5 Years Later, Bible in a Year STILL Transforms Lives
Ascension TeamA lot can happen in a year: this phrase is often an understatement. In January 2021, thousands of people began the new year with the same goal: reading 73 books. This ambitious undertaking was not motivated by mere productivity or personal improvement, but a desire to discover the most profound truths through the most important story of all time. Reaching this goal would take twenty-five minutes a day, thanks to the Bible in a Year podcast.
Now, a half decade later, countless individuals still journey with Fr. Mike Schmitz (and Jeff Cavins, original developer of the Great Adventure Bible) through the texts of Scripture, beginning their year and steeping each season of it in the sound of Scripture. As we celebrate its 5th anniversary, here’s a closer look at how the Bible in a Year podcast still transforms lives.
Scripture Speaking Peace Post-Pandemic
“I finished my first trip today! I am so excited to start Genesis again on Wednesday. Thank you so much Father Mike and the entire BIAY community. The support and the perfect messages on the right days amidst the trials and tribulations have been truly lifesaving.” (Anonymous listener)
Now and then, we come across a Scripture verse and think, “I needed this today.” In these moments, we feel that God works in time, at just the right time. In 2021, the time was ripe for the world to rediscover God’s Word. With the coronavirus pandemic hardly in hindsight, many people struggled to find new meaning after the fears and changes of the previous months. For many listeners, the Bible in a Year podcast improved their outlook on life. Scripture was perhaps more relevant now than ever, helping the world to move forward with new hope and peace.
Living and Active: The Bible Becomes #1
Today’s society is influenced and too often defined by what’s “trending.” The Bible in a Year podcast quickly made headlines for bringing Truth to the top, becoming #1 on the Apple Podcast charts just days after the podcast’s official release on January 1st, 2021. Year 2 did it again, placing the podcast above the most notable and popular secular shows as first-time listeners decided to retake the journey and many new listeners joined in. Unlike other trends, this was more than a moment of “the people had spoken.” God himself had spoken, placing his revelation before us through the Scriptures. The immediate popularity of the Bible in a Year podcast showed that his Word was still “living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword,” capable of vastly touching hearts even today.
Learning to Listen
“Finished BIAY! Greatest feeling of achievement ever! Most importantly, I feel like I’ve drawn closer to the Lord. It became part of my morning ritual before sunrise and once locked-in it became easier and easier to not waiver and never missed a day even while traveling. I highly recommend. My riff on the old saying is ‘you’ll never FIND the time so you need to MAKE the time, but you must SET the time.’” (Anonymous listener)
The world has become noisier. Amid the distractions of our contemporary lives, the Bible in a Year podcast is an invitation to listen again.
For many, the peaceful opening jingle that opened each episode and Fr. Mike’s joyful voice introducing a new day of Scripture is the sound of an invitation into prayer and peace, a chance to refocus spiritually amid the concerns and craziness of daily life. The peace of Christ can reach into daily lives, playing through earbuds, over car speakers, and in kitchens and living rooms.
Some of Scripture is simple and seems placed there to speak to us. Other parts of Scripture are less familiar and accessible than others. It’s easy to forget about the texts of Numbers or Nahum (oh wait, that’s the name of a book in there?), yet we recall the books of Leviticus and Luke, although for different reasons (we don’t tend to revisit the extensive list of Old Covenant laws and rituals as often as we return to the parables and miracles of Christ).
Understanding Scripture requires context and many times a new approach to the narrative. This is why the podcast follows the Great Adventure Bible, created by Jeff Cavin. As Ascension CEO Jonathan Strate observed in a recent Catholic News Agency article, “Many people have struggled to read the Bible for years because they’ve never been taught that it tells the story of God’s salvation of humanity from the beginning of time until now … Understanding what they’re reading helps them fall in love with Scripture and want to keep returning to it again and again.”
For Catholics, Christians, and listeners from all backgrounds, the Bible in a Year podcast has indeed provided the clarity and confidence they need in order to enter into God’s word, as one listener attests:
“I am not Catholic, but I am a Christian. At the beginning of 2024 I wanted to find something inspirational and educational to listen to while I drove to and from work. My drive to work is about 90 minutes each way. I stumbled upon Bible in a Year. I thought, I'm not Catholic but I do love the Bible and I am anxious to understand it better. I'm 60 years old and all my life I have struggled to grasp many of the books of the Bible. This podcast is truly heaven sent … The parts that are hard are so much easier when you are going through them with Father Mike.” (Sandy B.)
A Gift that Keeps on Giving
“I honestly never imagined that I would read the entire Bible. It’s something I think we all strive to do in our lives (at one point or another). I’m proud to say that I did it!!! If I said I wasn’t emotional during the final minutes of the day 365, I would be lying … This podcast has been such an amazing gift to all of us.” (Anonymous listener)
A lot truly happened in a year spent with the greatest story. Some listeners “went from a prodigal protestant to someone who looks forward to receiving the eucharist (in the words of one). For many people, the one year became the start of a larger journey: conversion, OCIA, and continued formation from their parishes to deepen their relationship with God.
The journey through Scripture is meant to be more than a New Year’s resolution: it’s truly a rulebook for life. The most important habits do not die hard: they are meant to stay with us, to empower us when life becomes hard. Today, many listeners are going back to the Bible in a Year podcast for a second, a third, or even a fifth time. 365 days cover a foundational journey through the landscape of Salvation History, from creation to the coming of Christ to visions of God’s Kingdom and the New Jerusalem. And yet, as one listener observed, “Fr. Mike and Jeff were like when we were kids and learned to ride a bike with training wheels.” This podcast is simply preparation: the real journey begins on Day 366.
Each time through Scripture yields new fruit. As one participant shared on the official Bible in a Year Facebook group, his second venture into Scripture with the podcast has shown him where to find the most important answers throughout life.
“I used to say, ‘There is no book on how to be a husband or parent.’ Well, I was wrong. Turns out, the Bible was the original ‘Life for Dummies' manual!’” (Greg C.)
Ultimately, after spending more than 10,000 minutes with THE Word, countless listeners wonder––what is left to be said? Maybe the only fitting words are to join Father Mike’s statement of wonder and praise: “What a gift.”