Shows / The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
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…
Episodes
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 249: The Person in Society (2026)
Man is made for communion. God created man in his triune image, making us naturally social and communal beings. We learn that various societies weave us…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 248: The Spread of Sin (2026)
We close the section on human dignity and goodness by learning how sin engenders vice. Our readings today discuss the proliferation of sin and how capital…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 247: The Weight of Sin (2026)
We can consider the variety of sins in light of their gravity or seriousness. In doing so, we see that some sins weaken charity while others destroy it. The…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 246: Mercy and the Mystery of Sin (2026)
Jesus reveals God’s offer of loving mercy to sinners. To accept this gift, we must identify and admit our failings. Recognizing our sins enables us to further…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 245: Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit (2026)
As we end our exploration of the virtues, we learn about the gifts of the Holy Spirit. These gifts perfect our virtues and increase our ability to respond to…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 244: The Virtue of Charity (2026)
The greatest of all the theological virtues is charity. Fr. Mike explains that charity, or love, is to love God above all things for his own sake and to love…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 243: The Virtue of Hope (2026)
A desire for the Kingdom of heaven and eternal life is at the heart of the virtue of hope. Fr. Mike breaks down the definition of the theological virtue of…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 242: The Virtue of Faith (2026)
The origin, motive, and object of the theological virtues are God himself. Today, we dive into the theological virtues, beginning with the virtue of Faith. Fr…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 241: The Cardinal Virtues (2026)
A virtuous person is someone who consistently chooses the good. Fr. Mike unpacks the four human or cardinal virtues that are essential in helping us become…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 240: Erroneous Judgment of Conscience (2026)
It is possible for our moral conscience to remain in ignorance for a variety of reasons. Fr. Mike delves into the sources of errors of judgment in moral…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 239: The Formation of Conscience (2026)
Together, with Fr. Mike, we unpack the formation of our conscience. Fr. Mike emphasizes that a well-formed conscience is one that is both “upright and…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 238: Our Moral Conscience (2026)
Together, with Fr. Mike, we explore the moral conscience. Fr. Mike emphasizes that even though our intellect has been weakened by sin, we still have some…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 237: The Morality of the Passions (2026)
Together, we examine The Morality of The Passions. Fr. Mike unpacks and explores the different elements of the definition of “passions”. He emphasizes that…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 236: The Morality of Human Acts (2026)
Together, with Fr. Mike, we examine the article on the morality of human acts. Fr. Mike unpacks the three “sources” of morality: the object chosen, the end in…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 235: Human Freedom in Salvation (2026)
Together, with Fr. Mike, we examine the reality of our human freedom in the economy of salvation. Fr. Mike emphasizes that the right to freedom does not imply…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 234: Freedom and Responsibility (2026)
The Catechism gives us an overview of what it means for humans to have freedom, as well as some of the ramifications of that freedom. It introduces us to the…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 233: The Beatitudes (2026)
“The Beatitudes are at the heart of Jesus’ preaching,” the Catechism tells us. Jesus’ proclamation in Chapter 5 of the Gospel of Matthew purifies our hearts…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 232: Man Is Made in the Image of God (2026)
We enter a new chapter examining the dignity of the human person, and Article 1 shows us that we have dignity because we are made in the image and likeness of…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 231: Our Calling (2026)
As we step into Part Three of the Catechism on How We Live, we begin with an overview of our high calling as sons and daughters of God. Truly our “first and…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 230: How We Live (Part 3 Introduction with Dr. Mary Healy)
The third part of the Catechism tells us how to live—how God has revealed that we are made to act toward him, toward each other, and toward ourselves. Fr. Mike…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 229: Christian Funerals (2026)
In this final episode of Pillar 2, we learn about the Christian funeral rite. Fr. Mike explains how the new life begun in Baptism comes to greater fulfillment…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 228: Blessings, Sacramentals and Popular Piety (2026)
Sacramentals are sacred signs that resemble the sacraments. Blessings of people, places, and objects are foremost among the various sacramentals found in the…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 227: Summary of the Sacrament of Matrimony (2026)
This summary of the Catechism's teaching on the sacrament of Matrimony pulls together several beautiful themes regarding marriage and family. Fr. Mike…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 226: The Supreme Gift of Marriage (2026)
“Children are the supreme gift of marriage,” says Vatican II. Marriage is directed by its very nature toward the procreation of children. Beyond this, parents…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 225: Total Fidelity in Marriage (2026)
“Love seeks to be definitive,” the Catechism tells us in this section on marital fidelity. The faithfulness of husband and wife in the sacrament of Matrimony…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 224: The Grace of the Sacrament of Marriage (2026)
The grace of the Sacrament of Marriage provides husbands and wives the strength to love one another with supernatural, tender, and fruitful love. Fr. Mike…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 223: Differences in Religion in Marriage (2026)
Can a Catholic marry a baptized non-Catholic or a non-baptized person? Fr. Mike breaks down the Church’s teaching on mixed marriages and disparity of cult. The…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 222: Matrimonial Consent (2026)
Matrimonial consent is an indispensable element of the Sacrament of Marriage. Fr. Mike explains why it is essential for those entering marriage to express…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 221: The Celebration of Marriage (2026)
What does a Catholic wedding look like? Today, we dive into the liturgical celebration of marriage and learn that the celebration must be valid, worthy, and…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 220: Marriage in the New Covenant (2026)
