Podcast Summary

The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)

Episode: Day 346: Meditation and Vocal Prayer (2025)
Date: December 12, 2025
Host: Fr. Mike Schmitz

Episode Overview

This episode explores two primary expressions of Christian prayer as presented in the Catechism of the Catholic Church: vocal prayer and meditative prayer. Fr. Mike Schmitz reads and reflects on paragraphs 2700–2708, guiding listeners through the meaning, practice, and transformative power of these forms of prayer. He emphasizes the importance of engaging both heart and body in vocal prayer, and the interior quest of meditation, offering practical encouragement for listeners to deepen their prayer life.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Foundations and Context

• Prayer as the Life of the New Heart: Prayer animates the Christian, rooted in rhythms proposed by Church tradition (morning/evening prayer, grace before meals, Liturgy of the Hours, Sunday Mass) ([00:30]).
• Personal and Communal Diversity: While prayer is "very personal, very individual," the Christian tradition recognizes three major expressions: vocal, meditative, and contemplative; this episode covers the first two ([01:34]).

2. Vocal Prayer

• Definition and Importance
  • "Through His Word, God speaks to man; by words, mental or vocal, our prayer takes flesh." ([02:17])
  • Vocal prayer is essential in the Christian life, uniting body and spirit ([02:44]).
  • Jesus himself practiced and taught vocal prayer ("the Our Father"), both in public worship and personal moments, from blessing to agony ([03:25]).
• External and Internal Unity
  • Fr. Mike emphasizes that meaningful vocal prayer comes when "the heart should be present to him to whom we are speaking in prayer"—not mere repetition, but heart-felt communication ([04:10]).
  • The body's involvement in prayer is both a human and divine requirement: "God seeks worshipers in spirit and in truth... He also wants the external expression..." ([05:12]).
• Vocal Prayer with Others
  • Vocal prayer is accessible in groups as well as individually ([06:10]).
  • Even those focused on interior prayer shouldn’t neglect vocal prayer—it’s foundational, and can lead into contemplation ([06:32]).
• Notable Quote
  • "We must pray with our whole being to give all power possible to our supplication." — Fr. Mike (summarizing Catechism, [04:50])
  • "Let those words be an expression of the depth of your heart. And so if you’re praying something like the rosary… all of those are incredibly good. Be attentive. Of course, we have to be attentive to make sure that those words are connected to our heart." ([07:02])

3. Meditative Prayer

• What is Meditation?
  • "Meditation is above all, a quest. The mind seeks to understand the why and how of the Christian life to adhere and respond to what the Lord is asking." ([08:18])
  • Meditation invites deep attentiveness—often assisted by sacred texts, icons, spiritual writings, or even the “book of creation” and personal history ([09:10]).
• Assimilating the Word
  • Meditating on what we read means “making it our own by confronting it with ourselves” ([10:48]).
  • It involves interiorizing, assimilating, and allowing the Word to transform daily life ([11:09]).
• The Parable of the Sower
  • Fr. Mike illustrates meditative prayer using the parable of the sower (Mark 4), examining how each type of soil (path, rocky, thorny, good) might reflect our own hearts ([12:00]).
  • The process: hear the Word, reflect on how it applies to your own life, and respond to God’s invitation ([13:05]).
• Humility and Discernment
  • Meditation helps “discover the movements that stir the heart” and “discern them” ([14:02]).
  • The essential question: "Lord, what do you want me to do?" ([14:17]).
• Notable Quote
  • “To meditate on what we read helps us to make it our own by confronting it with ourselves. And there’s something so powerful about that.” — Fr. Mike ([11:03])
  • “Meditation engages thought, imagination, emotion, and desire… to deepen our convictions of faith, prompt conversion, and strengthen our will to follow Christ.” ([14:40])

4. Practical Application: How to Meditate

• Lectio Divina Outline ([15:15])
  • 1. Read—a slow, reflective reading of Scripture
  • 2. Meditate—"take a little nugget out," chew on it, apply it to your life
  • 3. Pray—talk to God about what stands out
  • 4. Resolve—decide on a concrete step to live this teaching out
• Daily Encouragement
  • Fr. Mike encourages listeners: “Take the time today… to have some expression of vocal prayer and some attempt even at meditative prayer.” ([16:22])
  • Suggests these can be done anywhere: in church, at home, “driving to be talking to the Lord” ([17:12])
• Notable Moment
  • “God, what do you want me to do with this? How can I carry this peace into the future? There's just one way. Just one way to do meditative prayer. But it's a way that I invite all of us to do today.” — Fr. Mike ([17:55])

Memorable Quotes By Timestamp

• [04:10] — “It's not a matter of just merely repeating. It's a matter of, okay, these are the words that are an expression of what’s in my heart.”
• [07:02] — “Be attentive... we have to be attentive to make sure those words are connected to our heart.”
• [08:18] — "Meditation is above all, a quest."
• [11:03] — “To meditate on what we read helps us to make it our own by confronting it with ourselves. And there’s something so powerful about that.”
• [12:00] — (On the Sower Parable) “We can meditate on that... or we can confront it with ourselves and ask that question, okay, is my heart like that first soil?”
• [14:02] — “We discover in meditation the movements that stir the heart, and we are able to discern them. It is a question of acting truthfully in order to come into the light.”
• [16:22] — “Take the time today in some way to have some expression of vocal prayer and some attempt even at meditative prayer.”

Important Timestamps

• 00:05–01:34 – Intro, recap of previous episode, overview of prayer’s place in Christian life
• 02:17–06:32 – Reading and explanation: Vocal prayer in the Catechism
• 08:18–14:17 – Reading and explanation: Meditative prayer, practical examples
• 15:15–17:55 – How to practice meditative prayer (Lectio Divina); encouragement for daily life

Conclusion

Fr. Mike concludes by urging listeners to try both vocal and meditative prayer today, offering practical steps and heartfelt encouragement. He reminds us that by expressing our hearts vocally and opening our minds meditatively, we more fully engage with God's presence and will in our lives.

Final thought:
“I’m praying for you. Please pray for me. My name is Father Mike. I cannot wait to see you tomorrow. God bless.” ([18:12])