CATECHISM

Here are some things that stood out to me in Father Mike's Catechism-in-a-Year (CIY) deep-dive.

INTRO

Our desires can only be completely fulfilled through God.

“The desire for God is written in the human heart, because man is created by God and for God; and God never ceases to draw man to himself. Only in God will he find the truth and happiness he never stops searching for” (CCC Part One Section One, p27, pg. 17).

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DAY 3

As stated in CCC Part 1, II, p31 (pg. 19), our belief in God can come about by:

Taking a look at creation (e.g., gravity, the stars, and other planets) and using reason to acknowledge that there must be a creator. Or looking at Churches and using reason to acknowledge that there must be a founder.

Taking a look at our own longing for something more (that cannot be completely fulfilled through food, relationships, or achievements).

At some point, we’re bound to hit a wall.

In the movie The Truman Show, Jim Carey doesn’t know that his whole life is really a Hollywood set. Everyone in the world is watching him while eating popcorn, and some people are even sponsoring the show. But then Jim Carey starts to ask questions. He thinks that there’s got to be more, so he searches for answers. He looks at the ocean and the director thinks, “Oh no, we have a problem. We have to stop him! Maybe a storm will work.” But Jim Carey eventually reaches the end of his world. He then hears a voice on the loudspeaker that introduces itself as the set creator.

Similarly, at some point, we may realize that there’s more to this world than meets the eye. Only through our search for meaning (in the midst of any obstacles that Satan throws in our path) can we come face-to-face with God.

We can say that we “believe” something all we want, but we only entrust ourselves if we genuinely believe it.

After The Great Blondin crossed Niagara Falls on a tightrope, people on the other side asked him to do it again. He riled up the crowd:

“Do you guys really think I can do it again?”

“Yeah!!!”

“Do you guys think I can walk across blindfolded?”

“Yeah!!!”

“Do you guys think I can walk across blindfolded pushing a wheelbarrow with a person inside?”

“Yeah!!!”

“Ok. I need a volunteer.”

No response. No one genuinely believed in his ability enough to volunteer to be the one in the wheelbarrow.

Similarly, how much do we genuinely believe the Catholic faith? When saying the Creed at Church, do we really believe the words that we’re reciting, or do we pick at our fingernails and think, “Well I’m still here, aren’t I?

While listening to the Catechism in a Year (CIY) Podcast, not every day is earth-shattering.

If God’s grace is like water, then some days, His grace is going to penetrate our hearts like a heavy downpour. Other days, it’s going to be like a gentle dew (where we think “ok, this is nice”).

As long as we keep showing up and pressing “play”, water is going to get absorbed one way or another.

It’s not the information of itself that will make your life any different, but rather your conversion of heart that will make the difference.

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DAY 6

It’s a myth that science and religion are antithetical to one another. They just ask different sets of questions.

Science asks, “What is this?” and “How does it work?”
Religion asks, “Who made this” and “Why was it created?”

Objective truth cannot contradict another objective truth. All objective truths are true whether we like it, know it, or believe it.

While we can name some qualities of God through analogy, allegory, or anecdotes, we cannot ever say enough to fully exhaust who He is. Our language and our minds limit us.

As stated in the “In Brief”, paragraph 48 (pg 23): “We really can name God, starting from the manifold perfections of his creatures, which are likenesses of the infinitely perfect God, even if our limited language cannot exhaust the mystery.”

For example, any healthy human baby has the potential to pick up any of the 7,000 languages that exist. We “pick” the language that people around us speak.

As time goes on, our tongues and mouths and voiceboxes have a harder time forming the sounds of other languages. Think of how hard it can be for Asians to roll their “R’s”. Additionally, our brains become less elastic.

However, learning one language opens the door to learning other languages. Similarly, having one picture of God (however limited it is) opens the door to learning more about Him. But we can never fully know everything there is to know about Him (like how we cannot ever be fluent in all 7,000 languages).

