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 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Day 89: Jesus Christ Was Buried (2024)
March 29th, 2024 | 13 mins 12 secs
body, burial, death, new life, resurrection, soul, tomb
When he was crucified, Jesus experienced a real human death, the separation of his soul from his body. Because of his divinity, though, Jesus’ body did not see corruption, and his body and soul were reunited in the Resurrection. The risen Christ is the meeting point of death and life. We learn that as Christians, in Baptism, we die to sin, are buried with Christ, and then in him, we rise to new life. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraph 624-630.
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Day 88: Christ’s Definitive Sacrifice (2024)
March 28th, 2024 | 17 mins 35 secs
atonement, cross, crucifixion, death, jesus, love, obedience, redemption, sacrifice, suffering
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. Fr. Mike tell us that Jesus Christ is the one mediator, and yet invites us to participate in his sacrifice when he calls on us to take up our crosses and follow him. When we accept our sufferings out of love, we are united to Christ. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 613-623.
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Day 87: Christ’s Life as Offering (2024)
March 27th, 2024 | 13 mins 52 secs
atonement, death, eternal life, eucharist, forgiveness, free will, humanity, obedience, offering, redemption, sacrifice, salvation, sin, suffering
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. In the garden, the night before his Passion and death, Jesus suffered real agony as he contemplated his death, yet he accepted his death as redemptive. Fr. Mike invites us to participate in this redemption by attending Mass and receiving the Eucharist. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 606-612.
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Day 86: God’s Plan of Salvation (2024)
March 26th, 2024 | 21 mins 22 secs
forgiveness, mercy, prayer, redemption, salvation, saved, sin
How can we have free will if the Scriptures foretell God’s plan of salvation? This is a great mystery and something we might struggle to understand. Fr. Mike explains what it means to say God’s plan of predestination includes God’s permissive will, each person’s free will, and human beings’ response to the Father’s grace. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 599-605.
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Day 85: The Trial of Christ (2024)
March 25th, 2024 | 18 mins 38 secs
crucifixion, death, forgiveness, jesus, jewish, jews, passion, redemption, sacrifice, sin, 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. Fr. Mike tells us that the Jews are not collectively responsible for Jesus’ death, and they should not be spoken of as rejected or cursed. We’re reminded that when we choose sin and deny Christ by our deeds, we crucify him anew in our hearts. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 595-598.
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Day 84: The Claim of Savior (2024)
March 24th, 2024 | 15 mins
believing jesus, faith in jesus, israel, jesus as savior, jews, one true god, people of israel, pharisees, savior, 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 (2024)
March 23rd, 2024 | 13 mins 48 secs
destruction of the temple, jesus and the temple, jewish temple, prophecy of the temple, sacrifice, temple, 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 (2024)
March 22nd, 2024 | 15 mins 22 secs
jesus and the law, jesus fulfills the law, jewish law, kingdom laws, moral laws, old testament law, temple laws
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 (2024)
March 21st, 2024 | 18 mins 6 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 (2024)
March 20th, 2024 | 17 mins 8 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 (2024)
March 19th, 2024 | 18 mins 28 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.
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Day 78: Signs of the Kingdom (2024)
March 18th, 2024 | 20 mins 48 secs
keys of the kingdom, kingdom, kingdom of god, signs, simon peterv, st. peter
Fr. Mike unpacks the signs of the kingdom of God that Christ performed while on Earth. These signs of the kingdom are a way for us to see that Jesus is not just “another prophet” but is, in fact, the Son of God. Fr. Mike reminds us that these miracles and signs can strengthen the faith, but they can also be opportunities for “offense.” We also examine the authority that Christ entrusts to St. Peter, and his unique role within the college of apostles, just like the unique role the Holy Father has within the Church today. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 547-553.