Catechism in a Year
Reflection by Paul Brown
Oct 1, 2023 (Latest)
Catechism Paragraph 1985: The New Law is a law of love, a law of grace, a law of freedom.
Why did this particular paragraph or line grab your attention?
This line grabbed my attention as it highlights a section of the Catechism that describes the common moral law that is shared by all of humanity, and how Christ is the perfection of that law.
How is this new understanding calling you to a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ?
We can think of moral law as something restrictive instead of something that frees us, but Father Mike explains that freedom isn’t the right to do whatever you want, it's the right to do what you were created for. We weren’t just made to be free from something, but to be free for something. Strengthened by the Holy Spirit, we can and should, as St. Francis de Sales said, “love obeying more than we fear disobeying”.
Any further thoughts or reflections?
Reflection by Katie Byrne
September 10, 2023
Catechism Paragraph 1156: "The musical tradition of the universal Church is a treasure of inestimable value, greater even than that of any other art. The main reason for this pre-eminence is that, as a combination of sacred music and words, it forms a necessary or integral part of solemn liturgy."
Why did this particular paragraph or line grab your attention?
As someone who has been involved with music ministry for most of my life, it meant a lot to me to see music mentioned specifically in the Catechism. The words 'inestimable value' and 'integral part of solemn liturgy' emphasize the importance the Church places on having music at Mass to draw our souls to God. I think now is an appropriate time to express gratitude for Eleanor Kiel, our music director who works hard to create prayerful and beautiful music for our parish.
How is this new understanding calling you to a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ?
I feel a difference in my heart when I’m singing a psalm at Mass as opposed to singing Broadway tunes in the car. The difference is the music at Mass is closely connected with Sacred Scripture. It's important to remember that church music is beautiful because it reflects the words of our Heavenly Father, and wonderful voices and instruments are meant to draw us deeper into worship. Music is not aiming to try to 'overshadow' the beauty that is already present in the celebration of the Mass, but it exists to glorify God and to help us connect with Sacred Scripture in a special way.
Any further thoughts or reflections?
Reflection by Mike Dahlinghaus
Aug. 20, 2023
Catechism Paragraph 520: In all of his life Jesus presents himself as our model. He is "the perfect man", who invites us to become his disciples and follow him. In humbling himself, he has given us an example to imitate, through his prayer he draws us to pray, and by his poverty he calls us to accept freely the privation and persecutions that may come our way.
Why did this particular paragraph or line grab your attention?
This section of the Catechism reminds us that Jesus is the role model for all of us as "the perfect man". By following him and being his disciple we are called to a life of humility and lowering ourselves instead of what the world promotes of "building ourselves up".
How is this new understanding calling you to a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ?
Often in Christian culture it's tempting to summarize Christ's instructions for my everyday life as simply "be nice, be kind, be compassionate, or be forgiving". These of course are certainly not easy to master and practice effectively in my everyday life with consistency, but they are only part of the attributes that I am called to imitate through Christ as the Catechism teaches. One key element that really demonstrates Christ's true love for us, is the suffering he had to endure. Truly being kind, compassionate, forgiving, etc requires suffering for it to be authentic. I know that if I'm living my Christian life too comfortably without suffering something is missing. And that "something" is the deeper relationship with Him through suffering.
Any further thoughts or reflections?
Reflection by Andy Hovey
(Latest) August 13, 2023
Catechism Paragraph 1426: “This is the struggle of conversion directed toward holiness and eternal life to which the Lord never ceases to call us.”
Why did this particular paragraph or line grab your attention?
I am very critical of myself personally in my life. I strive very hard to be the best husband, father, son, brother...you name it! And when I sin, I really feel unworthy or unqualified to be a Child of God. However, Fr. Mike talked about how God is always calling us, pursuing us, even amid our own (my) brokenness, back to him, not allowing us to stay in sin, but freely giving his mercy and calling us to conversion and reconciliation, not only to Himself, but the Church and each other.
How is this new understanding calling you to a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ?
I have always since my days in college enjoyed going to confession, because once I confess my sins, I feel such joy and feel lighter when I receive absolution and feel more empowered, through the mercy of God and the Holy Spirit, to pick up my Cross and follow in Jesus’ steps toward being the man and child of God, that God is calling me to be. With this new vision regarding the sacrament, I am letting go of being negative toward myself and trying to see me as God sees me, a cherished Child of God.
Any additional thoughts or comments?
