The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) - Day 65: Why the Word Became Flesh (2025)

Episode Date: March 6, 2025

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. 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 in God's family as we journey together toward our heavenly home. It's day 65. We're reading paragraphs 456 to 463.

It is a whole new section, you guys, a new section on, well, a new article, at least, where we look at the statement, who is conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. We're looking at the son of God became man and answering the big question. Why? Why did the word become flesh? Why did the son of God become one of us? So incredible.

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. If you want to download your own Catechism into your reading plan, you can visit ascensionpress.com slash C-I-Y, and you can also click follow or subscribe

and your podcast app to receive daily updates and daily notifications. Just a quick, you know, I just wanna take a moment to thank all of you, not just for pressing play. That's incredible. I love this community. It's been such a blessing as we begin this journey, if we continue this journey really here on day 65, but also for all those who have supported the production of this podcast

with your prayers and with your financial gifts, truly couldn't do this without you. And I'm just so, so incredibly grateful. As I kind of said there in the little intro, today we're on Article 3, which is the next statement in the Apostles' Creed. That statement is, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary.

Paragraph one here, what we're gonna read today, is the Son of God became man. And we're actually asking the question, why? Why did the word become flesh? Now the church is gonna offer us four reasons it's remarkable so I love this. Now Nicene Creed says for us men and for our salvation he came down from

heaven. Yes that is that is a great reason in that fact that's the first reason. In paragraph 457 it says the word became flesh for us in order to save us by reconciling us with God. So that's the first one. Why the word became flesh for us in order to save us by reconciling us with God So that's the first one Why the word became flesh to save us by reconciling us to God the second reason in 458 if you're following along you can See this right now the word became flesh so that thus we might know God's love Imagine this imagine not even hearing this. I know a lot of us a lot of us struggle to believe that but imagine never never really

hearing that even, or even saying, okay, God loves me. When? How? Why? And not even realizing that here's how he loves us. In this, the love of God was made manifest. God sent his only son into the world so that we might live through him. So the second reason, why did God become man? Why did the Word become flesh? So that we might know God's love. The third reason in paragraph 459, the word became flesh to be our model of holiness. It came to show us the way. The fourth reason that the church offers here in paragraph 460, the word became flesh

to make us partakers of the divine nature. I don't know, the other three reasons, the first three reasons are amazing. They're incredible. This fourth reason, you know, we could dive deeply into what it means to be saved. I mean, we need to, in fact. We need to dive deeply into what it means to know God's love. We have to reflect on that. And of course, we need to dive deeply into, in reflecting on Jesus as our model of holiness, but this fourth reason in paragraph 460, I cannot begin, I cannot begin to reflect on what it means to be a partaker of the divine nature. When you and I

were baptized and the Holy Spirit dwelt inside of us, we became a new creation. And we're going to talk more about this when it comes to baptism, talk more about this and other other sections of the catechism But we became a new creation. We became in some ways a new species We were adopted by God the Father now and this is well We'll talk about this after we read the section it but it just blows my mind that that's one of the that's one of the reasons Why the word became flesh and dwelt among us so we could become partakers we could share in the divine nature now last three paragraphs we're looking at 461 to 463 today or I'll just kind of a reflection a brief reflection on the incarnation Which is you know the infleshment of God if you know any Spanish carne means meat right or flesh

So the incarnation is the in meetment the infleshment of. And so we're going to talk about that in three quick paragraphs. So again, we're reading paragraphs 456 to 463. So before we dive into this incredible mystery, amazing mystery of the incarnation and of God's love for us and the reality that he has saved us by becoming one of us and living, dying and rising, ascending to heaven, we just need to call upon the Lord. We need to actually talk to God right now let's take a moment and talk to God Father in heaven we love you more powerfully than we could ever love you you love us more truly than we could ever choose you you have chosen us and more more faithfully than we could ever be faithful to you you've

laid a claim on our lives and you've you've promised yourself you've covenanted yourself to us that becoming one of us and even not abandoning us by even taking our humanity with you into heaven by taking our humanity into your divinity Lord God you've our humanity into your divinity, Lord God, you've united forever humanity and divinity, and you've even given us a share in your divinity. So Father, I just can't even begin to thank you. I cannot even begin to understand the depth of your love,

the depth of your faithfulness. Help us grasp a little bit more clearly today so that we can love you even more truly today and forever in heaven. 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 65. We're reading paragraphs 456 to 463. Article 3. Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary. Paragraph 1. The Son of God became man. 1. Why did the Word become flesh?

With the Nicene Creed, we answer by confessing, For us men, and for our salvation, He came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary and became man. The Word became flesh for us, in order to save us by reconciling us with God, who loved us and sent His Son to be the expiation for our sins. The Father has sent His Son as the Savior of the world and He was revealed to take away sins. As St. Gregory of Nyssa said, Sick, our nature demanded to be healed. Fallen, to be raised up.

