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PODCAST

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

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All Episodes

16:44

Day 128: Unique Calls to Holiness (2025)

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

2025/05/08

The Lord calls everyone to live a life of surrender, and we have been looking at the various ways God calls people to grow in holiness. Religious life includes the public profession of vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience; members of secular institutes dedicate themselves to living in the world and helping to sanctify it. We also learn that those in societies of apostolic life devote themselves to a particular apostolic purpose without religious vows. These calls to holiness are gifts to the

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21:36

Day 127: Consecrated Life (2025)

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

2025/05/07

There are many ways that God calls people to lives of holiness. Just as he calls lay people to holiness, he also calls individuals to consecrated life, including hermits, consecrated virgins, widows, and religious. In a very intentional, specific, and lifelong way, those in consecrated life commit themselves to the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Father Mike helps us see how all the different kinds of consecrated life are a great gift to the Church and the world. Despite

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19:35

Day 126: Prophetic and Kingly Offices (2025)

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

2025/05/06

In addition to Christ's priestly office, lay people are called to participate in Christ's prophetic and kingly offices. They take part in Christ's prophetic office by evangelizing and proclaiming Christ by word and with the testimony of their lives. Fr. Mike explains that the laity participate in Christ's kingly office in their hearts. They do this when they rule themselves and conquer sin, acting as virtuous leaders in the Church and society. Fr. Mike also reminds us that lay people should strive

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19:36

Day 125: Vocation of the Laity (2025)

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

2025/05/05

The term "laity" refers to all the faithful, except those in Holy Orders and those who belong to a religious state approved by the Church. We learn about the special vocation lay people have to seek the Kingdom of God as they engage in temporal affairs. They live in the world and bring the Gospel to places priests and religious cannot access. Father Mike explains that in this way, the lay faithful not only participate in the Church but are the Church. The laity participate in Christ's priestly

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22:23

Day 124: Teaching, Sanctifying, and Governing (2025)

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

2025/05/04

There are three offices that belong to the episcopal college: the teaching office, the sanctifying office, and the governing office. Fr. Mike gives us an overview of the functions within these offices and clarifies the charism of infallibility in matters of faith and morals. As we learn about the authority of the episcopal college, Fr. Mike encourages us to approach the teachings of the Church with docility. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 888-896.This episode has been found to be in

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17:05

Day 123: The Pope (2025)

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

2025/05/03

Who is the Pope? Today, we focus on the role of the Pope in the Catholic Church as the Vicar of Christ and pastor of the entire Church. The Catechism teaches us that the institution of the papacy dates back to that powerful moment in the Gospel when Jesus changed Simon’s name to Peter, the “rock”, and handed him the keys of the Church. Fr. Mike unpacks this pivotal moment and helps us understand why the Pope is so foundational to the Faith. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 880-887. This

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20:30

Day 122: Christ’s Faithful (2025)

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

2025/05/02

There are three primary roles among Christ’s faithful: the hierarchy, the laity, and consecrated life. Fr. Mike explains the difference between these three roles, emphasizing that they are equal in dignity but different in the way they support the Church’s mission. We also learn that all of Christ’s faithful share in the priestly, prophetical, and kingly office of Christ. Lastly, Fr. Mike reviews the mission and characters of ecclesial ministry. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs

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17:45

Day 121: The Apostolate (2025)

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

2025/05/01

For the Church to remain truly apostolic, she must exercise the apostolate, which is the mission “to spread the Kingdom of Christ over all the earth.” Today’s readings remind us that all members of the Church are “sent out” on a mission to proclaim the Good News. Most importantly, Fr. Mike emphasizes that charity, drawn from our unity with Christ, is the “soul” of the whole apostolate that leads us to bear fruit. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 863-870. This episode has been found to be

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16:11

Day 120: The Apostolic Church (2025)

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

2025/04/30

The fourth mark of the Catholic Church is her "apostolic" nature. Fr. Mike explains the three ways the Church is apostolic and discusses how this characteristic shapes the unique structure and Tradition of the Catholic Church. He also encourages us to pray for our local bishops, who continue to shepherd us in the Faith today as the Apostles' successors. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 857-862. This episode has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism by the Institute on the

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17:17

Day 119: The Church’s Missionary Mandate (2025)

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

2025/04/29

Together, with Fr. Mike, we explore the many aspects of the Church’s missionary mandate. Fr. Mike emphasizes the importance of engaging and living out Christ’s great commission. We conclude today with a reflection on the fact that it is the love of Christ that urges us on in our mission of patience in bearing witness to the Gospel. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 849-856. This episode has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism by the Institute on the Catechism, under the