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a game changer for our lives! Some have told me that they don’t go to confession, because they think the priest is going to judge them, or they are too sinful to ever be forgiven, for anything. That is Satan lying to you, as Our Father pursues you and your good more than you will ever know. Go to confession and experience the outpouring of love and mercy, only Christ can offer.
Reflection by Katie Byrne
July 18, 2023
Catechism Paragraph 898: "By reason of their special vocation, it belongs to the laity to seek the kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs and directing them according to God's will... so to illuminate and order all temporal things with which they are closely associated so that they may always be effected and grow according to Christ and may be to the glory of the Creator and Redeemer."
Why did this particular paragraph or line grab your attention?
This paragraph really challenged me to ask myself several questions. When I am attending mass, it is very clear that I'm seeking the kingdom of God. However, am I continuing to seek the kingdom outside of Sunday mass? At work, do I seek to show mercy to my coworkers? In my family life, do I seek to have a servant heart for my loved ones? In my community, do I seek to try to find ways to volunteer and serve 'the least'? I think these are important questions for all of us to ask ourselves. Every Sunday we receive the Eucharist and get the opportunity to 'reset' our perspective for the upcoming week, but Monday morning at 8 AM do we already start to lose the message we heard on Sunday?
How is this new understanding calling you to a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ?
This line of the Catechism helps us to see that every moment of our life can be offered for the glory of God. It challenges us to not stop being Catholic when we're at parties, work, or anywhere else. The biggest call I feel from this line of the Catechism is to be more open to how God wants me to direct something towards him that may not even seem directly related to my faith. My professional job seems unrelated to my faith, but are there more ways I can offer my work to the Lord? A small way I bring my faith to work is by mentioning that I attended mass when a coworker asks me, “How was your weekend?” It’s a small thing, but it’s important to me for my coworkers to know that faith is an important part of my life and mentioning that I attended mass over the weekend is a small way to achieve that. I’m sure there are more ways that God is calling me to illuminate Him at work, and that is something I will be reflecting on. I hope you are able to identify an area that you can bring more into accordance with God's will.
Reflection by Eleanor Kiel
June 11, 2023
Catechism Paragraph 901: And so, worshipping everywhere by their holy actions, the laity consecrate the world itself to God everywhere offering worship by the holiness of their lives.
Why did this particular paragraph or line grab your attention?
I think we forget that as "average Catholics" we have a large role to play in the universal church. The header of this paragraph is "The participation of lay people in Christ's priestly office." Indeed, we are anointed priest, prophet, and king at our baptism, and this paragraph reminds us that we are called and "prepared" to "consecrate the world itself to God." Wow!
How is this new understanding calling you to a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ?
Sometimes I might feel overwhelmed by this call to holiness. How can I possibly be worthy of taking part in Christ's priesthood? But even the "hardships of life if patiently born" - our suffering, our ineptitude, our failings - if acknowledged humbly and offered to Jesus at the foot of his holy cross, are pleasing to God and make the world a more holy place. The moments that I have felt closest to Jesus are times when I have encountered him in relationship to others, especially the poor and suffering. One powerful example: I was biking home on the Duck Creek path when I saw a homeless man laying on a bench. His bike was laying on the ground and he looked ill. I overcame my initial fear and stopped to see if he was ok. I offered him a granola bar and some water. As he came to, he looked deep into my eyes and said, "Jesus! Jesus is here! Jesus is alive!" In that moment, I knew that he recognized me as Jesus and I recognized him as Jesus. Jesus truly was alive and present in that moment. I felt so happy that I overcame my fear to live out my baptismal call. The grace of God that filled that moment was the most precious gift.
Reflection by Paul Brown
June 4, 2023
Catechism Paragraph 820: The desire to recover the unity of all Christians is a gift of Christ and a call of the Holy Spirit.
Why did this particular paragraph or line grab your attention?
It was moving to hear that the desire to heal the wounds that separate Christians described as a “gift” and a “call”. Our lack of unity is painful to me and at times this desire is misrepresented or frowned upon.
How is this new understanding calling you to a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ?
It serves as a reminder to me that all true and good accomplishments are ultimately those of the Holy Spirit, and regular prayer for direction and discernment is necessary.
Any further thoughts or reflections?
I would like to provide portion Father Mike’s Day 117 commentary:
"I recently had one of our students, who is not Catholic, and she came up to me after one of our classes. We were talking about the Faith, and she said, “So I’m a Christian; I’m not Catholic. Why should I be Catholic? I mean, if you’re saying I have God’s grace, if you’re saying I have the Bible, the Word of God, if I can grow in holiness as a non-Catholic Christian, why would I become Catholic?” And it’s a really great question.
