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

Episode: Day 235 – Human Freedom in Salvation
Date: August 23, 2025
Catechism Paragraphs: 1739–1748

Overview: Main Theme and Purpose

In this episode, Fr. Mike Schmitz explores the Catholic Church's teaching on human freedom within the economy of salvation, drawing from Catechism paragraphs 1739–1748. He explains how freedom, though a gift, is wounded by sin, affected by social conditions, and ultimately redeemed and perfected by grace. The conversation tackles misconceptions about freedom, its real purpose, and the redemptive role of Christ in liberating humanity from sin’s bondage. The episode aims to encourage listeners to understand the relationship between grace, moral law, and true human liberty as children of God.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Reality and Limits of Human Freedom (00:50 – 05:30)

• Freedom is a gift but is damaged by sin:
  Fr. Mike opens by highlighting that, since humanity’s fall, “our freedom because of sin is limited and fallible. We are not what we should be.”
• Wretchedness born from abuse of freedom:
  He acknowledges a “brokenness in our hearts,” referencing the Catechism’s phrase—“there is a wretchedness and oppression born of the human heart in consequence to the abuse of freedom.”
• Sin as an abuse of freedom:
  Using relatable language, he reminds: “Sin is, 'God, I know what you want, and I'm going to freely choose to do something other than what you want.'”

2. Threats to Freedom and Modern Misunderstandings (05:31 – 11:20)

• Distinction between true and false freedom:
  Fr. Mike challenges a common cultural misconception by quoting the Catechism: “The exercise of freedom does not imply a right to say or do everything” (09:15).
• Freedom as ordered toward the good:
  He emphasizes, “True freedom is the power to do what I ought to do. True freedom is the power to choose the good.”
• Blindness and injustice as threats:
  He points out that “economic, social, political and cultural” conditions can injure our ability to exercise freedom justly, making us vulnerable to “the temptation to sin against charity.”
• Moral law is not a straitjacket:
  Using a vivid analogy, Fr. Mike compares moral law to “lines on the road... you’re going to drive really, really well... not a feeling of exhilaration, but a feeling of fear and terror if you can’t see them.”

3. Freedom and Grace – Not Opposed, but Allied (11:21 – 15:10)

• Grace does not destroy but perfects freedom:
  He reassures listeners:

  “The grace of Jesus is not in the slightest way a rival to our freedom... it gives us the capacity, the ability to do what we want to do, to do what we ought to do.” (13:05)

• The Holy Spirit’s role in liberation:
  Quoting scripture, Fr. Mike affirms: “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”
• Docility to the Spirit brings true liberty:
  “The more docile we are to the promptings of grace, the more we grow in inner freedom and confidence during trials.”

4. Culpability, Responsibility, and Human Dignity (15:11 – 16:20)

• Factors that limit culpability:
  Ignorance, duress, fear, and other factors can diminish responsibility for actions.
• Freedom is foundational to human dignity:
  “The right to the exercise of freedom, especially in religious and moral matters, is an inalienable requirement of the dignity of man.”

5. Redemption and Encouragement – Christ Sets Us Free (16:21 – 18:40)

• Freedom ultimately oriented toward God:
  “Freedom attains perfection in its acts when directed toward God, the sovereign good.”
• Memorable moment – Galatians 5:1:
  Fr. Mike, inspired by the Catechism’s closing quote, passionately repeats:

  “For freedom Christ has set us free...” (17:45)
  He adds: “Do not submit again to the yoke of slavery. Do not go back to sin... you and I are not made to be slaves.”

• Encouragement to the struggling:
  A direct word for listeners trapped by sin:

  “Don’t give up. God’s grace is for you. God’s grace is available. And God’s grace, as they say, truly is enough.” (18:35)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Man failed. He freely sinned.” (07:10)
• “Sin is, ‘God, I know what you want, and I’m going to freely choose to do something other than what you want.’” (03:15)
• “True freedom is the power to do what I ought to do.” (09:30)
• “By deviating from the moral law, man violates his own freedom, becomes imprisoned within himself, disrupts neighborly fellowship, and rebels against divine truth.” (10:45)
• “The grace that God gives us does not overwhelm our free will.” (12:58)
• “For freedom Christ has set us free.” – St. Paul, Galatians 5:1 (17:45)
• “Don’t give up. God’s grace is for you.” (18:35)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:50 – Context: Revisiting freedom and responsibility from the previous episode.
• 02:30 – On freedom’s limitations and "wretchedness" after the Fall.
• 05:31 – Catechism reading: Threats to freedom, true vs. false freedom.
• 09:15 – Freedom is not the right to anything; analogy of road lines and moral law.
• 11:21 – Christ’s redemption, role of grace, and liberation from sin.
• 13:05 – Harmony between grace and human freedom.
• 15:11 – Culpability and sources of diminished responsibility.
• 16:21 – Human dignity and the inalienable right to freedom.
• 17:45 – Galatians 5:1 and the exhortation to live in freedom.
• 18:35 – Fr. Mike’s encouraging closing words to struggling listeners.

Summary Flow & Closing

Fr. Mike’s tone stays warm, encouraging, and honest throughout, weaving together doctrinal insight and personal reflection while directly addressing listener struggles. He moves from theological exposition (sin and freedom) through relatable analogies (road lines as moral law) to heartfelt exhortation (Christ’s liberating grace), anchored by scriptural truth and frequent contextualization for modern Catholic life.

In essence:

“For freedom Christ has set us free. Do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1, 17:45)

Tomorrow’s episode will begin to address the morality of human actions, continuing to emphasize the practical implications of these fundamental truths for everyday Christian living.