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

Episode: Day 355: Summary of the Lord’s Prayer
Date: December 21, 2025
Host: Fr. Mike Schmitz

Overview

In this episode, Fr. Mike Schmitz offers a concise yet rich summary of the Lord’s Prayer (“Our Father”) as presented in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (paragraphs 2773–2776). He highlights how the Lord’s Prayer acts as a summary of the entire gospel—expressing the heart of Christian prayer, faith, and trust in God as Father. This “nugget day” episode serves as a brief review before launching into a deeper exploration of the individual petitions of the Our Father in subsequent episodes.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Lord’s Prayer as the Summary of the Gospel

• Central Theme: Jesus responds to his disciples’ request—“Lord, teach us to pray”—by giving them the Our Father, the fundamental Christian prayer.
• The Lord’s Prayer is at “the center of the Scriptures” and called “the most perfect of prayers.”
• Fr. Mike quotes St. Augustine:

  "Run through all the words of the holy prayers in Scripture. Do not think you'll find anything in them that is not contained and included in the Lord's Prayer."
  [02:25]

• The prayer summarizes the entire message of Christianity.

  “When Jesus gave us the Our Father, he was summarizing the entire gospel.”
  [01:50]

2. The Our Father: Identity and Trust in God

• God’s Fatherhood:
  • Understanding that God is a loving Father is crucial for healthy prayer.
  • “He's not a dictator. He is a dad. And he's a good dad. He's a good father.” [06:09]
  • Many people have difficult experiences with earthly fathers, but God’s fatherhood surpasses all human limitations.
• Centrality of Trust:
  • Trust in God is foundational for authentic prayer.
  • Fr. Mike emphasizes,

    “If I don't trust God, I will be suspicious even of his blessings. But if I do trust God, then I trust him even in the midst of the burdens.”
    [07:41]

  • Trust, along with humility and loving perseverance, “will make all of the difference in the world.” [07:24]

3. The Lord’s Prayer: Transformation and Inner Conversion

• Reciting the words is good, but the intention is for an “inner conversion”; the prayer leads us to desire what God loves and reject what He hates.

  “…our ethos, our inner world, is drawn to what God loves and is repelled by what God hates.”
  [09:10]

• Jesus, as “the master and model of our prayer,” calls us to let the Lord’s Prayer shape our hearts.

4. The Eschatological Character of the Our Father

• The Lord’s Prayer is oriented toward the future: longing for Christ’s return (eschatological hope).
  • Integrated into the sacraments and the Divine Office, it expresses the Church’s anticipation for the coming of the Lord.
• Fr. Mike elaborates:

  “The Eucharist and the Lord’s Prayer look eagerly for the Lord’s return until he comes… Right now we’re living in a time of patience and expectation because things aren’t as they one day will be, but they will be one day.”
  [12:40]

5. Living in Patience and Expectation

• We are in a period of “patience and expectation,” awaiting Christ’s return and final fulfillment of God’s promises.
• The “seven petitions of the Our Father” express the yearnings and hopes of Christians living in this present age.
• Even as we wait, perseverance in humility, love, and trust is essential.

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On God’s Fatherhood:

  “He's not a dictator. He is a dad. And he's a good dad. He's a good father.”
  [06:09]

• On Trust:

  “If I don't trust God, I will be suspicious even of his blessings. But if I do trust God, then I trust him even in the midst of the burdens.”
  [07:41]

• On the Lord’s Prayer as the Gospel in Summary:

  “When Jesus gave us the Our Father, he was summarizing the entire gospel.”
  [01:50]

• On Inner Conversion:

  “…our ethos, our inner world, is drawn to what God loves and is repelled by what God hates.”
  [09:10]

• On Christian Hope:

  “The Eucharist and the Lord’s Prayer look eagerly for the Lord’s return until he comes… Right now we’re living in a time of patience and expectation because things aren’t as they one day will be, but they will be one day.”
  [12:40]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:50] – Jesus gives the Our Father as the summary of the gospel
• [02:25] – St. Augustine’s classic quote highlighted
• [06:09] – God as Father, not a tyrant or dictator
• [07:24] – Essential qualities for prayer: humility, perseverance, trust
• [07:41] – The difference trust makes in our relationship with God
• [09:10] – The Lord’s Prayer and inner conversion
• [12:40] – The eschatological (end-times) aspect of the Lord’s Prayer and Christian hope

Tone and Overall Takeaway

Fr. Mike’s approach in this episode is warm, pastoral, and encouraging. He highlights the intimacy and goodness of God as Father and underscores the importance of approaching prayer with trust and hope. The episode’s brevity allows listeners to “savor the nuggets” and reflect on the fundamental lessons embodied in the Lord’s Prayer, which encapsulates the heart of Christian faith and expectancy for God’s promises to be fulfilled.

What’s Next

Fr. Mike teases that the next episode will dive into the first petition of the Our Father (“Our Father who art in heaven”) for a detailed exploration of the prayer’s deeper meanings.

Fr. Mike’s closing words:

“I’m praying for you. Please pray for me. My name is Father Mike. I cannot wait to see you tomorrow. God bless.”
[15:40]