Podcast Summary: The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Episode: Day 53: Man in Paradise (2026)
Date: February 22, 2026
Host: Fr. Mike Schmitz
Segments Covered: Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 374–384
Episode Overview
Main Theme:
This episode explores humanity’s original state—“man in paradise”—according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Fr. Mike Schmitz discusses what it meant for the first humans to live in friendship and harmony with God, themselves, each other, and all of creation. He reflects on the significance of original holiness and justice, the loss of harmony due to sin, and the restoration of an even greater relationship with God through Christ.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Four Pillars of Human Understanding (00:55)
Fr. Mike summarizes the previous days’ assertions:
- Humans made in God’s image.
- Humans as body-soul unity.
- Creation of humans as male and female.
- God establishing us in friendship with Him.
2. Humanity’s Original State: Friendship with God (03:09)
- God created humans not just to exist, but for a relationship with Himself.
- We were endowed with “original unity,” “original holiness,” and “original justice.”
- “The grace of original holiness was to share in divine life.” (04:05)
3. Harmony in Paradise (04:30)
- Harmony existed on four levels: with God, with each other, within oneself, and with creation.
- “Man would not have to suffer or die” as long as he remained in God’s intimacy. (11:05)
- Division and disorder (internal and external) only entered through sin.
4. Original Self-Mastery (06:08)
- The first humans were “free from the triple concupiscence”—the lust of the flesh, eyes, and pride of life.
- Reference to St. Paul’s struggle ("I don’t do what I want to do… I do what I don’t want to do") as the loss of inner harmony.
- “How God made us in the beginning was not at war within ourselves, but having this mastery of self.” (06:45)
5. Redemption Surpasses Creation (13:23)
- The original state in paradise “would be surpassed only by the glory of the new creation in Christ.”
- Discussion of “O happy fault” and St. Augustine: “Oh, necessary sin of Adam that won for us so great a Redeemer.”
- “The redemption of God… is even greater than the creation of God. That’s just bananas; it’s incredible to think.” (14:10)
6. Mastery Over Self and Stewardship (16:00)
- True mastery “was realized above all within man himself: mastery of self.”
- Reference to the book Lead Yourself First: “How can I lead others if I can’t lead myself?”
- “With God’s grace, we can achieve a degree of interior freedom. With God’s grace, we can achieve a degree of interior harmony.” (17:45)
7. Purpose of Labor, Love, and Leisure (18:40)
- God created us “for love, for labor, and for leisure.”
- Sin distorts all three: leisure becomes collapse or wasted time; love twists into lust; labor turns into drudgery or identity.
- Originally, work was a collaboration with God—not a burden.
- “Our work, when we offer it to him, can redound to his glory.” (20:22)
8. Restoration Through Christ (21:05)
- In Jesus, what was broken—love, labor, leisure—can be restored and elevated.
- There’s a call to “offer our labor as worship to God.”
- “He has done so much to restore us in Jesus Christ.” (21:45)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
On Original Holiness and Friendship
“God did not just create us good, but also established us in friendship and in harmony with Himself, with creation around us, and with each other.”
— Fr. Mike Schmitz (12:55)
On Redemption Through Christ
“Because of Jesus and what he’s done in our brokenness, we are to be elevated even higher than our first parents. The redemption of God is… even greater than the creation of God. That’s just bananas; it’s incredible to think.”
— Fr. Mike Schmitz (14:15)
On Mastery of Self
“Mastery over the world that God offered man from the beginning was realized above all within man himself: mastery of himself.”
— Fr. Mike Schmitz (16:02)
On Labor and Worship
“Our work, when we offer it to him, can redound to his glory… When we offer him our work, it can redound to his glory. There’s something powerful about that.”
— Fr. Mike Schmitz (20:22)
On the Purpose of Learning the Faith
“We’re not just called to have more information. We’re called towards transformation.”
— Fr. Mike Schmitz (22:20)
Timestamps for Important Segments
- 00:55 — Recap of the previous four “categories” about humanity
- 03:09 — Introduction to “Man in Paradise” and humanity’s intended friendship with God
- 06:08 — Discussion on harmony, original holiness, and self-mastery
- 11:05 — Clarification that suffering and death are not from God, but are a consequence of sin
- 13:23 — “Original state” as surpassed by the glory of Christ; “O happy fault”
- 16:00 — Mastery over self; reflection on “Lead Yourself First”
- 18:40 — God’s design in creating us for love, labor, and leisure
- 20:22 — The restoration of original relationships through Christ; labor as worship
- 22:20 — Call to transformation, not just information
Episode Takeaways
- Humanity’s original state was one of ordered harmony and friendship with God, lost through sin but restored—and even surpassed—through Christ.
- Mastery of self is presented as foundational for harmonizing with others and leading justly.
- God’s design includes labor, love, and leisure, all originally meant for union with Him and to be acts of worship.
- The journey of faith is about transformation—allowing God’s truth to invite and empower us to deeper union with Him, not merely the accumulation of knowledge.
Actionable Invitation:
Fr. Mike encourages listeners to “offer our labor as worship to God” today, recognizing that through grace, what was broken can become holy again.
Praying for one another:
The episode ends with a reminder to pray for each other, embracing the podcast community as fellow travelers on this journey of transformation.