The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) - Day 349: Temptation, Trust, and Prayer (2024)

Episode Date: December 14, 2024

What motivates our prayer? Do we see God as our “divine genie,” or do we look to him as our Father? We learn that the most common temptation in prayer is a lack of faith. Another major temptation is acedia or sloth. In the face of these temptations of presumption and discouragement, we must respond with filial trust in God our Father, the giver of all good gifts. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 2732-2737. This episode has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism by the Institute on the Catechism, under the Subcommittee on the Catechism, USCCB. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/ciy Please note: The Catechism of the Catholic Church contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

Hi, my name is Father Mike Schmitz and you're listening to the Catechism in a Year podcast, where we encounter God's plan of sheer goodness for us, revealed in scripture and passed down through the tradition of the Catholic faith. The Catechism in a Year is brought to you by Ascension. In 365 days, we'll read through the Catechism of the Catholic Church, discovering our identity in God's family as we journey together toward our heavenly home. This is day 349. We're reading paragraphs 2732 to 2737. As always, I'm using the Ascension edition of the Catechism, which includes the Foundations of Faith approach, but you can follow along with any recent version of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. You can also download your own Catechism in a year reading plan by visiting ascensionpress.com

slash C-I-Y, and you can click follow or subscribe in your podcast app to receive daily updates daily notifications someone said that they haven't subscribed because they said you know I have to hunt for it every day because some days I miss and I don't want to get behind if it just adds up I don't know anything about that so but I just want to let you know that we can still be friends even if you haven't subscribed that's that's okay we can still be friends. Even if you haven't subscribed, that's, that's okay. We can still be friends. I think we can be friends at least for the next 17 days.

Is that where we are? And then after that for life, for eternity, because today we're getting paragraphs to, I don't know, digression, paragraph 2732 to 2737. We're looking at, you know, we're in the battle of prayer. So we're looking at today, facing temptations in prayer, as well as this next question. Remember, the big question that comes up in our hearts is what good does it do to pray?

So to overcome these obstacles, we have to battle to gain humility, trust, and perseverance. So yesterday we talked a little bit about humility. We're gonna add on the second section here when it comes to humility, but then also filial trust, like trust of a child to their good, good father. That is what we need to do because we have that. It comes up in our minds. It comes up in our hearts. What good does this do to pray? In fact, we're even going to hear the question in paragraph 2735. Why do we complain about not being heard? Like how is prayer efficacious?

How does prayer do anything? And even are we convinced that we don't know how to pray as we ought? Like these are big questions that I don't know if we've always stopped to really genuinely and honestly ask ourselves these questions and really took the time to listen to an answer. Today, there are some big questions that are brought up,

some big issues that are brought up, and what we need to do is just have the, I don't know, maybe the humility, but above all the trust to hear, maybe this is the answer. Maybe this is something that your heart needs to hear today when it comes to the big questions, when you ask the question, what good does it do to pray? Maybe the answer is in the words we're going to hear today,

because there are some powerful, some powerful words, some powerful teachings today. I'm really excited for this. You know, yesterday, some people could say like, wow, you're really excited about the battle of prayer. Well, not just because it's a struggle, I'm excited about it because it answers some of the bigger questions that I had, the big temptations that I had in prayer. That recognition of, yeah, I was asking, how is prayer

efficacious? What good does it do to pray? And when I read this section, it was so consoling. Okay, yeah, Lord, I know you're calling me to humility. God, I know you're calling me to trusting in you. I know you're calling me to deeper perseverance. and that's one of the reasons why this resonated so much with me is not because I like battles but because oh this is good Lord, you're answering my questions and you're letting me know that I'm not crazy to ask these questions and you're not crazy to ask these questions. These are a normal and natural part of the supernatural life. So let's say a prayer as we enter into this day in the name of the Father and of the Son of the Holy Spirit amen father in heaven we give you praise and glory we thank you we thank you for for moving first we thank you for

initiating Prayer in our lives. We ask you to help us help us to say yes We do not know how to pray as we ought Send your Holy Spirit into our lives so we can become prayers, so we can have hearts that pray in the best possible way with that trust and with that perseverance and with that humility. Lord God, this life is painful. This life has so many challenges. We ask that you help us to trust in the midst of the pain. Help us to persevere in the midst of challenge you help us to trust in the midst of the pain, help us to persevere in the midst of challenge,

and help us to be humble, so that we allow you to teach us who it is you are and how it is you're calling us to pray. We make this prayer in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, amen. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, amen. It is day 349, we're reading paragraphs 27-32 to 27-37.

