Day 148: The Holy Spirit’s Work in the Liturgy (2025)

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) – Day 148: The Holy Spirit’s Work in the Liturgy

Podcast Information:

• Title: The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
• Host/Author: Ascension
• Episode: Day 148: The Holy Spirit’s Work in the Liturgy (2025)
• Release Date: May 28, 2025
• Duration: Approximately 18 minutes

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Introduction

In Day 148 of The Catechism in a Year podcast, Fr. Mike Schmitz delves into paragraphs 1091 to 1098 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. This episode focuses on the pivotal role of the Holy Spirit in the liturgy, exploring how the Spirit acts within the Church’s sacramental life and its deep roots in both the Old and New Covenants.

“The Holy Spirit is the teacher of the faith of the people of God and artisan of God's masterpieces, the sacraments of the New Covenant.” (04:51)

Main Discussion Points

1. The Role of the Holy Spirit in the Liturgy

Fr. Mike begins by highlighting that the Holy Spirit collaborates with the Church in celebrating the sacraments, emphasizing that these sacred rites are not magical acts but require genuine human cooperation.

“The sacraments are not magic. They're the actions of God, they're the work of God on this earth, but they're not magic.” (03:18)

He explains that the Holy Spirit initiates our faith and enables us to respond through genuine cooperation, making the liturgy a collaborative effort between the Spirit and the faithful.

“When the Spirit encounters in us the responsive faith which he has aroused in us, he brings about genuine cooperation.” (05:51)

2. Sacraments as Divine Masterpieces

The sacraments are described as “God’s masterpieces” (paragraph 1091), intricately designed to facilitate our encounter with Christ and to unify the Church.

“We are reading paragraphs 1091 to 1098... the Holy Spirit is the teacher of faith and artisan of God's masterpieces.” (09:51)

3. Transformation Through the Holy Spirit

Fr. Mike emphasizes that the Holy Spirit transforms the mystery of Christ into reality within the liturgy, making it present and active.

“By his transforming power he makes the mystery of Christ present here and now.” (05:53)

This transformation requires the faithful to prepare their hearts through prayer and openness, allowing the Spirit to work within them.

4. Continuity Between Old and New Covenants

A significant portion of the episode explores how Christian liturgy fulfills and draws from Jewish liturgical traditions, illustrating the continuity between the Old and New Covenants.

“The flood in Noah's Ark prefigured salvation by baptism. Water from the rock was the figure of the spiritual gifts of Christ, and manna in the desert prefigured the Eucharist, the true bread from heaven.” (15:04)

Fr. Mike references the work of Dr. Brant Petrie, a biblical scholar who underscores the deep Jewish roots of Christian worship.

“Dr. Brant Petrie... has a whole series of books like the Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist or the Jewish Roots of the Liturgy.” (13:14)

5. Unity and Transcendence in the Church

The Holy Spirit unites the global Catholic community, transcending racial, cultural, and social divisions. This unity is a testament to the universal nature of the Church.

“The Spirit of communion unites the Church to the life and mission of Christ... The Holy Spirit gathers the children of God into the one Body of Christ.” (12:53)

Fr. Mike stresses that this unity requires active participation and openness to the Spirit's work, fostering a community that reflects the diversity and unity of the Body of Christ.

“We recognize that the Catholic Church is more central than any cultural division.” (17:03)

Key Insights

• Cooperation with the Holy Spirit: The sacraments require our active participation, where the Holy Spirit works within us to actualize the divine mysteries.

• Historical Continuity: Understanding the Jewish roots of Christian liturgy enhances our appreciation and comprehension of the sacraments.

• Transformative Power: Regular participation in the liturgy, empowered by the Holy Spirit, leads to continual personal and communal transformation.

• Universal Unity: The Church’s liturgy fosters a sense of universal brotherhood and sisterhood, transcending all human divisions through the Holy Spirit’s unifying work.

