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

Day 359: The Seven Petitions (2025) – December 25, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode explores the structure and significance of the seven petitions of the Lord’s Prayer (“Our Father”), as explained in paragraphs 2803–2806 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Fr. Mike Schmitz unpacks how these petitions orient our hearts toward God, shape our desires, and equip us for the challenges of daily life and spiritual battle, all while reflecting on the profound sense of love embedded within this prayer.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Structure of the Seven Petitions

• First Three Petitions: Directed toward God and His glory (“thy name, thy kingdom, thy will”).
• Last Four Petitions: Focused on our needs as humans (“give us... forgive us... lead us... deliver us”).

“The first three are for his own sake. God. May your name Be hallowed, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done. But the second series of petitions, the last four, we're praying for ourselves in many ways.”
– Fr. Mike Schmitz [02:10]

• Summary from the Catechism:
  • The first three are more theological, drawing us toward the Father’s glory.
  • The last four “commend our wretchedness to his grace.”
  • (2804-2805: Catechism text referenced and read aloud.)

“The burning desire, even anguish, of the Beloved Son for His Father's glory seizes us. 'Hallowed be Thy Name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done.' These three supplications were already answered in the saving sacrifice of Christ—but they are henceforth directed in hope towards their final fulfillment.”
– Fr. Mike reading Catechism [06:54]

2. The Love Dynamic in Prayer

• True love means “to think first of the One whom we love.”
• The Lord’s Prayer, as Jesus gave it, forms us to focus on God before ourselves—even reordering the sometimes self-centered nature of prayer.
• The prayer itself subtly reorients our desires: God first, our needs second.

“I don't know if I ever noticed the difference between the first three, the next two and the final two. …those first three highlight the primary characteristic of love, to think first of the one whom we love.”
– Fr. Mike Schmitz [10:17]

3. The Practical and Spiritual Dimensions of the Petitions

• The fourth and fifth petitions (“Give us this day our daily bread”; “Forgive us our trespasses”) concern our immediate needs—to be fed and healed.
• The final two (“Lead us not into temptation”; “Deliver us from evil”) relate to our ongoing spiritual struggle, the “battle of prayer.”
• Connecting daily needs and ultimate destiny: The prayer draws our attention to both present concerns and our heavenly end.

“We need him immediately. And also raises our eyes to the ultimate end. And the ultimate end is God. There's a battle. …So please lead us not into temptation and deliver us from evil.”
– Fr. Mike Schmitz [13:18]

4. God’s All-Inclusive Salvation & Universal Prayer

• Through Jesus and the Holy Spirit, the Father accomplishes salvation for all.
• No one is excluded from God’s love, so no one should be left out of our prayers.

“The last line of paragraph 2806: ‘For through the name of His Christ and the reign of His Holy Spirit, our Father accomplishes his plan of salvation for us and for the whole world.’ Amazing.”
– Fr. Mike Schmitz [15:28]

5. Interconnection with Other Prayers: The Chaplet of Divine Mercy

• The structure and intention of the Lord’s Prayer echo in the Divine Mercy Chaplet: “For the sake of his sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.”
• This universal scope reinforces that our prayers must exclude no one.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the characteristic of love in prayer:

  “Even as a self-centered person, Jesus says, ‘Yeah, I want you to learn how to love first: the Lord, first love the Father, first love God himself.’”
  – Fr. Mike Schmitz [11:00]

• On the purpose of the first three petitions:

  “He puts into our mouths these words that reveal first things first. And the first thing here is the One whom we love—that his name is hallowed, that his kingdom comes, that his will is done.”
  – Fr. Mike Schmitz [11:31]

• On the struggle of daily life and spiritual battles:

  “…Help me to keep my eyes fixed on the goal. Help me keep my eyes fixed on the fact that you have, like we said yesterday, God, you have made us for a heavenly homeland. You have prepared a place for us to dwell with you for eternity.”
  – Fr. Mike Schmitz [14:09]

• Universal nature of Christian prayer:

  “God's love excludes no one. And so our prayer must exclude no one.”
  – Fr. Mike Schmitz [16:30]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00–02:08 — Intro, prayer, and setting up the Catechism readings
• 02:09–06:50 — Reading and explanation of Catechism paragraphs 2803–2806
• 06:51–10:16 — Exploring the structure and characterization of the seven petitions
• 10:17–13:17 — Insights into the order of love and reorientation of prayer intentions
• 13:18–15:27 — Daily needs vs. eternal destiny, the battle of prayer
• 15:28–16:50 — Universal scope of salvation, Chaplet of Divine Mercy connection, closing encouragement

Concluding Thoughts

Fr. Mike emphasizes how the Lord’s Prayer trains us in love—always starting with God, then turning to our needs, and uniting those aims with the salvation plan that encompasses all humanity. He invites listeners to remember that no one is excluded from God’s embrace and, therefore, no one should be excluded from our prayers. As always, he ends with encouragement for mutual prayer.

“If God's love excludes no one—and therefore our prayer has to exclude no one—guess what? I'm praying for you. And please pray for each other. And pray for me.”
– Fr. Mike Schmitz [16:39]