Episode Overview

Main Theme:
This episode, “The Revelation of Prayer,” explores how prayer is revealed in the history of salvation, with emphasis on humanity's universal search for God, God's initiative in calling people to prayer, and the profound biblical examples of Abraham and Jacob. Fr. Mike Schmitz draws from Catechism paragraphs 2566–2573, reflecting on prayer as an essential relationship with God, initiated by Him, experienced as both a journey of the heart and a spiritual battle.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Universal Call to Prayer

• Humanity’s Deep Orientation Toward God:

  • Every person is made for relationship with God. Even without revelation, humans long for the transcendent and are drawn to worship.
  • Quote: “Every one of us, we're oriented towards…we're made for worship, we're made for relationship with God.” (03:50)

• God Initiates the Relationship:

  • God “calls man first” — not the other way around. Despite forgetfulness, distractions, or even anger at God, He tirelessly seeks each person for the “mysterious encounter known as prayer.”
  • Quote (reading Catechism 2567): “Man may forget his creator or hide far from his face. He may run after idols or accuse the deity of having abandoned him. Yet the living and true God tirelessly calls each person to that mysterious encounter known as prayer.” (04:52)

2. The Drama of Prayer Across Salvation History

• A Reciprocal Call, Engaged in the Heart:

  • Prayer is “a reciprocal call, a covenant drama” involving both words and actions, unfolding throughout salvation history.
  • God gradually reveals Himself and reveals us to ourselves; prayer is a central element of this relational process.

• Biblical Genesis: Early Prayer in Creation:

  • Early stories in Genesis (e.g., Abel, Enosh, Noah) illustrate different forms of relationship and offering to God — “walking with God” as a universal longing, lived out even by those outside the explicit covenants.

  • The Catechism notes that righteous people in all religions experience this basic orientation toward God in prayer.

  • Quote: “This kind of prayer is lived by many righteous people in all religions. Even if they're not people of the covenant, they still have this desire to walk with God.” (13:08)

3. Abraham: The Father of Faith and the Model of Prayer

• Prayer Begins with Attentiveness of Heart:

  • Abraham’s example: He responds to God with obedience, not empty words; his prayer is shown in action before speech.

  • “Such attentiveness of the heart, whose decisions are made according to God's will, is essential to prayer…Abraham's prayer is expressed first by deeds.” (17:01)

  • The heart is emphasized as the “place of decision…of encounter…and of the covenant.”

  • Quote: “The heart is the place of covenant. From the heart flow all those choices between life and death, between saying yes to God and saying no to God.” (16:35)

• The Drama and Testing of Prayer:

  • Abraham’s first spoken prayer is described as “a veiled complaint, reminding God of his promises which seem unfulfilled” – highlighting that authentic prayer can include our honest struggles and doubts.

  • Quote: “Abraham's first verbal prayer is a veiled complaint reminding God that, God, you promised this. And it doesn't seem to be fulfilled.” (17:56)

  • Prayer is a test of faith in God’s fidelity, especially when God’s promises feel delayed.

• Intercession and Transformation:

  • Abraham’s hospitality at Mamre leads him to intercede for others, especially in Genesis 18 (pleading for Sodom and Gomorrah). He becomes attuned to God’s compassion and dares to “intercede with bold confidence.”
  • Quote: “The more and more we get to know the Lord, the more we're supposed to become like him. …the more and more we can be like God and have that justice, have that love, have that compassion…” (20:08)

• The Purification and Deepening of Faith:

  • The testing of Abraham’s faith culminates in the command to sacrifice Isaac. This is not merely a test of performance, but a “process of purification” — calling Abraham (and us) to deeper trust in God’s goodness.
  • Quote: “When God tests us, he's not testing to see will you pass or will you fail…he is purifying our hearts so that we can learn how to trust him in newer and deeper ways…” (22:38)

• Prayer Restores and Transforms:

  • Prayer “restores man to God’s likeness and enables him to share in the power of God's love that saves the multitude.”
  • Quote (Catechism 2572): “Prayer restores man to God's likeness and enables him to share in the power of God's love that saves the multitude.” (24:19)

4. Jacob: Prayer as Struggle and Perseverance

• Jacob’s Wrestling as the Symbol of Prayer:

  • Before facing Esau, Jacob’s all-night wrestling with a mysterious figure (Genesis 32) is a model of prayer as both “a battle of faith and the triumph of perseverance.”
  • Quote: “From this account, the spiritual tradition of the Church has retained the symbol of prayer as a battle of faith and as the triumph of perseverance.” (25:09)

• Encouragement for the Listener:

  • Fr. Mike reminds us: If prayer feels like a battle or struggle, or if we feel that we’re merely “showing up and showing up,” this could mean we’re on the right track. The wrestling of prayer is itself a sign of faithfulness.
  • Quote: “If you're in the battle, stay in the battle. And if you're in the midst of it, don't give up, but persevere and just know I am praying for you.” (27:16)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On God’s Perseverance and Our Wandering:

  • “We can forget God. We can ignore him. We can hide far from his face. We can run after other things, and we can even get angry at God and accuse God of a lack of love or abandoning us. And yet God tirelessly calls you and me and everyone to that mysterious encounter known as prayer.” (05:25)

• On Honest Prayer:

  • “Abraham's first verbal prayer is a veiled complaint reminding God that, God, you promised this. And it doesn't seem to be fulfilled.” (17:56)

• On the Heart of Prayer:

  • “The heart is a place of decision. The heart is a place of encounter. The heart is the place of the covenant.” (16:35)

• On Prayer as Struggle:

  • “The spiritual tradition of the Church has retained the symbol of prayer as a battle of faith and as the triumph of perseverance.” (25:09)

• Listener Encouragement:

  • “If you’re in the battle, stay in the battle. … Don’t give up, but persevere and just know I am praying for you.” (27:16)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Universal human search for God and God’s initiative – 03:15–06:20
• Catechism reading and the nature of prayer – 06:40–09:37
• Prayer in early Genesis and non-covenant peoples – 12:39–13:56
• Abraham’s prayer: action, faith, and honest questioning – 16:15–19:10
• Intercession for Sodom and Abraham’s transformation – 19:11–21:40
• Testing/purification in Abraham’s prayer – 21:45–24:10
• Prayer restores God’s likeness; sharing in God’s love – 24:15–25:08
• Jacob’s wrestling: perseverance and battle in prayer – 25:09–27:16
• Closing encouragement and prayer for listeners – 27:17–end

Tone and Approach

Fr. Mike’s style is enthusiastic, personal, and pastoral. He intersperses deep Catechism teaching with real-life encouragement, frequent direct appeals (“you guys,” “if you’re in the battle”), and honesty about the struggles of prayer.

Summary Takeaway

Prayer, as revealed in the Catechism, is not merely ritual or recitation but a lived relationship, begun by God and responded to in faith and sometimes struggle. The stories of Abraham and Jacob illustrate that prayer may be action, questioning, and even wrestling—but always draws us closer to the likeness and love of God. Perseverance, honesty, and trust in God’s fidelity are essential, and even when it feels like a battle, our continued response is itself a witness to God’s tireless call.