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

Episode: Day 4 – Our Capacity for God
Date: January 4, 2026
Readings: Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraphs 26–35

Episode Overview

In this episode, Fr. Mike Schmitz explores the foundational question: "What is humanity's capacity for God?" He delves into how every human being is created by God and for God, with a built-in longing that only God can fulfill. Fr. Mike breaks down key sections of the Catechism, discussing humanity's innate desire for God, the universality of religious experience, the ways we can come to know God, and the reasons why people forget or reject their relationship with Him.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction to Today’s Theme (00:05–02:50)

• Fr. Mike welcomes listeners to Day 4 and notes the transition from introductory materials to Part I, Section I of the Catechism: the question of human capacity and desire for God.
• Clarification on Language:
  • "When I'm reading from the Catechism and you hear me say 'man,' it means humanity – both male and female... I want to get that out there." (01:35)

2. The Human Desire for God (02:51–06:50)

• Catechism Statement: "Man is created by God and for God, and God never ceases to draw man to himself. Only in God will he find the truth and happiness he never stops searching for."

• Fr. Mike explains that every human has a built-in longing for God—a "restlessness" that points beyond ourselves.

• Quote (Citing St. Augustine):

  • "You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you." (05:35)

• Universality of Religious Experience:

  • Across all cultures and times, humans have expressed their search for God through rituals, prayer, and spiritual practices.
  • "One may well call man a religious being." (Catechism, summarized at 04:49)

3. Challenges to Seeking God (06:51–10:40)

• Forgetting or Rejecting God:

  • The intimate bond between God and humanity can be "forgotten, overlooked, or even explicitly rejected." (07:15)

• Fr. Mike elaborates on reasons people turn away:

  • The problem of evil in the world.
  • Religious ignorance or indifference ("If anything marks our day and age, it is religious indifference.").
  • Preoccupation with worldly concerns.
  • Scandal from believers’ bad examples.
  • Societal trends hostile to religion.
  • A tendency to hide or run from God’s call.

• Memorable Catechism Line:

  • "Although man can forget God or reject him, God never ceases to call every man to seek him, so as to find life and happiness." (09:00)

4. The Demands of the Search for God (10:41–12:10)

• Seeking God is not passive:
  • "The search for God demands of man every effort of intellect, a sound will, an upright heart, as well as the witness of others who teach him to seek God." (10:52)
• Fourfold requirement:
  • Thoughtful intellect.
  • Steadfast will.
  • Moral character (upright heart).
  • Testimony and teaching from others.

5. Ways of Coming to Know God (12:11–15:30)

• Two “ways” emphasized:

  1. From Creation: (13:28)

     • Examining the world’s order, movement, and beauty reveals something about the Creator.
     • Argument from contingency:
       • "If you look around you right now, if you're riding in your car right now. Your car doesn't need to exist... none of us are necessary. Yet we do exist. Since [creation] does exist, there must be a prior necessary being that brought all other contingent beings into existence." (13:55)
     • Quote from St. Augustine (relayed by Fr. Mike):
       • "Question the beauty of the earth... all respond: 'See, we are beautiful.' Their beauty is a profession. These beauties are subject to change. Who made them, if not the Beautiful One, who is not subject to change?" (14:20)

  2. From the Human Person:

     • Our longing for truth, goodness, freedom, conscience, and happiness points beyond the material world.
     • "We crave God; there is such a thing as God, and this is just so beautiful that even that hunger in every one of us reveals that God exists." (15:08)
     • Reference to C.S. Lewis:
       • "You have hunger, well, there's such a thing as food. You have thirst, there's such a thing as drink. You are sleepy, there's such a thing as sleep. And we crave God. There is such a thing as God." (15:13)

• Summary Quote about Proofs for God’s Existence:

  • "These are not proofs like in the natural sciences, but converging and convincing arguments which allow us to attain certainty about the truth...." (12:30)

• God’s Revelation & Grace:

  • Though human intellect can arrive at a knowledge of God’s existence, true intimacy depends on God’s self-revelation and the gift of grace:
    • "For us to actually have an intimate relationship with Him, God has to reveal Himself. Not only that, God has to give us the grace to know who he is and to respond to him with all of our heart." (15:31)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On God’s love as the cause of our existence:
  • "You and I didn’t have to exist, yet we do. Why? Because God loved us into existence. That’s why." (11:58)
• On the persistent human search for more:
  • "There’s something in us that questions, 'There must be more,' because we have an appetite for more." (14:55)
• On faith:
  • "Today, the Church simply and very clearly defines faith as our response to God." (11:00)
• On humanity’s search for God:
  • "Every human being, whether they know who God is or don’t necessarily have a belief in God, we have this longing inside of our hearts." (12:10)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Clarification on the use of "man": 01:35
• Introduction to human desire for God: 03:05
• St. Augustine quoted on restlessness for God: 05:35
• Challenges to seeking God: 07:15
• Four conditions for seeking God: 10:52
• Ways to know God – from creation and humanity: 13:28
• Argument from contingency explained: 13:55
• St. Augustine on beauty and God: 14:20
• C.S. Lewis analogy (hunger for God): 15:13
• Faith as response to God: 11:00
• Final reflection and encouragement: 15:31

Episode Tone & Encouragement

The episode carries a reflective and pastoral tone—gentle, encouraging, and intellectually engaging. Fr. Mike blends Catechism quotations with real-world examples and relatable analogies. He frequently reassures listeners of God’s personal love and invites them to remain open not just to the idea of God, but to God’s personal invitation.

Summary Takeaways

• The core of human nature is a God-given desire that can only be satisfied in Him.
• Religious instinct is part of being human.
• The journey to God involves both intellect and heart, and is aided by others’ testimony and witness.
• Creation and our own interior life both serve as “arrows” pointing toward God.
• Intimate knowledge and union with God depend not only on reason, but especially on God’s self-revelation and grace.
• Fr. Mike concludes with encouragement and a reminder of God’s personal love, urging listeners to continue seeking and praying for deeper understanding and relationship with God.

“You and I didn’t have to exist, yet we do. Why? Because God loved us into existence. That’s why.” – Fr. Mike Schmitz (11:58)