Day 264: Man’s Merit (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...
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Religion & Spirituality
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 encourage...
Episodes
20 of 1,371 episodesDay 263: Responding to Grace (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 intera...
Day 262: Habitual and Actual Grace (2026)
Without God’s help, we can do nothing. The Catechism delves into grace today, explaining how grace works and helps us achieve our supernatur...
Day 261: Justification (2026)
What does it mean to be justified? The Catechism teaches us today about the grace of the Holy Spirit and its power to justify us. Fr. Mike e...
Day 260: Summary of the Moral Law (2026)
In today’s “Nugget Day,” Fr. Mike reviews the significant takeaways that the Catechism teaches us about the moral law. Fr. Mike highlights t...
Day 259: The New Commandment (2026)
We continue our examination of the New Law or Law of the Gospel, specifically the Golden Rule and New Commandment of Jesus. Fr. Mike emphasi...
Day 258: The New Law (2026)
Together, with Fr. Mike, we examine the New Law or the Law of the Gospel. Fr. Mike emphasizes that the New Law “fulfills, refines, surpasses...
Day 257: The Old Law (2026)
We continue the section on moral law, specifically focusing on the Old Law. Fr. Mike emphasizes that the Old Law is the first stage of Revea...
Day 256: The Natural Moral Law (2026)
Together, we begin the section on moral law, starting with natural moral law. Fr. Mike begins by emphasizing that we need both the law that...
Day 255: Human Solidarity (2026)
Together, with Fr. Mike, we reach the conclusion of the article on Social Justice. Fr. Mike emphasizes that although we have a right to priv...
Day 254: Social Justice (2026)
We begin to look at social justice as outlined by the Catechism by diving into two aspects: respect for the human person and equality and di...
Day 253: Participation in Public Life (2026)
The Catechism has shown us how the common good begins with the good of the individual. It further shows us that each individual can particip...
Day 252: The Common Good (2026)
The Catechism sets up a pair of definitions for us that, at first glance, appear circular, but upon close examination, reveal profound inter...
Day 251: Authorities in Society (2026)
The Catechism shows us that, in order for any good in society to last and flourish, legitimate authority must be instituted and respected by...
Day 250: Conversion in Society (2026)
Before we can see outward changes for the good in society, there must be inward conversion in the hearts of its members, so says the Catechi...
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 societ...
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 a...
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...
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 ena...
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 abil...