The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) - Day 50: The Dignity of Man (2025)

Episode Date: February 19, 2025

“God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him, male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27). The Catechism teaches us about man’s God-given dignity and unique place in creation. Fr. Mike explains the unity that exists between all persons, and how this necessitates a “law of human solidarity and charity.” Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 355-361. 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 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 and God's family as we journey together toward a heavenly home. It is day 50. Congratulations, you made it to today. We're reading paragraphs 355 to 361. 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, obviously. You can also download your Catechism in your reading plan by visiting ascensionpress.com slash C-I- Y. Also, you can click follow or subscribe or whatever the word is indicating that you will receive daily updates and daily notifications. Also, I want to thank you. Thank you for all of those people who have supported the production of this podcast with prayers, financial gifts, because it is such an incredible gift to have your prayers and to know your purse, to know of your financial support,

because you know, take something to make this podcast and offer it for free. So thank you so very much. As I said, it is day 50 today, reading paragraph 355 and the 361. We're in a new catechism paragraph. So paragraph six, man, last was paragraph five, heavens and earth. Now we're specifically focusing on human beings. One thing to note, obvious, maybe it's not obvious that when we talk about man, we're talking about human beings, right?

It's just the way that people have spoken for a really, really long time and used the term man to mean all of human beings. It's kind of an obvious kind of a thing, but I just wanted to highlight that so that whenever we say that term man in the readings here, unless it specifies male or female, it means human beings. Also, what are we gonna hear about today there is a remarkable thing so for the next few days we're gonna look at human beings and first in paragraph 355 it kind of establishes here's the roadmap for the next few days first and that's today in the image of God then we're gonna talk about this how in his own nature human beings unite the spiritual and material worlds. Like we're the only creatures who have both body and soul, right?

We're only the only creatures like this. Third, we're created male and female. And fourth, God established us in his friendship, which is incredible. But today we're going to highlight this first part, the image of God. So there's a phrase that's going to be used. We're just going to highlight the fact that human beings, man, is the only creature on earth that God has willed for its own sake. Now, that's a big statement that comes out of the Second Vatican Council, but it's actually

a thought that is much more ancient than that. What that means is it highlights the inherent dignity of human beings, but at the same time, we have to realize that statement is said in the context of, we're the only creature on earth that God has willed for its own sake. What that means is, all of the rest of creation, like say on this earth, that's made for our sake, that is oriented towards our stewardship,

but human beings are not made in that same way for others. You're made for your own sake. So I can use the resources of this world, but I can never use another person. Does that make sense? So that's what this is trying to say. It all is in the context of every one of us is oriented towards glory of God. There's kind of a way of clarifying it even more fully that we'd say in the natural order, right, all the things made on earth, all the lower creatures exist for the sake of the higher

and human beings are the highest, right? At the same time, human beings exist for our own sake. In the supernatural order, that's the natural order. And the supernatural order, human beings and all creation exist for the sake of God. So keep the context. We always have to remember, we just have been reading for the last couple days about heaven and earth and so we know that earth is not the only thing.

But as the line says from Ganyu at Spez, we're the only creature, human beings, are the only creature on earth that God has willed for its own sake. In the supernatural order, man and all creation exist for the sake of God. So we're always in relationship with the Lord. It's always meant to be something we never ever forget. So that's what we're gonna highlight today. Also, look at it. What is it to be made in the image of God?

It means we have a dignity that we're not a something, we are a someone. We're capable of self-knowledge, of self-possession and of freely giving ourselves away and entering into communion with other people. And that is, it's incredible. So that's what we're gonna highlight today. So let's pray about this.

Let's ask the Lord to come and just open our hearts and open our minds to be able to receive this truth of the dignity of human beings, made in God's image and likeness, your dignity being made in the image of God. Father in heaven, we praise you and give you glory. We know that every good thing we have comes from you.

