The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) - Day 80: Summary of the Mysteries of Christ’s Life (2026)

Episode Date: March 21, 2026

We have arrived at another nugget day, or In Brief day, for the paragraphs on the mysteries of Christ’s life. On today’s “mystery nugget” day, Fr. Mike recounts the significance of Christ’s obedience to the Father and our own obedience to God’s will. He also emphasizes the importance of reflecting on the mysteries of Christ’s life by reading and meditating on the Gospels and praying the Rosary. Today’s readings from the Catechism are paragraphs 561-570. 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 sure 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 80. You guys were reading paragraphs, 561 and 570. You know what that means. If you've been following along, if you have a catechism, it is Nugget Day. It's the in-brief day, and we're so grateful for that. As always, I am 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, any one of them. They'll all work, which is amazing. You can also download your Catechism into your reading plan by visiting ascensionpress.com slash C-I-Y, and if you did, you would know that we're on day 80, you'd probably figured out by now that the reading plan basically starts the beginning. It goes all the way to the end. But why would you get the reading plan then? Well, A, so you would know, what is the chunk for today? And so for today is the Nuggets, right?

561 and 570. B, because then you would know you'd have the ability to check things off. And there's little boxes on the thing. You can check off the box and feel like you're making progress because you are, which is amazing. Okay. Also, you can click follow or subscribe in your podcast app for daily updates and daily notifications. Also, quick, just one brief. Thank you so much to all those who have supported the production of this podcast for your prayers.

Oh, my goodness. Thank you so much for your prayers. Thank you for your financial gift if you've been able to or wanted to support. us in this. Thank you so much. I could not do without you. Okay, as we said, it's day 80. We're reading the nuggets, right? 561, all the way to 570. As we've already started, you know, this has been the mysteries of Jesus' life. So these nuggets are going to be mystery nuggets. That sounds bad. Kind of like going to a chicken place and getting nuggets there. Mystery nuggets, meaning that, remember, all of Christ's life, all of his life is mystery. And so we're going to recap all the way from the very beginning,

where we have this great quote in 561 from John Paul II, where he says, the whole of Christ's life was a continual teaching. And the very next two words are his silences, his silences. So Jesus even teaches something in his silence, right? Even in that hidden life in Nazareth, we have no idea. We have some idea. There's obedience that he grew in age and wisdom and grace. But also, there's so much that we don't know.

And even his silence reveals something to us. even that that silence reveals something about is a teaching to us. It teaches us about the obedience. It teaches us about the goodness of family and the goodness of work. We're going to talk about this. We'll also realize in paragraph 562. It says Christ's disciples are to conform themselves to him until he is formed in them. And that means we enter into those mysteries, right?

We enter into his miracles, his gestures, his prayer, his love for people, all those parts of his life. we meditate on them and we cannot quit meditating on them until we have conformed ourselves fully to him until he is fully formed in us, which is probably the work of a lifetime and is the work of grace going on. We just will hit on the mystery of his infancy, the mystery of the shepherds in the field and the magi being brought to him to worship him. We're talking about the mystery of his obedience to Mary and Joseph and his humble work. Talk about the mystery of his public life that we talked about. Remember the last couple days we talked about his baptism. We talked about the way in which Jesus was anointed and then went to battle in the wilderness for your sake and for my

sake. We talk about how his obedience is culminated and fulfilled in so many ways in his obedient yes to the father on the cross. And the last thing we're to highlight in paragraph 570, the last nugget for today is Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, manifests the coming of the kingdom. The Messiah, King welcomed into his city by children and the humble of heart is going to accomplish by the Passover of his death and resurrection because tomorrow we're entering to the article four. Tomorrow's article is Jesus Christ suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. So here we are not concluding, but kind of concluding the section on the mysteries of Christ's

life until we enter tomorrow in the mystery of his suffering, the mystery of agony, the mystery of what it is for Jesus to truly suffer, to truly die, and to truly be buried. Today, a nugget day, let's say a prayer. Father in heaven, we give you thanks. We praise you so much. Thank you. Let our lives be marked by gratitude. Our lives be marked by thankfulness.