Facing Temptations in Prayer The most common, yet most hidden temptation is our lack of faith. It expresses itself less by declared incredulity than by our actual preferences. When we begin to pray, a thousand labors or cares thought to be urgent vie for priority. Once again, it is the moment of truth for the heart. What is its real love? Sometimes we turn to the Lord as a last resort. But do we really believe He is?

Sometimes we enlist the Lord as an ally, but our heart remains presumptuous. In each case, our lack of faith reveals that we do not yet share in the disposition of a humble heart. Apart from me, you can do nothing. Another temptation to which presumption opens the gate is acedia. The spiritual writers understand by this a form of depression due to lack's ascetical practice, decreasing vigilance, carelessness of heart. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. The greater the height, the harder the fall. Painful as discouragement is, it is the reverse of presumption. The humble are not surprised by their distress.

It leads them to trust more, to hold fast in constancy. Filial Trust Filial trust is tested. It proves fast in constancy. Filial trust. Filial trust is tested. It proves itself in tribulation. The principal difficulty concerns the prayer of petition for oneself or for others in intercession. Some even stop praying because they think their petition is not heard.

Here, two questions should be asked. Why do we think our petition has not been heard? How is our prayer heard? How is it efficacious? Why do we complain of not being heard? In the first place, we ought to be astonished by this fact. When we praise God or give Him thanks for His benefits in general, we are not particularly concerned whether or not our prayer is acceptable to Him.

On the other hand, we demand to see the results of our petitions. What is the image of God that motivates our prayer? An instrument to be used or the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ? Are we convinced that we do not know how to pray as we ought? Are we asking God for what is good for us? Our Father knows what we need before we ask Him, but He awaits our petition because the dignity of His children lies in their freedom. We must pray then with His Spirit of freedom to be able truly to know what He wants.

You ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly to spend it on your passions. If we ask with a divided heart, we are adulterers. God cannot answer us, for He desires our well-being, our life. Or do you suppose that it is in vain that the scripture says, He yearns jealously over the spirit which He has made to dwell in us? That our God is jealous for us is the sign of how true His love is. If we enter into the desire of His Spirit, we shall be heard. As Avegrius Ponticus wrote, Do not be troubled if you do not immediately receive from God what you

ask Him, for He desires to do something even greater for you while you cling to Him in prayer. St. Augustine stated, God wills that our desire should be exercised in prayer, that we may be able to receive what he is prepared to give. All right, there we have it, paragraphs 27, 32 to 27, 37. You guys, I'm telling you, isn't this insane? Let's go back to 27, 32. Ah, the most common. What is the most common temptation in prayer?

It's most common, yet hidden. Most hidden temptation is our lack of faith. Now you'd say, wait a second, I'm showing up for prayer. I don't deny my faith and I love this because the church says this expresses itself less by declared incredulity, right? It's expressed less by us saying like,

I don't know if I believe, I don't know if I'm really struggling with this. It's expressed less by that than by our actual preferences. So let's take a look at what we actually choose. Remember there was the term practical atheist. So I think it was maybe it was originally coined by St. John Paul II, maybe someone else. But the idea behind this is, you know,

I think in the United States at one point, the last time I saw the studies, only 10% of the population of the United States of America were true atheists, where they actually said, I do not, I believe God does not exist. They're true atheists, only 10% though. But if you look around, a lot of us, even those of us going to church, maybe even some of us who are in part of this catechism in here, we are what John Paul might call practical atheists, which means that if you look at how in here, we are what John Paul might call practical atheists, which means that if you look at how we live,

not just what we profess to believe, I believe in God, I believe in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, I believe that God's made me for a purpose, all these things. But if you actually look how I live, for all intents and purposes, I'm an atheist. Because I live, you know what I mean, I'm just saying like this is a practical atheist,

practical atheist, like I could say, no, I believe all these things. I believe Jesus founded a church, all these things. But if you just looked at the rest of my day or the rest of my week, you'd say, oh, but you're not living as if you believe God exists. You're not living as if Jesus is Lord. You're not living as if Jesus has poured out

His Holy Spirit. You're not living as if God has a plan for your life. So for all intents and purposes, you're a practical atheist. Does that make sense? And so here in paragraph 2732 highlights this, that this lack of faith expresses itself less by declared incredulity than by our actual preferences.

What is our real priority? What is our real love? Because when I go to pray, there's other things that vie for my attention. There's other things that fight for that time. So does God get that? And I'm a Christian? Or am I just gonna live like the rest of the world?