We know that every good thing we are comes from you. We know that you have made us free and you've made us like you. And that is why we're good. We do know that our hearts are broken. We do know that our lives are broken. We do know that our relationships are broken, but we ask that you please in the midst of that brokenness, help us to see the truth. Help us to see you as you are. Help us to see others as you've made them and help us to see ourselves even and the dignity that you've given us in creating and redeeming us in your Son Jesus Christ. We ask this in the name of the same Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of

the Holy Spirit. Amen. As I said, it is day 50. We're reading paragraphs 355 to 361. Paragraph 6. Man. God created man in his own image. In the image of God, he created him. Male and female, he created them. Man occupies a unique place in creation. First, he is in the image of God. Second, in his own nature, he unites the spiritual and material worlds. Third, he is created male and female. Fourth, God established him in his friendship. In the image of God. Of all visible creatures, only man is able to know and love his Creator. He is the only creature on earth that God has willed for its own sake,

and he alone is called to share by knowledge and love in God's own life. It was for this end that he was created, and this is the fundamental reason for his dignity. As St. Catherine of Siena prayed, What made you establish man in so great a dignity? Certainly the incalculable love by which you have looked on your creature in yourself, you are taken with love for her. For by love indeed you created her. By love you have given her a being capable of tasting your eternal good. Being in the image of God, the human individual possesses the dignity of a person, who is

not just something, but someone. He is capable of self-knowledge, of self-possession, and of freely giving himself and entering into communion with other persons. And he is called by grace to a covenant with his Creator, to offer him a response of faith and love that no other creature can give in his stead. God created everything for man, but man in turn was created to serve and love God and to offer all creation back to him.

As St. John Chrysostom stated, What is it that is about to be created that enjoys such honor? It is man, that great and wonderful living creature, more precious in the eyes of God than all other creatures. For him the heavens and the earth, the sea and all the rest of creation exist. God attached so much importance to his salvation that he did not spare his own son for the sake of man. Nor does he ever cease to work, trying every possible means, until he has raised man up to himself

and made him sit at his right hand. Guardian of the Holy Spirit stated, In reality, it is only in the mystery of the Word made flesh that the mystery of man truly becomes clear. St. Peter Chrysologus stated, St. Paul tells us that the human race takes its origin from two men, Adam and Christ.

The first man, Adam, he says, became a living soul, the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. The first Adam was made by the last Adam, from whom he also received his soul to give him life. The second Adam stamped his image on the first Adam when he created him. That is why he took on himself the role and the name of the first Adam in order that he might not lose what he had made in his own image. The first Adam, the last Adam, the first had a beginning, the last knows no end. The last Adam is indeed the first, as he himself says, I am the first and the last.

Because of its common origin, the human race forms a unity, for from one ancestor God made all nations to inhabit the whole earth. As Pius the 12th stated, O wondrous vision, which makes us contemplate the human race in the unity of its origin in God, in the unity of its nature composed equally in all men of a material body and a spiritual soul, in the unity of its nature, composed equally in all men of a material body and a spiritual soul, in the unity of its immediate end and its mission in the world, in the unity of its dwelling, the earth whose benefits all men by right of nature may use to sustain and develop life, in the unity of its supernatural end, God Himself, to whom all ought to tend,

in the unity of the means for attaining this end, in the unity of the redemption wrought by Christ for all. This law of human solidarity and charity, without excluding the rich variety of persons, cultures and peoples, assures us that all men are truly brethren." Okay, so as we said, the image of God, this is incredible. Going back to this first part, we recognize that of all visible creatures, paragraph 356, only man is able to know and love his Creator. He alone is called to share by knowledge and love in God's own life.

This is remarkable. And it does not diminish, it does not demean the rest of creation. We already talked about this for the last couple days. The recognition that God created everything towards his glory, that we all have this connection. That's one of the reasons why, as we said yesterday, St. Francis of Assisi has that prayer about, you know, brother-son and sister-earth and sister-water, all those kind of things. We recognize all those things have dignity because they come from God. And yet, there is this unique dignity that human beings have.