Notable Quotes

1. “The sacraments are not magic. They're the actions of God, they're the work of God on this earth, but they're not magic.” – Fr. Mike Schmitz (03:18)

2. “By his transforming power he makes the mystery of Christ present here and now.” – Fr. Mike Schmitz (05:53)

3. “The Spirit of communion unites the Church to the life and mission of Christ.” – Fr. Mike Schmitz (12:53)

4. “The Catholic Church is more central than any cultural division.” – Fr. Mike Schmitz (17:03)

Conclusion

In Day 148 of The Catechism in a Year, Fr. Mike Schmitz provides a profound exploration of the Holy Spirit’s indispensable role in the liturgy. By intertwining theological insights with scriptural and historical references, he elucidates how the Spirit not only initiates our faith but also transforms and sustains the communal worship of the Church. This episode reinforces the belief that the liturgy is a living encounter with Christ, made possible through the dynamic work of the Holy Spirit, ultimately uniting the faithful in their journey towards eternal communion with God.

“Every liturgical action, especially the celebration of the Eucharist and the sacraments, is an encounter between Christ and the Church.” (07:51)

Fr. Mike concludes with an encouraging reminder of the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit and invites listeners to continue their journey in understanding and participating in the sacred mysteries of the Catholic faith.

“I cannot wait to see you tomorrow. God bless.” (18:35)

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Note: This summary encapsulates the key discussions and insights from Day 148 of The Catechism in a Year podcast, providing a comprehensive overview for those who have not listened to the episode. For a deeper understanding, listening to the full episode is recommended.

Transcript

[A]

Hi, my name is Father Mike Schmitz and you're listening to the Catechism in the Year podcast where we encounter God's.

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Plan of sure goodness for us, revealed in Scripture and passed down through the.

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Tradition of the Catholic faith.

[B]

The Catechism in here is brought to you by ascension. In 365 days we'll read through the Catechism of the Catholic Church, discovering our.

[A]

Identity in God's family as we journey together toward our heavenly home through this is day 148. We are reading paragraphs 1091 to 1098. As always, I am using the Ascension edition of the Catechism, which includes the Foundations of Faith approach, but you can.

[B]

Follow along with any recent version of.

[A]

The Catechism of the Catholic Church. You can also download your own Catechism in a Year Reading plan by visiting ascensionpress.com ciy I recently just did this again.

[B]

I lost mine. Well, I didn't lose it lose it.

[A]

But I kind of misplaced it. I'm sure I'll find it again and be able to check off with my blue marker, but I downloaded it again by going to ascensionpress.comciy in fact, I went to ascension.comciy which is not actually a website. So go to ascensionpress.comciY you can also click follow or subscribe in your podcast app for daily updates and daily notifications. It is, as I said, Day 148.

[B]

We are reading paragraphs 1091 to 1098.

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You know, yesterday we talked about how Jesus is present and Jesus is active.

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In the sacraments in the liturgy.

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Right? Remember, the liturgy is God's work.

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It's our participation, the participation of the.

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People of God in the work of God. So we talked about how it comes.

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From and is ordered towards the Father.

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Than yesterday here is Jesus Christ who is active and is present. Today we talk about the Holy Spirit.

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And the Church in the liturgy and.

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It'S a couple things to keep in mind.

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You know, for the next maybe couple.

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Days we'll be talking about the role of the Holy Spirit when it comes to the liturgy. Because why?

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Because remember what Jesus made possible, the Holy Spirit makes actual.

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So what Jesus made possible by the Paschal mystery, His death, life death and resurrection. We talked about this many, many times. Holy Spirit makes actual brings to us.

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Via the Church through the sacraments.

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And just so incredible.

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So incredible.

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And so we're going to highlight that today. In fact, we're going to talk about how the sacraments are in paragraph 1091. God's masterpieces, which is just a.

[B]

What a great name.

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I mean, we call them the Seven Sacraments. Yes.

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Or the Seven Masterpieces of God, which.

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Is, again, I just think it's really beautiful, going on to talk about this, that in paragraph 1092, in this sacramental dispensation. Right. That. That we live in this new age, the age of the Church, Christ's mystery. And the Holy Spirit acts in the same way as at other times in.

