Day 234: Freedom and Responsibility — The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)

Summary

Father Mike Schmitz discusses man's freedom in the Catholic faith, emphasizing the power and responsibility that come with it. He explores how freedom, rooted in reason and will, shapes one's life and leads to growth in truth and goodness. The podcast highlights that true freedom is found in choosing good and being bound to God, leading to perfection and avoiding the slavery of sin.

Takeaways

• 📖 The podcast 'Catechism in a Year' aims to explore Catholic teachings through reading the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
• 👨‍🏫 Father Mike Schmitz discusses the concept of human freedom and its significance in Catholic theology.
• 💡 Freedom is a gift from God, allowing humans to choose between good and evil, and comes with the responsibility to choose wisely.
• 🙏 Prayer is emphasized as a way to seek God's help in exercising freedom to do good and avoid evil.
• 🧠 Humans are rational beings with the intellect to discern good from evil and the will to choose accordingly.
• 🌳 Freedom is described as a force for growth towards maturity in truth and goodness, reaching perfection when directed towards God.
• 🚫 The abuse of freedom, by choosing to do evil, leads to the slavery of sin.
• 🌐 Freedom is exercised in relationships and requires respect for the freedom of others, as all humans are made in the image of God.
• 📉 Factors such as ignorance, fear, or habit can reduce or nullify the culpability or responsibility for one's actions.
• 🔍 The concept of天堂 (heaven) is explored in relation to freedom, suggesting that in heaven, freedom is perfected by being definitively bound to God.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the podcast episode described in the transcript?

The main theme of the podcast episode is man's freedom, as discussed in the context of the Catholic faith and the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

What is the significance of day 234 in the podcast?

Day 234 marks the day the podcast is discussing paragraphs 1730-1738 from the Catechism, which focus on the concept of human freedom and its implications.

What does Father Mike Schmitz emphasize about freedom in the context of the Catholic faith?

Father Mike Schmitz emphasizes that freedom is a gift from God that comes with responsibility, allowing humans to choose between good and evil, and that true freedom is found in choosing the good and just.

How does the podcast describe the relationship between freedom and responsibility?

The podcast describes the relationship between freedom and responsibility as intrinsically linked, where the capacity to choose good or evil entails a responsibility to make those choices.

What does it mean to say that 'freedom is the power to do what is right'?

Saying that 'freedom is the power to do what is right' means that true freedom is not just the ability to do whatever one wants, but rather the capacity to make choices that align with what is morally and ethically correct.

How does the podcast address the question of whether one can sin in heaven?

The podcast addresses the question by explaining that in heaven, one's freedom is perfected by being definitively bound to God, thus there is no possibility of choosing evil or sinning.

What role does God's grace play in relation to human freedom according to the podcast?

God's grace is necessary to help humans exercise their freedom correctly, as it aids in choosing good over evil and in growing in perfection.

How does the podcast define human freedom?

Human freedom is defined as the power rooted in reason and will to act or not to act, to do this or that, and to perform deliberate actions on one's own responsibility.

What does the podcast suggest about the nature of freedom in relation to doing good?

The podcast suggests that the more one does good, the freer one becomes, and that there is no true freedom except in the service of what is good and just.

How does the podcast explain the concept of culpability or responsibility for actions?

Culpability or responsibility for actions is explained as being tied to knowledge and will. One must know what they are doing is wrong and freely choose to do it to be considered culpable.

What does the podcast say about the role of civil authority in protecting freedom?

The podcast states that civil authority must recognize and protect the right to freedom, especially in moral and religious matters, within the limits of the common good and public order.

Outlines

00:00

📖 Introduction to Man's Freedom

Father Mike Schmitz introduces the topic of man's freedom in the context of the Catholic faith. He explains that freedom is a gift from God, allowing individuals to choose between good and evil. This freedom comes with the responsibility to use it wisely. The podcast episode focuses on paragraphs 1730-1738 of the Catholic Catechism, which discuss the nature of human freedom and the implications it has on one's actions and moral choices.

05:00

🌟 Freedom as a Divine Gift

In this section, Father Mike delves into the concept of freedom as a gift from God, which empowers individuals to make their own choices. He emphasizes that freedom is not merely the ability to do whatever one desires, but rather the capacity to do what is right and just. The discussion highlights how freedom is integral to personal growth and maturity, and how it reaches its pinnacle when directed towards God, or beatitude.