Dead, to rise again. We had lost the possession of the good, it was necessary for it to be given back to us. Closed in the darkness, it was necessary to bring us the light. Captives, we awaited a savior. Prisoners, help. Slaves, a liberator. Are these things minor or insignificant? Did they not move God to descend to human nature and visit it, since humanity was in so miserable and unhappy

a state? The word became flesh, so that thus we might know God's love. As the first letter of John states, In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. John chapter 3 states, For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.

The word became flesh to be our model of holiness. Jesus said, Take my yoke upon you and learn from me. He also said, I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me. On the mountain of the transfiguration, the Father commands,

Listen to him. Jesus is the model for the Beatitudes and the norm of the new law. He stated, Love one another, as I have loved you. This love implies an effective offering of oneself after his example. The word became flesh, to make us partakers of the divine nature. As St. Irenaeus stated, For this is why the word became man, and the Son of God became

the Son of man, so that man, by entering into communion with the Word and thus receiving divine sonship, might become a Son of God. St. Athanasius stated, For the Son of God became man, so that we might become God. And St. Thomas Aquinas stated, The only begotten Son of God, wanting to make us shares in His divinity, assumed our nature, so that he, made man, might make men gods. The Incarnation Taking up St. John's expression, the word became flesh, the Church calls Incarnation the fact that the Son of God assumed a human nature in order to accomplish our salvation in it.

In a hymn cited by St. Paul, the church sings the mystery of the incarnation. Have this in mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men, and being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. The letter to the Hebrews refers to the same mystery. Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, Sacrifices and offerings you have

not desired, but a body you have prepared for me. In burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, Lo, I have come to do your will, O God." Belief in the true incarnation of the Son of God is the distinctive sign of Christian faith. As the first letter of St. John says, By this you know the Spirit of God. Every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God. Such is the joyous conviction of the church from her beginning. Whenever she sings the mystery of our religion, he was manifested in the flesh."

Okay, this is incredible. I don't even know you guys. I'm so glad we made it to Day 65 together because this is, I want to say bananas, it is bonkers. It is incredible. The question, why did the Word become flesh? Why did God become one of us? And here is the Church's beautiful, powerful, just, this is worth, bring this to prayer today, please, maybe return to this, bookmark this page and just highlight these words. Here's these four reasons. Here's why God became flesh for you and for me.

And of course, we know this is all communal, right? We know Jesus did this, that God did this for all of the world, right? That Jesus, there's no one that he didn't become flesh for. There's no one that Jesus didn't suffer and die for. Everyone in past, present, and the future, he did it for everyone. But let's also make it really personal. This might be very helpful because because the four reasons are, the word became flesh for us in order to save us by reconciling us with God. Okay, let's pause, that's true.

Make it personal. The word became flesh for you in order to save you by reconciling you with God. Second reason, the word became flesh so that thus we might know God's love. Make it personal. The word became flesh so that you might know God's love. Third reason, the Word became flesh to be our model of holiness. Personal, the Word became flesh to be your model of holiness.

And the fourth reason, the Word became flesh to make us partakers of the divine nature. The Word became flesh to make you partaker of the divine nature. The word became flesh to make you partaker of the divine nature. Again, of course it's communal. God did this for everybody. It's not just me. But it is personal, right? This is for the whole church. This is for every person who's been baptized.

Every person on the planet, God has done this for, even if they don't even know it. And yet, let's not let this be an abstraction. This is so concrete. This is so personal. Oh man. Okay, so let's go back. The four reasons for salvation. Of course, by doing what? By reconciling us with God. Remember original sin. Remember what that did. Remember how original sin did. So many things had consequences. One of those consequences being that we are divided in our own hearts. Another consequence being we're divided from each other and that other primary, you

know, I mean, you could say primary consequence is we're divided from God. Jesus became flesh, the second person of the Trinity became flesh so that we might be reconciled to God and by that reconciliation that we might be reconciled to God, and by that reconciliation that we might be saved. I love what St. Gregory of Nyssa had said. This is incredible. Sick, our nature demanded to be healed. Fallen, to be raised up. Dead, to rise again. We had lost possession of the good. It was necessary for it to be given back to us. Closed in the darkness, it was necessary to bring us the light. Captives, we awaited a savior. Prisoned to save your prisoners help slaves a liberator." Oh my gosh incredible incredible second reason so that we might know God's love. I love oh my gosh

you guys John chapter 3 verse 16 you've seen it in the end zone. For God so loved the world that he gave his only son that ever whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life So we might know God's love, you know, it is so Common that we have heard the truth that God loves us How many of us have received or accepted the truth that God loves us? I've said it many times. I'll say it again right now many people that I talk with many people that I interact with

They don't believe God loves them. They believe God tolerates them And yet the word became flesh So that we might know God's love Do you know God's love? Do you know that he loves you? If you don't just trust me. Trust me. He does The third reason the word became flesh to be our model of holiness Jesus is the way the truth in the life No one comes to the father but through him

That of course, he's the model of the beatitudes, right? And he's the norm of the new law love one another as I have loved you So that's how we have to live because he's he's set the standard And as I said before, the fourth reason, the word became flesh to make us partakers of the divine nature. The example I always give is of Pinocchio. And we'll talk about this at baptism. You have Geppetto, right?