[B]

The economy of salvation.

[A]

Which is just to think, okay, wait a second.

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How many times have you ever said.

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Oh, I wish I was back in this age. I wish I was in the age of Jesus.

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Right.

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I wish I was around and close.

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To Jesus when he was around.

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And yet here is the catechism, which is affirming something. We believe as Christians, that because of the sacraments, we are as close, if.

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Not closer to the Lord Jesus as.

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At any other time in the economy.

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Of salvation, any other time in salvation history.

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And it's just remarkable.

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The spirit of communion unites the Church to the life and mission of Christ.

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We also talk about how today, I think this is super cool, how the Holy Spirit prepares for the reception of Christ. So basically, you know, it is our faith.

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We have to cooperate. The sacraments are not magic.

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This is one of those things we have to.

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Sacraments are powerful, right? They're the actions of God, they're the.

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Work of God on this earth, but they're not magic.

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So the Holy Spirit prepares our hearts. We have to respond and cooperate in faith.

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And the Holy Spirit actually helps us to respond and cooperate with faith. Another last thing before we actually launch into today's reading is we're going to look at the connection between the Liturgy of the Old Covenant and the Liturgy of the New Covenant. Right.

[B]

The Jewish liturgy and the Christian liturgy.

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One of the things we realize is that a lot of stuff, a lot of things that we do has its roots, of course, in the Hebrew scriptures, have its roots in the Hebrew practice of living out their faith.

[B]

And so here we are as Christians. This is the fulfillment, the fulfillment of everything that was laid down by the law of Moses. Everything that was laid down in the.

[A]

Life of the Jewish way of worship.

[B]

It's fulfilled in Jesus and it's fulfilled in Christian worship.

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So we're going to talk about that today. So as we can launch into today, let's get started with the prayer. Father in Heaven, we praise you and give you glory. We thank you for this day. We thank you for your Holy Spirit that has brought us to this day.

[B]

We know, Lord God, that if left.

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To ourselves, we would not choose to be here. We would not choose to press play. Left to ourselves, Lord God, we would go our own way. But we are not left to ourselves. You have not left us to ourselves.

[B]

You have lifted us up out of ourselves to draw us close to you.

[A]

And so please help us to say yes to your Holy Spirit.

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Help us to say yes to your.

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Will in this moment and in every moment of this day and for the rest of our lives, so that we.

[B]

Can spend eternity with you. In Jesus name we pray.

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Amen. In the name of the Father and.

[B]

Of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

[A]

Again it is day 148.

[B]

We are reading paragraphs 1091 to 1098. The Holy Spirit and the Church in the Liturgy in the Liturgy the Holy Spirit is teacher of the faith of the people of God and artisan of God's masterpieces, the sacraments of the New Covenant. The desire and work of the Spirit in the heart of the Church is that we may live from the life of the risen Christ. When the Spirit encounters in us the responsive faith which he has aroused in us, he brings about genuine cooperation. Through it, the Liturgy becomes the common work of the Holy Spirit and the Church. In this sacramental dispensation of Christ's mystery, the Holy Spirit acts in the same way as at other times in the economy of salvation. He prepares the Church to encounter her Lord. He recalls and makes Christ manifest to the faith of the assembly. By his transforming power he makes the mystery of Christ present here and now. Finally, the Spirit of communion unites the Church to the life and mission of Christ. The Holy Spirit prepares for the reception.

[A]

Of Christ in the sacramental economy.

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The Holy Spirit fulfills what was prefigured in the Old Covenant. Since Christ's Church was prepared in marvelous fashion in the history of the people of Israel and in the Old Covenant. The Church's liturgy has retained certain elements of the worship of the Old Covenant as integral and irreplaceable, adopting them as her own, notably reading the Old Testament, praying the Psalms, above all recalling the saving events and significant realities which have found their fulfillment in the mystery of.

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Christ, promise and covenant, exodus and Passover, kingdom and temple, exile and return.

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It is on this harmony of the two Testaments that the paschal catechesis of.

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The Lord is built, and then that.