10:02

🔗 Freedom and Responsibility

Here, Father Mike explores the correlation between freedom and responsibility. He explains that with freedom comes the duty to act responsibly, particularly in moral and religious matters. The discussion also touches on how certain factors, such as ignorance or coercion, can affect one's culpability for their actions. The concept of sin as a misuse of freedom is also introduced, leading to the idea of slavery to sin rather than true freedom.

15:04

🙏 Conclusion and Reflection on Freedom

Father Mike concludes the discussion on freedom with a reflection on the importance of understanding and accepting responsibility for one's actions. He encourages listeners to examine their conscience and consider whether their actions were chosen freely and with knowledge. The podcast ends with a prayer for guidance and strength to always choose the good, highlighting the ongoing journey towards spiritual growth and maturity.

Keywords

💡Catechism

The Catechism is a summary of the Church's teachings, which includes the foundations of Faith and moral teachings. In the video, Father Mike Schmitz references the Catechism as the basis for the podcast's exploration of Catholic beliefs, specifically focusing on man's freedom as outlined in paragraphs 1730-1738.

💡Freedom

Freedom, as discussed in the script, refers to the human capacity to choose between good and evil. It is a central theme of the podcast episode, where Father Mike emphasizes that freedom comes with responsibility and is a gift from God that allows individuals to seek their creator and achieve perfection.

💡Responsibility

Responsibility is the accountability one has for their actions, which is directly tied to the concept of freedom. In the script, Father Mike explains that with the freedom to choose comes the responsibility to choose good, and this responsibility is a significant aspect of human dignity and moral agency.

💡Beatitudes

The Beatitudes are blessings that Jesus pronounced in the Sermon on the Mount, which describe the qualities of those who are blessed and will receive eternal life. In the context of the script, they represent the fullness of blessing and the ultimate good that humans are made for and are to strive towards.

💡Grace

Grace is the unmerited help and assistance from God. In the script, Father Mike mentions that humans need God's grace to help them choose good, implying that while humans have freedom, they also require divine assistance to fulfill their moral obligations and achieve spiritual growth.

💡Intellect

Intellect refers to the human capacity for rational thought and understanding. In the podcast, it is highlighted that God gave humans an intellect to think and discern the good, which is essential for exercising freedom and making morally sound decisions.

💡Will

Will is the faculty of making conscious decisions and choices. Father Mike discusses how God endowed humans with a will, enabling them to choose actions that align with their created purpose and move towards their heavenly home.

💡Sin

Sin is the act of disobedience against God's will and moral law. In the script, sin is mentioned in the context of the abuse of freedom, where choosing evil over good leads to the slavery of sin, contrasting with true freedom that is found in the service of good.

💡Perfection

Perfection, in the context of the video, refers to the state of being complete or flawless, particularly in relation to moral and spiritual development. Father Mike explains that human freedom is perfected when it is directed towards God, which is the ultimate good.

💡Civil Authority

Civil Authority is the power exercised by governments and institutions to maintain order and protect rights. In the script, it is mentioned that civil authority should recognize and protect the right to freedom, especially in moral and religious matters, within the bounds of the common good.

💡Dignity

Dignity is the inherent worth or value of a person, which in the video is said to be conferred by being created in the image of God. Father Mike discusses how freedom is an essential aspect of human dignity, as it allows individuals to act in accordance with their rational nature and moral sense.

Highlights

Father Mike Schmitz introduces the catechism in a year podcast, focusing on God's plan for humanity as revealed in scripture and Catholic tradition.

Day 234 of the podcast covers paragraphs 1730-1738, discussing man's freedom and the responsibility that comes with it.

Freedom is described as the capacity to choose between good and evil, which is a gift from God.

Freedom comes with the responsibility to live like God, using it to do good and choose the right path.

The concept that human freedom is a force for growth and maturity in truth and goodness is explored.

Freedom is only perfected when directed towards God or beatitude.

The idea that freedom allows humans to shape their own lives through their choices is emphasized.

The question of whether one can sin in heaven is addressed, explaining that freedom in heaven is perfected.

The more one does good, the freer one becomes, highlighting the positive relationship between goodness and freedom.

