Shows / The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
In The Bible in a Year podcast, Fr. Mike Schmitz walks you through the entire Bible in 365 episodes, providing commentary, reflection, and prayer along the way. Unlike any other Bible podcast, Ascension’s Bible in a Year podcast follows a reading plan inspired by The Great Adventure Bible Timeline, a ground-breaking approach to understanding salvation history developed by renowned Catholic Bible scholar Jeff Cavins. For each period in the timeline, Jeff will join Fr. Mike for a special episode…
Episodes
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 309: Praying for the Dead (2026)
Fr. Mike breaks down the doctrine of purgatory as we read about Judas Maccabeus and his army praying for the dead in 2 Maccabees 12. We learn that purgatory is…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 308: Little by Little (2026)
Fr. Mike highlights how God fights as a heavenly ally with the people of Israel in 2 Maccabees 11, and encourages us to actively fight alongside God in our…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 307: Courage in Battle (2026)
Today, Fr. Mike discusses the confidence that faith in God can provide as we fight the battles of our lives. He also engages with the riddles found in Wisdom…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 306: Wisdom Is Beautiful (2026)
Fr. Mike draws our attention to the descriptions of wisdom found in our readings for today and reflects on the beauty of wisdom’s feminine nature. He also…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 305: The Defender (2026)
As we hear the re-telling of the story of Judas Maccabbeus and his brothers fighting for the honor of the Lord's Temple in 2 Maccabees, Fr. Mike points out how…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 304: Life Beyond Death (2026)
Fr. Mike focuses on the powerful theme that connects all of our readings today- the reality of life beyond death. In the story of the martyrdom of the seven…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 303: Eleazar's Martyrdom (2026)
Fr. Mike offers a recap of Eleazar's martyrdom and marvels at Eleazar's courage to avoid both sin, and the temptation to lead others into sin. As we begin…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 302: The Pursuit of Wisdom (2026)
Fr. Mike concludes the book of Sirach today and encourages us to continue the pursuit of wisdom. In our reading of 2 Maccabees, we see again the pillage of the…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 301: Rising Again (2026)
As we begin to wrap up the Old Testament, Fr. Mike reflects on our reading from Sirach and what we have already learned on this journey through the Bible. He…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 300: Conversion of Heart (2026)
Fr. Mike provides context to the God-centered perspective of 2 Maccabees and compares it to the more secular perspective provided by 1 Maccabees. He challenges…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 299: Jeremiah Hides the Ark (2026)
Fr. Mike discusses the story of Jeremiah and the Ark of the Covenant, offering insight on where it was hidden and how that affected the people of God. He also…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 298: The Gift of Life (2026)
Fr. Mike gives us context for the beginning of 2 Maccabees and recounts the story of Nehemiah’s discovery of the sacred fire. He also offers a reflection for…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 297: Using Good Things for Evil (2026)
As we read from Proverbs and Sirach, Fr. Mike points out how everything God has made is good, but we can use those things for evil ends. We also reach the…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 296: Know Your Heart (2026)
As we begin to wrap up 1 Maccabees, Fr. Mike directs our attention to how 2 Maccabees will tell the same story in a different way. In Sirach, we are encouraged…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 295: Israel's Expectations (2026)
Fr. Mike mirrors the story of 1 Maccabees and Israel’s expectations of continued success onto our own lives, emphasizing that God’s marvelous plan exceeds our…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 294: Judea Gains Independence (2026)
In our reading of 1 Maccabees today, Fr. Mike highlights the the establishment of the new independent sovereign nation of Israel in the land of Judah. We learn…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 293: Discipline Grounded in Love (2026)
Fr. Mike focuses on the theme of disciplining children, reflected in our readings from Sirach and Proverbs today. He clarifies that there is a crucial…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 292: The Power of Words (2026)
As we continue our journey in 1 Maccabees, Fr. Mike explains that this book of the Bible is unlike others because it narrates stories and events without…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 291: The Rise of King Alexander (2026)