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Of the apostles and the Fathers of the Church. This catechesis unveils what lay hidden under the letter of the Old Testament, the mystery of Christ it is called typological because it reveals the newness of Christ on the basis of the figures or types which announce him in the deeds, words, and symbols of the first covenant. By this rereading, in the spirit of truth, starting from Christ, the figures are unveiled. Thus the flood and Noah's Ark prefigured salvation by baptism, as did the cloud.

[A]

And the crossing of the Red Sea.

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Water from the rock was the figure of the spiritual gifts of Christ, and manna in the desert prefigured the Eucharist, the true bread from heaven. For this reason, the Church, especially during Advent and Lent and above all at the Easter vigil, rereads and relives the great events of salvation history in the today of her liturgy. But this also demands that catechesis help the faithful to open themselves to this spiritual understanding of the economy of salvation as the Church's liturgy reveals it and enables us to live it. Jewish Liturgy and Christian LITURGY A better knowledge of the Jewish people's faith and religious life as professed and lived even now can help our better understanding of certain aspects of Christian liturgy. For both Jews and Christians, sacred Scripture is an essential part of their respective.

[A]

Liturgies in the proclamation of the Word of God.

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The response to this word prayer of praise and intercession for the living and the dead, invocation of God's mercy. In its characteristic structure, the liturgy of the Word originates in Jewish prayer. The Liturgy of the Hours and other.

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Liturgical texts and formularies, as well as.

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Those of our most venerable prayers, including the Lord's Prayer, have parallels in Jewish prayer. The eucharistic prayers also draw their inspiration from the Jewish tradition. The relationship between Jewish liturgy and Christian liturgy, but also their differences in content, are particularly evident in the great feasts of the liturgical year, such as Passover. Christians and Jews both celebrate the Passover. For Jews it is the Passover of history tending toward the future. For Christians it is the Passover fulfilled in the death and resurrection of Christ, though always in expectation of its definitive consummation in the Liturgy of the New Covenant. Every liturgical action, especially the celebration of the Eucharist and the sacraments, is an encounter between Christ and the Church. The liturgical assembly derives its unity from the communion of the Holy Spirit, who gathers the children of God into the one Body of Christ. This assembly transcends racial, cultural, social, indeed all human affinities. The assembly should prepare itself to encounter its Lord and to become a people well disposed. The preparation of hearts is the joint work of the Holy Spirit and the assembly, especially of its ministers. The Grace of the Holy Spirit seeks to awaken faith, conversion of heart, and adherence to the Father's will. These dispositions are the precondition both for the reception of other graces conferred in the celebration itself and the fruits of.

[A]

New life which the celebration is in.

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Intended to produce afterward.

[A]

Okay, there we go, you guys. There we have it. Day 148, paragraphs 1091 to 1098. I know I probably have broken record when it comes to this, but this is awesome. It is so good. Okay, so where do we even start?

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Let's start right here.

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Let's start with paragraphs 1091 and 1092, where it just highlights that the sacraments are God's masterpieces.

[B]

And the liturgy, or, sorry, in the liturgy, the Holy Spirit is the teacher.

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Of faith of the people of God and the artisan of God's masterpieces. You guys, we can pray with that for so many times, but also go on.

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The desire and work of the Spirit in the heart of the Church is what.

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Okay, so the desire and work of the Holy Spirit in the heart of.

[B]

The church is that we may live from the life of the risen Christ.

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This is. This is what we're made for.

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We're made to live in the life of the risen Christ.

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That's what the desire and work of.

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The Holy Spirit is. That's what the Holy Spirit does.

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When the Spirit encounters in us the response of faith that he's aroused in.

[B]

Us, he brings about genuine cooperation.

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And this. I mean, think about this again.

[B]

The sacraments are not magic. One thing we're going to hear many.

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Many times throughout talking here about the liturgy, and then when we talk about prayer is that prayer is. God is always the initiator of prayer, right?

[B]

He is always the one who moves first. Whenever we pray, it is always a response to God's initiative. So no one ever pray? No one.

