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

Episode: Day 28 - The Nature of God (2026)

Date: January 28, 2026
Host: Fr. Mike Schmitz
Reading: Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 198–204

Main Theme & Purpose

Episode Focus:
This episode focuses on exploring the fundamental nature of God as revealed in the Catholic faith, especially as presented in the opening lines of the Creed: "I believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth." Fr. Mike walks through the Catechism’s teaching on who God is, why faith starts with God, the meaning of God’s oneness, how God reveals himself—particularly through his name—and the deep mystery at the heart of God’s identity.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Creed Begins With God

• The Creed starts with God because He is the “first and the last, the beginning and the end of everything.” (03:30)
• “Our faith begins with God, because God is the first and the last. He's the beginning and the end of everything.” (Fr. Mike, 01:15)

2. The Personal Nature of God

• Faith is not in a "what" but a "who." The Catechism stresses God is not an abstract force, but a knowable, personal being.
  • “God is not a what. God is a who.” (Fr. Mike, 02:10)
• Reciting the Creed is more than listing beliefs—it’s describing Who we trust.

3. Trinitarian Faith: One What, Three Whos

• There is one God who is three Divine Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
  • “God is a single what and three who’s—one divine being but Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” (Fr. Mike, 13:00)
• This is foundational and "absolutely, absolutely critically important"—Christians confess one supreme divine being.

4. Oneness and Uniqueness of God

• Rooted in Jewish Scripture and tradition (Deuteronomy 6, Isaiah 45).
  • "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord..." (Quoted in Catechism, 07:00)
• Christianity is monotheistic; the Trinity is not a contradiction but the fullness of this belief.

5. God Reveals His Name—Not an Anonymous Force

• God reveals Himself to Israel by making His name known, most importantly at the burning bush—in the revelation to Moses.
• “God has a name. He is not an anonymous force. To disclose one's name is to make oneself known to others... to hand oneself over, becoming accessible and capable of being known intimately and addressed personally.” (Fr. Mike reading the Catechism, 17:50)
• God progressively reveals Himself, drawing Israel and all nations to Himself.

6. The Mystery of God

• God is “eternal, infinite, unchangeable, incomprehensible, almighty, and ineffable.”
  • “We use these words... but can I really actually even fully grasp? I can’t.” (Fr. Mike, 14:20)
• The Trinity is a profound mystery, not a puzzle to solve.
  • “When I say mystery, I mean... I will never fully grasp all of the depth, the complexity, the immensity, the simplicity of who God ultimately is.” (Fr. Mike, 14:40)

7. God Makes Himself Accessible

• Even as God is mystery, He approaches us and invites us into relationship by revealing His name and, through Jesus and the Holy Spirit, his heart.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Fr. Mike on Personal Faith
  • “Ultimately, God is not a what. God is a who.... Even when we talk about what God is, we're always talking ultimately about who God is.” (02:10)
• Unique Nature of Christian Confession
  • “To confess that Jesus is Lord is distinctive of Christian faith. This is not contrary to belief in the one God.” (11:10)
• On God’s Name
  • “God has a name. He is not an anonymous force. To disclose one's name is to hand oneself over by becoming accessible...” (Reading Catechism, 17:50)
• On Mystery
  • “Mystery... is not like Sherlock Holmes cracking the case... I will never fully grasp all of the depth... of who God ultimately is.” (14:35)
• On Divine Accessibility and Relationship
  • “The God who is mystery has made Himself accessible. He’s made Himself known and He’s given us a name, in fact, more than one name, by which we can call Him and have access to a relationship with Him, have access to His heart.” (19:10)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:15: The Creed begins with God; faith starts with a "Who"
• 02:10: Not a "what," God is a "who"
• 07:00: Catechism references to Old Testament—God’s oneness and uniqueness
• 11:10: Jesus is Lord—Christian confession and Trinity
• 13:00: One what, three whos—understanding the Trinity
• 14:35: Mystery of God—can never fully grasp
• 17:50: God reveals His name; becomes accessible—not an anonymous force
• 19:10: God’s accessibility, the promise of knowing and relating to God

Tone & Style

Fr. Mike’s tone is enthusiastic, relatable, reverent, and encouraging. He mixes deep theological reflection with personal storytelling, keeping the mystery and majesty of God intertwined with accessibility, warmth, and the promise of relationship.

Conclusion

This episode sets the foundation for understanding everything else in the Creed and, therefore, in Catholic belief: we begin with the mystery and intimacy of God, the “one what, three whos” of the Trinity, and the assurance that the incomprehensible God nonetheless makes Himself profoundly accessible and invites us to know Him by name. As Fr. Mike puts it, “the God who is mystery has made Himself accessible”—a truth that shapes all Catholic faith and practice.

Prayerful takeaway:
“Today, sometimes, in some ways, it’s enough to know that God... has made Himself known and He’s given us a name... by which we can call Him and have access to His heart.” (Fr. Mike, 19:10)

Next episode teaser:
Delve deeper into the “name” revealed to Moses at the burning bush—what it tells us about God’s nature and God’s desire to be known.