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 4: Our Capacity for God

    January 4th, 2023  |  18 mins 16 secs
    belief, chapter 1, desire for god, divine revelation, faith, i believe, knowing god, man’s capacity for god, part 1, pillar 1, profession of faith, proofs for god, religious being, response to god, restless until we rest in you, st. augustine, st. thomas aquinas, the creed, the search, we believe

    The Catechism begins to explore what it means “to believe” by examining our innate desire for God and all the ways we can come to know him. Fr. Mike grounds us in a refrain he promises to repeat throughout the year—God loves you. Not in an abstract way, but in a concrete, unique way. God knows you, and he wants you to know him. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 26-35.

  •

    Day 3: What We Believe (Part 1 Introduction with Jeff Cavins)

    January 3rd, 2023  |  47 mins 55 secs
    jeff cavins, part 1, part one, pillar 1, pillar one, the apostles creed, the nicene creed, the profession of faith, what we believe

    Part 1 of the Catechism—the first pillar—is the longest part of the four parts of the Catechism, and arguably the most foundational. Fr. Mike sits down with Jeff Cavins to discuss the big picture behind this important pillar and prepare us for the journey ahead.

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    Day 2: How the Catechism Works

    January 2nd, 2023  |  14 mins 49 secs
    above all charity, adaptations, catechism directions, cross references, four pillars, how to use the catechism, in brief, intended readership of the catechism, life of faith, numbers in the margin, profession of faith, quotations, sacraments of faith, second vatican council, small print, structure of the catechism, vatican ii

    The Catechism reveals to us its intended readership, structure, and some practical directions for use. Fr. Mike and the Roman Catechism remind us that—above all—”the works of perfect Christian virtue spring from love and have no other objective than to arrive at love.” Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 11-25.

  •

    Day 1: To Know and Love God

    January 1st, 2023  |  16 mins 27 secs
    1 timothy 2, acts 4, beginning, catechesi tradendae, catechesis, council of trent, doctrine, education in the faith, extraordinary synod of bishops, handing on the faith, john 17, john paul ii, make disciples, mark 16, matthew 28, proclaim the gospel, proclamation of the gospel, prologue, the good news, the life of man, to know and love god

    Welcome to Day 1 of the Catechism in a Year! Today, we begin our journey with Fr. Mike through the Catechism from the very beginning: the Prologue. The Catechism tackles some big questions right out of the gate. Why did God make us? How can we know him? How do we help others understand him as well? Fr. Mike invites us to discover God’s plan for us and accept the challenge he has placed before us. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1-10.

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    BONUS: How Do We Trust in Church Authority? (with Bishop Cozzens)

    November 22nd, 2022  |  33 mins 14 secs
    ascension, authority of the church, bible, bishop cozzens, catechism, catechism in a year, catechism of the catholic church, catholic, catholic church, catholic doctrine, catholic faith, catholic teachings, catholicism, church leaders, church leadership, father mike, father mike schmitz, foundations of faith, fr mike, fr mike schmitz, jesus, scripture, teaching authority of the church, tradition

    In this special bonus pre-launch episode, Bishop Andrews Cozzens joins Fr. Mike Schmitz to talk about his role as a bishop of the Catholic Church, his involvement in the Catechism in a Year podcast, and why we can continue to trust in the authority of the Church despite the brokenness of its leaders at times.

  • BONUS: Why Scripture and Tradition? (with Jeff Cavins)

    November 7th, 2022  |  37 mins
    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, jeff cavins, jesus, scripture, tradition

    In this bonus episode of The Catechism in a Year, Jeff Cavins joins Fr. Mike to share the connection between Scripture and Tradition, and provide the background on the origin, development, and structure of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

  • BONUS: Pray with Fr. Mike

    October 25th, 2022  |  1 min 45 secs

    Fr. Mike asks for your prayers and intercession as he sits down to record The Catechism in a Year.

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    Introducing The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)

    October 7th, 2022  |  1 min 2 secs
    ascension, bible, catechism, catechism in a year, catechism of the catholic church, catholic, catholic beliefs, catholic church, catholic doctrine, catholic faith, catholic teachings, catholicism, father mike, father mike schmitz, foundations of faith, fr mike, fr mike schmitz, scripture, tradition

    The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) from Ascension will be launching on January 1st, 2023!