Podcast Episode Summary
Podcast: The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Host: Ascension
Episode: Day 301: Peace (2025)
Date: October 28, 2025
Main Theme & Purpose
This episode centers on the Catechism’s teaching about peace, focusing on paragraphs 2302–2306. Fr. Mike Schmitz explores what true peace means within Catholic teaching, emphasizing that peace is far more than simply the absence of war—it is rooted in justice, charity, and reconciliation. The episode further unpacks how anger and hatred undermine peace, and highlights the call for every Christian to be an active peacemaker, following the example of Jesus, the Prince of Peace.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Understanding Peace
- Peace is not merely the absence of war:
Fr. Mike repeatedly stresses that peace cannot be reduced to the simple lack of conflict or a precarious balance of power. Quoting the Catechism, he notes:“Peace is not merely the absence of war and it is not limited to maintaining a balance of power between adversaries.” (01:15; reinforced at 09:59)
- Peace is the work of justice and the effect of love:
He connects peace with active virtues—justice and charity—and asserts that simply maintaining a lack of violence is insufficient.“Peace is the work of justice and the effect of love.” (01:40)
- Peace requires safeguarding the goods of persons, free communication, respect for dignity, and fraternity:
The episode cites paragraph 2304, outlining the necessary preconditions for true peace.
2. Anger and Hatred: Obstacles to Peace
- Distinction between emotion and will:
Fr. Mike clarifies that feeling anger as an emotion is morally neutral; what matters is what one does with that anger.“The emotion of anger is amoral... Anger, just the feeling of anger on its own, [is] neither good nor bad.” (13:22)
- Anger as a desire for revenge:
Fr. Mike draws from St. Thomas Aquinas and the Catechism:“Anger is a desire for revenge. To desire vengeance in order to do evil to someone who should be punished is illicit.” (13:54)
- Justice vs. Vengeance:
He distinguishes the legitimate pursuit of justice from sinful vengeance:“If that desire is motivated by revenge... that actually wounds our souls.” (17:22)
Restitution and the upholding of justice are not evil; seeking to harm is. - Deliberate hatred is always contrary to charity:
“Deliberate hatred is contrary to charity. Hatred of the neighbor is a sin when one deliberately wishes him evil.” (18:50)
3. The High Call to Peacemaking
- Christ’s Command:
“Jesus has said in the Beatitudes, blessed are the peacemakers... The question I get to ask, have to ask is, is that me?” (03:00)
- Being an agent of peace:
Fr. Mike stresses that Christians are called not only to be peaceful in themselves, but to actively create peace:“Every one of us is called to be an agent of peace, not merely be peaceful ourselves, but be agents of peace.” (04:00)
- Practical implications:
True peace involves personal transformation—relinquishing interior anger and hatred, seeking restitution rather than punishment, and making efforts for reconciliation.“We're not called to only have peace in our hearts. We're called to be peacemakers. And that is the high call today. And that's hard. It is difficult.” (26:55)
4. Earthly Peace Reflects Divine Peace
- Peace of Christ as the model:
“Earthly peace is the image and fruit of the peace of Christ, who is the messianic prince of peace.” (20:08)
- Christ reconciled humanity to God, making the Church “the sacrament of the unity of the human race,” and Christians are called to carry forward that unity and peace.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On the inadequacy of superficial peace:
“We can think of... the Cold War, a balance of power... okay, we had peace because we didn’t have all out war. No, no, no, that is not peace. Peace is the work of justice and the effect of love.”
(01:30-01:50) -
On the personal dimension of peace:
“You might be someone who's like, 'I am totally at peace with everybody around me, which is awesome.' This is still for all of us, because peace is not merely the absence of war. It is something much more profound and much deeper.”
(03:40) -
On vengeance versus justice:
“The desire for justice is a good, doesn’t wound your soul... but to say, 'I want to make this person pay because of this vengeance, this desire for revenge that is in my heart,' that actually wounds our souls.”
(17:15-17:25) -
On fostering anger and hatred:
“We end up wounding ourselves when we foster and cultivate hatred of the neighbor... I'm hurting myself and I'm hurting my relationship with the Lord.”
(19:00) -
On the practical call to love:
“Remember, the goal is not like, 'Okay, get through life and don’t be too jerky of a person.'... The goal is get through life with the heart of Jesus. Get through life and be Jesus in this world.”
(20:00) -
On peace as fraternity and justice:
“Peace cannot be attained on earth without safeguarding the goods of persons, free communication among men, respect for the dignity of persons and peoples, and the assiduous practice of fraternity.”
(22:25; catechism reading, paragraph 2304)
Important Timestamps & Segment Breakdown
- 00:05 — Introduction & theme for the day: Peace
- 01:15–04:10 — Fr. Mike’s overview: Peace is not just the absence of war; definition of peace in the catechism
- 04:10–07:00 — Opening prayer: For Christ’s peace to reign in our hearts and lives
- 07:01–09:58 — Reading Catechism paragraphs 2302–2306 (safeguarding peace, anger, hatred, conditions for peace)
- 09:59–13:21 — Practical unpacking: The difference between anger as emotion and as sin
- 13:22–18:49 — Explanation: Justice vs. vengeance, restitution, and impact on the soul
- 18:50–21:10 — Hatred as a grave sin, cultivating charity, the high call to be like Jesus
- 21:11–24:44 — Societal implications: Justice, fraternity, dignity, and peace in community
- 24:45–26:55 — Final encouragement: The challenge and grace needed to be peacemakers; closing prayer and sign-off
Key Takeaways
- Peace, according to Catholic teaching, is active and relational, not just an absence of conflict.
- Anger and hatred, when willed and cultivated, are grave obstacles to peace and charity.
- Justice is necessary for peace, but it must not become a pretext for vengeance.
- Every Christian is called to both interior peace and the courageous pursuit of reconciliation and peacemaking in their relationships and communities—mirroring the peace of Christ.
End of Summary.