Category: Catechism – February

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The Catechism in a Year – Day 59 – Summary of The Fall

We have arrived at the “nugget day” or the In Brief for the sections on The Father and Original Sin. Fr. Mike reiterates the important idea that every human person is good, but every human person is also broken. This brokenness and inclination towards sin is called concupiscence. However, as St. Paul reminds us “Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more” (Romans 5:20). Fr. Mike concludes with the sentiment of hope that we believe that the world has been established and set free by God’s love. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 413-421.

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The Catechism in a Year – Day 58 – Man’s Spiritual Battle

Fr. Mike explores the hard battle which each and every one of us must face, the battle with sin. Together, we examine the mystery of us being both free and under the power of the Devil. Fr. Mike emphasizes that if we are unaware of our wounded nature, it can lead to grave errors in our own lives. If we have an attitude that, “since I’m made good, then everything I’m drawn to must be good,” we can fall into temptation and evil. We conclude on a hopeful note; however, that even after we sinned, God did not abandon us to the “domain of death,” and with God’s grace, evil will never have the last word. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 407-412.

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The Catechism in a Year – Day 57 – Consequences of Adam’s Sin

Fr. Mike examines the consequences of the sin of our first parents, Adam and Eve. He discusses that even though they committed a personal sin, it affected all of human nature. As Fr. Mike states, “Original sin broke the world.” Additionally, we explore the idea that although we are good, we are still broken. Fr. Mike also discusses how each and every one of us has an inclination towards evil and sin known as concupiscence. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 402-406.

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The Catechism in a Year – Day 56 – Man’s First Sin


Together, with Fr. Mike, we explore the nature of man’s first sin or our “freedom put to the test.” Fr. Mike unpacks the importance of us understanding that freedom is not the power to “do what we want,” but rather, the power to “do what I ought.” Though the story of the first sin is that of our first parents, Fr. Mike emphasizes that we still repeat the grave error of the first sin in our own lives by preferring our own perceived “goods” over the “goods” of our Creator and Father in heaven. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 396-401.

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The Catechism in a Year – Day 55 – The Fall of the Angels

Fr. Mike explores the fall of the angels, and how their fall leads to our own “fall into death out of envy.” Together, we examine what caused some of the angels to fall, whether it be pride or envy, and how it affects humanity’s reality within creation. Fr. Mike concludes with a commentary on the mystery of why Divine Providence permits evil and the actions of the fallen angels. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 391-395.

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The Catechism in a Year – Day 54 – The Fall of Man

The Catechism introduces us to the Fall, beginning with the reality of sin and the mystery of evil. Fr. Mike highlights the fact that sin is not “a developmental flaw, a psychological weakness, a mistake, or the necessary consequence of an inadequate social structure,” but it is man saying, “not your will, but mine be done” to God. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 385-390.

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The Catechism in a Year – Day 53 – Man in Paradise

In the beginning, humans were in friendship with God and in harmony with creation. The Catechism unfolds this harmony and introduces us to the “original justice” that our first parents lost in sin. Fr. Mike reminds us that, although our original callings to leisure, love, and labor have been twisted by sin, they are renewed in Christ. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 374-384.

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The Catechism in a Year – Day 51 – Unity of Soul and Body

The soul and the body “are not two natures united, but rather their union forms a single nature.” The Catechism introduces us to this profound mystery and begins to unpack our nature as a body and as a soul. Fr. Mike shows us how so much pain and confusion in modern times—and indeed throughout history—stems from an attempt to separate these two inseparable parts of our being. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 362-368.

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The Catechism in a Year – Day 50 – The Dignity of Man

“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.

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