The choice to disobey and do evil is described as an abuse of freedom, leading to the slavery of sin.

Responsibility for one's actions is tied to the freedom and voluntariness of those actions.

Factors such as ignorance, inadvertence, and duress can diminish or nullify the culpability for an action.

Every directly willed act is imputable to its author, as highlighted by questioning from the Bible.

Indirectly voluntary actions, such as those resulting from negligence, are also discussed.

The importance of foreseeability and the possibility of avoiding a bad effect for it to be imputable is explained.

The concept of freedom in relation to other human beings and the natural right to be recognized as a free and responsible being is covered.

Civil authority's role in recognizing and protecting the right to freedom, especially in moral and religious matters, is highlighted.

Father Mike reflects on the excitement of discussing freedom and responsibility, encouraging listeners to reflect on their own choices.

Transcripts

[Music]

hi my name is 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 down to the

tradition of the Catholic faith the

catechism in the 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 journey together toward our

Heavenly home this is day 234 we're

reading paragraphs

1730-1738 as always I am using 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 you can also

download your own catechism into your

reading plan by visiting

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because you made it today to day two

three four day 234 we're reading

paragraph 1730 1738 about man's Freedom

yesterday we talked about that were made

for Beatitudes right we're made for that

fullness of blessing today we recognize

that we've been given freedom and and

there's something so powerful about that

because Freedom comes with

responsibility like what what I know but

but we have the capacity to choose good

we have the capacity to choose evil and

because we have the capacity to do this

we have the responsibility to do this

that makes sense the last couple days we

went through the entire article

today we're only going to do a part of

the article we might call it a particle

but I don't know what I'm saying but

we're going to talk about the reality

that because we're given freedom

we have the responsibility

to live like God we have the

responsibility to use that freedom to

exercise that Freedom by doing good by

choosing the good that means we're

responsible

I know I know

but

what a great gift tomorrow we'll talk

about human freedom in the economy of

Salvation like when it comes to freedom

and sin and threats to freedom but today

we're talking about that power we have

the capacity to choose good or evil and

so because of that because we need God's

help we need God's grace let us call

upon him now in prayer Father in heaven

we give you thanks and praise and thank

you again and thank you so much for your

goodness thank you so much

for bringing us to this day for bringing

us to this moment

thank you for giving us an intellect to

think thank you for giving us a will

that we can choose Thank you for

creating us in your image and likeness

and conferring on us this dignity and

this power

thank you for the power

to do good thank you for the power to

choose the good

help us to always always turn away from

Evil help us to always always turn

towards you and in turning towards you

and experience that beatitude experience

that blessing experience that fullness

that is you

and the fullness that comes from

choosing you

give us this power because Lord we often

find ourselves too weak to choose

give us the power to do the right in

Jesus name we pray Amen in the name of

the father and of the son and of the

holy spirit amen it is day 234 rewriting

paragraphs 1730 to 1738.

