Best Catholic Podcast of 2021

Ack! It’s the second week of my Mass reflection series and, of course, there was no homily this week! Instead, we had a special message from our Bishop (very nice, but still not a homily). However, I noticed something unique this week, and it all stems from a daily Catholic podcast I’ve started listening to: The Bible in a Year with Fr. Mike Schmitz.

I joined the Catholic church three years ago. I’d been in and out of various churches for a good portion of my life prior to my decision to become Catholic. While there was a lot of Bible reading, I never connected the dots of the bigger picture. Now, when I joined the Church, I got a Great Adventure Bible because it sounded amazing. And it is! But I lacked the personal discipline to follow the reading plan found inside. Fast forward to 2021 and this amazing Catholic podcast.

I’ve missed some days here and there, but have easily caught back up. The episodes are reasonably short and Fr. Mike’s commentary hits deeply.

What This Catholic Podcast Has to Do with Mass

Of course, reading the Bible is always going to connect with Mass. In fact, the way the Catholic Church structures Mass leads you through the entire Bible every three years. But, in the 40+ days of listening to the podcast, more background and context has stuck with me than in the 30+ years of attending church.

Yesterday’s readings dealt with leprosy, a subject I would have glazed over in the past. But after listening to the Catholic interpretations of the Bible so far this year, the meaning hit me deeper.

Jesus Makes the Leper Clean

In the past, I would have assumed this just meant he healed the leper. Now, I feel a deeper meaning. I know now exactly what Jesus was telling him to do when he said, “…go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed…” (Mark 1:44)

I don’t feel qualified to speak more on this subject right now. I just wanted to share how impactful this Catholic podcast has been on me, and it’s only been 40+ days. I can’t wait to see where I am in my spiritual journey at the end of this year!

Your Turn: What’s Your Favorite Catholic Podcast?

Please share your favorite Catholic podcasts in the comments! I can’t wait to add more to my library!