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
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Day 94: Christ’s Ascension into Heaven
April 4th, 2023 | 16 mins 37 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.
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Day 93: The Meaning of the Resurrection
April 3rd, 2023 | 15 mins 37 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.
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Day 92: The Man of Heaven
April 2nd, 2023 | 17 mins 31 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.
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Day 91: Christ Rose from the Dead
April 1st, 2023 | 17 mins 53 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 “the crowning truth of our faith in Christ,” “the central truth by the first Christian community,” Jesus’ bodily resurrection from the dead. Fr. Mike makes sure we understand that Christ’ resurrection cannot be interpreted as a legend or a metaphor, but as a true, historical fact. Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 638-644.
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Day 90: Christ Descended into Hell
March 31st, 2023 | 14 mins 54 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.
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Day 89: Jesus Christ Was Buried
March 30th, 2023 | 14 mins 1 sec
ascension, bible, body, burial, catechism, catechism in a year, catechism of the catholic church, catholic, catholic church, catholic doctrine, catholic faith, catholic teachings, catholicism, death, father mike, father mike schmitz, foundations of faith, fr mike, fr mike schmitz, jesus, new life, resurrection, scripture, soul, tomb, tradition
In this reading, we learn that when he was crucified, Jesus experienced a real human death, the separation of his soul from his body.
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Day 88: Christ’s Definitive Sacrifice
March 29th, 2023 | 18 mins 25 secs
ascension, atonement, bible, catechism, catechism in a year, catechism of the catholic church, catholic, catholic church, catholic doctrine, catholic faith, catholic teachings, catholicism, cross, crucifixion, death, father mike, father mike schmitz, foundations of faith, fr mike, fr mike schmitz, jesus, love, obedience, redemption, sacrifice, scripture, suffering, tradition
We learn that Christ’s death is the unique and definitive sacrifice. It is both the Paschal Sacrifice that accomplishes redemption and the sacrifice of the New Covenant that restores man’s communion with God.
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Day 87: Christ’s Life as Offering
March 28th, 2023 | 13 mins 52 secs
ascension, atonement, bible, catechism, catechism in a year, catechism of the catholic church, catholic, catholic church, catholic doctrine, catholic faith, catholic teachings, catholicism, death, eternal life, eucharist.jesus, father mike, father mike schmitz, forgiveness, foundations of faith, fr mike, fr mike schmitz, free will, humanity, obedience, offering, redemption, sacrifice, salvation, scripture, sin, suffering, tradition
Jesus Christ’s entire life was an offering to God the Father, and he freely embraced God’s will and his plan for salvation. We learn that the Eucharist memorializes Jesus’ free offering of himself.
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Day 86: God’s Plan of Salvation
March 27th, 2023 | 21 mins 22 secs
ascension, bible, catechism, catechism in a year, catechism of the catholic church, catholic, catholic church, catholic doctrine, catholic faith, catholic teachings, catholicism, father mike, father mike schmitz, forgiveness, foundations of faith, fr mike, fr mike schmitz, jesus, mercy, prayer, redemption, salvation, saved, scripture, sin, tradition
We learn that Jesus suffered a violent death in accordance with the definite plan of God. Fr. Mike explains what it means to say God’s plan of predestination includes each person’s free will and response to the Father’s grace.
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Day 85: The Trial of Christ
March 26th, 2023 | 18 mins 38 secs
ascension, bible, catechism, catechism in a year, catechism of the catholic church, catholic, catholic church, catholic doctrine, catholic faith, catholic teachings, catholicism, crucifixion, death, father mike, father mike schmitz, forgiveness, foundations of faith, fr mike, jesus, jewish, jews, passion, redemption, sacrifice, scripture, sin, tradition, vice
In this reading, we learn that all sinners are the authors of Christ’s Passion. We do not blame the Jews for the Crucifixion of Jesus as we know that it is our own sins that caused his Passion and death.
