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

Episode: Day 20 – Stepping in Faith (2026)

Date: January 20, 2026
Paragraphs Covered: 142–149
Theme: Faith as Our Response to God’s Revelation

Episode Overview

Father Mike Schmitz delves into the Catechism’s explanation of faith as the proper response to God’s self-revelation. He unpacks what it truly means to “step in faith,” highlighting that faith is much more than intellectual agreement or emotional trust—it’s a complete submission of intellect and will to God. Using Abraham and Mary as powerful examples, he demonstrates how faith involves obedience, action, and a willingness to follow God without knowing the full plan.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Moving from Revelation to Response (00:05–02:38)

• Fr. Mike explains the transition in the Catechism: after exploring how God reveals himself, the focus is now on our response—namely, faith.
• Faith is described as more than awareness or acknowledgment; it’s entering into a relationship and responding to God.

2. Faith Defined: Paragraph 142’s Central Insight (02:39–06:20)

• The Catechism summarizes nearly two weeks of teaching:

  “By his revelation, the invisible God, from the fullness of his love, addresses men as his friends... The adequate response to this invitation is faith.”

• Fr. Mike distinguishes between “believing in God” (intellectual assent) and “believing God” (relational and actionable).
  • “There’s a difference between believing in God and believing God. Believing in God—yeah, I can believe he exists... But believing God does something else. It implies relationship. It implies action.” (06:01)

3. Levels of Faith: Intellectual, Emotional, Volitional (06:21–10:40)

• Drawing from Dr. Peter Kreeft’s ideas, Fr. Mike outlines three “levels” of faith:
  • Intellectual Faith: Acknowledging truths (“even the demons believe...”—James 2:19).
    • Mere knowledge or acknowledgement is “not enough.”
  • Emotional Faith: Feeling trust in God—a good step, but insufficient.
  • Volitional (Saving) Faith: Submitting both intellect and will to God, which brings about true change in life.
• Emphasizes that “Saving faith has to be lived out in my actions and my choices.” (09:25)

4. The “Obedience of Faith”: Ob Audire (Latin: “to hear, to listen to”) (10:41–13:55)

• Faith isn’t forced; it’s a free submission to God’s word because God Himself is Truth.
  • “To obey in faith is to submit freely to the word that has been heard because its truth is guaranteed by God, who is truth itself.” (11:08)
• True obedience means acting on what is revealed, even when details are missing.

5. Scriptural Witnesses: Abraham, Sarah, and Mary (13:56–18:31)

• Abraham:
  • Called to leave his homeland “not knowing where he was to go” (Hebrews 11:8).
  • A model of faith because he embraced uncertainty, trusting God enough to act.
  • “God gives us just enough light for the next step.” (15:25)
• Mary:
  • Receives “just the next step,” not a full roadmap.
  • Her “yes” at the Annunciation is echoed at every difficult moment, up to the Cross.
  • “The angel Gabriel did not give Mary the whole plan. He only gave her the plan of the next step...” (17:04)
  • Despite this, Mary’s faith “never wavered.”
• Sarah (brief mention): Receives the son of promise by faith, again without the complete picture.

6. Faith is Not Blind, Yet Not Fully Informed (18:32–20:40)

• Walking in faith is trusting God’s incremental guidance, having “enough light to take the next step.”
  • Not “blind faith,” because God has revealed himself.
  • Not “telescopic vision,” as God rarely provides the whole picture.
• Parallels between the biblical models and our own journey—following God step by step.

7. Personal Application and Encouragement (20:41–End)

• Fr. Mike urges listeners to recognize this incremental, obedient response in their own lives.
• “We’re being called to walk in the same way Abraham and Mary were. We’re not alone. We can’t do it alone. We need prayers.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the nature of faith:

  “There’s a difference between believing in God and believing God. Believing in God—yeah, I can believe he exists... But believing God does something else. It implies relationship. It implies action.”
  (06:01, Fr. Mike Schmitz)

• On saving faith:

  “Saving faith has to be lived out in my actions and my choices. Remember how Jesus said, ‘Not all of you who say to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the ones who do the will of my Father in heaven.’”
  (09:25, Fr. Mike Schmitz)

• On Abraham stepping out:

  “This is crazy, but this is life, right? One of the reasons it’s called faith is that God gives us just enough light for the next step.”
  (15:25, Fr. Mike Schmitz)

• On Mary’s fiat:

  “The angel Gabriel did not give Mary the whole plan. He only gave her the plan of the next step... She got no more news, no more information. And so to walk in faith again isn’t to be blind, but it’s also not to have telescopic vision.”
  (17:04, Fr. Mike Schmitz)

• On support in faith:

  “We’re not alone. We can’t be alone, because we can’t do it alone. We need prayers. That’s why I am praying for you on this Day 20.”
  (21:18, Fr. Mike Schmitz)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |---------------|-----------------------------------------------------| | 00:05–02:38 | Introduction, outline for the day’s reading and theme| | 02:39–06:20 | Faith as response; difference between belief in and of God| | 06:21–10:40 | Levels of faith and the necessity of volitional faith| | 10:41–13:55 | “Obedience of Faith” defined and explained | | 13:56–18:31 | Faith models: Abraham, Sarah, Mary | | 18:32–20:40 | Faith requires walking without full knowledge | | 20:41–End | Personal application and closing encouragement |

Conclusion

Fr. Mike’s reflection on paragraphs 142–149 of the Catechism clarifies that authentic faith is more than assent or emotion: it is a lived, obedient relationship with God, trusting him step by step as exemplified by Abraham and Mary. Listeners are encouraged to “step in faith” even when the full picture is unclear, relying on God’s grace and the example of those who have gone before.