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

Episode: Day 93: The Meaning of the Resurrection
Date: April 3, 2026
Host: Fr. Mike Schmitz (Ascension)
Readings: Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraphs 651–658
Main Theme: Exploring the meaning and saving significance of Jesus Christ’s resurrection for Christians, following the structure and theology of the Catechism.

Episode Overview

In Day 93, Fr. Mike Schmitz delves into what the resurrection of Jesus means not just as an historical event, but as the defining mystery of Christian faith and the cornerstone of Christian life. He unpacks how the resurrection confirms Jesus’ divinity, fulfills God’s promises, and radically transforms the destiny of all believers—offering justification, adoption as God’s children, and the hope of our own future resurrection.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Resurrection: Historical and Transcendent Reality

• Fr. Mike begins by recalling prior episodes, emphasizing that the resurrection is both a real, historical event and a transcendent mystery (02:40).
• The resurrection marks not just the restoration, but true glorification of Jesus’ body—a new, eternal state beyond mere resuscitation (03:40).
• The whole Trinity is involved: “God the Father raised Jesus from the dead... For the Son... he affects his own resurrection by virtue of his divine power.” (04:05)

2. Meaning and Saving Significance

• Today’s focus: How does the resurrection affect us? What is its saving significance?
• The Catechism (654) identifies two aspects to the Paschal Mystery:
  • By his death, Christ liberates us from sin.
  • By his resurrection, he opens for us the way to a new life—above all, the grace of justification (05:35).
• “Justification consists in both victory over death caused by sin and a new participation in grace.” (05:55)

3. Filial Adoption: Becoming God’s Children

• Christ’s resurrection enables us to be adopted as sons and daughters of God.
• “The Son is a Son by virtue of his nature. We are sons and daughters by virtue of adoption, by virtue of the grace that God shares with us. Because of what? Because of the resurrection.” (06:38)
• Through baptism, Christians share in God’s family—not metaphorically, but by real grace.

4. Resurrection’s Future Promise

• Christ’s resurrection is “the principle and the source of our future resurrection” (07:23).
• St. Paul calls Jesus the “first fruits”: our resurrection will mirror his glorified state (07:55).
• “Our bodies will be resurrected from the dead and we will be able to experience this glorified resurrected body that Jesus experiences already.” (08:06)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the foundation of faith:

  “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.”
  (Citing St. Paul, 10:05)

• On the resurrection confirming Jesus’ authority:

  “If Jesus really is who he says he is, then man, then everything he says is true. Everything he says I need to pay attention to.” (12:21)
  “The resurrection above all constitutes the confirmation of all Christ’s works and teachings.” (10:17)

• On the marvel of divine adoption:

  “It is one thing... God is our Father. Because of baptism, we’ve been adopted by God as His sons and daughters... but we can truly say that God the Son is our brother. I don’t understand that. But it’s a gift. The gift of grace. Amazing. Incredible.” (14:13)

• On present participation in the resurrection:

  “Right now, we experience the gift of his grace. Right now, we experience the gift of being his brethren. Right now, we experience the gift of being the Father’s adopted sons and daughters.” (17:30)

Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |-----------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:40 | Historical and transcendent nature of the resurrection | | 05:35 | Two aspects of the Paschal Mystery: liberation from sin and opening of new life | | 06:38 | The grace of adoption: becoming God’s sons and daughters | | 07:55 | Christ’s resurrection as the “first fruits” and source of hope for our own resurrection| | 10:05 | St. Paul on the centrality of the resurrection to Christian faith | | 14:13 | Reflection on the mystery of divine adoption | | 17:30 | How we presently participate in the resurrection through grace |

Summary of Main Takeaways

• The resurrection is not just Jesus’ triumph over death, but the foundation of all Christian faith and hope.
  Without it, the gospel is empty; with it, all of Christ’s teachings receive divine confirmation.

• It opens the way for our own salvation, offering us both forgiveness (through Christ’s death) and new life (through his resurrection).
  This new life means justification (restoration to God’s grace), adoption as God’s children, and union with Christ as our brother.

• The resurrection points to our future destiny: just as Christ’s body was glorified and raised, so too will ours be at the end of time.
  At present, believers “taste the powers of the age to come” through grace, awaiting full participation in divine life.

• The Christian vocation is to live now as sons and daughters of the Father, confident in the promise of resurrection, and to allow this truth to transform us—not just inform us.

Looking Ahead

Fr. Mike closes by inviting listeners to reflect on the mind-blowing mystery of being God’s children now and to anticipate the next episode, which will cover Jesus’ ascension and its deeper meaning (18:14).

"Tomorrow we’re going to talk about the fact that Jesus ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, which is the next article in the Creed... It is so much deeper... and it’s going to be amazing." (18:24)

End of Summary