[A]

You've never tried to get God's attention by your prayer? God. It's always God trying to get your attention. That's when he moves you to prayer. Even if you think like God, I just. I need you to hear me right now. I'm telling you right now. He hears you right now. He is the one who got your attention. So here's what paragraph 1091 is saying, is that. Oh my gosh, here, when the Spirit.

[B]

Encounters in us the response of faith which he has aroused in us, right? So we don't even give faith on our own. We don't even have profession of faith or even the desire for faith on Our own.

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It's the Holy Spirit that arouses that faith. But when we have that expression of faith which he's aroused, what happens?

[B]

He brings about a genuine cooperation.

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So the sacraments are not magic. They don't happen to us. They happen in cooperation with us. That's one of the reasons why, yes.

[B]

Every time we celebrate the sacraments, every.

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Time we pray, something happens. But we recognize that, you know, you and I, we can go to communion every single day, right?

[B]

We can receive the body and blood of Jesus Christ, our Lord, every single.

[A]

Day at daily Mass and still be.

[B]

Be unchanged. Why?

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Because if I'm not going to cooperate.

[B]

If I'm not going to actually shape my will to the Father's will, if.

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I'm not actually going to say, yes.

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God, do whatever you want in my.

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Life, what I've done is I've entered into what you might call a bound sacrament, right? It's.

[B]

Yep, it's there.

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God is there. He is active.

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He's moving.

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But I'm saying, God, you get to come this far, but no farther. You get to go this deep into.

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My heart, but no deeper. You get to change this part of my life, but nothing beyond that.

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And yet here is this incredible, incredible thing the shockwaves do. Paragraph 1092.

[B]

The Holy Spirit prepares the church to encounter her Lord.

[A]

This is it, right?

[B]

He recalls and makes Christ manifest to.

[A]

The faith of the assembly by the Holy Spirit. Transforming power of the Holy Spirit.

[B]

He makes the mystery of Christ present here and now remember what Jesus made possible.

[A]

The Holy Spirit makes actual.

[B]

And finally the spirit of communion unites.

[A]

The church to the life and mission of Christ. One of the things that we're going to just kind of conclude with today is paragraphs 1093 to the very end of 1098, where we talk about how.

[B]

The Christian liturgy springs from and fulfills the Jewish liturgy.

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There are so many common elements between.

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The Jewish liturgy and the Christian liturgy.

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So much so that there is a.

[B]

Whole series of books by a man.

[A]

Named Dr. Brant Petrie. If you have never heard of Dr. Brant Petrie, you are in for a.

[B]

Massive, massive treat because he is a professor.

[A]

I think he teaches still at the Notre Dame Seminary down in Louisiana. And also I think he works for that group called the Augustine Institute.

[B]

And he.

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This guy, oh, my gosh, as a biblical scholar in the Catholic world, he is phenomenal. He has a whole series of books like the Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist or the Jewish Roots.

[B]

Of Mary, or the Jewish Roots of the Liturgy. Of the hours or the Jewish roots.

[A]

Of all these different realities that we experience. In fact, he has like a weekly teaching on the, that Sunday's readings. And he always draws it back to, okay, here's the reading we hear, whether it's the New Testament or the Old Testament. And he always fleshes out.

[B]

Here is where this comes from in Jewish liturgy, in Jewish worship.

[A]

This is where we get this in Christian worship. In fact, you know, a couple years ago when Bible and ear came out for the first time, there was, we got a bishop up in Duluth.

[B]

Amazing.

[A]

Bishop Daniel was, was ordained our bishop. And one of the men. Now he's in deacon diaconate formation. It's really cool. There's more to the story, but you don't need to know all the background stuff. But this man who's now in diaconate formation, he was going through the Bible in a year. And it was in maybe late spring when our bishop was ordained and he had gone to the bishop's ordination and he afterwards, at the luncheon afterwards, he came up to me and said, oh.

[B]

My gosh, all the things that just happened.

