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…

  1. Read the ENTIRE Catechism of the Catholic Church in 365 days
  2. Understand the essentials of the Catholic Faith and why they matter
  3. Understand how Church teaching is rooted in Sacred Scripture
  4. Absorb over 2,000 years of Sacred Tradition
  5. 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 25: Summary of Faith (2024)

    January 25th, 2024  |  12 mins 7 secs
    belief, belief in god, believing, catholic, catholic teaching, gift of faith, growing in faith, knowing god, learning, revelation, salvation, tradition, understanding, word of god

    As Catholics, we can’t pick and choose the areas of Church teaching we want to accept; we must believe the entire truth of the Faith because we believe in God, who has revealed it to us. Fr. Mike teaches us to pray daily to be good students as we learn and grow from our mother, the Church. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 176-184.

  •

    Day 24: Unity of Faith (2024)

    January 24th, 2024  |  15 mins 52 secs
    apostolic succession, belief, church, cultures, faith, formulas, st ireneous, tradition, united church, unity of faith, universal faith

    As we wrap up the current section, we learn about the unity of faith and how the Church is meant to be united in Christ through apostolic succession. In addition, Fr. Mike reminds us that, as Catholics, we don’t just believe in formulas. We believe in the realities those formulas express. Lastly, Fr. Mike encourages us to trust in the Church, who guards the truths of the Faith and passes them down through the ages. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 170-175.

  •

    Day 23: We Believe (2024)

    January 23rd, 2024  |  15 mins 52 secs
    apostles creed, belief, catholic creed, community, creed, eternal life, faith, hope, profession of faith, we believe

    While faith is deeply personal, it is not an isolated act. Today, Fr. Mike reflects on the reality that our faith is communal. It is lived out and passed down in the context of community. We also learn that faith is truly the beginning of eternal life. Despite the sufferings of this world, when we walk by faith, we experience a taste of heaven here and now. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 163-169.

  •

    Day 22: Wrestling with Faith (2024)

    January 22nd, 2024  |  17 mins 26 secs
    belief, believing god, doubts, faith, miracles, proofs of god, signs, struggles with faith, trusting god, wrestling with faith

    In our Catechism readings today, Fr. Mike reflects on the motives of credibility for believing in God. We learn that God offers us signs and proofs that show us that he truly is who he says he is. Fr. Mike also clarifies the difference between doubting the Faith and struggling with it. He assures us that wrestling with faith is a normal human experience. Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 156-162.

  •

    Day 21: Believing God (2024)

    January 21st, 2024  |  14 mins 6 secs
    belief, believing god, faith, freedom, having faith, revelation, supernatural virtue, truth

    Fr. Mike continues reflecting on the meaning of faith and how it works in our lives. We learn that faith is a grace from God, a supernatural virtue that is not contrary to human freedom or reason. Fr. Mike reminds us that to have faith is not just to believe in God, but to believe God and everything he says. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 150-155.

  •

    Day 20: Stepping in Faith (2024)

    January 20th, 2024  |  15 mins 13 secs
    abraham, belief, believing, faith, mans response to god, mary, obedience, revelation, stepping in faith

    As we dive into a new chapter today, we learn about how we are called to respond to God’s Revelation. In particular, we discover that Mary and Abraham are models of faith who show us how to be obedient by submitting our intellect and will to God. Fr. Mike assures us that even though God doesn’t usually give us the whole picture of our lives, he gives us just enough light to take the next step in faith. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 142-149.

  •

    Day 19: Summary of Sacred Scripture (2024)

    January 19th, 2024  |  10 mins 32 secs
    gospel, new testament, old testament, sacred scripture, scripture, unity

    Today, we arrive, with Fr. Mike, at the In Brief section for Article III. Together, we revisit eight of the main ideas or “nuggets” from the readings of the past six days. Fr. Mike concludes this section by reminding us of the importance of the unity between and veneration of the 46 books of the Old Testament and the 27 of the New. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 134-141.

  •

    Day 18: The Unity of the Testaments (2024)

    January 18th, 2024  |  15 mins 43 secs
    new testament, old testament, prefigurement, type, typology, unity

    Fr. Mike unpacks the vital unity between the Old and New Testaments. Together, we examine prefigurements and types from the Old Testament being fulfilled in the New. We also examine the importance of the study of Scripture for each and every Catholic. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 128-133.

  •

    Day 17: The Canon of Scripture (2024)

    January 17th, 2024  |  18 mins 43 secs
    canon, formation of gospel, gospel, marcionism, new testament, old testament, scripture

    Fr. Mike explores the formation of the canon of Scripture. He emphasizes the importance of contemplating and venerating all 73 books of both the New and Old Testaments given to us through Sacred Tradition. Together, with Fr. Mike, we further examine the definition of the canon of Scripture throughout history, spanning from the late 4th to the mid-15th century. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 120-127.