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22:46

Day 118: The Church and Non-Christians (2025)

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

2025/04/28

Fr. Mike examines the relationship between the Church and non-Christian religions. He discusses that while there is some degree of goodness and truth in every religion, the fullness of truth exists in the Catholic Church. Fr. Mike concludes with a reflection on the statement from the early Church Fathers that “outside the Church there is no salvation.” Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 839-848. This episode has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism by the Institute on the

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22:03

Day 117: The Church Is Catholic (2025)

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

2025/04/27

We continue our examination of the four marks of the Church with today’s mark: catholic. Fr. Mike explains that “catholic” means that the Church is universal in two senses. The first is that Christ is fully present in her, and so receives the fullness of the means of salvation. Second, it goes out to all peoples; everyone belongs. Today’s readings from the Catechism are paragraphs 830-838. This episode has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism by the Institute on the Catechism, under the

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17:35

Day 116: The Church Is Holy (2025)

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

2025/04/26

Fr. Mike examines the next characteristic of the Church, the Church is holy, and he emphasizes two important ideas. The first is that the Church is unfailingly holy only because of God’s gracious gift to us. The second is that each and every one of the activities of the Church are for two purposes: the sanctification of men in Christ and the glorification of God. We conclude with a reminder from St. Therese on the importance of charity, that love of God is the “vocation which includes all others.”

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20:07

Day 115: Wounds to Unity (2025)

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

2025/04/25

Together, with Fr. Mike, we examine the wounds to the unity of Christ’s one, holy, Catholic, and apostolic Church. The Catechism emphasizes that people on both sides of this division are to blame for this broken unity. God did not intend for the disunity of Chrstians that we see today, but rather, intended for the unity of all Christians. Fr. Mike, therefore, concludes with asking us to pray and hope for the miracle of the unity, once again, of all Christians. Today’s readings from the Catechism are

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18:38

Day 114: The Church Is One (2025)

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

2025/04/24

In this new paragraph—"The Church is One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic”—the Catechism explains how and why the Church is “One”. Fr. Mike highlights the many manifestations of the good that Jesus works through the Church, and he also urges us to cling to the “visible bonds of unity” that Christ offers us. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 811-816.This episode has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism by the Institute on the Catechism, under the Subcommittee on the Catechism,

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17:35

Day 113: The Temple of the Holy Spirit (2025)

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

2025/04/23

“What the soul is to the human body, the Holy Spirit is to the Body of Christ, which is the Church.” The Catechism uncovers how the Holy Spirit truly builds up the whole Church in the name of Jesus. Fr. Mike dives into the incredibly diverse gifts that the Holy Spirit gives up for the building up of the Kingdom—the charisms. Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 797-810. This episode has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism by the Institute on the Catechism, under the Subcommittee

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16:13

Day 112: The Church Is the Bride (2025)

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

2025/04/22

Christ is the head of the Church. The Catechism describes Jesus’ relationship to his Church as “a personal relationship…expressed by the image of bridegroom and bride.” Fr. Mike points out how important this is by reminding us that, underneath all of the doctrine and the dogma, God is madly in love with you. If we always remember this love, everything else will fall into place. Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 792-796. This episode has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism by

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17:28

Day 111: The Church as the Body of Christ (2025)

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

2025/04/21

“The Church is communion with Jesus.” The Catechism shows us what it means for the Church to be considered the “body of Christ”. Fr. Mike explains how being part of the Church makes us “united in him, in his body”—more intimately connected with Jesus than even the Apostles were. Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 787-791. This episode has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism by the Institute on the Catechism, under the Subcommittee on the Catechism, USCCB. For the complete

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18:31

Day 110: The People of God (2025)

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

2025/04/20

God draws people to himself and makes them his own. The Catechism shows us what makes God’s people different from everyone else, and what it is that unites them. Fr. Mike hones in on what exactly it is that the People of God do, and exhorts us to start doing that right here, today. Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 781-786.This episode has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism by the Institute on the Catechism, under the Subcommittee on the Catechism, USCCB. For the complete

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17:09

Day 109: Mystery of Union With God (2025)

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

2025/04/19

Do we love the Church? Some of us might struggle with that idea, but Fr. Mike explains that if we are to love and live in accordance with the heart of Jesus, we must love what he loves. Jesus, the bridegroom, loves his bride, the Church, so we must love the Church. We also learn that the sacraments are not only signs but also the very instruments by which the Holy Spirit gives us the grace of Christ. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 772-780. This episode has been found to be in conformity

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