It is incredible. For this end, this is still paragraph 356, for this end that we're called to share in God's life, where we create it. And this is the fundamental reason for our dignity. And I just love paragraph 357 how it highlights, being in the image of God, the human individual possesses the dignity of a person I think it's worth reflecting on what it is to be a person I mean we can break it down and say well to be a person is to have an intellect and a will right and yet It's to have a self in so many ways right and that's just incredibly remarkable. We're not just a something Where someone you are not just a something you are a someone It goes on to explain

He is capable of self-knowledge You can know that you exist you can ask questions about your existence in fact We recognize that you know animals can suffer we know that we know animals can suffer human beings can suffer But human beings can suffer in a unique way. When one of our pets is in pain, it can break our hearts as human beings. But it's interesting, a dog can never ask the question, why am I suffering? A cat can never ask the question, why am I suffering?

A human being, being a person, can ask the question, why? We're capable of self-knowledge. We also are capable of self-possession. I can hold onto myself or I can freely give myself away. And that's incredible. Just realize that your dignity means that no one can ever use you. And that's one of the things that we hold as profoundly true. That human beings are never meant to be used,

but only to be loved. That I can ever take, I may only give. And that freely giving myself means I can enter into communion with another person. And then that's not only it though, not only other persons on earth, but we're called by grace to a covenant with our Creator Right says here again paragraph 357 into offer him God a response of faith and love that no other creature can give

in his stead We recognize that no one can respond to God with faith and love like we can no one can do it for us I mean there there's that there's an element of, you know, my parents may be really, really holy. They may have given themselves to the Lord. I still have to do that myself. You might be married to someone who loves the Lord, but you still have to do that yourself. We can offer God a response of faith and love that no other creature can give in our stead. And that's so important. In 358, God created everything for man, but man in turn was created to serve and love God and to offer all creation back to him. There is something so incredible about this that God has given us so much and the way in which we can love and honor and

and live this life in the best possible way is when we take all of God's gifts, everything, including our heart, including our soul and everything and just give them back to God and saying, I respond to your gifts, Lord, with love. I respond to your gifts with gratitude. I respond to your gifts by giving myself back to you. It's just, it seems natural. Once you realize where we come from, once we realize that we're ordered towards glorifying God, once we realize how much God has loved us, the response, of course, is going to be, well be, well God my response is I give myself back to you. I have nothing else to give you. I have nothing to give God that he didn't first give me.

The last little part we were highlighting today in that being made in the image of likeness of God in paragraphs 360 and 361 highlights the fact that because of our common origin, because we all have every human being, every human being, regardless of race, culture, ethnicity, differences between people, regardless of intellectual prowess or intellectual deficiency, all of us, the human race, forms a unity. Because of that origin, we assert that all men are truly

brethren, every human being on this planet, regardless, again, regardless of the variety, I think a great variety of persons and cultures and peoples and races and ethnicities, all those things, every human being on this planet is truly brethren. And that is, I think that sometimes, you know, we're gonna talk about racism as we go forward, or sexism, you know, in a couple days,

we're talking about male and female, God created them. But there's an element of just how foolish that is. For a Christian to have any sense of racism or any sense of sexism, it just is ridiculous because we recognize that we all are made in God's image and likeness. And yes, individuals have differences and groups of people have some differences,

but what unites us vastly outweighs what makes the sanctions. It's a variety in accident, but a unity in our essence, right? The accidents are where we come from ethnicities and cultures and all these kinds of things. Accidents are races, but our essence, the what we are as human beings, are creatures of God. And that should just, again, highlight the ridiculousness of any kind of desire to rank human beings, right? Any kind of desire to say that some human beings

are more worthy of life than others. Some human beings are better than others. And when it comes to dignity, that is completely false. I think that's, again, it could be obvious now, but it has not always been obvious. It should be obvious to us now, especially those of us who believe in the God who created all of us in his image and likeness

and bestowed upon each and every one of us in intrinsic dignity and goodness. I'm so grateful that we're all to be able to be here from all around the world and all different ethnicities, different cultures, different races. We're so grateful that we're all to be able to be here from all around the world and all different ethnicities, different cultures, different races. We're so grateful that we're united in this and sharing this faith and striving after the Lord. He loves you so much.

And I'm so proud of you making it to day 50. It's a great day. So I hope you have an incredible day. I am praying for you. Please pray for me. My name is Father Mike. I cannot wait to see you tomorrow. God bless.