… Here when it comes to the Catholic Church, we have received from Jesus the fullness of the means of salvation, which means not just the correct profession of Faith, but the complete profession of Faith. That’s really important. Right? If you know something about the one you love, but there is more to know about them, wouldn’t you want to know more? You want to be able to say something about God, wouldn’t you want to be able to say all there is to say about God, knowing that it is not only correct, but complete? Going on from there, you have sacramental life. Yeah, we have access to the Father’s heart through Baptism. Well wouldn’t you also want access to God’s grace through the other six sacraments, seven total in all?...And even ordained ministry to the apostolic succession…there’s that sense of, well, do I want adequate means of salvation or do I want the fullness of the means of salvation?...We recognize there are wounds to the unity of the Church, and that wound is sin. That it's not a great and glorious thing that the Church is divided. That Jesus’ prayer from his heart was that we would be one."
Reflection by Mike Dahlinghaus
May 7, 2023
Catechism Paragraph 1656: "In our own time, in a world often alien and even hostile to faith, believing families are of primary importance as centers of living, radiant faith."
Why did this particular paragraph or line grab your attention?
It succinctly summarizes to me the reality, mission, and responsibility of being a Catholic father in the 21st century.
How is this new understanding calling you to a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ?
Christ being the perfect son and the perfect example for us to model our lives after in turn gave us the ideal family structure. Both modeling Our Lady and St. Joseph by nature of their earthly mission brings us closer to Christ and our mission on earth. It’s amazing to think that with such little information of their lives (in comparison with other saints in our Church) that so much wisdom can be contained. I often can be overwhelmed with “what my mission is” or being able to fully live up to the task as a disciple in Christ. But in reading this paragraph in the Catechism and reflecting on the holy family, it’s clear that no other mission is more important, more clear, and more needed than living out my vocation as father and husband.
Any further thoughts or reflections?
Reflection by Jeff Kopacz
April 23, 2023
Catechism Paragraph 490: To become the mother of the Savior, Mary "was enriched by God with gifts appropriate to such a role"
What did you learn from this particular paragraph?
Just as Mary was given the grace necessay to be the Mother of Jesus, we also are given the grace to do as we are asked, to overcome our fears and shortcomings, and provided the tools (gifts) necessary to succeed. Can you imagine a teenager (Mary) being asked to be the mother of the Savior and knowing that God has given you all the graces to succeed?
How is this new understanding calling you to a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ?
Using Mary for guidance, her "yes" when asked can only be an inspiration when making any decision that may seem above my talents, abilities or comfort. Every time we say yes to Jesus we deepen our relationship with him and the church.
Going to Mass on Sunday and singing like your in the shower - Yes.
Praying before meals - Yes
Helping a neighbor or stranger in need - Yes
Any further thoughts or reflections?
Reflection by Andy Hovey
March 20, 2023
Catechism Paragraph 35: Man’s faculties make him capable of coming to a knowledge of the existence of a personal God. But for man to be able to enter into real intimacy with Him, God willed both to reveal himself to man and to give him the grace of being able to welcome this revelation in faith. The proofs of God’s existence, however, can predispose one to faith and help one to see that faith is not opposed to reason.
What did you learn from this particular paragraph?
This paragraph has stood out to me in relation to my efforts in trying to defend our faith to people who do not believe God exists or is real, and further, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and Savior of the world. I have historically struggled to convey to those with doubts about God, that He is the Creator of all things. Mostly, as I would not have a scientific reason at the ready in that moment, that would open that person to the reality of God.
This paragraph is profound, because it explains two important things that God willed to be in relationship with God. He first revealed himself to us, through His creation, and secondly, through His grace, allowed us to accept this revelation of God, via faith. I learned through exploring the Catechism, that faith and reason are compatible. All of creation, points to and glorifies God, as He willed everything into being, out of sheer love. God is LOVE itself.
How is this new understanding calling you to a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ?
It is calling me to be more patient. Patience with myself (which is a daily struggle for me) and patience in growing in intimacy in my friendship and relationship with Jesus. I'm also praying and asking Jesus, to be more patient with family, friends, acquaintances and co-workers, who still doubt God, who have left the Church, or don't have a relationship with God. I'm trying to be "present with them," to be more understanding when they are working through struggles in faith and try to be patient, as God has been patient with me.