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DAY 8

God reveals himself through stages (i.e., through prophets and then in Jesus).

Why doesn’t He just reveal Himself all at once in one undeniable, overwhelming way every year (to solve the problem of people not knowing about Him and the problem of people not believing in Him)?

Because doing so would remove any room for faith. There wouldn’t be any room for us to willingly choose Him.

God wants us to believe Him, not just believe IN Him.

God wants us to believe in His goodness, not just in His existence.

So God continues to reveal more and more of Himself as time goes on.

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DAY 9

Even though God reveals Himself through stages, the climax is when He takes the form of Jesus.

There are to be no further deep revelations until Jesus’s second coming, as the fullness of the truths of Jeusus’s life and resurrection are still being contemplated and discussed.

However, the Catechism realizes that in the time being, there may be some “private revelations” to individuals or small groups. Examples include the apparition of Mary at Fatima, St. Faustina’s vision of Divine Mercy, and various Eucharistic miracles.

Private revelations do not contradict the fullness of truth that was embodied by Jesus’s time on Earth, but they can aid in understanding at a particular time.

If a private revelation is approved by the Church, you are not required to believe it, but you should not contemptfully dismiss it or take it lightly.

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DAY 11

One pillar of the Protestant reformation is the idea of “Scripture alone” (which implies that all you need for faith is the Bible).

However (as Scott Hahn also realized in Rome Sweet Home):

The Bible was compiled years after Jesus’s resurrection, so it was crucial for the faith to be passed orally.

Who discerned which books and letters made the cut? The Catholic Church!

Where in the Bible does it say that you ONLY need Scripture? Not EVERYTHING that Jesus said and did is documented (or else we would have an endless amount of documentation).

What good is an infallible book if there’s not an infallible interpreter?

I can read one section one way, and you can read that same section a different way.

That’s why we need leadership in the form of the magisterium (that is, the Pope united with the bishops) to devote a lot of time studying the historical context of Scripture and Traditions to making the call for us about interpreting different issues.

Big-T Traditions will never change. Lowercase-t traditions may change.

An example of a lowercase-t tradition is how we pray the Rosary. The Rosary used to be made up of only 15 mysteries, but JP2 (knowing the history of the Rosary and being devoted to Our Lady) added 5 more sets (for a total of 20 mysteries). This addition helps us to enter into a deeper prayer by walking through more aspects of Jesus’s life.

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DAY 13

You may have gotten the question, “So where is that in the Bible?"

But not everything we believe needs to be explicitly laid out in Scripture (since faith was passed orally before the writings were compiled). So the Church has the authority to interpret, teach, and guide.

Similarly, in the movie “A Few Good Men” (where “You can’t handle the truth” came from), a couple marines were on trial for killing a fellow marine through hazing.

One lawyer (Kevin Bacon) argued that code reds aren’t mentioned in the handbook, so no rules were broken.

The opposing lawyer (Tom Cruise) argued that not everything needs to be explicitly stated in the handbook. For example, Tom Cruise asks the man on trial to point to where the handbook tells him where the mess hall is. The man said it’s not in the handbook. Tom Cruise then asks him how it’s possible that he didn’t eat a single meal the whole time he’s been in the military. The man replies that he has actually eaten three meals every day. So Tom Cruise asks how he knows where to eat if the directions aren’t in the handbook. The man explains that he’s learned to follow the crowd (and oral instructions from leaders) at chow time.

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DAY 17

We need both the Old Testament AND the New Testament.

We need to be careful of the heresy that says that the Old Testament became useless ever since Jesus entered the scene.

“The Church has always vigorously opposed the idea of rejecting the Old Testament under the pretext that the New has rendered it void (Marcionism)” (CCC Part One, IV, p123, pg. 41).

“The New Testament lies hidden in the Old and the Old Testament is unveiled in the New” (CCC Part One, IV, p129, pg. 42).