How is the meaning of marriage different in the New Covenant? The Catechism teaches us today that Christ elevates the gift of marriage to a sacrament and…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 219: Marriage in God’s Plan (2026)
Together, with Fr. Mike, we begin the section on the sacrament of holy Matrimony. We unpack two elements of the sacrament, namely marriage in the order of…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 218: Summary of Holy Orders (2026)
Together, with Fr. Mike, we reach the conclusion and “nugget day” for the section on the sacrament of Holy Orders. Fr. Mike reiterates that all three degrees…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 217: The Effects of Holy Orders (2026)
Together, with Fr. Mike, we examine the effects of the sacrament of Holy Orders. Fr. Mike emphasizes that once a man is ordained a priest, he is always a…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 216: Who Receives Holy Orders (2026)
We continue our examination of the sacrament of Holy Orders. Specifically, we explore exactly who can receive the sacrament of Holy Orders. Fr. Mike emphasizes…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 215: Deacons and the Diaconate (2026)
Together, with Fr. Mike, we examine the ordination of deacons and the diaconate. Fr. Mike unpacks each of the essential elements of the rite of the ordination…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 214: Priests and the Presbyterate (2026)
The Catechism moves on from bishops—the episcopacy—to priests in the presbyterate, who share in the bishop’s ministry “in a subordinate degree”, to be…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 213: Bishops and the Episcopacy (2026)
There are three degrees within the sacrament of Holy Orders: the episcopacy (bishops), the presbyterate (priests), and the diaconate (deacons). The Catechism…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 212: In Persona Christi (2026)
The Catechism unpacks—by way of comparison—the “two participations in the one priesthood of Christ”: the common priesthood of all the faithful and the…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 211: The One Priesthood of Christ (2026)
The priesthood of the Old Covenant among the people of Israel is fulfilled in the one priesthood of Christ. The Catechism compares the Old Testament…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 210: The Sacrament of Holy Orders (2026)
The Catechism enters Chapter Three on the “Sacraments at the Service of Communion” which include both Holy Orders and Matrimony. As it introduces the sacrament…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 209: Summary of the Anointing of the Sick (2026)
This summary of the Catechism’s teaching about the Anointing of the Sick is concise and rich. This holy anointing brings us hope and courage as we endure…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 208: Completing the Earthly Pilgrimage (2026)
The effects of the Anointing of the Sick are numerous and deeply transformative. In times of great need and temptation, this sacrament brings us strength…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 207: Celebrating the Anointing of the Sick (2026)
The Anointing of the Sick is not just for those on the verge of death but for any faithful suffering from a grave illness. Fr. Mike explains that because of…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 206: Healing the Sick (2026)
By taking up our cross and following Christ, we gain a new way of seeing sickness and frailty. Along with this newness of vision, the Church is given the…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 205: Christ the Physician (2026)
Sickness and suffering bring us face-to-face with our fragility and limitations. While they might cause some to lose hope and become bitter, we can also endure…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 204: Summary of Sacrament of Reconciliation (2026)
In today’s nugget day, Fr. Mike reviews the major themes of the sacrament of Reconciliation. Fr. Mike emphasizes the six spiritual effects of this sacrament…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 203: The Purpose of Indulgences (2026)
Fr. Mike expands on the purpose of indulgences and clarifies why the Church has the authority to provide indulgences. We also learn about the role of the…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 202: How Confession Heals (2026)
What happens to us when we go to Confession? Fr. Mike explains the powerful ways the Sacrament of Reconciliation spiritually restores and perfects us. We also…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 201: The Confessor’s Role (2026)
If God is the one who forgives our sins, why do we need priests as confessors? The Catechism teaches us today about the role of the priest as the minister of…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 200: The Confession of Sins (2026)
When we confess our sins, we’re not telling God something he doesn’t know; we’re giving God access to something he doesn’t have: permission to heal our wounds…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 199: The Sacrament of Forgiveness (2026)
Together, with Fr. Mike, we continue our examination of the sacrament of Reconciliation. Specifically, we explore the origins and structure of the sacrament…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 198: Reconciliation with God (2026)
We continue our examination of the sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation. Fr. Mike emphasizes that sin, above all else, is an offense against God and his…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 197: Forms of Penance (2026)
Together, with Fr. Mike, we continue our examination of the sacrament of Reconciliation and Penance. In particular, we explore the different forms of penance…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 196: Conversion of the Baptized (2026)
We continue our examination of the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation. Fr. Mike explores that interior conversion, or conversion of the heart, is a…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 195: Penance and Reconciliation (2026)
Together, with Fr. Mike, we begin the chapter on the sacraments of healing, starting with the sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation. Fr. Mike emphasizes that…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 194: Summary of the Sacrament of the Eucharist (2026)
The Catechism has spent considerable time unpacking Holy Communion—the “sacrament of sacraments”—with us, and now she summarizes the most essential truths that…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 193: Communion Forever in Heaven (2026)
The Catechism wraps up its overview of the Eucharist by reminding us that the sacrament of Holy Communion is a foretaste of what is to come in heaven. Fr. Mike…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 192: Unity in the Eucharist (2026)
The sacrament of Holy Communion unites the faithful together in a most profound, visible way. It also makes disunity in the Church all the more painful and…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 191: The Eucharist Changes Us (2026)
As the popular adage goes, “you are what you eat.” The Catechism tells us that, as food nourishes the body, so Jesus present in Holy Communion nourishes the…
- The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 190: Receiving Holy Communion (2026)
The Catechism goes over the prerequisites to receiving Jesus in the Eucharist, as well as how often the faithful can and should receive him. Fr. Mike ensures…