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

Episode: Day 354 – The Prayer of the Church (2025)
Date: December 20, 2025

Episode Overview

Main Theme:
Fr. Mike Schmitz explores the identity, significance, and communal character of the Lord’s Prayer (“Our Father”) as the prayer of the Church. Drawing from Catechism paragraphs 2765–2772, he explains why Jesus gave us this prayer, what makes it unique, and how it functions both in personal prayer and in the heart of the liturgy. The episode unpacks the spiritual depth and communal nature of the Lord’s Prayer, situating it at the heart of Christian initiation and worship.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Why Is It Called “The Lord’s Prayer”?

• Meaning: The prayer is called the Lord’s Prayer—Oratio Dominica—because it was taught and given directly by Jesus to his disciples ([01:35]).
• Uniqueness:
  • Jesus, as the Only Son, gives us the words the Father gave him; he is both the master and the model of Christian prayer ([02:03]).
  • As both divine and human, Jesus understands our needs and teaches us to pray genuinely from the heart.

Notable Quote:

“In the words of this prayer, the Only Son gives us the words the Father gave Him. He is the master of our prayer, which is incredible. He's telling us this is what to do ... but because he is the Incarnate Word, right? Because he is God made man. He has a human heart, and in his human heart he knows the needs of your human heart and reveals them to us.”
— Fr. Mike Schmitz ([07:18])

2. The Role of the Holy Spirit in Prayer

• Praying the “Our Father” is not about rigid repetition or mechanical words; it is animated through the Holy Spirit ([03:10], [08:25]).
• Jesus gives us not only the words but also his Spirit so that these words become alive, authentic, and transformative.

Notable Quote:

“Jesus does not give us a formula to repeat mechanically ... It's both of these, the words of Christ and the Spirit of Christ, that enables us to actually pray like Christ.”
— Fr. Mike Schmitz ([09:36])

• The Holy Spirit enables us to say “Abba, Father” and to pray with genuine filial trust ([11:11]).

Memorable Moment:

Fr. Mike shares a personal reflection about students pausing before prayer to invoke the Holy Spirit:

“They'll pause and they'll say, ‘Come, Lord Jesus, come Holy Spirit, teach me how to pray.’ And I just think, that's amazing ... We know we need the Holy Spirit because it's the Father who sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, Abba, Father.”
([11:36])

3. Communal and Liturgical Dimension of the Lord’s Prayer

• Communal Prayer: The prayer belongs not just to individual devotion but is meant for the entire community, prayed aloud together, echoing the early Christian practice of praying it three times daily ([13:01]).
• Patristic Wisdom:
  • St. John Chrysostom emphasized that Jesus taught us to pray “Our Father” (not “My Father”)—underscoring the Church’s unity and communal care.
• Sacramental Context:
  • The Lord’s Prayer is central to the sacraments of initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist), signifying new birth into the life of God ([14:23]).

Notable Quote:

“The Lord teaches us to make prayer in common for all our brethren, for he did not say ‘My Father who art in heaven,’ but ‘Our Father,’ offering petitions for the common body.”
— St. John Chrysostom, cited by Fr. Mike ([13:52])

4. The Lord’s Prayer and Christian Initiation

• The Church prays the Lord’s Prayer specifically with and for those newly baptized, highlighting their adoption into God’s family ([15:00]).
• Moment at Baptism: The prayer is recited on behalf of infants, in anticipation that they will one day pray it themselves as children of God ([16:38]).

Notable Quote:

“Now this child can actually truly say Our Father, because now that the child is baptized, they truly are an adopted son or daughter of God the Father, which is just incredible.”
— Fr. Mike Schmitz ([17:25])

5. The Eucharist and Eschatological Hope

• At Mass: The Lord’s Prayer is prayed after the Eucharistic Prayer and before Communion, making it pivotal in the liturgy between thanksgiving/intercession and receiving Jesus in the sacrament ([18:05]).
• The prayer gathers up all the petitions and “knocks at the door of the banquet of the Kingdom;” it expresses longing for Christ’s return and the fulfillment of God’s Kingdom ([19:00]).
• Eschatological Meaning: The Lord’s Prayer is “the proper prayer of the end time,” bridging salvation accomplished in Christ and hope for the future.

Notable Quote:

“Before we receive the body and blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist ... knock on the door of the heavenly banquet, ask to be led in. There's something so beautiful in this.”
— Fr. Mike Schmitz ([19:55])

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• [07:18] “He’s not only the master of our prayer, he’s also the model of our prayer.”
• [09:36] “It's both of these, the words of Christ and the Spirit of Christ, that enables us to actually pray like Christ.”
• [13:52] “For he did not say ‘My Father who art in heaven,’ but ‘Our Father,’ offering petitions for the common body.” (St. John Chrysostom)
• [17:25] “Now this child can actually truly say Our Father... they truly are an adopted son or daughter of God.”
• [19:55] “Knock on the door of the heavenly banquet ... before we receive the body, blood, soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:35 – Introduction to the “Lord’s Prayer” as given by Jesus
• 03:10 – Importance of praying in spirit and in truth, not mechanically
• 07:18 – Jesus as master and model of prayer
• 09:36 – Role of the Holy Spirit in authentic prayer
• 13:01 – Lord’s Prayer as communal, not just individual
• 13:52 – St. John Chrysostom on “Our Father”
• 15:00 – Lord’s Prayer in sacraments, especially Baptism
• 17:25 – Meaning of the Lord’s Prayer for the baptized
• 18:05 – Placement and significance of the Lord’s Prayer at Mass
• 19:00 – Eschatological meaning: “proper prayer of the end time”
• 19:55 – “Knocking at the door” before Communion

Final Reflection and Tone

Fr. Mike’s tone throughout is inviting, enthusiastic, and gently catechetical, encouraging listeners to enter more deeply into the words and mystery of the “Our Father.” He urges listeners to remember at Mass the profound meaning of praying together as God’s children and to rely on the Holy Spirit to make their prayer authentic and life-giving.

Closing Prayerful Encouragement:

“What a gift it's been ... to be taught how to pray by the Master himself, by the model himself, by our Lord Jesus himself. There's no greater master, no greater model, and no greater Lord than Jesus Christ. I'm praying for you. Please pray for me.” ([21:12])

Summary prepared for listeners of ‘The Catechism in a Year’—Day 354, capturing the heart of the Church’s prayer in the words and spirit of Fr. Mike Schmitz.