Any further thoughts or reflections?
Reflection by Paul Brown
February 19, 2023
Catechism Paragraph 257: Such is the "plan of his loving kindness", conceived by the Father before the foundation of the world, in his beloved Son: "He destined us in love to be his sons" and "to be conformed to the image of his Son", through "the spirit of sonship"
What did you learn from this particular paragraph?
It has led me to reflect more deeply on what it means to be a child of God.
How is this new understanding calling you to a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ?
This paragraph is from the section of the Catechism discussing God as Trinity. It’s not an easy section to understand. It has me contemplating concepts such as how the Trinity is and always was a perfect loving family, lacking nothing, completely happy - and yet we were created anyway. But also that through Baptism, the Holy Spirit truly dwells in me, making me an adopted son of God, and if the Father loves the Son through the Holy Spirit, then I really have to really trust that God loves me that much too. So I keep coming back to basic teachings I’ve been taught since I was little: God loves me and I am his child. I’m only about a month into the Catechism in a Year podcast, but I would say one of the biggest surprises for me has been the repeated pattern of listening to Father Mike explain a theologically dense passage and having it lead me to ponder a simple statement of truth I’ve heard all my life, as if I’m hearing it again for the first time.
Any further thoughts or reflections?
I feel so grateful we as Catholics have the Catechism. This is 2,000 years of Tradition synthesized with Scripture into one neatly organized book! If you’ve never looked through the Catechism before you can find it at USCCB.org. It might surprise you just to flip through it and get a sense for what is there. I’m willing to bet there are answers there to questions you have had for a long time. I would also highly encourage you to listen to this podcast. It is so helpful and very moving at times. If you can’t follow along each day I would say at least keep it in mind. It will always be there in the future if you need a better understanding of a particular section.
Reflection by Katie Byrne
February 5, 2023
Catechism Paragraph 177: "'To believe' has thus a twofold reference: to the person, and to the truth: to the truth, by trust in the person who bears witness to it."
What did you learn from this particular paragraph?
Some of you reading this may have heard the sentiment that religion is just "a long list of rules." It is true that the Christian life calls us to live in a particular way, but it's disheartening to reduce faith to merely guidelines to follow. The Catechism points out that believing is acknowledging the truth (teachings or "rules") as well as the bearer of truth (Jesus). The truth is revealed to us by someone who intimately loves us and perfectly wills our good. God does not invite us to lead a Christian life just for the sake of keeping us from or depriving us of something, but He invites us to live a Christian life so that we can live joyfully and in such a way that is for our ultimate good. We aren't always the best at truly determining what is for our greatest good, but we have a loving Father in Heaven who deeply knows our hearts and can lovingly guide us on a path to our greatest good.
How is this new understanding calling you to a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ?
In the earlier years of my faith, I knew that having Catholicism in my life was a way to help me live in a moral way. While it is true that following the teachings of the Church helps you to lead a moral life, as I matured in my faith, I realized that God desired me to know Him more deeply, beyond thinking that 'Jesus is a good example of how to treat other people.' This line of the Catechism really challenged me to think about my perception of God - do I truly view God as someone that I can completely trust in, even if I don't understand why He's asking me to do something? This trust in God has not happened overnight, but in seeking to know God more deeply, I have reached the conviction that God's teachings and God's will are leading me towards true joy. God's teachings have sometimes made me feel unsatisfied or confused or even sad in the moment I am following them, but as I have reflected on them later, I realized the teaching put me on a better path and was for my good in the long-term, even though there wasn't instant gratification in following the teaching. In the confessional, a priest once said to me, "If you truly believe God is who He says He is, why are you afraid to give your life to Him?" I think this question is very poignant, and may also be a scary question (giving your life to God is letting go of control, which can be scary). But if you come to know that God is love itself and He doesn't have the capacity to rescind His love for you, I pray that you will find greater peace when He calls you to believe in a teaching. I think Fr. Mike summarized it best when he said, "We believe in these individual teachings because we believe in the identity of the teacher." The deeper understanding of who God is makes the teachings of God easier to accept.
Any further thoughts or reflections?
This doesn't mean that you aren't allowed to have questions or struggle with a teaching of the Church, but I hope that through hearing the Catechism this year, you are able to see God's love for you reflected in the way He is calling us to live. The Catholic faith is not rules for the sake of rules, but our faith is a way of life revealed to us by our Lord who loves us more than we can ever fathom.