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Day 84: The Claim of Savior
March 25th, 2023 | 15 mins
ascension, believing jesus, bible, catechism, catechism in a year, catechism of the catholic church, catholic, catholic church, catholic doctrine, catholic faith, catholic teachings, catholicism, faith in jesus, father mike, father mike schmitz, foundations of faith, fr mike, fr mike schmitz, israel, jesus, jesus as savior, jews, one true god, people of israel, pharisees, savior, scripture, tradition, unbelief
Jesus' claim that he is the one true God and the world's savior was the stumbling block for many Jews. Fr. Mike explains why Jesus' invitation to the Jewish people to have faith in him was a challenging task. We learn that hardness of heart and unbelief led the Pharisees to a tragic misunderstanding of Jesus. We are also at risk of such error, and recognizing our hardness of heart can help us to grow in faith. Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 587-594.
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Day 83: Jesus and the Temple
March 24th, 2023 | 12 mins 59 secs
ascension, bible, catechism, catechism in a year, catechism of the catholic church, catholic, catholic church, catholic doctrine, catholic faith, catholic teachings, catholicism, destruction of the temple, father mike, father mike schmitz, foundations of faith, fr mike, fr mike schmitz, jesus, jesus and the temple, jewish temple, prophecy of the temple, sacrifice, scripture, temple, tradition, worship
Given that the Temple was at the heart of Jewish life and worship, Jesus’ relationship with the Temple speaks volumes. Fr. Mike highlights Jesus’ reverence for the Temple and unpacks the remarkable implications of Jesus’ prophecy about the destruction of the Temple. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 583-586.
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Day 82: Jesus and the Law
March 23rd, 2023 | 14 mins 33 secs
ascension, bible, catechism, catechism in a year, catechism of the catholic church, catholic, catholic church, catholic doctrine, catholic faith, catholic teachings, catholicism, father mike, father mike schmitz, foundations of faith, fr mike, fr mike schmitz, jesus, jesus and the law, jesus fulfills the law, jewish law, kingdom laws, moral laws, old testament law, scripture, temple laws, tradition
What is Jesus’ relationship with the Old Testament Law? Our Catechism readings today reveal that Jesus is the Author of the Law who provides the definitive interpretation of the Law. We learn that Jesus did not come to abolish the Law but rather to fulfill the Law in its totality. Fr. Mike also clarifies the difference between Temple Laws, Kingdom Laws, and Moral Laws in Scripture. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 577-582.
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Day 81: Christ’s Paschal Mystery
March 22nd, 2023 | 17 mins 17 secs
death, israel, paschal, paschal mystery, passion, resurrection
Fr. Mike begins his examination of the Paschal Mystery of Christ’s passion, death, and ultimate Resurrection. He emphasizes that all of Scripture points to this Paschal Mystery, and that through our faith, we can try to examine the circumstances of Jesus’ life to fully understand our own redemption. We also explore Jesus’ relationship with Israel and our own relationship with our Jewish forefathers. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 571-576.
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Day 80: Summary of the Mysteries of Christ’s Life
March 21st, 2023 | 16 mins 19 secs
baptism, hidden life, life of christ, mystery, obedience, transfiguration
We have arrived at another nugget day, or In Brief day, for the paragraphs on the mysteries of Christ’s life. On today’s “mystery nugget” day, Fr. Mike recounts the significance of Christ’s obedience to the Father and our own obedience to God’s will. He also emphasizes the importance of reflecting on the mysteries of Christ’s life by reading and meditating on the Gospels and praying the Rosary. Today’s readings from the Catechism are paragraphs 561-570.
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Day 79: Jesus’ Transfiguration and Messianic Acts
March 20th, 2023 | 17 mins 39 secs
jerusalem, messiah, messianic, transfiguration
Together, with Fr. Mike, we explore both the mystery of Christ’s Transfiguration and the mystery of his messianic entrance into Jerusalem. We examine how the Transfiguration reveals that Christ’s death was a voluntary act, and that he is truly the “splendor of the Father.” Fr. Mike emphasizes the incredible parallel between Christ’s baptism and Transfiguration. That, on the threshold of his public life, we witness Christ’s baptism, and on the threshold of the Passion, we witness the Transfiguration. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 554-560.