Do you want to do something really special this year? Do you want to do something that will undoubtedly distinguish 2022 from all other years? If so, do this: Read the entire bible.

That can seem like a daunting task but there is something (and someone) that can make it much more manageable. Friends, while it is still early in January, consider doing the Bible In A Year Podcast with Fr. Mike Schmitz.

The Bible in a Year podcast with Fr. Mike Schmitz is incredible.

After some nudging from a friend in mid-January last year, I started the journey. I crammed multiple episodes per day for a week and by about Jan. 20 I was all caught up. From that point on, I listened to a single podcast episode per day for the remainder of 2021 and on December 31 I had made it through the entire bible from Genesis through Revelation. It was awesome.

Don’t get too hung up on the fact that Fr. Schmitz is a Catholic priest. No matter if you are a different denomination, non-denominational, or even an atheist you will appreciate the way that he navigates through the bible and drives home key points. He is extremely inclusive, respectful, positive, and engaging. You will love him from the first episode.

Speaking of episodes, each one averages about 20 minutes. Fr. Schmitz breaks it up by reading a couple different books simultaneously in addition to a couple verses from Psalms or Proverbs. He reads the content first, offers a prayer, and then delivers a mini homily on that day’s readings. The format works perfectly and offers solid structure to an incredibly important endeavor.

If you choose to commit to the Bible In A Year Podcast, just make sure to carve out time on a daily basis to actually listen to it. I would always begin it on my morning drive to the gym and usually finish on my living room couch when I returned home. Honestly, I couldn’t think of a better way to start my day. But timing might be different for you. Your ideal time to listen might be at night before you go to bed or possibly during your lunch hour. My point is that you can choose whatever time is convenient for you but just remember to do your best to listen to that daily episode.

Personally, the experience was very rewarding for me. I learned a lot about how the New Testament is a fulfillment of the Old Testament and how God wants us to worship. That’s not to say it was entirely smooth sailing. At times I was disturbed, alarmed, and confused. But Fr. Schmitz had a way of explaining a lot of the “brokenness” described in the bible.

There is just so much good stuff in the bible. When it came to the Old Testament, I especially liked the Maccabees books, Ecclesiastes, and Isaiah. For the New Testament, besides the gospels, I enjoyed journeying through Acts and thought that James was beautiful. Speaking of the gospels, Fr. Schmitz does something that makes a lot of sense. Over the course of the year he introduces “Messianic checkpoints” where he will take a week to read through one of the gospels. Because the Old Testament is much longer than the New Testament, he didn’t want us to have to wait until November before we started to hear about Jesus. Thus, the gospels are sprinkled in throughout the 12 months.

Fr. Schmitz introduced his Bible In A Year Podcast last year. It quickly ascended to the No. 1 podcast in the United States. He recorded the show in a fashion that makes it timeless. You can start the podcast whenever you want and it will never seem out of date. Surprise, surprise….the podcast is once again No. 1 in the country as we begin 2022.

Take a chance and journey with Fr. Mike Schmitz by listening to the Bible In A Year Podcast. If you ever want to chat, please let me know. Whether you listen to the podcast in 2022 or not, may God bless you this year. Don’t Blink.