article 3 man's freedom

God created man a rational being

conferring on him the Dignity of a

person who can initiate and control his

own actions

God willed that man should be left in

the hand of his own counsel so that he

might of his own accord seek his creator

and freely attain his full and blessed

Perfection by cleaving to him

Saint ernaeus wrote man is rational and

therefore like God he is created with

free will and his master over his Acts

freedom and responsibility

freedom is the power rooted in reason

and will to act or not to act to do this

or that and so to perform deliberate

actions on one's own responsibility

by free will one shapes one's own life

human freedom is a force for growth and

maturity in truth and goodness it

attains its Perfection when directed

toward God or beatitude

as long as Freedom has not bound itself

definitively to its ultimate good which

is God there is the possibility of

choosing between good and evil and thus

of growing in Perfection or of failing

and sinning

this Freedom characterizes properly

human acts it is the basis of Praise or

blame Merit or reproach

the more one does what is good the Freer

one becomes there is no true Freedom

except in the service of what is good

and just the choice to disobey and do

evil is an abuse of freedom and leads to

the slavery of sin

Freedom makes man responsible for his

acts to the extent that they are

voluntary

progress and virtue knowledge of the

good and a thesis enhance the Mastery of

the will over its Acts

imputability and responsibility for an

action can be diminished or even

nullified by ignorance inadvertence

duress fear habit inordinate attachments

and other psychological or social

factors

Every Act directly willed is imputable

to its author thus the Lord asked Eve

after the sin in the garden what is this

that you have done

he asked Cain the same question the

prophet Nathan questioned David in the

same way after he committed adultery

with the wife of Uriah and had him

murdered

an action can be indirectly voluntary

when it results from negligence

regarding something one should have

known or done for example an accident

arising from ignorance of traffic laws

an effect can be tolerated without being

willed by its agent for instance a

mother's exhaustion from tending her

sick child

a bad effect is not imputable if it was

not willed either as an end or as a

means of an action for example a death a

person incurs in aiding someone in

danger

for a bad effect to be imputable it must

be foreseeable and the agent must have

the possibility of avoiding it as in the

case of manslaughter caused by a drunken

driver

freedom is exercised in relationship

between human beings every human person

created in the image of God has the

natural right to be recognized as a free

and responsible being all owe to each

other this duty of respect

the right to the exercise of Freedom

especially in moral and religious

matters is an inalienable requirement of

the Dignity of the human person

this right must be recognized and

protected by civil Authority within the

limits of the common good and public

order

right there we have it paragraphs at

1730 to 1738 I don't know if you guys

got jazzed up by that but I definitely

did I love this is just the concept the

reality it's not just the concept

because we live it every single day the

reality that yes we've been given an

intellect so we can know the good we can

know the true we can know the beautiful

we also have been given this will and

because we are rational beings with

Wills

we have power right we have the capacity

to choose we have freedom now so

incredible I love I love the uh even the

the definition of what freedom is

paragraph 1731 freedom is the power

right it's a capacity it's an ability

freedom is the power rooted in reason

and will right our intellects and our

will to act or not to act to do this or

that and to sort of perform deliberate

actions on one's own responsibility

that's the definition of freedom in fact

you can even make it simpler you could

Define Freedom like this you could say

freedom is not simply the ability to do

whatever you want

but freedom is the power to do what is

right right the power to do what you

ought that that is true freedom

so freedom is the power to do what I

ought it goes on to save this next line

in 1731 is such such an incredible who

says this very short sentence by free

will one shapes one's own life

you sit with that for the rest of the

week by free will one shapes one's own

life there's this quote I came across as

something like this that the child is

the father of the man

I'm trying to communicate is who we

choose to be earlier on in life is who

we ultimately end up becoming later in

life right so the child becomes the

father of the man that the girl becomes

the mother of the woman that does that

make sense by free will one shapes one's

own life that human freedom is a force

for growth and maturity and truth and

goodness it attains his Perfection with

directed towards God or beatitude now

the question comes up sometimes

paragraph 1732 answers it the question

comes up well if one of the God's gifts

for us is freedom like the ability to

choose right or wrong

then what about Heaven Can you can you

still can you still sin in heaven and if

you can't doesn't that mean that you're

no longer free in heaven if you get to

heaven it's like yeah there's no sin

there well wait a second there's sin on

Earth because we have the capacity to

either Say Yes to God or say no to God

so question

in heaven are we not free anymore

great question camper so paragraph 1732

says as long as Freedom has not bound

itself definitively to its ultimate good

which is God there is the possibility of

choosing between good and evil and thus

either growing in Perfection or failing

and sinning but there isn't that

possibility in heaven no does that mean

we don't have freedom no it means our

freedom has been perfected so if we bind

ourselves definitively to God that's

heaven right we're bound definitely to

God that we've chosen with our lives

God

in heaven we have perfect Freedom

remember freedom is not the the ability

to do whatever I want freedom is the

power to do what I ought to actually

have the capacity to say that's the good

and I get to choose it and I choose it

