Before we dive into today's episode, I want to tell you about an exciting new resource that will deepen your journey through the catechism.

Ascension has just come out with its newest study called The Foundations of Faith, a Journey Through the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

It is the only video-based program that takes you to over 40 extraordinary places around the world across 11 countries

and four continents to bring the story of the catechism to life led by voices you know like

Dr. Edsri and Jeff Kavens, Dr. Marshallina Dambrojo and myself, Foundations of Faith

takes you on a remarkable journey through the heart of our faith. If you've been enjoying this

podcast, I know that this study will further enrich your understanding of the heart of our faith. If you've been enjoying this podcast, I know

that this study will further enrich your understanding of the catechism. Foundations of faith

is actually more than a study. It is a pilgrimage that will transform how you understand and live

the Catholic faith. Check it out at ascensionpress.com slash catechism study. That's ascensionpress.com slash catechism study.

Now, let's get started.

Hi, my name's Father Mike Schmitz, and you're listening to the Catechism in a year podcast,

where we encounter God's plan of sheer goodness for us, revealed in scripture, and passed it down through the tradition of the Catholic faith. The Catechism in a Year is brought to you by Ascension. In 365 days, we'll read through the Catechism of the Catholic Church, discovering our identity in God's family as we journeyed together to our heavenly home. It is day 132, reading paragraphs 963 to 970, all about Mary today. While I'm using, as always, the Ascension edition of the catechism, which includes the foundations of faith approach. But you can follow along with any recent version of the catechism of the Catholic Church. For crying out loud, you can also, for crying out loud, download your catechism in a year reading plan by visiting ascensionpress..com slash c i. And you can also click follow or subscribe in your podcast app for daily updates and daily notifications today is day 132. Paragraph six. You know, we had paragraph five on the communion of saints. Now, uniquely, paragraph six is Mary, mother of Christ and mother of the church. We already talked about Mary's motherhood in the past, right?

Mary's motherhood, in fact, paragraph 9683 highlights, hey, by the way, everyone, did it, did it, did it, that kind of a thing. Since the Virgin Mary's role in the mystery of Christ and the spirit has been treated, but we did that before, it's fitting now to consider her place in the mystery of the church. Remember that here is Mary's role when it came

to the mission of Jesus, when it came to the mission of the Holy Spirit. That mission continues

in a really unique way. Why? Because the mission of Christ, the mission to the Holy Spirit continues

in a really unique way via the church. And so if the mission of Mary was intimately connected, really uniquely connected

to the mission of Jesus and the Holy Spirit in saving the world, that makes sense that her mission

would continue to be extended as the Son and the Spirit's mission is continued to expended.

Here's God who has redeemed the world and he brings that redemption to us through the church. And so we talk about this. The very last line of paragraph 963 is Mary, Mother of Christ, mother of the church. And this is something that's really powerful for us. Pope Paul the 6th had said that, but it's something that goes back all the way to the very beginnings of the church, this recognition from the very beginnings, that

Mary has a unique role. And so we're going to talk about that unique role that Mary has, but keeping

this in mind, this is always so important. Paragraph 964 highlights this right from the get-go.

...