Jesus Chose His Own Path to Calvary (March 20, 2026)

Welcome to The Daily Catholic Deep Dive, the daily show that connects the dots between the Bible, the Catechism, and the Catholic life.

Ever wonder what the hidden connection is between today's Old and New Testament readings? Or how the central theme of The Bible in a Year aligns with The Catechism in a Year? We even look at how the daily Rosary meditation and the Saint of the Day tie it all together.

Every day, we take the massive amount of spiritual content you love—from Fr. Mike Schmitz to the Daily Rosary, Mass readings, and Sunday homilies—and weave them into a single, witty, and insightful conversation.

Do you feel lost after listening to all these daily podcasts? Join our AI hosts as they find the "Golden Thread" that ties them all together. It’s the ultimate daily synthesis for the busy Catholic soul.

Today’s Sources:

• Daily Bible Reading - March 20, 2026 | USCCB (Reading 1: Wisdom 2:1a, 12-22; Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 34:17-18, 19-20, 21 and 23; Gospel: John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30)

• Day 79: Psalms of Ascent — The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) (Numbers 34, Deuteronomy 33, Psalm 120)

• Day 79: Jesus’ Transfiguration and Messianic Acts — The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) (Paragraphs 554–560)

• March 20, 2026 | Catholic Daily Reflections | Formed

• The Great Fast | Day 27 — St. Michael's Abbey

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to the Daily Catholic Deep Dive. We're here to connect the dots between the Bible, the Catechism, and your daily life. Every day we go over the daily Mass readings, Father Mike Schmitz's Bible in a year, and Catechism in a year, plus other popular Catholic podcasts and videos released today we find interesting. If you feel a bit overwhelmed by all the daily Catholic listening, don't worry. We are here to find that one golden thread that ties it all together. Let's dive in. Today is March 20th, 2026.

SPEAKER_01 0:30

Yeah, and uh today we have a really great lineup on the menu. We are pulling from the Daily Mass Readings and Day 79 of Bible in a Yem, along with day 79 of Catechism in a Year.

SPEAKER_00 0:40

Right. And we also have some really interesting daily reflections from Dr. Tim Gray and St. Michael's Abbey, so there's a lot to cover.

SPEAKER_01 0:48

Exactly. And to start, you know, imagine you're watching a movie, right? And the villains are just rubbing their hands together, totally convinced they have like trapped the hero.

SPEAKER_00 0:55

Oh yeah, the classic bad guy monologue.

SPEAKER_01 0:57

Right. But what if in this movie the hero is actually the one writing the entire script?

SPEAKER_00 1:02

I mean, that completely flips the script, literally. Yeah. And I think that dynamic is exactly the golden thread we're looking at today. Because across all these sources, we are exploring this uh this massive paradox.

SPEAKER_01 1:15

Aaron Powell A paradox about why stepping into suffering is, well, kind of the only way to actually gain control over it.

SPEAKER_00 1:21

Aaron Powell Exactly. And we see that paradox right out of the gate in the first reading. So the Book of Wisdom, chapter 2, verses 1a and 12 through 22 lays out this honestly chilling plot.

SPEAKER_01 1:31

Aaron Powell Yeah, it really is. The wicked are actively scheming against the just one because his goodness just, you know, exposes all their own flaws.

SPEAKER_00 1:38

Aaron Powell Right. They literally say, like, let's test him with torture and a shameful death, just to see if God actually protects him. It is so dark.

SPEAKER_01 1:45

It is. But then John's gospel today draws this perfect parallel to that Old Testament prophecy.

SPEAKER_00 1:52

Yeah, in John chapter 7, verses 1 to 2, 10, and 25 through 30, Jesus is in Jerusalem, and the authorities are actively trying to arrest him.

SPEAKER_01 1:59

The crowd is even whispering, like, isn't this the guy they're trying to kill?

SPEAKER_00 2:02

Right. They totally are. But they physically cannot lay a single hand on him. And John gives us the reason why, saying it's because his hour had not yet come.

SPEAKER_01 2:11

Aaron Ross Powell Because he's the one writing the script. And uh the monks at St. Michael's Abbey pointed this out in their reflection today. Christ is not some passive victim being dragged to his fate.

SPEAKER_00 2:22

Right. He is deliberately walking right into it, entirely on his own schedule.

SPEAKER_01 2:26

Yeah, God is completely in charge of the timeline. But I know you were looking at the literal path he takes, right?

SPEAKER_00 2:32

Yeah. I'm struggling to understand something about that physical geography. Because on uh day 79 of the Bible in a year, Father Mike covers Numbers 34, Deuteronomy 33, and Psalm 120.

SPEAKER_01 2:43

Aaron Powell And he focuses heavily on the Psalms of Ascent there.

SPEAKER_00 2:46

Aaron Ross Powell Exactly. Ancient pilgrims would pray these while physically walking up to Jerusalem. But why does that literal uphill climb matter so much to a you know spiritual act?

SPEAKER_01 2:56

Aaron Ross Powell Well, faith is not just an intellectual exercise, you know? Human beings are physical creatures.

SPEAKER_00 3:01

So the physical effort actually means something.

SPEAKER_01 3:03

Aaron Powell Yeah. The physical exhaustion of hiking up a mountain literally prepares the heart to offer a sacrifice. And if we look at day 79 of Catechism in a year.

SPEAKER_00 3:12

But which paragraphs is that?

SPEAKER_01 3:14

Specifically paragraphs 554 through 560. In those, we see Jesus making his own definitive voluntary ascent to Jerusalem.

SPEAKER_00 3:22

Aaron Ross Powell But how do we really know it is entirely voluntary? I mean, the catechism talks about the transfiguration on the mountain. He goes down from the mountain of glory just to walk up the mountain of Calvary.

SPEAKER_01 3:33

Right, but how does showing off his glory prove he is willing to suffer? Well, by revealing his divine glory at the transfiguration first, Jesus proves to the apostles that he has infinite power.

SPEAKER_00 3:43

Oh, I see. He isn't just a helpless victim of a Romans.

SPEAKER_01 3:46

Exactly. If he has the literal power of God, then letting them arrest him later in Jerusalem is a hundred percent a voluntary choice. The ascent to worship always involves offering ourselves freely.

SPEAKER_00 3:56

Wow, that makes the responsorial psalm so much more powerful. Today's Psalm is Psalm 34, and the refane is the Lord is close to the brokenhearted.

SPEAKER_01 4:04

Which is such a beautiful promise. And Dr. Tim Gray noted that the wicked always assume suffering equals divine abandonment.

SPEAKER_00 4:12

Like they mock Jesus on the cross, thinking, you know, if God loved you, you wouldn't be in pain.

SPEAKER_01 4:17

Yeah, and honestly, it is a trap we all fall into. When we haste distress or fear, we immediately assume God has just like forgotten us.

SPEAKER_00 4:24

Oh, for sure. But Jesus proves otherwise by walking into his passion willingly. Your suffering isn't a sign of his absence at all.

SPEAKER_01 4:32

Right. God is right there in the trenches with you, completely in charge.

SPEAKER_00 4:36

So to leave you with a thought today, what if the trial you are avoiding right now is actually your personal psalm of ascent, drawing you physically and spiritually closer to God?

SPEAKER_01 4:47

That is a really powerful challenge to take into the rest of the week.

SPEAKER_00 4:50

That's our deep dive for today. We hope this helped you see the big picture. If you enjoyed this content, please remember to subscribe to the show or support our mission through the link in the description. God bless.