The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) Day 349: Temptation, Trust, and Prayer (2025)
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Dec 15, 2025 Exploring the essence of prayer, the discussion highlights common struggles like a lack of faith and acedia, or spiritual sloth. The contrast between viewing God as a divine genie versus a loving Father shapes our approach to prayer. Fr. Mike emphasizes that true trust in God is tested in trials, while also addressing the frustration of unanswered prayers. The importance of praying with the right motives and recognizing God's unwavering love is a central theme, inviting listeners to cultivate a deeper, more faithful relationship with the divine.
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Faith Revealed By Priorities
- Lack of faith in prayer often shows through our choices and priorities rather than outright disbelief.
- Fr. Mike Schmitz calls this 'practical atheism' where we live as if God doesn't exist despite professing belief.
The Restlessness Of Acedia
- Acedia is a spiritual depression born from lax practices and a restless desire to be elsewhere.
- Fr. Mike defines it as preferring to be somewhere else instead of doing God's will in the present moment.
Let Trials Prove Your Trust
- Test tribulation as a means to prove and refine filial trust rather than to catch us failing.
- Persevere in petitionary prayer because trust grows through trials, not avoidance.