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DAY 23

As C.S. Lewis implied in The Great Divorce, we can view our life on earth through either a glass half-full or glass half-empty lens.

Even though longing and suffering are present, so are glimpses of God’s beauty and grace.

Those who end up in hell don’t choose hell at their deaths, but rather in their lives.

Those who end up in heaven can already begin to experience a taste of heaven in their earthly lives by exercising faith.

“‘We walk by faith, not by sight’; we perceive God as ‘in a mirror, dimly’ and only ‘in part’” (CCC Article 1, p164, pg. 51).

Christianity is NOT an individual sport. It’s a team effort; a family endeavor.

Our chances of survival are best when we have other people (and their ideas).

Imagine you had the task of making a wooden chair all on your own. You would even have to make an ax from scratch before you could begin thinking about how to design the chair!

It helps when we can collaborate with others to achieve a common goal (whether it’s salvation or building a chair or electricity or discovering fire).

Let’s continue to build off of one another’s experiences and ideas (and pass down that knowledge to the next generation).

Faith isn’t just a “I believe.” It’s a communal “We believe.”

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DAY 27

Creeds help you (and all other Catholics) express beliefs.

Think of a picture. It showcases one thing (or a few things), but there’s a frame around it. Similarly, a creed can capture certain aspects of our faith about who God is, but it’s not exhaustive. There’s a boundary we hit, but that doesn’t mean that what we do capture doesn’t have value.

The Apostle’s Creed is older than the Nicene Creed, but the Nicene Creed is more specific (since the Council at Nicea added clearer definitions for who Jesus is in relation to God, such as “the only begotten son of God”, “born of the Father before all ages”, and “begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father”).

At Church, we usually recite the Nicene Creed, but both Creeds still have value.

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DAY 29

God seems more intimidating in the Old Testament than the New Testament, but He’s the same God in both.

Even when he seems more approachable in the form of Jesus or in the Eucharist, we must not underestimate His power or the level of respect that He deserves.

“Faced with God’s fascinating and mysterious presence, man discovers his own insignificance. Before the burning bush, Moses takes off his sandals and veils his face in the presence of God’s holiness. Before the glory of the thrice-holy God, Isaiah cries out: ‘Woe is me! I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips.’ Before the divine signs wrought by Jesus, Peter exclaims: ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord’” (CCC Chapter One, Article 1, p208, pg. 64).

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DAY 52

Men and women were made to be equal and complementary.

We shouldn’t say that we are looking for our “other half” since we’re not half a person on our own.

Instead of ½ and ½ coming together to make one, two become one.

Together, we have the gift of caring for God’s creation and contributing to further life.

“Man and woman were made ‘for each other’ — not that God left them half-made and incomplete: he created them to be a communion of persons, in which each can be ‘helpmate’ to the other, for they are equal as persons (‘bone of my bones…’) and complementary as masculine and feminine” (CCC Part One, III, pp372, pg.106).

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DAY 86

When talking to others or looking in the mirror, remember that God loves EVERYONE despite their brokenness.

“At the end of the parable of the lost sheep Jesus recalled that God's love excludes no one: ‘So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.’ He affirms that he came ‘to give his life as a ransom for many’; this last term is not restrictive, but contrasts the whole of humanity with the unique person of the redeemer who hands himself over to save us. The Church, following the apostles, teaches that Christ died for all men without exception: ‘There is not, never has been, and never will be a single human being for whom Christ did not suffer’ (CCC 605).

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Day 137

Death brings a sense of urgency to our lives.

In northern Minnesota, there are only so many nice summer days where the weather is nice out. On these days, a lot of people are outside. Knowing that the nice weather will only last so long, there’s an urgency to act (whether that’s going for a walk or doing yard work).

Likewise, we should take advantage of as many moments of our lives as possible, knowing that we won’t be on this Earth forever.

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Day 139

We get what we choose, not what we just desire.