As we enter into your mysteries, as we reflect on your mysteries, Lord, let us not just know what the mysteries are. Let us not just know something about the details of your life, but help us to walk in those mysteries. Help us to live and breathe in the midst of those mysteries. Help us to be conformed to you in those mysteries. as you are obedient, as you love those who are lovable and you love those who are unlovable, help us to be obedient, help us to love those who are lovable and love those who are hard to love. Because you love us, even when we are unlovable, help us to have that same love for others

that you have for us. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Again, as I said, it's day 80. We're reading paragraphs 561 or Nuggets 561. to 5.70. In brief, John Paul II stated,

The whole of Christ's life was a continual teaching. His silences, his miracles, his gestures, his prayer, his love for people, his special affection for the little and the poor. His acceptance of the total sacrifice on the cross for the redemption of the world and his resurrection are the actualization of his word and the fulfillment of revelation. Christ's disciples are to conform themselves to him until he is formed in them. As Lumengencium states, for this reason, we who have been made like to him,

who have died with him and risen with him, are taken up into the mysteries of his life, until we reign together with him. No one, whether shepherd or wise man, can approach God here below, except by kneeling before the manger at Bethlehem, and adoring him hidden in the weakness of a newborn child.

But his obedience to Mary and Joseph, as well as by his humble work during the long years in Nazareth, Jesus gives us the example of holiness in the daily life of family and work. From the beginning of his public life, at his baptism, Jesus is the servant wholly consecrated to the redemptive work that he will accomplish by the baptism of his passion. The temptation in the desert shows Jesus, the humble Messiah, who triumphs over Satan by his total adherence to the plan of salvation willed by the Father. The kingdom of heaven was inaugurated on earth by Christ. Lumencium states,

This kingdom shown out before men in the word, in the works, and in the presence of Christ. The church is the seed and beginning of this kingdom. Her keys are entrusted to Peter. Christ's transfiguration aims at strengthening the Apostle's faith in anticipation of his passion. The ascent onto the high mountain prepares for the ascent to Calvary. Christ, head of the church, manifests what his body contains, and radiates in the sacraments, the hope of glory. Jesus went up to Jerusalem voluntarily,

knowing well that there he would die a violent death because of the opposition of sinners. Jesus' entry into Jerusalem manifests the coming of the kingdom that the Messiah King welcomed into his city by children and the humble of heart is going to accomplish by the Passover of his death and resurrection. There we go. Paragraphs 561.

Nuggets 561-2570. Kind of a recap. of what we've been talking about for the last number of days, which has been such an incredible gift. Again, let's highlight paragraph 561. This extended quote from John Paul II, the whole of Christ's life was a continual teaching. His silences, his miracles, his gestures, his prayer,

his love for people, his special affection for the little and the poor. Last two, his acceptance of the total sacrifice on the cross for the redemption of the world and his resurrection are the actualization of his word and the fulfillment of revelation. This is so critical. You know, if all of people, Christ's life is a continual teaching, then all of Christ's life continues to teach us, if that makes any sense. So how do we reflect on Christ's life? Well, one of the ways that Christians have long

reflected on Christ's life is by reading through the Gospels. In fact, I know of saints who have, basically, they would carry a copy of the Gospels with them at all times. And whenever there was downtime, they would pull out the Gospels and just read the Gospels and let the life of Christ, you know, his words, his works, his gestures, all of these things, let his love for people shine through the pages of the Gospels. And so that's one great way that you and I, on a normal way, right, in a normal basis, get a little copy of the New Testament and Psalms, whatever. And you just always have the Gospels at hand.

How many times? And I'm convicted of this. How many times am I like standing in line or waiting for something? And I pull up my phone and I scroll through, you know, the latest news of the day or someone's, you know, social media feed. What if in that time, instead of pulling out my phone and going to social media, or whatever else. What if I just read the Gospels instead?

That would be powerful. Now, for centuries, there were people who didn't have access to the Gospels, right? For so many years, people that didn't have access to the Gospels. They didn't have access to the Bible. Yes, they'd hear the Bible proclaimed at mass, but it cost a large amount of money to have your own copy. And so one of the traditions that has arisen in the church has been to meditate on the mysteries of Jesus' life.

but while we are meditating on those mysteries to be praying prayers like the Our Father or the Hail Mary. This obviously is the rosary, right? The rosary is not only a series of prayers we just repeat over and over again. It is prayers that we repeat over and over again while we meditate on the mysteries, the events, these scenes from Christ's life. And so here is John Paul II who's talking about the whole of Christ's life being a continual teaching, then listing all these ways in which this was true. You know, John Paul II prayed the rosary.

I would say more than anyone I've ever heard of, but I've known a lot of people who've read the rosary a lot. But John Paul II, even at the height of his busyness, would pray the rosary in a dedicated way every single day. I remember talking with someone about the rosary years ago. And they said, well, you know, I'm just, the rosary is too basic for me. I'm more advanced in my spiritual life. And I remember trying to be gentle about this and saying, well, okay, do you know that St.

