The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
A day-by-day walk through the transformative beliefs and teachings of the Catholic Church.
Displaying Episode 1 - 10 of 430 in total of The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) with the tag “catholic teachings”.
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Day 4: Our Capacity for God (2026)
January 4th, 2026 | 18 mins 16 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, scripture, tradition
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.
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Day 3: What We Believe (Part 1 Introduction with Jeff Cavins) (2026)
January 3rd, 2026 | 47 mins 55 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, scripture, tradition
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 (2026)
January 2nd, 2026 | 14 mins 49 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, scripture, tradition
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.
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Day 1: To Know and Love God (2026)
January 1st, 2026 | 16 mins 27 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, scripture, tradition
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)
December 31st, 2025 | 33 mins 14 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, scripture, tradition
In this special bonus episode, Bishop Andrew 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. Bishop Andrew Cozzens is the Bishop of the Diocese of Crookston in northern Minnesota. He currently serves as the chair of the USCCB Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis where he has been tasked by the Bishops with leading a three-year National Eucharistic Revival.
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Day 365: So Be It (2025)
December 31st, 2025 | 15 mins 11 secs
ascension, bible, catechism, catechism in a year, catechism of the catholic church, catholic, catholic church, catholic doctrine, catholic faith, catholic teachings, catholicism, day 365, father mike, father mike schmitz, final amen, foundations of faith, fr mike, fr mike schmitz, god is love, jesus, lords prayer, nugget day, our father, scripture, seven petitions, so be it, tradition
Congratulations, you have reached Day 365! We conclude our journey through the Catechism with the final “nugget day” as we review the seven petitions of the Lord’s prayer. In closing, Fr. Mike reminds us of the purpose of our time with the Catechism: recognizing that every part of our human experience matters to God simply because he loves us. It matters to God that we know him, worship him, live in his love, and draw near to him in prayer. We respond to God’s astounding love for each of us with our final “Amen- so be it.” Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 2857-2865.
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BONUS: Why Scripture and Tradition? (with Jeff Cavins)
December 30th, 2025 | 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, 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.
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Day 364: Deliver Us from Evil
December 30th, 2025 | 23 mins 1 sec
ascension, bible, catechism, catechism in a year, catechism of the catholic church, catholic, catholic church, catholic doctrine, catholic faith, catholic teachings, catholicism, deliver us from evil, evil one, father mike, father mike schmitz, final doxology, foundations of faith, fr mike, fr mike schmitz, jesus, lead us not into temptation, lords prayer, prayer, satan, scripture, temptation, tradition, trials
Toward the end of the Lord’s Prayer, we implore God to protect us from temptation and from the evil one. Fr. Mike clarifies what we mean when we ask God not to “lead us into temptation” and emphasizes the importance of discerning between trials and temptations. Lastly, we review the conclusion of the Lord’s Prayer, known as the final doxology. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 2846-2856.
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Day 363: Forgive Us Our Trespasses (2025)
December 29th, 2025 | 24 mins 44 secs
ascension, bible, catechism, catechism in a year, catechism of the catholic church, catholic, catholic church, catholic doctrine, catholic faith, catholic teachings, catholicism, confession, father mike, father mike schmitz, forgive us our trespasses, forgiveness, forgives, foundations of faith, fr mike, fr mike schmitz, jesus, loving enemies, reconciliation, scripture, tradition
Forgiving those who have hurt us is a challenging call. Fr. Mike explains what it means to "forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us." We learn that forgiveness and reconciliation are not the same thing and that we can transform our hurt into intercession with God's grace. We ask the Lord to soften our hearts so that they may remain open to loving and forgiving others. Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 2838-2845.
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Day 362: Our Daily Bread (2025)
December 28th, 2025 | 20 mins 22 secs
ascension, bible, bread of heaven, catechism, catechism in a year, catechism of the catholic church, catholic, catholic church, catholic doctrine, catholic faith, catholic teachings, catholicism, communion, daily bread, eucharist, father mike, father mike schmitz, feed the hungry, foundations of faith, fr mike, fr mike schmitz, give us this day our daily bread, hunger, jesus, lords prayer, scripture, spiritual hunger, tradition
Asking God for our “daily bread” is a petition for him to fill our physical and spiritual hunger. Fr. Mike breaks down this simple yet profound petition that reminds us of our reliance on God for all our needs. In this part of the Lord’s prayer, we turn to God with childlike hearts, trusting that he will nourish us with all the appropriate material goods and, above all, with the Eucharist. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 2828-2837.