We may want to be healthier, but do we choose to diet, exercise, and go to bed on time?

We may want to go to Heaven, but do we choose faith over sin?

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Day 141

We need to have both a healthy love AND fear of the Lord.

When we choose to sin, it isn’t necessarily because we fell out of love with God. It could just be because we lost our fear of Him.

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Day 153

Efficacy of sacraments depends on our disposition.

If we step into a shower, there’s running water, soap, and shampoo. However, if we wear a raincoat and rainboots, we’re not going to allow ourselves to get clean.

Similarly, the power of God is always present in the sacrament regardless of the holiness of the minister or the recipient. But, to experience the fruits of the sacrament, you have to have a disposition that opens you up to being transformed by the gift of grace. This is true in the sacrament of baptism, the Eucharist, marriage, etc.

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DAY 161

At first, Fr. Mike didn’t see any value in praying the Liturgy of the Hours every day. He was going along with it since it’s a requirement for priests, but he wished he would have been doing something more “productive”.

Years later, he saw how these prayers have become so ingrained in him that they help shape how he thinks and what he turns to in time of need.

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DAY 172

What’s the point of baptism?

Some pet owners might call themselves “cat moms” or “dog dads”, but in reality, their pets are not “their children”. Why? Because they’re not the same thing. A cat does not equal a human.

Similarly, we call God our “Father”, but we are not the same thing as Him. We must be transformed.

Think about Pinnochio. He was just a wooden puppy who his carver, Geppetto, loved. However, Pinnochio could not become a real boy until he got brought to life by a fairy.

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DAY 179

When we were confirmed, were we truly ready?

Sometimes during retreats, Fr. Mike asks for 2 volunteers (one boy and one girl) who likely don’t know each other. Then he performs a mock wedding where they each get dressed up and say vows. At the end, Fr. Mike asks the audience if the marriage is valid.

You can’t say it’s not valid because they’re not of age (since they’re 18 years old).

You can’t say it’s not valid because they don’t love each other (because some people get married to golddiggers or through arranged marriages).

You can’t say it’s not valid because they don’t have a marriage license (because not everywhere requires a marriage license).

You can, however, say that it’s not valid because they didn’t mean it. They had no intention of getting married and following through with the vows that Fr. Mike told them to say.

Similarly, when a lot of young adults go through confirmation, they are doing so because they’re at an arbitrary age where people typically get confirmed and their family members are telling them what to do and say. They may not be ready to pursue Christianity yet in their hearts. Therefore, we should cut people a bit more slack to give them the freedom to choose when they are ready and to help them grow to get to that point.

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DAY 193

Why doesn’t the Eucharist change appearance during Mass?

This is similar to how Jesus just looked like a regular guy back in the day. He hides Himself so that we don’t have to hide.

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DAY 227

Do we let God lead us like a good dance partner?

Ginger Rogers wasn’t Fred Astaire’s favorite dance partner because she was the most talented. In fact, she was just an amateur dancer (not a professional dancer, like many of Astaire’s other dance partners). But Ginger was the most receptive. She allowed Astaire to lead in a way where she wasn’t trying to take over control or allow him to drag her all over the dance floor.

Similarly, when we go to Mass, we should open ourselves up to allow God to be in full control. At the same time, we shouldn’t be passive. We need to be in the happy middle by receptively participating.

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DAY 227

Trust the Church even for teachings that you don’t yet fully understand.

When a certain couple got engaged, the man said to his soon-to-be wife that after they got married, he didn’t want to use contraception. Even though he didn’t understand why the Church taught that, he believed that the Church had authority and he trusted the Church. Years later, while he and his wife are still continuing with NFP and are still happily married (while some of their friends were getting divorced).

Don’t be tempted by things that we think that we want in this world.

If we see salt water or swamp water, it might look inviting to us since we’re thirsty. But Jesus is telling us that if we wait, we can have access to an overflowing amount of pure water. We might be tempted to not wait (since we already have the unclean water right in front of us), but we need to wait for something better.