Fr. Mike breaks down the dramatic events from our reading of 1 Maccabees today, including; Jonathan's new role as high priest, Demetrius' defeat in battle, and…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 290: Judas Maccabeus Dies (2026)
Fr. Mike guides us through Judas Maccabeus' last battle, his death, and his succession. We learn that part of Judas and Jonathan's victory involved fighting…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 289: Wise Influences (2026)
Fr. Mike contextualizes our readings from 1 Maccabees today which covers the beginning of Roman rule over the Jewish people. Additionally, he emphasizes the…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 288: Battling Against Gossip (2026)
Fr. Mike explains the importance of wisdom in our everyday lives when we face temptations to gossip, encouraging us in the battle for virtue, wisdom, and…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 287: Eleazar's Sacrifice (2026)
Fr. Mike illustrates the story of Eleazar and the abandonment of peace terms between the Jews and the Greeks. He also recognizes the pain that children and…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 286: The Battle to Choose God (2026)
Fr. Mike walks us through the current battles of Judas Maccabeus and the Israelite people, emphasizing that while war is violent, freedom to belong to God and…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 285: Story of Hanukkah (2026)
In today's reading from 1 Maccabees, we hear about the victory of Judas Maccabeus, which is also the story of Hanukkah. In Sirach, Fr. Mike points out that…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 284: Near Occasion of Sin (2026)
Fr. Mike points out how advice from books like Proverbs and Sirach may not apply perfectly to every situation, but are meant to help guide us towards wisdom…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 283: Mattathias Attacks (2026)
Fr. Mike clarifies the meaning behind Mattathias' zealous attack against the Greeks and his fellow Jews who were not obeying God's laws. From our reading of…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 282: Antiochus Desecrates the Temple (2026)
As we begin reading the first book of Maccabees today, Fr. Mike highlights the severe persecution against the Jews and the desecration of the Temple led by…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Introduction to the Maccabean Revolt (with Jeff Cavins) - 2026
Welcome to the Maccabean Revolt period! Jeff Cavins joins Fr. Mike to introduce the tenth biblical period in our journey, which begins with the Greek…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 281: Good and Evil (2026)
Fr. Mike summarizes the final moments of the book of Nehemiah, when Nehemiah returns to find the people of Israel being unfaithful to God’s commandments and…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 280: The People of the Covenant (2026)
Fr. Mike concludes the book of Esther and the book of Nehemiah by reflecting on the journey and resilience of the Jewish people thus far in the story of…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 279: Blessings and Burdens (2026)
Fr. Mike offers a brief recap of today’s chapter from Nehemiah, identifying the difference between those who were able to live in Jerusalem and those who were…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 278: Power in Weakness (2026)
Fr. Mike walks us through the signing of the covenant in Nehemiah 10 and relates Israel’s collective decision to belong to God to our personal encounters with…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 277: Such a Time as This (2026)
Today's readings remind us that all good things come from God, and he calls us to specific places and times for a reason. In the book of Esther, Fr. Mike…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 276: Haman's Plan (2026)
As Fr. Mike reads from Nehemiah today, we hear about how the hearts of the people of Israel were moved as Ezra reads the book of the law of Moses to them. In…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 275: Esther Becomes Queen (2026)
Fr. Mike continues reading from the book of Nehemiah as we read of the many attempts to prevent Nehemiah from doing the great work of God. We also see the…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 274: Perseverance in Opposition (2026)
Fr. Mike continues to describe Nehemiah’s process of rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem and encountering a variety of challenges in his calling. He explains that…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 273: The Lord's Work (2026)
Fr. Mike continues discussing the call of Nehemiah and how we should approach the work the Lord calls us to do. He explains why all work is divine…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 272: The Call of Nehemiah (2026)
Fr. Mike introduces the book of Nehemiah and takes us through Nehemiah’s exemplary response to the call of God as he does what God asks simply because he asks…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 271: Israel's Foreign Wives (2026)
