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

Episode: Day 5—How We Know God (2026)

Date: January 5, 2026
Host: Fr. Mike Schmitz
Reading: Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraphs 36–43

Overview:

This episode explores how human beings can come to know God—both through natural reason and Divine Revelation. Fr. Mike Schmitz explains the Catechism’s teaching on the limits and possibilities of human knowledge about God, the challenges to such knowledge, and the unique difficulties of speaking about God with human language. The episode emphasizes the relationship between faith, reason, and the humility necessary when contemplating the mystery of God.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Knowledge of God by Human Reason

• Human Capacity for God:

  • "Our Holy Mother the Church holds and teaches that God...can be known with certainty from the created world by the natural light of human reason." (07:01)
  • Human beings, made in God’s image, have an innate capacity to know God exists through observation of the world and reflection on their own hearts.

• Scriptural Foundation:

  • St. Paul's Letter to the Romans, Chapter 1, is cited as scriptural support for the claim that all people can know God through creation, even without explicit revelation.
  • "St. Paul says...even those who have never heard of the living and true God will still experience consequences...because they have the light of human reason." (12:26)

2. Limits of Reason & Obstacles to Knowing God

• Quoting Pope Pius XII:

  • "Though human reason is...truly capable...of attaining a true and certain knowledge of the one personal God...yet there are many obstacles which prevent reason from the effective and fruitful use of this inborn faculty." (08:44)
  • The Catechism and Pope Pius XII highlight obstacles:
    • The transcendent nature of divine truths.
    • The need for self-surrender and abnegation.
    • The impact of senses, imagination, and especially "disordered appetites" from original sin.

• Psychological Impediments:

  • Fr. Mike references C.S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity:
    • Knowing something intellectually does not always dispel fear or doubt (e.g., as a child, knowing there are no monsters under the bed but still being afraid).
    • "I can know something is true and still experience fear..." (14:04)

• The Pull of Desire:

  • "So it happens that men in such matters easily persuade themselves that what they would not like to be true is false or at least doubtful." (09:37)
  • Fr. Mike reflects: "I experience that all the time." (15:38)

3. The Need for Revelation

• Why Revelation is Necessary:
  • Because human reason is hampered, God’s revelation is needed not just for supernatural truths, but also for those religious and moral truths that reason alone can apprehend but might miss because of internal obstacles.
  • Purpose of Revelation:
    • "...so that even in the present condition of the human race, they can be known by all men with ease, with firm certainty, and with no admixture of error." (10:38)

4. Speaking About God: Analogy and Limitations

• Limitations of Human Language:

  • "Since our knowledge of God is limited, our language about Him is equally so." (10:57)
  • We can speak of God only analogically, beginning from creatures' perfections (goodness, beauty, truth) and recognizing all language falls short.

• Essential Difference:

  • Lateran Council IV: "Between creator and creature, no similitude can be expressed without implying an even greater dissimilitude." (16:43)
  • Fr. Mike: "There are always more dissimilarities than there are similarities." (17:10)
  • Example: When we call God 'Father,' there is some similarity with human fathers, but a much greater difference.

• Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom:

  • God is "the inexpressible, the incomprehensible, the invisible, the ungraspable." (05:32)

5. Encouragement for the Journey

• Progress in Faith:
  • Fr. Mike affirms listeners: "We are trucking along and I'm praying for you." (18:47)
  • He invites mutual prayer and assures listeners of his prayers as they continue the Catechism journey together.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Path to Knowledge:

  • "We recognize that we can come to a knowledge of God's existence, God's reality, by the light of human reason...and kind of highlighting. Yep. While we have the light of human reason that can apprehend...that God truly exists and even a bit of who God really is. We're going to be limited, which is one of the reasons why God has to reach out and reveal Himself to us." (01:05)

• On Obstacles to Truth:

  • "The human mind, in its turn, is hampered in the attaining of such truths, not only by the impact of the senses and the imagination, but also by disordered appetites which are the consequences of original sin." (08:53)

• On Analogy and Mystery:

  • "Our language is using human modes of expression. Yep, that's fine. Nevertheless, it really does attain to God Himself, though unable to express him in his infinite simplicity." (16:15)

• On Humility Before God:

  • Fr. Mike recounts a dialogue between an atheist and a Christian:
    • "This being is far more than any of us have ever imagined. And the Christian said, exactly. You are completely right. And that's what the catechism is saying." (16:28)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Intro & Purpose of Episode: 00:05 – 02:15
• Opening Prayer: 02:16 – 03:17
• Catechism Reading (Paragraphs 36–43): 03:18 – 11:13
• Explanation of Human Reason & Knowledge of God: 11:14 – 13:54
• Obstacles to Knowledge, C.S. Lewis Reference: 13:55 – 15:52
• Language about God & Analogy: 15:53 – 17:10
• Encouragement & Looking Ahead: 17:11 – 18:54

Summary Table of Key Teachings

| Topic | Catechism's Teaching | Fr. Mike's Insights | |-------------------|----------------------------------------|--------------------------------------| | Knowing God | Possible through natural reason | Reason must be humble and open | | Limits | Human reason/social/cultural obstacles | Sin and desire cloud our judgment | | Revelation | Necessary for certainty and clarity | "God has to reach out and reveal Himself to us" | | Language about God| Analogical, always limited | Analogy shows similarities – but more differences| | Humility | Essential in theology | True understanding requires surrender|

Final Encouragement

• Fr. Mike encourages the listeners to keep engaging with the Catechism and to pray for each other, promising his prayers for them as they continue to explore the vast mystery of God together.

End of Summary for Day 5: How We Know God