Day 100: This Is My Body (2026)

On Day 100 of 'The Bible in a Year' podcast, Fr. Mike Schmitz reflects on a transformative reading from the Gospel of John, chapters 4–6, emphasizing how these passages have profoundly impacted his own faith. He highlights key moments: Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman, the healing of the man paralyzed for 38 years, the feeding of the 5,000, and Jesus walking on water. However, the central focus is on John 6, where Jesus declares, 'I am the bread of life,' and insists that unless one eats his flesh and drinks his blood, they have no life in them. Fr. Mike passionately defends the Catholic teaching of the Eucharist—transubstantiation—as the literal presence of Christ in the consecrated bread and wine, arguing that this belief was held by 100% of Christians for the first 1,500 years of Church history. He challenges listeners to consider the implications if this teaching were false: that for centuries, Christians committed idolatry by worshipping bread and wine as Christ. His powerful invitation is to kneel before the tabernacle and respond like St. Peter—'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.' The episode blends deep scriptural exegesis with personal testimony and theological conviction. Fr. Mike underscores that this teaching caused many disciples to leave Jesus, making it the only instance in the Gospels where followers departed over a doctrine. He uses this to emphasize the radical nature of Christ’s self-giving in the Eucharist. The message is clear: true discipleship means trusting Christ’s words even when they are difficult, and the Eucharist is not symbolic but real. The episode ends with a heartfelt prayer and a call to encounter Christ personally in the sacrament.