Fr. Mike discusses God’s instruction to the people of Israel not to marry women from foreign lands. He explains why God would provide this instruction and how…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 270: God's Favor with Ezra (2026)
Fr. Mike explains how God’s favor was with Ezra because he set his heart to study God's laws, to obey his laws, and to teach his laws to others. We also learn…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 269: The Day of Small Things (2026)
Fr. Mike encourages us not to be discouraged about the small things happening in our lives, because just as we see through Zechariah's visions, God takes small…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 268: Rebuilding the Temple (2026)
Fr. Mike continues to take us through the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem, and the importance of moving on from the past to see what God is doing in our…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 267: Indifference and Apathy (2026)
Fr. Mike introduces us to the books of Ezra and Haggai, explaining the Israelites' return to the promised land. He also warns us against apathy and…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Introduction to the Return (with Jeff Cavins) - 2026
Welcome to the Return period! Jeff Cavins joins Fr. Mike to introduce the ninth biblical period, which covers the Israelites' return to Jerusalem, the rise of…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 266: Son of the Father (2026)
As we finish the Gospel of Matthew, Fr. Mike takes us through Christ's passion, explaining the meaning of "Barabbas", the importance of saints, and temptation…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 265: Sins of Omission (2026)
Fr. Mike explains sins of omission, and how these are some of the biggest deciding factors of who goes to heaven and who goes to hell: whether or not we did…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 264: Preaching Without Practice (2026)
Fr. Mike continues to explain the parables Christ recites in Jerusalem, specifically focusing on the dangers of preaching God's Word without practicing it in…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 263: The Father's Generosity (2026)
Fr. Mike takes us through various parables in Matthew such as the parable of the lost sheep, the merciful servant, and the laborers in the vineyard. He invites…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 262: Miracle Worker (2026)
As we read about the many miracles Jesus performs in today's readings from Matthew, Fr. Mike asserts the objective reality of those miracles and reinforces…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 261: Ornate Souls (2026)
Fr. Mike explains the many parables we hear today in Matthew, including the return of the unclean spirit, and the danger of ornate souls. He emphasizes that…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 260: Carrying the Cross (2026)
Fr. Mike reinforces Jesus' divinity as we read about how Jesus heals people physically, mentally, and spiritually and frees them from the enemy's kingdom of…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 259: The Sermon on the Mount (2026)
Fr. Mike reads the Sermon on the Mount and explains how Jesus' teachings powerfully fulfill the old testament law, and identify the broken human heart as the…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 258: The Kingdom Is Here (2026)
Fr. Mike introduces us to the Gospel of Matthew, including his genealogy, nativity, and the first days of his ministry. He pulls it all together to show that…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Messianic Checkpoint: The Gospel of Matthew (with Jeff Cavins) - 2026
Welcome to the third Messianic Checkpoint! Jeff Cavins joins Fr. Mike to introduce the Gospel of Matthew and explain what makes this gospel unique, such as its…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 257: Choose to Love (2026)
Fr. Mike finishes the book of Jeremiah and highlights the final moment of hope at the conclusion. We also read the book of Obadiah and Fr. Mike challenges us…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 256: Hard Seasons (2026)
Fr. Mike encourages us to never stop talking to God, even in the hardest seasons of our lives. Much like yesterday's readings, we're seeing a lot of pain and…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 255: God Is Good (2026)
Fr. Mike guides us through another chapter of Jeremiah and connects it to the sorrow and pain we hear in Lamentations. He reminds us that, even with such evil…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 254: Judgment of Nations (2026)
Fr. Mike continues reading from the book of Jeremiah and emphasizes God’s judgment against the nations surrounding Israel. Fr. Mike also invites us to meditate…
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 253: Lamentations of Jeremiah (2026)
As Fr. Mike begins the book of Lamentations, we read about Jeremiah’s sorrow as he witnesses the siege and suffering of Jerusalem. In the book of Jeremiah, we…