The Christian life is like surfing.

The Christian life isn’t just the safe paddling that you do in shallow waters. You must take the risk to stand up on a wave, letting the wave and wind (that are both more powerful than you) guide you (like the Holy Spirit guides you). You may fall off (like how we don’t always follow the commandments), but keep getting back up. You can’t be passive, since you need to use all your focus to balance. When you do things right, only then can you experience true joy.

Be all in.

You can’t have one foot in the world and one foot in Heaven.

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Day 244

What does it mean to be driven by charity?

God doesn’t want a slave or someone who is driven by wages.

Imagine there’s one son who wakes up, comes downstairs, and finds a note from his father of all the chores that the son has to do for the day. The son reluctantly does them out of obligation.

Imagine there’s another son who wakes up, comes downstairs, and then has a conversation with his father. Then, the son asks, “What are we going to do today?”. The father gives him a list of options and asks the son what he thinks. Driven out of the desire to act out of love, they achieve a lot of goodness together.

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DAY 247

There is a range in the severity of sins (e.g., from stealing a pencil to committing blasphemy).

In bull-fighting, first the bull can be wounded with a short spear so that it can’t turn its neck as fast or run as fast. However, its living force is still very much alive. This is similar to venial sins. However, a lot of these “small” wounds can add up, or it can die due to one massive blow (similar to a mortal sin).

When confessing your sins to a priest, you don’t need to give your life story, but give all the relevant details.

Don’t say you stole a rope and neglect to say that a cow was attached to the rope.

Saying “I hit someone” is different from saying “I hit my mom”, which is different from saying “I hit my mom with my car”, which is different from saying “I hit my mom with the car 4 times”.

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DAY 248

What is the effect of the spread of sin?

The more we sin, the more it clouds our judgment, making us say, “Well is this really that wrong?”

Sins can lead to other (sometimes even more dangerous) sins. In the Bible, King David went from sloth (from staying home from the battlefield) to an adulterer to a murderer.

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DAY 249

What are the effects of society?

Solitary confinement may have originally been intended for protection (and not as an extra harsh punishment), but people subject to it become crazy because we need community.

Some religious people become hermits where they isolate themselves, but they’re still in contact/ in relationship with others (i.e., they can be someone’s spiritual director).

Society can also be beneficial because if you don’t know how to build a chair -- no big deal! Just go to Home Depot and buy one that someone else has already made.

However, society can also be harmful, especially if you live in a toxic one that takes away personal freedoms or spreads misinformation.

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DAY 260

Laws do restrict us, but for our own good.

Your car comes with an owner’s manual on how to best use it. It’s true that you don’t necessarily have to follow those guidelines, but those guidelines are designed to keep the car running in the best shape possible for as long as possible.

Similarly, if you follow the rules set by your Creator, you can stay in the best shape possible.

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DAY 276

Don’t just think, “I’m going to die one day, so it doesn’t matter what I do in this life. I’m just going to sit back and endure difficulties in the meantime.”

That’s missing the point.

Because our time is limited, we need to do what we can now, which will help us achieve a true conversion of heart in preparation for heaven.

Even though Christians are focused on heaven, we are also the biggest group to be involved with ending slavery, building hospitals, etc.

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DAY 284

The Fourth Commandment states you should honor your father and mother, but does this mean that you have to do everything they say?

If your mom asks you for money, and you know that she is going to put the money to good use (like for food), then it’s good to give that money to her.

If your mom is addicted to drugs and asks you for money, then succumbing to her request could actually be enabling her to continue her destructive habit.

So when do we obey our parents and when should we not? That requires wisdom.

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DAY 287

Instead of focusing on anything that our parents did wrong, focus on everything that our parents did right that we can never repay them for.

This can be hard in cases of abuse and neglect, but in general, when looking at life, address both the good and the bad without forgetting about gratitude for the good.

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