The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
A day-by-day walk through the transformative beliefs and teachings of the Catholic Church.
We found 10 episodes of The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) with the tag “fr mike schmitz”.
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Day 32: The Most Holy Trinity (2025)
February 1st, 2025 | 14 mins 56 secs
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Christians are baptized “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” not the “names” of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Catechism explains this distinction by introducing us to the “central mystery of Christian faith and life”: the Trinity. Fr. Mike slows us down to meditate on what God reveals to us concerning his inner life, the very thing that “many prophets and righteous people longed to see… [and] hear.” Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 232-237.
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Day 31: The Meaning of Faith (2025)
January 31st, 2025 | 12 mins 48 secs
ascension, bible, catechism, catechism in a year, catechism of the catholic church, catholic, catholic church, catholic doctrine, catholic faith, catholic teachings, catholicism, dignity of all men, father mike, father mike schmitz, foundations of faith, fr mike, fr mike schmitz, god’s greatness, god’s majesty, image and likeness of god, implications of faith in one god, jesus, living in thanksgiving, scripture, st. joan of arc, st. nicholas of flue, st. teresa of jesus, tradition, trusting god, unity of all men
The Catechism wraps up our “I Believe in God” paragraphs with an In Brief and “The Implications of Faith in One God”—or, what God’s being means for us and our lives. Faith in our God means knowing his greatness, living in thanksgiving, knowing the dignity of all men, making good use of creation, and trusting God in every circumstance. Fr. Mike reminds us that “in every circumstance,” meaning even in adversity, God uses all things for the good. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 222-231.
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Day 30: God Is Who Is (2025)
January 30th, 2025 | 17 mins 43 secs
1 john 4, 1 john 1, 1 john 5, 2 samuel 7, ascension, bible, catechism, catechism in a year, catechism of the catholic church, catholic, catholic church, catholic doctrine, catholic faith, catholic teachings, catholicism, communion of persons, deuteronomy 7, exodus 34, father mike, father mike schmitz, father son holy spirit, foundations of faith, fr mike, fr mike schmitz, fullness of being, god alone is, god is love, god is truth, god’s promises, god’s secret, i am who am, infidelity, james 1, jesus, john 17, john 18, john 3:16, malachi 2, psalm 102, psalm 115, psalm 119, psalm 138, psalm 85, scripture, the divine name, tradition, trinity, wisdom 13, wisdom 7, yahweh
God is truth, God is love, and God is being itself. Today's Catechism readings begin to unpack the eternal nature of God and share with us God’s “innermost secret." Fr. Mike teaches us that because God made us in his image and likeness, then we too are called to embody truth and love. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 212-221.
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Day 29: Knowing the Name of God (2025)
January 29th, 2025 | 15 mins 57 secs
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We can learn a lot about the nature of God from his Divine Name revealed in Scripture. When God said to Moses, “I am who I am,” this was a revelation of a name as well as a refusal of a name. Fr. Mike explains how this mystery reveals truths about God: he is infinitely above all things; we cannot comprehend him, yet he draws close to us. This Divine Name expresses the steadfast, faithful, unchanging love of God for his people, even when we betray and abandon him. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 205-211.
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Day 28: The Nature of God (2025)
January 28th, 2025 | 15 mins
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In this episode, we discuss the nature of God, “who” God is, beginning with God the Father. Our reading explains how the Creed begins with God the Father because he is the first Divine Person of the most Holy Trinity. God is one Divine Being made up of three persons, and his identity is a deep mystery. Fr. Mike explains that God is a single ‘what’ made up of three ‘who’s.’ Despite this mystery, God is not an anonymous force. He has revealed himself to us by making his name known to us, and he has thus made himself accessible. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 198-204.
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Day 27: The Gift of the Creed (2025)
January 27th, 2025 | 11 mins 19 secs
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The Catechism we are reading follows the structure of the Apostles’ Creed with frequent references to the Nicene Creed for further details and explanations. Together, these Creeds aid us in articulating the beliefs we share with all members of the Catholic Church. Fr. Mike discusses why St. Ambrose refers to the Creed as “an ever-present guardian” and “treasure of our soul.” He encourages us not to take this gift for granted. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 193-197.
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Day 26: Communion of Believers (2025)
January 26th, 2025 | 19 mins 29 secs
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Today we further realize the sense of the word “credo,” meaning “I believe.” As we read the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed, we discover the differences between the two and come to understand how the Nicene Creed, which came centuries later, expands upon and explains the beliefs of the Apostles’ Creed. Fr. Mike tells us that these Creeds help us to share the essential elements of Catholicism, acting as “symbols of faith,” and encouraging communion between believers. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 185-192.
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Day 25: Summary of Faith (2025)
January 25th, 2025 | 12 mins 7 secs
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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.
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Day 24: Unity of Faith (2025)
January 24th, 2025 | 15 mins 52 secs
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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.
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Day 23: We Believe (2025)
January 23rd, 2025 | 15 mins 52 secs
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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.