  •

    Day 16: Senses of Scripture (2024)

    January 16th, 2024  |  13 mins 31 secs
    allegorical sense, analogical sense, literal sense, moral sense, scripture, senses of scripture, spiritual sense

    Fr. Mike examines the two senses of Scripture: the literal sense and the spiritual sense. Together, we further unpack the meaning of the literal sense of Scripture and the three subdivisions of the spiritual sense: the allegorical, the moral, and the anagogical senses. Fr. Mike provides us with scriptural examples of each of the four senses for us to fully comprehend the richness of God’s Word. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 115-119.

  •

    Day 15: Interpreting Scripture (2024)

    January 15th, 2024  |  16 mins 32 secs
    ascension, bible, catechism, catechism in a year, catholic, catholic church, catholicism, faith, father mike schmitz, fr mike schmitz, holy bible, holy spirit, interpretation of scripture, interpreting scripture, revelation, scripture, scriptures, tradition, word of god

    How do Catholics interpret Scripture? Fr. Mike breaks down the three basic principles for interpreting Scripture: attentiveness to the content and unity of the whole Bible, reading Scripture within the living Tradition of the Church, and attentiveness to the analogy of Faith. These criteria allow the Church to interpret Scripture accurately and prevent us from taking Scripture out of context. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs are 109-114.

  • Day 14: The Eternal Word of God (2024)

    January 14th, 2024  |  17 mins 8 secs
    ascension, bible, catechism, catechism in a year, eternal word of god, father mike schmitz, fr mike schmitz, free will, grace, living word of god, religion, revelation, sacredness of scripture, scripture, scriptures, tradition, truth, word of god

    Fr. Mike reflects on the sacredness of Scripture and why the Church venerates Scripture with great reverence. He helps us understand the mystery behind the powerful reality that God speaks to us through human authors. Most importantly, Fr. Mike reminds us that the eternal Word of God is both living and true. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 101-108.

  •

    Day 13: The Single Deposit of Faith (2024)

    January 13th, 2024  |  16 mins 10 secs
    authority, bible, catechism, catechism in a year, catholic church, catholicism, deposit of faith, divine revelation, father mike schmitz, fr mike, magisterium, sacred scripture, sacred tradition, word of god

    In today’s “In Brief'' section, Fr. Mike reviews the relationship between Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture, emphasizing that both make up the single deposit of Faith. He also explains how the Magisterium is able to interpret authentically and authoritatively the Word of God. Lastly, he reminds us that the way the Church prays and lives, reveals who the Church is. Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs are 96-100.

  •

    Day 12: Receiving Dogmas (2024)

    January 12th, 2024  |  15 mins 33 secs
    belief, binding truths, catechism, divine revelation, dogmas, faith, magisterium, salvation of souls, teachings of the church, truth

    How do we come to accept the binding truths of the Faith? Fr. Mike explains how the dogmas of the Faith are boundaries designed to help us know God and ourselves accurately. He invites us to see these boundaries as lights along our path that enable us to love God and fully do his will. If we can understand that these dogmas are guided by love, we can come to receive them as gifts for the salvation of our souls. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 88-95.

  •

    Day 11: Sources of Divine Revelation (2024)

    January 11th, 2024  |  19 mins 25 secs
    apostles, apostolic tradition, bible, bishops, church, divine revelation, faith, magisterium, pope, sacred scripture, sacred tradition, teaching of the church, word of god

    Fr. Mike breaks down the Catechism’s teaching that divine revelation consists of both Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition and emphasizes why both sources are of equal importance in the Faith. He also clarifies the difference between Apostolic Tradition and ecclesial traditions. Lastly, Fr. Mike encourages us to receive with docility the teachings and directives of the Magisterium of the Church, trusting in the authority of the Pope and the bishops. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 80-87.

  •

    Day 10: The Apostolic Tradition (2024)

    January 10th, 2024  |  16 mins 48 secs
    apostolic succession, catholic church, divine teaching, faith, god’s word, handing on the faith, holy spirit, revelation, scripture, teaching authority, tradition

    The Gospel was handed on in two ways — orally and in writing. Both Scripture and Tradition are sources of Divine Revelation. Fr. Mike describes how the first apostles left bishops as their successors, passing down to them their teaching authority, and this apostolic succession is preserved until the end of time. The passing on of the Faith isn’t something reserved for bishops but something we are all called to participate in. Through the Holy Spirit, God’s Word is present and active in the Church today. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 74-79.