The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
A day-by-day walk through the transformative beliefs and teachings of the Catholic Church.
About the show
In Ascension’s The Catechism in a Year podcast, Fr. Mike Schmitz guides you through the entire Catechism of the Catholic Church in 365 episodes, providing explanation, insight, and encouragement along the way.
Unlike any other Catechism podcast, The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) podcast follows a reading plan inspired by Ascension’s Foundations of Faith approach, a color-coded approach that reveals the structure of the Catechism, making it easier to read and understand. With this podcast, you’ll finally understand what it means to be Catholic and how the beliefs of the Catholic Faith come together.
Listen and…
- Read the ENTIRE Catechism of the Catholic Church in 365 days
- Understand the essentials of the Catholic Faith and why they matter
- Understand how Church teaching is rooted in Sacred Scripture
- Absorb over 2,000 years of Sacred Tradition
- Encounter God’s plan of sheer goodness for your life
Each 15-20 minute episode includes:
- A guided prayer to help you enter into each episode
- A reading from the Catechism of the Catholic Church
- An explanation from Fr. Mike Schmitz about the reading
The Catechism of the Catholic Church contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.
Episodes
-
Day 105: Christ’s Church and its Mission (2024)
April 14th, 2024 | 17 mins 2 secs
belief, believers, church, creed, holiness, holy spirit, light
The Church has no other light than Christ's, and the Holy Spirit is the source of all its holiness. We believe that the Church is "holy," "catholic," "one," and "apostolic." Fr. Mike explains that Jesus has promised to guide the Church in the truth. Members of the Church are called and uniquely belong to the Lord. We also learn that the word 'church' has three inseparable meanings: the liturgical assembly, the local community, and the universal community of believers. The Church draws her life from the body of Christ and so becomes Christ's body. Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 748-752.
-
Day 104: The Holy Spirit and the Church (2024)
April 13th, 2024 | 17 mins 14 secs
holy spirit, life of the church, mission of christ
As we conclude this article on the Holy Spirit, the Catechism teaches us today about the relationship between the Holy Spirit and the Church. Fr. Mike breaks down the four main ways the Holy Spirit is active in the mission of Christ and how the life of the Church completes that mission. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 737-747.
-
Day 103: The Power of Pentecost (2024)
April 12th, 2024 | 14 mins 38 secs
gifts of the holy spirit, holy spirit, outpouring of the spirit, pentecost
Pentecost marks the beginning of the age of the Church, the time in which the Kingdom is inherited but not fully consummated. Today, we dive into the meaning and significance of Pentecost for our lives. Fr. Mike explains how the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost fulfills Christ’s Passover. On that glorious day, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit fully revealed themselves in the Trinity. We also learn how the Holy Spirit heals our wounded nature and empowers us to love as God loves through the various gifts of the Spirit. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 731-736.
-
Day 102: The Holy Spirit’s Mission
April 11th, 2024 | 16 mins 55 secs
blessed virgin mary, holy spirit, mary, mission of the holy spirit, salvation, the son, working of the holy spirit
The working of the Holy Spirit in and through Mary and the Son is a pivotal part of God's plan of salvation. The Catechism today reveals to us how the Holy Spirit prepared Mary to fulfill the Father's plan and manifest the Son to humanity. We also learn how the Holy Spirit and the Son work together in a joint mission. Finally, Fr. Mike highlights how Mary's humility is essential to her role as the "masterwork of the mission of the Son and the Spirit in the fullness of time." Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 721-730.
-
Day 101: Expecting the Messiah (2024)
April 10th, 2024 | 16 mins 31 secs
holy spirit, isaiah, john the baptist, messiah, prophets, spirit
Fr. Mike continues to explore the joint mission of the Word and Spirit in the Old and New Testaments. Together, we unpack how the Holy Spirit has been moving the prophets, particularly the prophet Isaiah. We learn how the characteristics of the Messiah are revealed, above all, in the “Servant Songs.” We also examine the Holy Spirit’s role in John the Baptist recognizing Christ as Messiah, even from within the womb. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 711-720.
-
Day 100: God’s Word and Spirit (2024)
April 9th, 2024 | 21 mins 30 secs
creation, holy spirit, law, pedagogy, prophets, spirit, theophanies, word
Together with Fr. Mike, we unpack the joint mission of God’s Word and the Spirit in the Old and New Testaments. Fr. Mike emphasizes the Spirit’s role in creation, the theophanies, and the Law. We conclude today’s reflection with an examination of the prefiguration of the Church in the exile of the people of God in the Old Testament. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 702-710.
-
Day 99: Symbols of the Holy Spirit (2024)
April 8th, 2024 | 19 mins 32 secs
anointing, cloud, dove, finger of god, fire, hands, holy spirit, seal, symbols, water
Fr. Mike explores the different symbols the faithful use when discussing the Holy Spirit, such as fire, water, and anointing. We examine how these symbols help us more fully apprehend the person of the Holy Spirit. Fr. Mike unpacks the meaning of each symbol, as well as each symbol's connection to the Old Testament. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 694-701.
-
Day 98: The Son and the Spirit (2024)
April 7th, 2024 | 14 mins 54 secs
advocate, breath, consoler, holy spirit, joint mission, paraclete, son, word
Fr. Mike continues to examine the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit’s mission. We explore the joint mission of the Son and the Holy Spirit. When the Son and the Spirit act, they act together. Fr. Mike emphasizes that though the Son and the Spirit are two distinct persons, they are inseparable. We also examine the proper name of the Holy Spirit and the different titles we use for the Holy Spirit. Today’s readings from the Catechism are paragraphs 689-693.