John Paul II, right? Again, he is a genius and also so advanced in the spiritual life. up through his death and now here in heaven, even more advanced I imagine, that he's prays the rosary every day. Mother Teresa, again, very far advanced in the spiritual life, prayed the rosary every single day. Almost all the great saints,

I prayed the rosary virtually every single day. And so I'm not beyond them, is what I'm trying to say, and I have not so fully matured that the rosary no longer has a place in my life. And I think, especially, if all of Christ's life is a continual teaching, all of it,

then why not have an opportunity to meditate on these mysteries? of Jesus' life by praying the rosary. That's all I'm saying. Just throwing it out there, but it's remarkable. So also recognized by paragraph 562. It says this, the Christ's disciples are to conform themselves to him until he is formed in them. Again, Christ's disciples are to conform themselves to him until he is formed in them. I might have mentioned this before. I think it was a quote from a book called Salvation by Dr. Michael Barber, where he had said, you know, salvation is not merely into salvation from hell, although it is that. But salvation is being saved from being

unchristlike. Salvation is being saved from being unchristlike so that we're saved so that we can conform ourselves to the Lord and they can be formed fully in us and mature. Right. Christ come to the full stature in each one of us. And so how do we do this? Well, we do this through the grace of the sacraments. But also, he says, very simply, when we have died with him and risen with him and taken up into the mysteries of his life until we reign together with him. So again, I don't want to break down every one of these nuggets, although every one of these nuggets is worth breaking down. I will highlight these couple things, though. Paragraph 563 and 564. 563 says this, no one, whether shepherd or wise man, can approach God here below, except by kneeling before the manger at Bethlehem and adoring him

hidden in the weakness of the newborn child. We recognize that we cannot approach Jesus unless we're willing to humble ourselves. You probably have heard about this, but there's the Church of the nativity in Bethlehem, you know where Jesus was born. If you ever want to walk into the church of the nativity in Bethlehem, you have to stoop down. There's a bunch of reasons why that structurally, you know, some theories and some pretty good evidence for the reason why. But every person who walks into that church, the door is built as such that you have to stoop down. I guess unless you're three feet tall. But if you're taller than three feet, you have to stoop over and humble yourself as you approach the birthplace of Jesus. How much more so do we need to approach Jesus himself?

in a posture of humility. 564 says, by his obedience to Mary and Joseph, as well as by his humble work during the long years in Nazareth, Jesus gives us the example of holiness in the daily life of family and work. And this is, again, so critical.

We recognize that most people are called to the vocation of marriage and the family. Most people are called, not necessarily called to being a priest or religious or religious brother, religious sister. Most people are called to the vocation. of marriage and family, which means that it is through that. That means that vehicle of marriage and the family that God wills to make you a saint. That's how he wants to make you a saint. And so here's

Jesus who enters into this family life, enters into work life. And think of the daily grind that Jesus experienced for 30 years of his life. Think of that, that humble obedience that Jesus manifested for 30 years of his life. And that is how so many of us, we are called to become saints as well. I would like to go through all the mysteries, but I'm just going to jump to this last piece that talks about in 569, because we talked about, right, the kingdom of heaven. Jesus established that, the kingdom, right, the church on earth, the church militant, right? The church suffering and purgatory and the church triumphant in heaven. Jesus entrusted the keys to the church, to the kingdom here on earth to Peter and to his

successors. We talk about Christ transfiguration that strengthens the apostles' faith in anticipation of the passion, so they saw his glory before they saw his, his agony. But in paragraph 569, last word here, the last nugget here, 569, Jesus went up to Jerusalem voluntarily, knowing well that there he would die a violent death because of the opposition of sinners. Jesus went up to Jerusalem voluntarily. And just to sit with that for just a moment, knowing full well, right, that he would die a violent death there because of sinners and also for sinners. He also die of violent death for you and for me. But he did this voluntarily, realizing we recognize that all of Christ's life is lived out in obedience,

voluntary obedience, humble obedience, him constantly saying yes to the Father for the salvation of you and me. That remember that Jesus was thinking about us in every moment of his life. As St. Paul said, he's the one who loved me and gave himself up for me. He voluntarily did this for you and he voluntarily did this for me. And we just take a moment at the end of this episode today to just thank the Lord and just give him the praise that he deserves. Thank you, Jesus, for voluntarily walking to Jerusalem, knowing exactly what you would face and doing that for me.

Thank you for doing that for us, the members of this community. So as we are here, members of the catechism in your community, let's pray for each other. I'm praying for you. Please pray for me. My name is Father Mike. I cannot wait to see you tomorrow. God bless.