith and his revelation and ourselves and each other as we truly meant to be. That second pillar about worship, it's meant to actually shape how I worship God. How do I

approach Him? How do I realize what God is doing in our lives and in this world by the power of the Holy Spirit, what Jesus made possible, the Holy Spirit makes actual, right? Then we realize that's supposed to shape the way we approach the Lord and the sacraments, how we worship him. That third pillar, of course, is meant to challenge us and hopefully it was challenging, hope it was convicting, hope we didn't throw anything away, hope we didn't discard anything, hope we engaged and wrestled with the stuff we need to wrestle with. But that's also meant to change us, how we live.

And this last pillar, this final pillar on prayer, we can't do anything without prayer. That if I don't, if we don't, take what we've learned and apply it to how we see the world, then it was a good exercise. if we don't take what we've learned and apply it to how we worship, how we approach the Lord and let them into our lives through the sacraments, then again, this was interesting, but not impactful. If I hear this is Christ's call, this is how we live, how we're supposed to live in this world

as Christians. And I go, that's an interesting note. And I just kind of acknowledge that, yeah, that's what I thought or that's a really challenging thing. I don't know if I believe that. But we don't let it actually change how we live. then in some ways it's kind of like what's the point and lastly here to read about prayer to listen about prayer to learn about prayer is wonderful amazing so good but if we do not become prayers

in some ways we're just missing the most incredible opportunity in many ways we're maybe wasting this incredible opportunity because god loves you so much You need to know that. God loves you so much. Remember, he knows you. He doesn't love y'all. All y'all going through the Gattuckus in here. He doesn't love y'all.

He loves you so much. Isn't it crazy to realize that it matters to him whether or not we know him, the first pillar? It matters to God that whether or not we have faith in him. it amazing. I mean, it boggles the mind to realize here is the God of the universe and it actually matters to him that we worship him in a particular way. It matters to him that we show up for mass. It matters to him that we participate. It matters to him that we let him heal us through reconciliation. That's nuts. That doesn't make any sense. Why would it matter to the God of the universe what I do in that third pillar, right? How we live. Again, it's just bonkers to realize.

that here is God himself and it matters to him whether I'm honest or not matters to him about how we live out our private property and how we live out our relationship with our parents and with our children how we live our relationship with our people around us it matters to God what we do with our sexuality isn't that crazy to think but it it matters to him why because you matter to him and lastly this pillar on prayer Why in the world would God want my attention? I mean, just honestly, why in the world would the God of the universe ever want my attention? Why would it matter to him?

Whether I have that, like St. Trez said, a gentle glance turned toward heaven. Why would he want me to look at him? Why would it matter to him? The reason is because you matter to him. That's why it matters, whether we know him. It's why it matters whether we worship him. That's why it matters how we live. It's why it matters whether or not we pray because you matter to him.

You matter to God. And so this time of transformation, this time of conversion, it's a big deal. Why? Because you're a big deal. That's it. And the greatest big deal, right? The Lord himself says so. So you can argue with me and say, Father, you're wrong.

I'm not a big deal. well don't take my word for it look at a crucifix that's how much you matter to him look at the Eucharist that's how much you matter to him remember that quote from other Teresa when you look at a crucifix you can see how much he loved you back then and when you look at the Eucharist you can see how much he loves you right now that's how much you matter God to declare is that you are worth his very life, death, resurrection, and ascension. That is bananas, as they say. That is bonkers, as they say. And yet here we are. It's the truth. And so in response, what do we do? We say, amen. You're loved. So be it. You are worth this, his very life, death,

and resurrection. So be it. God says that you and your life matters. And we say, okay, God, if that's the case, then amen. So be it. Thank you so much for spending this time with me and with the catechism. It's not with me. I know you're not hanging out with me. You're hanging out with the catechism. Thank you so much. All the people who, I just, I'm blown away by all the people who contributed to the writing of this catechism, the editing of the catechism, a team at Ascension who made the new, you know, Ascension version of the catechism. All the, these people just gave their lives so that you and I could hear these words. I'm so grateful to them.

I'm so grateful to you. I don't know if I've said this before, but when I say I'm praying for you every day, I actually am. Every single day. Every single day. I don't miss a day. If I do miss a day, I pray for you twice the next day. I am so grateful.

And I'll tell you what. I'll make a promise. I know it's day 365, but I am going to continue praying for you on day 366 and day 367 until I can't anymore. I am praying for you. please pray for me my name's father mike i cannot wait to see you tomorrow god bless