Fr. Kris Schmidt Homilies · Fr. Kris Schmidt

Lenten Retreat 2026

March 13, 2026·37 min·3 clips

Fr. Kris reveals how The Chosen portrays Matthew the tax collector as being on the autism spectrum.

1. Fr. Kris Schmidt leads the second session of a four-week Lenten parish retreat, on the theme of praying with the gospel. 2. Fr. Schmidt is the sole speaker; the format includes video clips from The Chosen, group reflection, and time in the church for guided prayer. 3. The session's central claim is that praying with the gospel is a relational dialogue with Jesus — not a one-directional exercise in extracting meaning or identifying what God wants from you. 4. Fr. Schmidt opens with two clips from The Chosen, a TV series on the life of Jesus, which he recommends to the congregation as a resource created by someone who has 'obviously prayed with the gospel.' 5. He explains that the gospels are written accounts of lived experience, meaning many moments between the lines — the feelings of the participants, the reactions of bystanders, the conversations before and after — are left unrecorded and available for prayerful imagination. 6. The Chosen's portrayal of Matthew the tax collector as being on the autism spectrum is discussed: Schmidt reasons this explains Matthew's aptitude for precise work, his social ostracism, and his willingness to take a community-despised job without fully weighing relational consequences. 7. He raises the question the gospel does not answer: how did the other apostles — all Jews who disliked tax collectors — actually react when Jesus told them to live alongside Matthew? 8. The second Chosen clip shows Jesus depleted at the end of a day of healing, cared for by his mother Mary, while the apostles argue among themselves about their roles — raising for Schmidt the theological question of how fatigue and divinity coexist in Jesus. 9. Schmidt cites St. Jerome: 'ignorance of scripture is ignorance of Christ,' framing gospel prayer not as a devotional add-on but as essential to knowing Jesus himself. 10. He argues that many Catholics approach scripture in one direction — taking from it — rather than treating it as a relational dialogue, and that the question 'Jesus, what was it like to heal so many people in one day?' is a legitimate starting point for prayer. 11. Practical prerequisites for prayer are addressed: a dedicated space and a dedicated time — separate from where you watch TV or nap — because the body needs environmental cues to shift into prayer mode. 12. He recommends accountability in prayer life as a normal part of Catholic friendship: asking a spouse, family member, or fellow parishioner 'How's your prayer life been this week?' the way one asks about their family. 13. The distinction between thinking and praying is introduced: pure self-referential thought about Jesus closes off reception; authentic prayer moves the person out of themselves into dialogue and receptiveness. 14. Three steps for handling distractions are offered: let the thought fall, ask God to remove it if it persists, and if it still won't go, make the distraction itself the prayer — bringing it into dialogue with Jesus. 15. Fr. Schmidt quotes St. Teresa of Calcutta: 'In the silence of the heart, God speaks' — and describes silence as a learned discipline, not an automatic state, using the image 'how do you stop a speeding train? Slowly.' 16. A graduated seven-step prayer ladder is presented, from reading a gospel passage at breakfast to daily adoration with scripture, with the explicit instruction to start only at the level that is actually sustainable for you. 17. He addresses 'all or nothing' thinking — the temptation to either commit to a full prayer discipline or pray nothing at all — as the main obstacle to consistent practice. 18. The session closes with St. Francis de Sales' five-step method for gospel meditation: place yourself in the presence of God; ask for grace; present your soul to the mystery; meditate to stir up affections; and rest in whatever grace comes, then give thanks. 19. Catholics who feel their scripture engagement is passive or rote, and who want structured encouragement and practical techniques for developing an active prayer life, will find this session directly applicable. 20. Listeners without a Christian background or those looking for academic scripture study or comparative religion content will find the session too devotionally and parish-specifically framed.

As heard by us

A practical retreat session on praying with the Gospel and building a steadier prayer habit.

Prayer with the Gospel is treated as a working retreat session, not a lecture. The speaker lays out the evening plan, admits they are behind schedule, and says the format will shift from week to week.

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