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

Episode: Day 272: You Shall Worship the Lord Your God
Date: September 29, 2025
Reading: Catechism paragraphs 2083–2094

Overview of the Episode

In this episode, Fr. Mike Schmitz begins exploring the First Commandment, “You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve.” This reading and reflection open Chapter One of the section on the Ten Commandments in the Catechism. Fr. Mike dives deep into what it means to worship God alone, how this commandment encompasses faith, hope, and charity, and the many subtle and overt ways we can fail—or strive—to live it out. The episode is packed with practical insights, real-life examples, and connections to both Scripture and tradition.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Entering the First Commandment

• Focus Passage: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”
• Fr. Mike highlights the preparatory work leading up to the Commandments and stresses the centrality of our relationship with God:

  “Everything we’re going to talk about today, and for the next quite a few number of days, everything has to do with relationship with the Lord.” (00:52)

2. Why Does God Command Worship?

• God’s command for worship is not about ego but about love and liberation:

  “Why does God demand worship? He doesn’t demand worship because he needs it at all... Ultimately, though, we do. Why? Because our hearts... are idol-making factories.” (19:35)

• Worship protects us from idolatry, which enslaves, while God wants us to be free.

3. Commandment Encompasses Faith, Hope, and Charity (Love)

• The First Commandment “embraces faith, hope, and charity.”
• Each theological virtue is explored:

a. Faith

• Moral life starts with faith in God’s love.
• Sins against faith:
  • Voluntary Doubt: “I know what you teach, Lord Church... I refuse it.” (22:51)
  • Involuntary Doubt: Struggles or hesitation to believe; anxiety from lack of understanding.
  • Incredulity: Willful neglect or refusal to assent to revealed truth.
  • Heresy: “It’s the obstinate post-baptismal denial of some truth which must be believed with divine and Catholic faith.” (27:01)
  • Apostasy: Total repudiation of the Christian faith.
  • Schism: Refusal to submit to the Roman Pontiff or break communion with the Church.

b. Hope

• We need God’s help to love Him as He calls us to.
• Definition of Hope: “Confident expectation of divine blessing and the beatific vision of God.” (34:15)
• Sins against hope:
  • Despair: Ceasing to hope for one’s salvation or help from God; contrary to God’s justice and mercy.

    “To cease to hope for God's help... that’s a sin of despair.” (35:05)

  • Presumption: Two kinds—relying solely on oneself (“I don’t need God”) or abusing God’s mercy (“He’ll forgive me without repentance”).

c. Charity (Divine Love)

• We’re called to love God above all else and to love creatures for His sake.
• Sins against love:
  • Indifference: Failing to consider or respond to God’s love.
  • Ingratitude: Not recognizing or returning God’s love.
  • Lukewarmness: Negligence or hesitancy in responding to God’s love.

    “Lukewarmness is... negligence in responding to divine love. Remember what Jesus said in the Book of Revelation… I want to vomit you out of my mouth.” (39:12)

  • Acedia (spiritual sloth): Refusing the joy that comes from God; feeling repelled by divine goodness.
  • Hatred of God: Rooted in pride, arises from resenting God’s prerogative to forbid sin and inflict punishment.

4. God Acts First: The Context of Command

• God’s demands are grounded in His prior love and salvation; He recalls liberating Israel from Egypt.

  “God makes Himself known by recalling his all-powerful, loving and liberating action in the history of the one he addresses... The context that God is giving for obedience to him is that He’s already initiated.” (18:54)

5. Practical Applications and Iconic Examples

• C.S. Lewis’ “The Screwtape Letters” is cited to demonstrate the many ways temptation can lead us astray, especially in subtle ways.

• G.K. Chesterton paraphrased: “There’s only one angle at which a person can stand upright, but there are many, many angles at which a person can fall.” (17:43)

• Fr. Mike’s relatable stories and examples from RCIA, student life, and everyday struggles (like distraction and acedia) make the Catechism practical.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

“Our hearts are idol-making factories. We make idols out of everything and those idols enslave us.” – Fr. Mike Schmitz (19:45)

“[God’s] first call and just demand is that man accept him and worship Him. The one and true God first reveals his glory to Israel.” – Catechism Read, emphasizing core doctrine (09:55)

“Despair is contrary to God’s goodness, to his justice, for the Lord is faithful to his promises and to his mercy.” – Catechism as explained by Fr. Mike (35:56)

“You can never despair of the salvation of any person in this life because God is faithful and God will forgive any sin we ask him.” – Fr. Mike Schmitz (36:44)

“To embrace humility is to realize, okay, God, you are God. I’m not... I might give in to being in sorrow... but I’m not going to give in to hatred.” – Fr. Mike Schmitz (43:12)

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:52 – Introduction to the Commandments and their context (relationship with God)
• 09:55 – Catechism reading: God’s glory, faith, hope, and charity in the First Commandment
• 17:43 – Chesterton on how easily we can “fall” from uprightness
• 18:54 – God acts first—command rooted in liberation and love
• 19:45 – Why worship protects us from idolatry and slavery
• 22:51 – Explanation of voluntary/involuntary doubt and other sins against faith
• 27:01 – Clarification on heresy, apostasy, and schism
• 34:15 – Understanding hope and presumption
• 39:12 – Lukewarmness and Jesus’ warning in Revelation
• 43:12 – Humility vs. hatred of God

Summary Table: Ways to Sin Against Faith, Hope, and Charity

| Theological Virtue | Positive Call | Ways We Can Sin Against It | |--------------------|---------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------| | Faith | Believe & bear witness to God | Voluntary doubt, involuntary doubt, incredulity, heresy, apostasy, schism | | Hope | Confident trust in God’s help & mercy | Despair, presumption (self-reliance or abusing mercy) | | Charity | Respond with sincere love to God | Indifference, ingratitude, lukewarmness, acedia, hatred of God |

Episode Conclusion

Fr. Mike emphasizes that understanding and living the First Commandment is essential not only because God commands it, but because it leads us to true freedom and avoids the slavery of idolatry. He notes that tomorrow’s episode will explore “Him only shall you serve,” discussing adoration, prayer, sacrifice, and more.

“God commands us to love Him because He loves us. And He knows this will give us the most life.” – Fr. Mike Schmitz (44:39)

He ends by expressing gratitude for the shared journey and prayers for all listeners, inviting them to continue exploring the Catechism together.

For listeners:
This episode provides an accessible yet thorough examination of what it means to worship God alone, why this is life-giving, and how our faith, hope, and love are both called for and challenged within this commandment. The real-life illustrations and clear explanations make the high ideals of the Catechism both approachable and deeply moving.