Who's a human being and he makes us marionette to Pinocchio. And Pinocchio is, looks like Geppetto. He can walk like Geppetto, he can talk like Geppetto. But he, and Geppetto might love him as a beloved creation of his own, but he's not Geppetto, he can walk like Geppetto, he can talk like Geppetto, and Geppetto might love him as a beloved creation of his own, but he's not Geppetto's son, he's Geppetto's creation. Why? Because Geppetto has a human nature

and Pinocchio has a marionette nature. So he can love him, and even if he's in the image and likeness of Geppetto, there's this closeness, but they're not the same thing, right? They're not the same, they don't share the same nature, therefore, Gepetto can't be Pinocchio's father. What has to happen to Pinocchio so that Gepetto can look at his creation and truly say, this

is my son? Well, Pinocchio has to become a real boy, right? They have to have the same nature. This is why, you know, we can love our pets. Of course we love our pets. But we're never truly our pets' pets. Of course we love our pets. But we're never truly our pets' parents. They're never really our children, even if we love them truly, because we don't share the same nature. But here is God who loves us so fully that he actually allows

us to share in his divine nature. We partake in his divine nature so that we can truly say, God is our father. And he can truly look at us and say, you are my child. This is the power of baptism, right? This is the power of being given the Holy Spirit through the gift of baptism. We'll talk more about this as the year goes on, but there's some pretty profound quotes here

from St. Irenaeus, St. Athanasius, and St. Thomas Aquinas, right? St. Irenaeus saying, for this is why the Word became man, "'and the Son of God became the Son of man, "'so that man, by entering into communion with the Word "'and thus receiving divine sonship, "'might become a Son of God.'"

That's why, incredible, Athanasius steps it up a notch. "'For the Son of God became man, "'so that we might become God.'" Which is just, that can be very confusing because then also Thomas Aquinas says, the only begotten Son of God, the only one Aquinas says The only begotten son of God the only one right the only begotten son of God Wanting to make us sharers and his divinity assumed our nature right he became human he assumed our human nature

While not losing any divinity so that he made man might make men gods now Not gods in the sense that you get your own planet or you get your own universe But that we would share Share in his divinity that we would share in that nature. Incredible. So we have access to the father as our father, who was just what I would, I said the word bananas today. I think I said the word bonkers today and it truly, truly is. Oh, it's so amazing. And then of course we heard it from the letter, St Paul's letter to the Philippians chapter two,

and from the letter to the Hebrewsians, chapter 2, and from the letter to the Hebrews, you know, the Philippians saying, have this among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who though he was in the form of God. Now, form of God doesn't mean the appearance of God, but it means like the very substance of God. That's what that actually is translated as. He who was the very substance of God did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, emptied himself.

Now that doesn't mean he ceased being God That meant that he didn't hold on to the rights He had fully as God but emptied himself and became one of us, which is incredible Wow And of course the letter to the Hebrews referring to the exact same mystery of this God taking on a body right so that he could sacrifice himself so that he could do the Father's will as truly a human being in a human nature

with a human will. It's just amazing, amazing. And this is, as I said, the church's joyous conviction from her beginning that he was manifested in the flesh. He was revealed to us. This is St. Paul's letter to Timothy, chapter three, verse 16, the first letter. First Timothy, three, 16, says Jesus,

he was manifested in the flesh. He was revealed to us in the flesh. Amazing, incredible. Those four reasons, remember these four reasons. Remember the incarnation, the power of the incarnation because here is God's love for you, God's love for me. I'm gonna pray with this for the rest of the day because this is incredible. I thank you guys so's love for me. I'm gonna pray with this for the rest of the day because this is incredible.

I'm thank you, thank you guys so much. Thank you for being part of this community because without you, I probably wouldn't be reading every single word of this cataclysm. I'd skip around, I'd bop around and just like pay attention to what I'm interested in. I would have missed this goldmine today. Now, okay, full disclosure,

I've already read this section today. I have always loved this section for today, but I wouldn't read it today unless unless I was reading it to you. So I'm trying to say thanks. That's all I'm saying. Thank you so much. I am so grateful for this community. I am praying for you. Please pray for me. My name is Father Mike. I cannot wait to see you tomorrow. God bless.