Day 47: The Angels

The angels belong to Christ as they were made through him and for him, and he has made them messengers of his saving plan. We learn that angels have been present throughout the history of salvation, and the life of Christ is surrounded by the adoration and service of angels. Fr. Mike explains how in the liturgy, we join the angels in praising God, and all of human life is surrounded by angels’ care and protection. He reminds us that all angels and saints have the power to intercede for us before God. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 331-336. 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. 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.

Catechism in a Year

While i am and will continue to follow and enjoy the current podcast and last year’s The Bible in a Year, I have a few reservations and suggestions about both this podcast and the Bible in a Year podcast that I followed and completed last year.

Fr. Schmitz is a very articulate and knowledgeable host for both programs. He has wonderful presentation skills. Obviously his grasp of subject material is top rate. With that said, I feel that on occasion, he can be a little “over the top” with his enthusiastic admiration of the subject matter.

I would love for Fr. Schmitz to continue to demonstrate to all his enthusiasm with his faith. However, I can be engaged with the material without being told continually how incredible and unbelievably wonderful everything we are reading is. It is obvious how committed to his faith Fr. Mike is. However, an unrestrained enthusiasm sometimes comes across to me as preachy and pedantic. This listener would enjoy a more consultative and communal relationship between him and the us, his audiences.

Lastly, on the Catechism podcast in particular, the format can come off as redundant. Fr. Mike summarizes today’s passage, reads the passage, then re-summarizes the passage once more. In my opinion, once is enough! I would welcome reading the paragraph followed by a more in-depth discussion. It might also be exciting to have a live discussion on occasion. The Catechism is fascinating. It would be interesting to explore ares that aren’t always obvious or might even be somewhat controversial.

Thanks for everything you have done to stimulate my interest in the Church. I look forward to finishing the Catechism this year. I look forward to the third installment, next year. May I suggest St. Augustine’s Confessions.

Blessings to all of you.