every time to know to know right and

wrong and to say I choose the right

every single time that is true freedom

in fact paragraph 1733 goes on to point

out the more one does what is good the

Freer one becomes

there is no true Freedom except in the

service of what is good and just that to

sin is actually not to become free to

sin is to become a slave of sin and so

in heaven you're completely free in

heaven

you've become even

Freer even more joyful because there's

no true Freedom except in the service of

what is good and just that makes sense I

hope it does because yes In Heaven There

is no sin but we're just completely free

to be constantly choosing God true the

good and the Beautiful to love each

other and to love the Lord as we're

supposed to so good and to not do that

occasionally but to do that perpetually

rooted deeply in actual real true choice

now

because we have freedom we have

responsibility paragraph 1734 highlights

this it says Freedom makes man

responsible for his acts to the extent

that they are voluntary

now we recognize that responsibility for

an action another word is culpability

right so imputability or responsibility

culpability for an action can be

diminished or even nullified

if there are things like ignorance I

didn't know

what I'm supposed to do or I didn't know

how to do it in advertence I I didn't

mean to do this this was not my

intention duress is a thing that can can

affect culpability right if I'm under

duress sometimes there's there's things

that we do out of fear or even habit

sometimes even inordinate attachments or

other psychological or social factors

they reduce our culpability so like as

it says in 1735 we're going to talk

about this more later on but

responsibility for an action can be

diminished or even nullified by those

factors

yet Every Act directly willed we are

coupled before that we are responsible

for all those actions remember that what

what is sin sin is God I know what you

want me to do I don't care I'm gonna do

my what I want to do so in order to have

a sin I have to have knowledge that this

is a sin and I have to have freedom to

be able to not choose it right so I have

the intellect I have the knowledge and I

have the will so I have full knowledge

and I have free will if that's been

affected right it could be diminished or

nullified because I didn't know or I

didn't mean to this now at the same time

and action paragraph 1736 can be

indirectly voluntary when it results

from negligence regarding something I

should have known or something I should

have done so it says example is for

example an accident arising from

ignorance of traffic laws like if you're

driving you should know the loss of the

road like I'm going through a school

zone and I just I didn't know I didn't

pay attention to any of that but you're

driving therefore it's your job to pay

attention so it's indirectly voluntary

if there's an accident because I should

have been paying attention does that

make sense always remember that in order

for a person to be culpable or

responsible for their actions they have

to have knowledge and will they have to

know it and choose it so paragraph 1737

highlights this it says a bad effect

right this the consequence here is not

imputable a person's not culpable if it

was not willed as an end or as a means

of an action so example a death a person

incurs in aiding someone in danger

you're trying to help someone and you

die in the process well you don't call

that suicide that that is I was trying

to help I was trying to save lives and

in the process my life was ended in the

process I died that's not the same thing

as as I said as ending one's own life on

purpose remember for a bad effect to be

imputable it must be foreseeable and the

person the agent the person choosing

must have the possibility of avoiding it

for me to be culpable of a bad effect is

be foreseeable and the agent has to have

a possibility of avoiding it and the

example they give as is the case of

manslaughter caused by a drunken driver

you say well at the moment like I wasn't

choosing you know the moment of

drunkenness

and driving I wasn't didn't want to hurt

anybody okay but the moment I picked up

the alcohol I'm opening myself up the

moment after drinking I'm now driving I

that that is foreseeable and that is

preventable as well so as we continue to

move forward just keep these two things

in mind because these are going to be

kind of like the the two hinges that the

door is going to swing on always in

order for someone to be culpable they

need to have knowledge and Free Will

right I need to I need to know the thing

and I need to freely choose to do the

thing for both the praise and the blame

right for both the Merit or the reproach

for both the good and the bad I need to

know and also choose so this is going to

keep this in mind in Freedom and

responsibility when I'm when I'm looking

at myself my examinations of conscience

I have to ask that question okay did I

know it or should I have known it did I

choose it or was there other factors

that were moving me and I did not I did

not choose this freely now and so that's

part of what we do at the end of every

day when we have the examination of

conscience or that Consciousness examine

or we look at ourselves and say okay

if I did this thing rightly or wrongly I

chose good or I chose evil did I know

and did I freely choose it's one of

those pieces where we have to if we're

going to exercise our freedom we also

have to be willing to take

responsibility does that make sense oh

man these paragraphs I have to tell you

I don't know if you could tell in my

voice all day today but I'm so excited

about them but I have to say that in my

excitement I don't know if it made any

sense I honestly you might just have to

go back and re-listen to the actual

content of what the catechism says from

paragraph 1730 to 1738 because it's so

good and I just got all riled up about

this and I just wanted to go nuts and so

I apologize if today was what is he

saying you are a crazy man that might be

the case and I totally understand but I

also appreciate your grace thank you for

your patience and your forgiveness and

thank you for coming back tomorrow I am

praying for you please pray for me my

name is father Mike and I cannot wait to

see you tomorrow God bless

[Music]