Category: Ascension

Posted on

The Catechism in a Year – Day 34 – Unity in the Holy Spirit

The Catechism introduces us to the Holy Spirit and describes how the Spirit reveals the Father and the Son to us. It also gives us some background and context regarding the way we describe the Holy Spirit in the Roman Catholic Church compared to the way that the Eastern Orthodox Church describes the Holy Spirit. Fr. Mike breaks it down for us and gives us some hope for a future reconciliation between Eastern and Western Churches. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 243-248.

Click on the link to play video: https://youtu.be/JpWe10yGaLs

Posted on

The Catechism in a Year – Day 33 – God as Father

The Catechism describes the various ways that God has revealed himself to us as Father over the ages, and gives us insight into God the Father “in relation to his only Son,” Jesus. Fr. Mike entreats us to examine our relationships with our earthly fathers and how they might be impacting our vision of God as Father. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 238-242.

Click on the link to play video: https://youtu.be/OTszf9eOiHY

Posted on

The Catechism in a Year – Day 32 – The Most Holy Trinity

Christians are baptized “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” not the “names” of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Catechism explains this distinction by introducing us to the “central mystery of Christian faith and life”: the Trinity. Fr. Mike slows us down to meditate on what God reveals to us concerning his inner life, the very thing that “many prophets and righteous people longed to see… [and] hear.” Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 232-237.

Click on the link to play video: https://youtu.be/dd0QXMRz0yE

Posted on

The Catechism in a Year – Day 31 – What God’s Nature Means for Us

The Catechism wraps up our “I Believe in God” paragraphs with an In Brief and “The Implications of Faith in One God”—or, what God’s being means for us and our lives. Faith in our God means knowing his greatness, living in thanksgiving, knowing the dignity of all men, making good use of creation, and trusting God in every circumstance. Fr. Mike reminds us that “in every circumstance,” meaning even in adversity, God uses all things for the good. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 222-231.

Click on the link to play video: https://youtu.be/ky3TDjcGGGs

Posted on

The Catechism in a Year – Day 30 – God Is Who Is

God is truth, God is love, and God is being itself. Today’s Catechism readings begin to unpack the eternal nature of God and share with us God’s “innermost secret.” Fr. Mike teaches us that because God made us in his image and likeness, then we too are called to embody truth and love. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 212-221.

Click on the link to play video: https://youtu.be/JhGFGvPnJqA

Posted on

The Catechism in a Year – Day 29 – Knowing the Name of God

We can learn a lot about the nature of God from his Divine Name revealed in Scripture. When God said to Moses, “I am who I am,” this was a revelation of a name as well as a refusal of a name. Fr. Mike explains how this mystery reveals truths about God: he is infinitely above all things; we cannot comprehend him, yet he draws close to us. This Divine Name expresses the steadfast, faithful, unchanging love of God for his people, even when we betray and abandon him. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 205-211.

Click on the link to play video: https://youtu.be/TBB6IMNXJlo

Posted on

The Catechism in a Year – Day 28 – The Nature of God

In this episode, we discuss the nature of God, “who” God is, beginning with God the Father. Our reading explains how the Creed begins with God the Father because he is the first Divine Person of the most Holy Trinity. God is one Divine Being made up of three persons, and his identity is a deep mystery. Fr. Mike explains that God is a single ‘what’ made up of three ‘who’s.’ Despite this mystery, God is not an anonymous force. He has revealed himself to us by making his name known to us, and he has thus made himself accessible. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 198-204.

Click on the link to play video: https://youtu.be/5dsCqDWE36g

Posted on

Let’s Wrestle with Humility

The Saints and the Scriptures tell us over and over again that Pride is the worst sin, maybe the root of all sin.

But maybe when we realize we are struggling with pride the realization is that it’s not that we think too highly of ourselves but that we instead are struggling with a weak self image and poor self worth.

Today, Fr. Mark-Mary defines what the virtue of humility is, as the antidote to pride and how we can grow in it and wrestle with it.

Posted on

The Catechism in a Year – Day 27 – The Gift of the Creed

The Catechism we are reading follows the structure of the Apostles’ Creed with frequent references to the Nicene Creed for further details and explanations. Together, these Creeds aid us in articulating the beliefs we share with all members of the Catholic Church. Fr. Mike discusses why St. Ambrose refers to the Creed as “an ever-present guardian” and “treasure of our soul.” He encourages us not to take this gift for granted. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 193-197.

Click on the link to play video: https://youtu.be/y9FnljV4bKg