The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)

Episode Summary: Day 360 – Heavenly Worship (2025)

Date: December 26, 2025
Main Scriptures: Revelation 4–7, Titus 1–3, Proverbs 31:10–15

Episode Overview

In this pivotal episode, Heavenly Worship, Fr. Mike Schmitz leads listeners into the climactic visions of the Book of Revelation, focusing particularly on the worship described in heaven, the opening of the seven seals, and the immense, multicolored multitude gathered before God's throne. He also delves into the pastoral but challenging instructions given by St. Paul to Titus, emphasizing how Christians must live differently to witness to the transformative power of the Gospel. Throughout, Fr. Mike connects the scriptural imagery to the Catholic Mass and Christian life, drawing listeners into a deeper sense of God's invitation to worship both now and eternally.

Key Topics & Discussion Points

1. Paul’s Letter to Titus — Living a Witnessing Life (Reflection begins at 21:30)

• Titus’s Mission in Crete:
  St. Paul charges Titus with correcting behaviors in the Cretan church, emphasizing the need for Christian lives to differ from the culture around them:

  “If Christians are living among the world and in the world and are living no differently than anyone else... then that's a problem.”
  —Fr. Mike (22:15)

• Credibility of the Gospel:
  Paul’s detailed instructions to different groups (older men, women, slaves) underscore that:

  “We give witness to the power of the gospel, or we give witness to the impotence of the gospel by our lives. If we live like everyone else, then the gospel is powerless.”
  —Fr. Mike (22:45)

• The Call to Good Deeds:
  Titus is told to exhort believers to good deeds—not as the source of salvation, but as proof of transformation. Fr. Mike highlights that this remains true for Christians today: living changed lives lends credibility to Christ’s message.

2. Heavenly Worship in Revelation (Main segment: 25:33 – end)

• Transition from Earth to Heaven:
  John’s vision shifts from messages to the churches (on earth) to the reality of heaven’s worship:

  “This is so important. This is the next number of chapters is John in heaven. And John is relating to us what he saw in heaven. And this is bananas. It's incredible.”
  —Fr. Mike (25:40)

• Imagery of the Throne Room:
  The 24 elders, flashes of lightning, and four living creatures surround the throne—directly echoing Israelite worship and imagery from Sinai:

  “These 24 elders, right, they're both kings and they're going to be priests... they have crowns like kings and they worship like priests. Bananas.”
  —Fr. Mike (26:25)

• The Sanctus:
  The heavenly beings incessantly sing “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty...” (Rev 4:8)—a refrain familiar to Catholics from the Mass:

  “Every time you go to Mass, this is what's happening. You're being brought up like John into the heavenly throne room.”
  —Fr. Mike (27:05)

3. The Scroll, the Lamb, and the Seven Seals (Begins 28:20)

• The Problem of the Sealed Scroll:
  No one is found worthy to open the scroll, prompting John’s tears, until the Lamb appears:

  “Who is going to do this? John himself begins to weep. And so one of the elders says, weep not. Behold the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals...”
  —Fr. Mike (29:00)

• The Lamb and His Power:

  • The Lamb’s “seven horns and seven eyes” symbolize perfect power and knowledge:

    “Seven horns, horns are a symbol of power, and eyes, symbol of knowledge. So seven and seven, right? That number of covenant, full power, full knowledge. Jesus Christ himself...”
    —Fr. Mike (29:40)

  • The saints in heaven hold “golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints” (Rev 5:8), supporting the Catholic view of intercessory prayer.

4. The Four Horsemen & Seals—Trials on Earth (Begins 31:05)

• Four Horsemen:
  • Fr. Mike quickly summarizes each colored horse and its meaning: conquest, conflict, famine, and death.
  • Notably, the third horse (with scales) signals hardship, but Fr. Mike clarifies:

    “This was a temporary affliction, right? This is not complete destruction for an entire year, but only for a season...”
    —Fr. Mike (32:40)

5. 144,000 Sealed & the Multitude Before the Throne (Begins 33:45)

• 144,000 – Restoration of Israel:

  • The 12,000 sealed from each tribe symbolize the fullness of redeemed Israel.
  • Fr. Mike counters anti-Semitic interpretations, emphasizing Jewish restoration:

    “Sometimes people can think the New Testament can be anti-Semitic, but it's not... This is the proclamation, the prophecy, that says... a restoration of the people of Israel.”
    —Fr. Mike (34:30)

• The Countless Multitude:

  • Beyond Israel, a multitude “from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and tongues” stands before God—a vision of universal salvation.
  • The martyrs—those who “have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb”—have a special role:

    “The martyrs have a special place. This is incredible, right?... But there are those who have given, borne witness to the love of God... with their very lives.”
    —Fr. Mike (35:20)

6. Living For God’s Glory Now and in Eternity (Final Reflection, 36:15–end)

• Eternal Impact of Our Deeds:
  Fr. Mike closes with a passionate encouragement:

  “How we live on earth, those righteous deeds, they amplify, they glorify, they exalt the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit for eternity... Don’t we want Him to receive the maximum amount of glory through our lives on earth?”
  —Fr. Mike (36:40)

• Everyone Beloved, Yet the Invitation to More:

  “Everyone... is loved by God... The question is, will I let Him love me? Will I say yes to Him today?”
  —Fr. Mike (37:40)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the reality of worship:

  “Every time you go to Mass, this is what's happening. You're being brought up like John into the heavenly throne room.”
  —Fr. Mike (27:05)

• On Christian witness:

  “If we live like everyone else, then the gospel is powerless. If we live differently, live lives that are changed, then we bear witness that the gospel has power...”
  —Fr. Mike (22:45)

• On martyrdom and heavenly reward:

  “What we do on earth makes a difference in how we live in heaven. And the more righteous we live on earth...the more glory He gets in heaven.”
  —Fr. Mike (36:15)

Key Timestamps

• 21:30 – Reflection on Titus: Christian witness & credibility of the Gospel
• 25:33 – Transition to Revelation: John’s heavenly vision and Mass
• 29:00 – Worthiness of the Lamb, imagery of the seven seals
• 31:05 – The Four Horsemen and earthly trials
• 33:45 – 144,000 sealed: Israel’s restoration; the countless multitude
• 35:20 – Martyrdom, special place in heaven
• 36:40 – Living for God’s glory now and eternally
• 37:40 – Final encouragement and prayer

Closing Thoughts

Fr. Mike’s signature warmth and approachable scriptural teaching shine as he grounds esoteric apocalyptic visions in the lived Christian experience, especially in the Catholic liturgy. He invites listeners to surrender to God’s transformative love and to let their whole lives become a song of heavenly worship—now, at Mass, and in eternity.