Episode Overview

Podcast: The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Episode: Day 331: The Foundations of Prayer
Date: November 27, 2025

This episode explores the foundational examples of prayer within the Catechism of the Catholic Church, focusing on Moses as the archetype of the prayer of the mediator, and David as the model of the prayer of the king. Fr. Mike Schmitz guides listeners through paragraphs 2574-2580, explaining how these Old Testament figures illustrate the development and depth of authentic prayer. The episode delves into God’s initiative, human honesty before God, the profound nature of intercessory prayer, and the power of the Psalms in Christian tradition.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Prayer as a Response to Divine Initiative

• Fr. Mike opens with a reflection on the movement of God reaching out to humanity, highlighting that true prayer begins with God’s invitation, not our own efforts.
  • Quote [03:46]: “But this is incredible, because here in 2575, the initiative is God's. He calls Moses from the burning bush. Moses is just... going about his day... And in the midst of him just living his life, what does God do? God initiates from the midst of the burning bush, he calls Moses.”
  • Insight: Prayer is fundamentally a response to God’s call; like Moses, often we are simply living our lives when God interrupts and invites us deeper.

2. Moses: The Prayer of the Mediator

• Drawing from the Catechism, Fr. Mike unpacks how Moses exemplifies the “intercessory prayer” par excellence.
  • Moses’ dialogue with God is marked by honesty: he balks, makes excuses, and raises questions—yet God reveals Himself more deeply as Moses engages.
  • The burning bush becomes “one of the primordial images of prayer” because it encapsulates the journey from confusion and reluctance to intimacy with God.
  • Quote [05:15]: “It’s the process of prayer that helps Moses become a pray-er... not just saying, ‘Oh, sure, you got it.’ Moses isn’t pretending... he questions, he hesitates, he makes excuses. Does this sound like anyone we know? It probably sounds a lot like us, as long as our prayer is honest.”

Moses’ Hallmarks of Prayer:

• Honesty and Humility: True prayer isn't about pretending before God but bringing one’s true self, doubts, and fears.
  • Quote [07:20]: “Humility is nothing more than honesty. I always say this. Humility is very, very little more—or nothing more—than honesty, being honest.”
• Intimacy: Moses’ willingness to stand honestly before God leads to an almost face-to-face relationship.
  • “Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.” (paraphrasing CCC 2576)
• Intercession: Moses prays not so much for himself as for others, demonstrating that prayer is not only self-oriented but communal and intercessory.

3. Honesty in Prayer

• Fr. Mike stresses the “radical honesty” Moses shows in his prayer life, noting that this allows for a deep and authentic relationship with God.
  • Quote [09:19]: “If I'm taking God's call seriously... then we know this is true: we don't always want what God wants. Moses is taking God's call seriously, and so he is honest. And God speaks to him face to face.”

4. The Attributes of God Revealed in Prayer

• Moses, through repeated honest dialogue with God, comes to rely on God’s steadfast love, fidelity, and righteousness.
  • This knowledge enables “boldness” in Moses’ intercession for Israel.
  • Quote [11:05]: “When you and I know who God is, we can approach him with honesty... I’m not talking to a God who doesn’t care about my pain... I’m talking to one that I know I can trust. Because you are good, and because you are love, and because you are faithful.”

5. David: The Prayer of the King

• David is presented as the “king after God’s own heart,” whose prayers (especially in the Psalms) model faithfulness, repentance, and trust.
  • Even amidst struggle, sin, or apparent hopelessness, David’s prayers return to trust in God.
  • Quote [13:42]: “The psalms are prayers... not of a man who had all the answers, not of a man who had a... life free from sorrow or sin. They’re the prayers of someone who had some big deal sins, some big deal concerns, massive tragedy... but also someone who, in the midst of that tragedy... knew that he could trust in God.”

