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

Episode: Day 281: Keep Holy the Lord’s Day (2025)
Date: October 8, 2025
Host: Fr. Mike Schmitz (Ascension)

Overview

In this episode, Fr. Mike Schmitz begins discussing the Third Commandment: "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy." Drawing on paragraphs 2168 to 2176 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, he explores:

• The origins and purpose of the Sabbath
• The transition from the Jewish Sabbath to the Christian Lord’s Day (Sunday)
• The deep connection between worship, freedom, and human identity
• The challenge and importance of true rest in modern life

Fr. Mike weaves together biblical references, catechetical teaching, and personal reflection, inviting listeners to rediscover Sabbath rest not as a burden, but as a profound gift.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Commandments and Their Structure

[01:40]

• The first three Commandments are about our relationship with God.
• The Third Commandment specifically centers on worship, justice, and the virtue of “religion.”
• Fr. Mike:

  “To be human is to be oriented towards worship of God. To recognize that we are not the center of the universe, that God is the source, he's the origin, and he's the point… Worship ensures that we don't collapse in on ourselves… it ensures that we experience true freedom by offering the Lord true worship.” ([02:50])

2. Scriptural Foundations of the Sabbath

[05:55] Catechism Reading

• God’s rest on the seventh day (Genesis 1–2) models human rest.
• The Sabbath recalls both creation and Israel’s liberation from slavery in Egypt.
• The Catechism highlights the Sabbath as not merely a restriction, but a form of liberation and gratitude.

3. Sabbath as Freedom from Slavery

[09:45]

• Fr. Mike draws out the significance:
  • In Egypt, slaves never rested. The command to rest marks freedom.
  • God is saying: now that you're free, “you must rest from your labors.”
• He challenges modern listeners to see Sunday rest not as an imposition, but as a sign of being truly free.
• Fr. Mike:

  “You are no longer a slave. So why in the world do we buck against this commandment to rest on the Sabbath day? God trying to make it so clear that you do not have to live like a slave.” ([10:55])

4. Resistance to Rest: Modern Idolatry

[12:40]

• Resistance to Sabbath rest today often signals attachment to idols: work, money, status, security.
• The Sabbath is a “day of protest against the servitude of work and the worship of money.”
• Fr. Mike’s honest confession:

  “Because I don't take a break very well. I'll just say that right now—this is such a convicting commandment... What are my idols then? … If I know I can't take a break… I'm afraid of taking a break because if I take a break, then the work's not going to get done.” ([15:46])

• He urges listeners to ask: “What’s driving my unwillingness to rest?” ([16:20])

5. From Sabbath (Saturday) to Sunday: The Lord’s Day

[17:40]

• Jesus rose from the dead on Sunday, symbolizing new creation.
• The early Christian community observed Sunday in fulfillment of the Sabbath.
• Catechism 2174–2175:
  • Sunday “is expressly distinguished from the Sabbath.”
  • Sunday observance is the new reality under Christ, not simply a continuation of the old law.
• Fr. Mike clarifies misunderstandings:

  “There are some Christians who will say, no, no, it's still the Sabbath, it's still Saturday. And that's not accurate, not for Christians at least.” ([18:50])

6. Nature and Necessity of Sunday Worship

[20:00]

• Catechism 2176: Sunday corresponds to the “moral commandment inscribed in the human heart” to render to God outward, visible, public, and regular worship.
• Fr. Mike unpacks these words:
  • Outward: Directed to God, not just internal.
  • Visible: Concrete and tangible.
  • Public: Not private, but communal.
  • Regular: Not just when convenient or based on feeling.
• Fr. Mike:

  “All four of those words are very important: outward, visible, public, and regular worship. … It's not just when I feel like it.” ([21:10])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Each quote is attributed and timestamped for context:

• “To be human is to be oriented towards worship of God… Worship ensures that we don't collapse in on ourselves, right? Worship ensures that we experience freedom.”
  — Fr. Mike Schmitz [02:50]

• “As a slave, how many days off work do you have a week? … The answer is zero. … Now here is the Lord God… now that you're free, now that you're no longer slaves, you must rest from your labors.”
  — Fr. Mike Schmitz [09:50]

• “You are no longer a slave. … God trying to make it so clear that you do not have to live like a slave. You are free. You are free. Therefore there is a day of rest.”
  — Fr. Mike Schmitz [10:55]

• “The Sabbath brings everyday work to a halt and provides a respite. It is a day of protest against the servitude of work and the worship of money.”
  — Catechism (quoted by Fr. Mike) [12:10]

• “I don't take a break very well. ...What's driving my inability to rest? ...I'm afraid of taking a break because if I take a break, then the work's not going to get done.”
  — Fr. Mike Schmitz [15:46–16:20]

• “For Christians, it's Sunday's ceremonial observance [that] replaces that of the Sabbath in Christ's Passover. Sunday fulfills the spiritual truth of the Jewish Sabbath and announces man's eternal rest in God…”
  — Fr. Mike Schmitz summarizing Catechism [18:55]

• “It's not just kind of an inward thing. It's visible, not just kind of a made up thing, public. It's not my own thing. And regular worship—not like when I feel like it. All four of those words are very important...”
  — Fr. Mike Schmitz [21:10]

• “At least once a week, everything else fails in comparison to worship of God. … At least once a week, God has no rival.”
  — Fr. Mike Schmitz [22:13]

Important Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:40] — Commandment structure and the role of worship
• [05:55] — Catechism paragraphs read aloud
• [09:45] — Sabbath as liberation from slavery
• [12:10] — Sabbath as protest against servitude/idols
• [15:46] — Fr. Mike’s personal confession and call to honesty
• [17:40] — Why Christians celebrate on Sunday
• [20:00] — The meaning of “outward, visible, public, regular” worship
• [22:13] — The primacy of weekly worship

Closing Reflection

Fr. Mike concludes by emphasizing that Sunday worship is for our benefit as well as God’s glory—a means to real freedom and authentic humanity. He pledges his prayers, invites listeners to pray for one another, and hints that the next episode will expand on the vital importance of the Sunday Eucharist as a non-negotiable act of faith.

For Listeners

This episode is an invitation to see Sunday not just as a rule, but as God’s loving insistence that we rest, worship, and remember we are free. It is a challenge to examine our idols and the ways we might still live like slaves, even in freedom. Fr. Mike’s vulnerability and clarity make the deep wisdom of the Catechism accessible and relevant for modern Catholics seeking to live the Third Commandment with joy and authenticity.