Podcast Summary: The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)

Episode Title: Day 10: The Apostolic Tradition (2026)
Release Date: January 10, 2026
Host: Fr. Mike Schmitz
Theme: The Transmission of Divine Revelation Through Apostolic Tradition
Reading: Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraphs 74–79

Overview

This episode focuses on how divine revelation—the fullness of God’s self-disclosure in Jesus Christ—has been communicated from the time of the apostles to today. Fr. Mike explains the essential roles of both Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture, as well as the ongoing importance of apostolic succession. Drawing from the Catechism and key Church documents, especially Vatican II’s Dei Verbum, he guides listeners to understand the living transmission of faith and the call to receive and pass on the riches of God’s revelation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What is the Transmission of Divine Revelation?

• Fr. Mike explains that “transmission” means the handing on of divine revelation.
• Two main modes: orally (through preaching) and in writing (through Scripture).
• This dual transmission ensures divine revelation is preserved in its entirety for all generations.

Quote:
"Tradition means to hand on. And so how have we received revelation?... It's been handed on in two ways: orally and in writing."
— Fr. Mike Schmitz [03:39]

2. The Role of Apostolic Tradition

• Jesus is the fullness of revelation; there is no fuller revelation to receive.
• The apostles, having encountered the fullness of Jesus, were commanded to preach and hand on what they received.
• Apostolic preaching was the initial mode of transmission; the New Testament arose from this oral tradition.

Quote (from Dei Verbum):
“Christ the Lord... commanded the apostles to preach the gospel which had been promised beforehand by the prophets and which he fulfilled in his own person and promulgated with his own lips... In preaching the gospel they were to communicate the gifts of God to all men.”
— Read by Fr. Mike Schmitz [08:23]

3. Scripture and Tradition: Foundations of Faith

• The Church holds Scripture and Tradition as equally important, both being essential channels of revelation.
• Fr. Mike emphasizes: We would not have Sacred Scripture without prior Sacred Tradition.
• Early Church Fathers (patristics) are witnesses to this ongoing tradition.

Quote:
"We wouldn't have Sacred Scripture without Sacred Tradition."
— Fr. Mike Schmitz [15:35]

• St. Paul’s letters illustrate early oral tradition and its entrustment:

Quote:
“What you have heard from me before many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”
— 2 Timothy 2:2, cited by Fr. Mike [13:45]

4. Apostolic Succession: Guaranteeing Authentic Transmission

• Apostles appointed successors (bishops) to carry on teaching with authority.
• This continuity (apostolic succession) ensures the living Gospel’s preservation to the present.

Historical Moment: Pope Clement’s Letter (Year 80)
Apostles appointed bishops and deacons, ensuring successors would continue their ministry and preserve the full revelation.
Quoted extensively by Fr. Mike [17:47]

• The Church is structured to ensure faithful transmission, as described in the Catechism and Dei Verbum.

5. Living Tradition and the Action of the Holy Spirit

• Tradition is a living transmission, actively guided by the Holy Spirit.
• God continues to speak with the Church; the “living voice of the Gospel” echoes in every generation.
• The goal: the Word of Christ dwells in us “in all its richness.”

Quote (from Catechism & Dei Verbum):
“God who spoke in the past continues to converse with the Spouse of His beloved Son... the Holy Spirit ...leads believers to the full truth and makes the Word of Christ dwell in them in all its richness.”
— Read by Fr. Mike Schmitz [19:35]

6. The Invitation: Receiving and Handing on the Baton

• Tradition is compared to a relay race: we receive the baton of revelation and must run with it—living it, loving it, and handing it on to the next generation.

Quote:
“One of the things I want to do is I want to be able to receive that baton...and I want to run with it. I want you to run with it, too.”
— Fr. Mike Schmitz [22:06]

• The journey through the Catechism is not just about acquiring knowledge, but transformation and conversion [05:09].

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the goal of Revelation:
  “God desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.”
  — Fr. Mike quoting 1 Timothy 2:4 [10:23]

• On Scripture and Tradition:
  “We recognize that we need both Scripture and Tradition as that source of divine revelation for us.”
  — Fr. Mike Schmitz [12:08]

• On Apostolic Succession:
  “What he’s describing here, Clement in the year 80...is apostolic succession....That’s the way the fullness of God’s revelation in Jesus Christ has been handed on to us.”
  — Fr. Mike Schmitz [18:23]

• Encouraging Participation:
  “Take that baton and run with it, to be able to hand it on....Here we are as the Church being invited to live in the fullness of Jesus Christ in all His richness.”
  — Fr. Mike Schmitz [22:10]

Important Timestamps

• [03:39] – Meaning of “tradition”: the oral and written handing on of revelation
• [08:23] – Dei Verbum on the command and mission of the apostles
• [10:23] – God’s universal salvific will (1 Timothy 2:4)
• [13:45] – The oral tradition in St. Paul’s letters
• [15:35] – Importance of Sacred Tradition for Sacred Scripture
• [17:47] – Pope Clement’s authority on apostolic succession
• [19:35] – Living transmission and the action of the Holy Spirit
• [22:06] – Passing the baton of faith to future generations

Tone and Style

Fr. Mike is warm, enthusiastic, and pastoral, often affirming the listener’s journey and inviting reflection and prayer. He balances reverence for Church teaching with approachability, often contextualizing doctrine in terms of personal conversion and communal identity.

Final Takeaway

Divine Revelation is not a static collection of information, but a living, dynamic reality handed down in the Church by both Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition. Each believer is called not only to receive this gift, but to actively transmit it by living the faith and sharing it with others, thus participating in the unbroken chain reaching back to Christ and the apostles.