Day 292: Respect for Human Life (2026)
Oct 19, 2026
We begin exploring the fifth commandment: “you shall not kill”. The Catechism reminds us that human life is sacred, and we must not take the life of another innocent human. In the Sermon on the…
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 podcast, you’ll finally understand what it means to be Catholic and how the beliefs of the Catholic Faith come together. Listen and… Read the ENTIRE Catechism of the Catholic Church in 365 days Understand the essentials of the Catholic Faith and why they matter Understand how Church teaching is rooted in Sacred Scripture Absorb over 2,000 years of Sacred Tradition Encounter God’s plan of sheer goodness for your life Each 15-20 minute episode includes: A guided prayer to help you enter into each episode A reading from the Catechism of the Catholic Church An explanation from Fr. Mike Schmitz about the reading The Catechism of the Catholic Church contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.
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Day 291: The Political Community and the Church (2026)
Oct 18, 2026
We take a look at what the Catechism teaches about the Church in relation to political communities. Every institution has their own vision of what it means to be human, which shapes their policies…
Day 290: The Duties of Citizens (2026)
Oct 17, 2026
As citizens of a nation, we have certain responsibilities in accordance with God’s Law. The Catechism provides parameters for contributing to society, welcoming the foreigner, refusing obedience, and…
Day 289: Family, Society, and the Kingdom (2026)
Oct 16, 2026
While family is important, the Catechism states, “The first vocation of the Christian is to follow Jesus.” This means that parents should support Christ's call for their children. Fr. Mike explains…
Day 288: The Duties of Parents (2026)
Oct 15, 2026
Being a parent is far more than just having kids. As the Catechism reminds us, the fruitfulness of married love extends to the moral and spiritual education of a couple’s children. Parents are the…
Day 287: The Gratitude of Children (2026)
Oct 14, 2026
Gratitude is the proper response of children toward their parents. Out of this gratitude comes respect. When we are children at home, this respect includes “true docility and obedience.” Fr. Mike…
Day 286: The Family and Society (2026)
Oct 13, 2026
The family is the foundational element of society. Fr. Mike explains how families initiate us into societal life and act as the foundation of freedom and community. Because of its indispensable…
Day 285: The Nature of the Family (2026)
Oct 12, 2026
In learning the core and fundamental definition of the family, we read today that a family is formed by a “man and a woman united in marriage, together with their children.” The Christian family is a…
Day 284: The Fourth Commandment (2026)
Oct 11, 2026
The fourth commandment addresses the most universal human relationship: our relationship with our parents. Why does God command us to honor our father and our mother? Fr. Mike explains why this…
Day 283: The Day of Rest (2026)
Oct 10, 2026
We all tend to make an idol of work. The Catechism teaches us that Sunday is a day of grace and rest from work. Fr. Mike explains what holy leisure looks like, emphasizing the importance of spending…
Day 282: The Sunday Obligation (2026)
Oct 09, 2026
Why are Catholics obligated to attend Mass every Sunday? The Catechism teaches us today about the centrality of the Sunday celebration of the Eucharist in the life of the Church. Fr. Mike emphasizes…
Day 281: Keep Holy the Lord’s Day (2026)
Oct 08, 2026
We begin exploring the third commandment and learn about rest and worship concerning the Lord’s Day. The Catechism points out that God models what he wants for us as he also rested on the seventh…
Day 280: The Christian Name (2026)
Oct 07, 2026
What does it mean to bear the Christian name? The Catechism reminds us that in Baptism, we are given our Christian name, which is sacred. Our name represents the dignity of each of us and depicts how…
Day 279: False Oaths (2026)
Oct 06, 2026
Together, with Fr. Mike, we continue our examination of the second commandment. Fr. Mike emphasizes that an oath engages the Lord’s name, and the Lord is the Lord of truth. We, therefore, have a duty…
Day 278: The Second Commandment (2026)
Oct 05, 2026
We begin our examination of the second commandment, to not take the Lord’s name in vain. Fr. Mike emphasizes that God has revealed his sacred name to us, and it is our duty to treat that name with…
Day 277: Agnosticism and Graven Images (2026)
Oct 04, 2026
As we reach the conclusion of the section on the first commandment, we end by taking a closer look at agnosticism and graven images. Fr. Mike unpacks the different forms that agnosticism can take. He…
Day 276: Irreligion and Atheism (2026)
Oct 03, 2026
We continue our examination of the first commandment, unpacking irreligion and atheism. Fr. Mike highlights the different elements of irreligion, namely tempting God in words or deeds, sacrilege, and…
Day 275: Superstition, Idolatry, and Magic (2026)
Oct 02, 2026
Superstition, idolatry, divination, and magic are all things we can encounter in our daily lives, and, with Fr. Mike, we unpack how they break the first commandment. Fr. Mike reiterates that…
Day 274: Social Duty of Religion (2026)
Oct 01, 2026
The social duty of religion and the right to religious freedom are presented to us in the Catechism. We examine what it means to have respect for other religions and the freedom, within limits, to…
Day 273: Him Only Shall You Serve (2026)
Sep 30, 2026
How can we serve God? The Catechism identifies ways in which we can keep the first commandment through adoration, prayer, sacrifice, and promises and vows. Fr. Mike relates these to us and identifies…
Day 272: You Shall Worship the Lord Your God (2026)
Sep 29, 2026
“You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.” Taking a look at the first commandment, we see how we are called to love and worship God above all else. The Catechism also lists…
Day 271: Love of God (2026)
Sep 28, 2026
We continue our overview of the Ten Commandments by looking at the two parts: love of God and love of neighbor. Together they form a “coherent whole,” and there is a unity between the two. While the…
Day 270: The Ten Commandments (2026)
Sep 27, 2026
God reveals himself and his glory through the Ten Commandments. We begin exploring the Ten Commandments as shown in the Catechism and learn about how these laws are not meant to limit us, but set us…
Day 269: Our Missionary Witness (2026)
Sep 26, 2026
The Church’s mission of evangelization depends on the faithful witness of her members. Christian goodness and fidelity authenticate the Gospel. As Fr. Mike relates, people are attracted to admirable…
Day 268: The Precepts of the Church (2026)
Sep 25, 2026
God has given the Church his law as “the way of life and truth.” We, therefore, have the right to be taught and guided while maintaining a spirit of docility in love. In this, Fr. Mike reminds us…
Day 267: The Church as Mother and Teacher (2026)
Sep 24, 2026
“The moral life is spiritual worship,” says the Catechism. From the Church, we receive moral guidance, with the Magisterium safeguarding and passing down authentic Christian moral teaching through…
Day 266: The Gift of Grace (2026)
Sep 23, 2026
In this summary of the Catechism’s teaching on holiness, justification, and merit, we briefly consider the work of God’s grace and mercy. His grace moves us from sin and toward him, making us his…
Day 265: The Call to Holiness (2026)
Sep 22, 2026
Each of us is called to holiness. As Fr. Mike puts it, we’re all called to the “heights of holiness.” No matter our station in life, we’re meant for ever greater union with Christ, devoting ourselves…
Day 264: Man’s Merit (2026)
Sep 21, 2026
Knowing that our good actions begin and end in Christ, we recognize that man’s merit is due to God. Fr. Mike explains that charity in Christ is the source of all our merits. In this way, merit is…
Day 263: Responding to Grace (2026)
Sep 20, 2026
God’s free initiative demands man’s free response. We continue our discussion of grace today by examining how grace and our free will interact in our lives. Fr. Mike also explains the purpose of…