[A]

I kept thinking like, oh my gosh, that's Leviticus. Oh my gosh, that's numbers. Oh my gosh, that's Deuteronomy. Like all of these incredible things that maybe would be to anyone else a mystery when you show up to a Catholic ordination, especially a Catholic bishop's ordination. He was saying, that reminds me of what we heard in the Old Testament.

[B]

Why? Because the Jewish liturgy prefigures Christian liturgy. Christian liturgy fulfills Jewish liturgy.

[A]

Just like the Old Testament prefigures the New Testament and the New Testament fulfills the Old Testament. So that's just, just, I don't know, incredible. It highlighted, here's some examples. In 1094 it says, Thus the flood in Noah's Ark prefigured salvation by baptism. So did the cloud in the crossing.

[B]

Of the Red Sea.

[A]

Like that's a type or a figure of baptism. Water from the rock was the figure.

[B]

Of the spiritual gift of Christ.

[A]

And manna in the desert prefigured the.

[B]

Eucharist, the true bread from heaven, which.

[A]

Is just, just incredible. And just what a, what an incredible gift. So what do we do? Here's what we do.

[B]

The assembly should prepare itself to encounter its Lord and to become a people well disposed.

[A]

We get to ask the Holy Spirit, because why? Because the Holy Spirit seeks to awaken faith, conversion of heart and adherence to the Father's will.

[B]

Those dispositions are the precondition both for the reception of other graces conferred in.

[A]

The Eucharist and the Mass itself, celebration itself, and the fruits of new life for the celebration it's intended to produce afterward. So these dispositions, these preconditions, what awakened faith, conversion of heart and adherence to the Father's will. The more and more we can ask the Holy Spirit to awaken our faith.

[B]

To convert our heart, and to help us to adhere to the Father's will, the more and more we can receive.

[A]

Not only those graces that are part of the liturgy, right, part of the.

[B]

Sacraments, but also the more and more we can bear fruit in our lives. Remember, we're never meant to show up to the sacraments and leave the exact.

[A]

Same way that we arrived. That is never the intention. The intention is we're always changed. Were always changed even more. I know I said last thing already, but here is another last thing, and it's the last sentence of paragraph 1097 where it talks about the Holy Spirit who gathers the children of God into the one body of Christ.

[B]

This assembly, this last sentence, this assembly.

[A]

Transcends racial, cultural, social, indeed, all human affinities, which is why we call it the Catholic Church, right? It is the universal church that transcends the Catholic Church is more important than any racial division.

[B]

The Catholic Church is more central than.

[A]

Any cultural division or any social definition division or any socioeconomic division. We recognize that. Man, think of a country that might be the enemy of your country. Whatever country you're living in right now, if there's a potential enemy right now, every Catholic in that country is your brother and sister. Because why? Because the Church transcends that.

[B]

If you've ever been tempted to entertain.

[A]

Racist thoughts or racist actions, the Church.

[B]

Is saying, oh, actually, no. You.

[A]

If there's another who's a Christian, who's baptized, they are your brother, they are your sister.

[B]

And that.

[A]

That unity, that reality, is vastly more important than any kind of difference you could have, because you might have a different level of melanin in your skin, or you might come from a different culture, or you have a different language or a different way of living. The fact is that because we've been brought into the body of Christ by.

[B]

That uniting Holy Spirit, the most important.

[A]

Thing about you and about me is.

[B]

That you are a son of God or a daughter of God.

[A]

And therefore the most connecting thing that we have with our brothers and sisters.

[B]

Is that we are brothers and sisters of the same heavenly Father.

[A]

And that transcends racial, cultural, social, indeed, all human affinities. Now, you probably already knew that, and so here I am just reiterating that fact. And so you're like, yeah, Father, we get it. Moving on. So, okay, now that you got it, I'm moving on. Okay, if you come to the end of this day, just praise the Lord.

[B]

Tomorrow we're going to hear more about.

[A]

How the Holy Spirit is present and active in the liturgy of.

[B]

But right now, we're done.

[A]

So know this. I'm praying for you. Please pray for me. My name is Father Mike. I cannot wait to see you tomorrow. God bless.