And that's a great question to just ask ourselves. That is so important. Am I a Christian or am I a practical atheist where I profess faith in Jesus, but I live as if he doesn't really exist. It goes on to say, sometimes we turn to the Lord as a last resort. Sometimes we enlist the Lord as an ally, but our heart remains presumptuous. Like, Oh yeah, Lord, I'll use it. I need the help right now.

But you know, on my terms, in each case it says, our lack of faith reveals that we do not yet share in the disposition of the humble heart. You know remember what Jesus said, apart from me you can do nothing. Sometimes I sometimes I translate that in my own mind and I know it's not true, but I say you know apart from Jesus I can do less. Like no no Jesus said apart from me you can do nothing. Now 2733 highlights this thing called Asidya. And it says the spiritual writers understand by this a form of depression due to lack of ascetical practice, decreasing vigilance, carelessness of heart.

And this is, so here's how I define Asidya. Asidya is this, there's a book called Asidya, The Noonday Devil, it is incredible. If you want a great book on an aspect of your spiritual life that I guarantee is part of your spiritual life, read that book, Asidya, The Noonday Devil. It's illuminating, it's incredible.

But if you want to summarize what Asidya is in so many ways, I think it's something like this. I would rather be somewhere else doing something else. In so many ways, that is what a CD is. I'd rather be somewhere else doing something else. That if this is where the Lord wants me to be, that's nice and everything, but it's difficult, therefore I'd rather be somewhere else

doing something else. It's this lack of joy in doing the Lord's will. And so because of that, this real strong temptation to avoid doing the Lord's will in this so because of that, this real strong temptation to avoid doing the Lord's will in this moment and in this place. So that's my quick definition of Ascedia. It's a sorrow at having to do God's will in this moment and at this place. Now, paragraph 2737 kicks off. The second thing we need, remember we need humility, need humility trust and perseverance so we're talking about trust in 2734 and following we realize it says filial trust is tested in

Tribulation and I love how it says these three words in between tested and in tribulation It says filial trust is tested meaning it proves itself now sometimes we think that okay We're being tested by the Lord meaning that he's testing us like he doesn't really know. That's not what we mean by tested. What we mean is, is testing is ordered to prove itself or to refine. The testing is not to say, I want to see if I can fail you. The testing is, I need to refine you. And that's what God is doing when he allows us to go through these temptations, when he allows us to go through these tests,, when he allows us to go through these tests,

is he refines us in tribulation. And the principal difficulty of this trust concerns the prayer of petition, right? When we're praying for ourselves or praying for other people. Some people even stop praying because they think their petition is not being heard. And so here's two questions that we have to ask. Why do we think our petition has not been heard? And how is our prayer efficacious? How is our prayer heard? So the paragraph 2735, I highlighted this already. Why do we think our petition has not been heard? And how is our prayer efficacious? How is our prayer heard? So the paragraph 2735, I highlighted this already. Why do we complain about not being heard? It's a great question. And this answer, I can't imagine a more brilliant answer than this. Why do we complain about not being heard? And the response is, it's not being insensitive. You might think if you're in a place of difficulty right now, you might think, well, that's a dismissive answer.

That's an insensitive answer. But let's take a pause and just have some humility. I need some humility in this and realize that this answer actually gets to my heart more than anything else. The church says, in the first place, we ought to be astonished by this fact. When we praise God or give him thanks for his benefits in general, we're not particularly concerned whether or not our prayer is acceptable to him. Let's pause on that for one moment.

Isn't that incredible? How often is that the case? That if I want to give God thanks, I'm like, oh yeah, by the way, God, thank you. Or I want to praise God. Oh, by the way, God, here's some praises. And I don't necessarily pause and stop and say, God, would you please, would you please accept my thanks?

I don't know if you've ever noticed this, but I try to do this in our opening prayer whenever we put the last 300 and 49 days when we've been praying. A lot of those days I'll say, Father, in the name of Jesus, please receive our thanks, please receive our praise, because I realize this is the temptation of my heart.