-
Day 97: Introduction to the Holy Spirit (2024)
April 6th, 2024 | 17 mins
divine economy, holy spirit, holy trinity, st. gregory of nazianzus, st. irenaeus
Together, with Fr. Mike, we begin our examination of the Third Person of the Holy Trinity, the Holy Spirit, and how God reveals himself as the Holy Spirit in our lives. Fr. Mike emphasizes the words of St. Irenaeus that, “in order to be touched by Christ, we must first be touched by the Holy Spirit.” We also explore eight ways the Catechism lays out for us to be able to understand the Holy Spirit. Today’s readings are Catechism Paragraphs 683-688.
-
Day 96: The Church’s Ultimate Trial (2024)
April 5th, 2024 | 20 mins 34 secs
antichrist, end of days, final judgment, judgement, kingdom of god, trial
The Catechism concludes the section on The Son with an examination of the final trial and judgment that will happen before Christ’s Second Coming. This final trial will involve the "supreme religious deception" of the Antichrist, a deception that has already been present at various times in human history. Fr. Mike emphasizes that apostasy is a dramatic turning away from what we hold to be true. He reminds us that no other person can usher in the Messianic Age other than Christ. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 675-682.
-
Day 95: Christ’s Reign on Earth (2024)
April 4th, 2024 | 22 mins 1 sec
church, kingdom, kingdom of god, last days, reign
Together, with Fr. Mike, we explore Christ’s reign on earth. We examine the reality of Christ’s reign as both “already” and “not yet.” For, even though Christ reigns on earth, we are still waiting for the fulfillment of his kingdom. Because, while the Church is Christ’s kingdom on earth, it is endowed with a “sanctity that is real but imperfect.” Fr. Mike also reiterates that Jesus Christ is truly the fulfillment of every promise made to Israel in the Old Testament. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 668-674.
-
Day 94: Christ’s Ascension into Heaven (2024)
April 3rd, 2024 | 15 mins 48 secs
access to the father, article 6, ascending to the father, ascension into heaven, christ’s ascension, jesus ascension, jesus high priest, jesus’ ascension, jesus’s ascension, principal actor of the liturgy, right hand of god the father, the ascension, the mediator
The Catechism unpacks the line from the Creed, “He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.” Fr. Mike highlights the reality that we do not have direct access to the Father without his Son, Jesus. Christ’s ascension into heaven means, “the irreversible entry of his humanity into divine glory,” uniting our humanity with God’s divinity in a remarkable way—which finds its earthly culmination in the Holy Mass. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 659-667.
-
Day 93: The Meaning of the Resurrection (2024)
April 2nd, 2024 | 14 mins 48 secs
christ raised from the dead, christ’s resurrection, filial adoption, first-born from the dead, in accordance with the scriptures, in brief, jesus rose from the dead, jesus’ divinity, jesus’ resurrection, justification, paschal mystery, the resurrection
The Catechism wraps up its discussion surrounding Article 5 of the Creed (“He descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead”) and asks the question, “What does Jesus’ resurrection mean for me?” Fr. Mike points out that Christ’s resurrection proves—definitively—that he is the only begotten Son of God. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 651-658.
-
Day 92: The Man of Heaven (2024)
April 1st, 2024 | 16 mins 42 secs
christ is risen, christ’s body, christ’s humanity, easter, is jesus a ghost, jairus’ daughter, jesus’ risen humanity, lazarus, man of heaven, resurrection as transcendent event, the young man of naim
The Catechism demonstrates how Christ’s resurrection is “essentially different” from other cases of resurrection in the Bible and shows us how his rising from the dead is a “work of the Holy Trinity.” Fr. Mike emphasizes that Jesus was not merely “resuscitated” from the dead, as Jairus’ daughter or Lazarus, but he rose from the dead glorified, “filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.” Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 645-650.
-
Day 91: Christ Rose from the Dead (2024)
March 31st, 2024 | 17 mins 4 secs
christ’s passion, death and resurrection, doubting thomas, easter, easter evening, easter morning, empty tomb, good friday, on the third day he rose again from the dead, paschal, passion, resurrection of christ, resurrection of jesus, risen one, the eleven, the passion, the twelve
The Catechism tackles Jesus’ bodily resurrection from the dead which is the “the crowning truth of our faith in Christ". Fr. Mike makes sure we understand that Christ's resurrection cannot be interpreted as a legend or a metaphor, but as a true, historical fact. Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 638-644.
-
Day 90: Christ Descended into Hell (2024)
March 30th, 2024 | 14 mins 5 secs
abode of the dead, abraham’s bosom, christ descent into hell, damnation, hades, he descended into hell, jesus descended into hell, lazarus, on the third day he rose again from the dead, sheol, the damned
Have you ever said the words from the Creed at Mass, “he descended into hell” and wondered, “Really? Jesus did? Why?” The Catechism shares the secrets of this line from the Creed and shows us how Jesus’ descent into hell “brings the Gospel message of salvation to complete fulfillment.” Fr. Mike makes it clear to us that Jesus did not come to save only the righteous who happened to be alive during his time here on earth, but he came to save all those righteous men and women who came before him and would come after him. Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 631-637.