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

Episode: Day 86 – God’s Plan of Salvation (Paragraphs 599–605)

Date: March 27, 2026

OVERVIEW

Main Theme:
Fr. Mike Schmitz explores the mystery of Christ’s redemptive death and its place in God’s plan of salvation, emphasizing that Jesus' death was both foreseen in the Scriptures and freely embraced, not suffered by chance, and that it demonstrates God’s universal, unmerited love for every person.

KEY DISCUSSION POINTS & INSIGHTS

1. Christ’s Death: Not by Chance, but By Divine Plan

• [01:20] Fr. Mike: “Jesus’ violent death was not the result of chance or an unfortunate coincidence… it is part of the mystery of God’s plan.”
  • Christ’s Passion and Resurrection fulfilled Old Testament prophecy and were foreknown by God, but this foreknowledge did not override human free will.
  • Everyone involved—Jewish leaders, Romans, all of humanity as sinners—acted with real freedom, and their choices were included in God’s plan without being forced.
  • Quote: “God permitted the acts that flowed from their blindness.” (Catechism 600)

2. The Paradox of Predestination and Free Will

• [04:50] Fr. Mike:
  • Explains the Catechism’s nuanced teaching: God is outside of time, so for Him, all moments are present immediately (“to God, all moments of time are present in their immediacy”).
  • God’s eternal plan—predestination—includes our free responses (“he includes in it each person’s free response to his grace”).
• Quote:
  • “We have this mystery, the paradox of grace and free will. God knows all things and yet we still get to be free in the midst of our lives.” [05:30] Fr. Mike

3. The Suffering Servant and Prophetic Fulfillment

• [07:00] Fr. Mike:
  • Jesus’ death is “in accordance with the Scriptures” (paraphrasing paragraph 601).
  • Isaiah 53’s “suffering servant” prophecy is fulfilled in Jesus.
  • Jesus revealed this interpretation to the disciples on the road to Emmaus (cf. Luke 24).

4. “For Our Sake God Made Him to be Sin” – The Meaning

• [08:30] Fr. Mike:
  • Clarifies what it means that Jesus became sin for us (2 Cor 5:21). Jesus did not sin or experience rejection from the Father as though he was reprobate.
  • He entered into the depth of our brokenness, even to the point of experiencing (from the Cross) what we feel in our distance from God—“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
• Quote:
  • "He experienced what it felt like to have lost the Father. But he never lost the Father, and the Father never lost him." [09:10] Fr. Mike

5. God's Universal, Unmerited Redeeming Love

• [11:00] Fr. Mike:
  • Christ’s sacrificial death is God’s initiative—it's not deserved or earned by us.
  • Love comes before merit: “God manifests that his plan for us is one of benevolent love prior to any merit on our part.” (605)
  • Cites foundational Scripture passages:
    • “In this is love, not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the expiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:10)
    • “God shows His love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

6. The Inclusiveness of Jesus’ Sacrifice

• [12:30] Fr. Mike:
  • Jesus came to give his life “as a ransom for many”—the Catechism clarifies ‘many’ is not restrictive.
  • The Church teaches:
    • Quote: “Christ died for all men without exception… There is not, never has been, and never will be a single human being for whom Christ did not suffer.” (Catechism 605)
• [13:40] Fr. Mike:
  • This means Christ’s love is for everyone, regardless of background, status, or past.
  • “False!” to the self-condemning voice that says, “I’m too far gone.”
  • Quote: “That includes you, and that includes me.” [14:50]

NOTABLE QUOTES & MEMORABLE MOMENTS

• Fr. Mike [01:20]: “Jesus’ violent death was not the result of chance or an unfortunate coincidence… it is part of the mystery of God’s plan.”
• Fr. Mike [05:30]: “We have this mystery, the paradox of grace and free will. God knows all things and yet we still get to be free.”
• Fr. Mike [09:10]: “He experienced what it felt like to have lost the Father. But he never lost the Father, and the Father never lost him.”
• Catechism 605 (quoted by Fr. Mike) [12:50]: “There is not, never has been, and never will be a single human being for whom Christ did not suffer.”

IMPORTANT SEGMENTS & TIMESTAMPS

• [01:20] — Christ’s death as part of God’s plan, not chance
• [04:50] — Mystery of grace, predestination, and free will
• [07:00] — Prophecy and fulfillment: Suffering servant (Isaiah 53)
• [08:30] — “God made him to be sin”: meaning and implications
• [11:00] — God’s unmerited, universal initiative to save
• [12:30] — “For many”: the inclusiveness of Christ’s atonement
• [13:40] — Application: Christ died for everyone, no exceptions

SUMMARY & TAKEAWAYS

• Christ’s death was both foreknown and freely embraced; it was a mystery that balances God’s sovereignty and human free will.
• Jesus’ sacrifice was prophesied and fulfills God’s plan, showing ultimate solidarity with humanity—he entered into our alienation but never lost union with the Father.
• God’s act to save is grounded in His initiative of love long before, and regardless of, our merit or sinfulness.
• The scope of Christ’s redemptive act is absolutely universal: “There is not, never has been, and never will be a single human being for whom Christ did not suffer.”
• Fr. Mike’s closing encouragement:
  • Let these truths move from your mind to your heart.
  • Reject the lie that anyone (including you) is too far gone: “Christ died for all men without exception.”
  • Let us pray for ourselves and one another to live in this truth.

For further reflection:
Consider what it means in your life that “God’s plan for us is one of benevolent love prior to any merit on our part.” How does knowing that Christ suffered for you—specifically—change the way you see God, yourself, and others?

Host: Fr. Mike Schmitz
Podcast by: Ascension
Episode: Day 86: God’s Plan of Salvation (2026)
Readings: Catechism paragraphs 599–605