The temptation of my heart is to complain about not being heard, but then I realize, wait, I want God to hear my thanks too. I want God to hear the praise and I'm going to ask him to please hear my thanks, to please hear my praise. I want him to be glorified just as much as I want him to hear my prayers and petition, right? And I know that that's not my heart. My heart is selfish. My heart wants what I want. So I have to train myself in my prayer to beg God, to beg God to hear me. Please Lord, in the name of your son, Jesus Christ, Father,

hear these prayers of thanks. Now contrast that with when we really want something or we really need something, when we're desperate, we're like, Oh yeah, I'm not just going to throw that up to the Lord. I'm not just going to beg, you know, kind of as I'm driving, I'm going to go to a church, like I'm going to naturally go to the church. I'm going to go, I'm going to kneel down. Like I'm gonna, not just go to a church, I'm gonna go, I'm gonna kneel down, like I'm gonna make the sign

of the cross, and this is gonna be the best, most precise sign of the cross I've ever seen in my life. And I'm gonna pray words that are very, very clear and very, very specific because I want this thing. We have to contrast that. When I'm praising God or thanking Him, God, anything I give you is fine, right? But when I'm asking for something,

oh wow, I'm serious now. And I realize this next question in paragraph 2735 asks, it says, what is the image of God that motivates our prayer? In that, if that's how I am, and that's, you guys, that's how I am. And that's why this section of the catechism is so helpful for me, because it changes how I approach the Lord. If that's how I am and that's why this this section of the catechism is so helpful for me because it changes

How I approach the Lord if that's how we are What is the image of God that motivates our prayer? Is he an instrument to be used or is he our father is he the father of our Lord Jesus Christ? That's the question when I come before the Lord. Why do I complain about not being heard? Because my image of God My vision of God, is he's an instrument to be used. He's my divine ATM, right?

He's the genie in a bottle and I've asked him to help and if he isn't then he's a bad genie. Or is he the father? He's the father of our Lord Jesus Christ and he's my father and your father. That's the question we have to ask is I complain about not being heard because You know, I gave him my car and I punched in the right pin number and the money's not coming out No, he's dad

And so we have to have to ask the question a what's our image and be the next question 2736 am I convinced that here it says in scripture, we do not know how to pray as we ought? Am I convinced of that? Am I convinced that I don't know how to pray as we ought? Am I asking God for what's good for me? Because we know this, right? Our Father knows what we need before we ask Him.

He awaits our petition because the dignity of His children relies on their freedom. So we have to pray then with this spirit of freedom to be able to truly know what he wants. And so that's the two questions we have to ask there. What's my image of God? Is he my father? Is he an instrument?

And also, am I really convinced that I don't know how to pray as I ought? Now, the last thing here in paragraph 2737, we realize that oftentimes when we come before the Lord and pray, we don't always ask with a whole heart or with a heart that belongs to the Lord. We can ask with a divided heart. And we realize that God doesn't want us to have a divided heart. I love the fact that And we realize that God doesn't want us to have a divided heart. I love the fact that here the catechism points out that God yearns jealously over the spirit

which he has made to dwell in us. And there's this sentence that our God is jealous for us is a sign of how true his love is. So I have a divided heart and I give part of my heart to something else or someone else. And God's jealous of that. And that's a sign of how true His love is. You know, if God was indifferent to you giving your heart or me giving my heart to any other thing, any other false God, then that would reveal to us that He doesn't really love us

that much. But when we ask with a divided heart and we reveal that, yeah, my heart doesn't fully belong to the Lord, He is jealous over you. And listen, that our God is jealous for us is the sign of how true his love is. And so what does he do? What happens when we ask and we don't yet receive? There's a quote here from Evagrius Ponticus that I want to conclude with today. And it says, do not be troubled if you do not immediately receive from God what you ask him, for he desires to do something

even greater for you while you cling to him in prayer. You know, if Agrius Ponticus, he was in a place, he definitely had a place of difficulty. He knew what it was like to beg God to help. And he's telling us, Do not be troubled if you do not immediately receive from God what you ask him, for he desires to do something even greater for you while you cling to him in prayer. Here's the question.

Do I trust God? Do I trust him enough to know that whatever I'm going through is what I need to go through. Whatever I'm going through, He is using, if I let Him, He is using for my salvation and salvation of the people around me. That's why this is so critical. We talked about humility yesterday and today a little bit, but trust. Trust is the key. If I know that God loves me,

if you know that God loves you, then we say, okay, here we are in prayer. My prayer is always heard. It's always heard according to his will, and he's good, and I trust him. And so I know that, yes, I'm still desperate for this result. I still want this outcome,

and I'm gonna still beg God for this. But I also know that he is good and I can trust him. I still want this outcome, and I'm gonna still beg God for this. But I also know that He is good and I can trust Him. I also know that He's jealous of my heart and I can trust Him. I also know the people I'm praying for, He loves them even more than I love them. And I can trust Him.

My friends, if there's anything, if there's anything that we need when it comes to a life of prayer, it is a heart of trust. I'm praying for you. Please pray for me. My name is Father Mike. I cannot wait to see you tomorrow. God bless.