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

Episode: Day 334: How Jesus Prayed
Date: November 30, 2025
Host: Fr. Mike Schmitz
Covered Catechism Paragraphs: 2598–2606

Episode Overview

This episode explores the profound mystery of how Jesus prays, revealing not only his divine sonship but also his fully human relationship with the Father. Fr. Mike guides listeners through Catechism paragraphs 2598–2606, highlighting how Jesus’ prayer offers a model for all Christians, rooting our prayer in trust, surrender, and union with God. The episode prepares listeners for a subsequent discussion on how Jesus teaches us to pray, focusing today on how he himself prayed.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Drama of Prayer Revealed in Christ

• Jesus’ prayer is the “drama of prayer fully revealed” (00:53).
• The fullness of prayer comes in Jesus, fully God and fully man, who prays with a human heart.
• To approach Jesus in prayer is as sacred as Moses approaching the burning bush—first contemplating, then hearing, and learning.

"The drama of prayer is fully revealed to us in the Word who became flesh and dwells among us."
— Fr. Mike, reading Catechism (05:03)

2. Jesus Learned to Pray as a Human

• Jesus learned prayer “according to his human heart” from Mary and within the Jewish tradition (05:32).
• His prayer, however, springs from a unique source—his divine sonship.
• At age 12, Jesus’ declaration “I must be in my Father’s house” reveals a newness of filial (sonly) prayer.

"His filial prayer, which the Father awaits from his children, is finally going to be lived out by the only Son in his humanity with and for all men."
— Fr. Mike quoting Catechism (06:10)

3. Jesus Prays Before Decisive Moments

• Jesus models prayer before the pivotal points in his mission: baptism, transfiguration, calling of the apostles, Peter’s confession, and especially before his Passion (07:30).
• He prays not just for himself but intercedes for the apostles (“that the faith of the chief of the apostles may not fail when tempted” - 07:56).
• This encourages listeners to pray before their own decisive or transitional moments.

"If Jesus prays before decisive moments of his mission...this is a reminder for us. Okay, before big moments, why not pray?"
— Fr. Mike (10:54)

4. Jesus Seeks Solitude and Shares Our Weaknesses

• Frequent prayer “apart...in solitude, on a mountain, preferably at night” (11:39).
• Jesus’ prayer includes all humanity; he sympathizes with our weaknesses to free us (12:07).
• In his Incarnation, Jesus’ prayer is both uniquely his and representative of us all.

5. Thanksgiving as the Heart of Jesus’ Prayer

• Two explicit public prayers by Jesus begin with thanksgiving (12:59).
• Jesus’ “Yes, Father” expresses deep trust and loving adherence to the Father’s will—even amid mystery or suffering.
• His constant “yes” is the heart of his prayer and the ideal of Christian prayer.

"If you want to sum up, what was Jesus's constant answer? His constant answer was, ‘yes, Father.'"
— Fr. Mike (14:02)

6. Jesus’ Final Prayers—Union of Self-Gift and Petition

• Jesus' last words from the cross are moments where “prayer and gift of self are but one” (15:12).
• He prays in agony, in abandonment, in intercession, and finally offering all:
  • "Father, forgive them..."
  • "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
  • "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit."
• These are both prayers and the ultimate act of self-giving love.

"Where prayer and the gift of self are exactly the same—they’re completely aligned."
— Fr. Mike (15:57)

7. Christ’s Final Cry—All Humanity’s Petition

• Catechism 2606: Christ’s loud, wordless cry on the cross gathers every trouble, lamentation, suffering—every human need—before the Father (17:13).
• The Father accepts and answers all these petitions by raising his Son—this is the core of Christian hope.

"Every one of your cries, every one of your tears of all humanity for all time, every trouble is summed up. And here the Father accepts them and beyond all hope, answers them by raising His Son."
— Fr. Mike (18:42)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

“Remarkable” Prayer

Fr. Mike frequently calls Jesus’ prayer “remarkable,” emphasizing the wonder that “we get to pray as God’s children” because of Christ’s example (09:08).

Filial Trust and Obedience

“His filial prayer … is finally going to be lived out by the only Son in his humanity with and for all men.” (06:10)

The All-Inclusive Nature of Christ’s Cry

“That loud cry… what does it mean? It means every tear, every lamentation, every complaint, every trouble, every struggle, every pain, every suffering, every death, every grief of all humanity for all time are summed up in that cry of the Incarnate Word.” (17:28)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:53 — Main theme: how Jesus prays
• 05:03 — Catechism reading: drama of prayer revealed in Christ
• 06:10 — Jesus’ filial prayer as Son
• 07:30 — Jesus prays before decisive moments
• 10:54 — Fr. Mike: Application to our lives (prayer before big moments)
• 11:39 — Jesus’ solitude in prayer
• 12:59 — Thanksgiving in Jesus’ explicit prayers
• 14:02 — The perpetual “Yes, Father” of Christ
• 15:12 — Cross: prayer and self-gift united
• 17:13 — The loud cry and its cosmic significance
• 18:42 — All suffering gathered and answered in Christ’s resurrection

Flow, Tone, and Practical Takeaways

• The episode’s tone is reverent, awestruck, and encouraging.
• Fr. Mike invites listeners to not merely admire but enter into Jesus’s way of praying—rooted in trust, thanksgiving, and self-offering.
• The practical message: Before every moment—especially the important ones—pray. Pray in solitude. Offer yourself. Say 'Yes, Father.' Know that every need and pain is gathered up in Christ’s own prayer and heard by the Father.

Final Reflection

This episode serves as both a profound meditation on the person of Christ and a highly practical invitation: learn to pray by watching and contemplating Jesus in the Gospels, knowing your own prayers, joys and sorrows are united to his.