The Psalms as Universal Prayer

• The Psalms encapsulate the full range of human emotion and the unbreakable thread of hope.
  • Fr. Mike points to Psalm 88 as a rare example where the prayer ends in darkness—a prefigurement of Jesus’ own suffering and sense of abandonment, yet still an act of honest communion.
  • Quote [15:09]: “In almost every one of the Psalms... there is so much trouble, suffering... at one point... he says, ‘yet I will trust,’ or ‘yet I praise your name’. In the one Psalm... where there’s so much darkness but not a declaration of hope at the end... I believe it’s a prefigurement... of the prayer of Jesus...”

6. The Purpose of Prayer

• The Catechism and Fr. Mike continually return to the overarching point: prayer is relationship.
  • Quote [08:29]: “We can talk about God—and that's good... but we have to talk to God. We have to talk with God... because we recognize that the point of everything... is to be able to be in relationship with him.”
• Prayer is about aligning our will with God’s, about being changed and molded through sincere engagement with Him.

7. Prayer as a Calling for All Christians

• Just as Moses interceded and David trusted, so are all Christians called to approach God honestly, to intercede, and to trust no matter their struggles.
  • The episode concludes with Fr. Mike encouraging listeners to pray with the same authenticity, trust, and willingness as Moses and David.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• God’s Initiative:
  “God initiates from the midst of the burning bush, he calls Moses.” [03:46]

• Humility in Prayer:
  “Humility is nothing more than honesty... when you and I are in prayer, are we honest and fully honest?” [07:20]

• Honest Struggle:
  “He questions, he hesitates, he makes excuses. Does this sound like anyone we know?... as long as our prayer is honest.” [05:15]

• God’s Faithfulness:
  “You are love, therefore you are righteous and faithful. You will not contradict yourself... your glory is at stake. You cannot forsake the people that bear your name.” [10:46]

• David’s Trust Amidst Pain:
  “In almost every one of the Psalms... even in the ones that there is so much trouble, suffering... at one point... ‘yet I will trust’, or ‘yet I praise your name’...” [13:42]

• The Point of Prayer:
  “The point of everything... is to be able to be in relationship with him.” [08:29]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:00] – Transition to today’s reading (Catechism 2574-2580)
• [03:46] – God’s initiative in calling Moses
• [05:15] – Moses’ honest struggles and learning to pray
• [07:20] – Foundation of humility and honesty in prayer
• [08:29] – The ultimate purpose of prayer: relationship with God
• [10:46] – Intimacy and intercession: Moses prays for the people
• [11:05] – Knowing and trusting God allows for bold prayer
• [13:42] – David’s psalms and trust in the midst of darkness
• [15:09] – Psalm 88 as a prefigurement of Jesus in utter darkness

Summary Table

| Segment | Topic | Timestamp | |------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------|------------| | Opening | Fr. Mike reintroduces prayer, God's initiative | 00:05-03:46| | Moses as Mediator | Burnishing honesty, wrestling with God’s call | 03:46-08:00| | Importance of Honesty (Humility) | Prayer as relationship, not performance | 07:20-08:29| | Moses’ Intercessory Prayer | Praying out of intimacy for others | 08:29-11:05| | David as the King of Prayer | Trust and hope in suffering, Psalms as model prayers | 11:05-15:09| | The Whole Purpose of Prayer | Not just to know about God, but to know God | 08:29; 15:30| | Closing | Encouragement to imitate Moses’ and David’s prayerful trust | 15:30-end |

Final Reflection

Fr. Mike’s tone is warm, earnest, and passionate—he is deeply moved by the content and wants to ignite the same realization in his listeners: Prayer isn’t just a duty but the heart of the relationship with God, modeled by Moses’ honest dialogue and David’s trusting praise. No matter your hesitations or doubts, you are invited to encounter the God who acts first, loves steadfastly, and welcomes your honesty in prayer.

“I’m praying for you. Please pray for me. My name is Father Mike. Cannot wait to see you tomorrow. God bless.” [End]

This summary distills the episode’s teaching on foundational biblical prayer, providing context, quotes, and guidance for prayerful living.