Chris Stefanick Catholic Show

As we celebrate St. John Paul II's feast day on October 22, it's the perfect opportunity to revisit his life and legacy—especially his efforts to free Poland from communism through a peaceful revolution grounded in the public witness of deep faith. In this episode of the Chris Stefanick Show, I discuss all things St. John Paul II with Drs. Peter and Kasia Drag, professors at the Pontifical University of John Paul II in Krakow. They experienced the last gasps of communism in Poland—and share the stark reality of that existence. We delve into the history of Poland and rise of communism, the tragedies John Paul II faced in his early life under Nazi and Communist rule, and how God raised him to the papacy at just the right moment to begin undoing the Communist regime in Poland…and beyond. Timecodes: 0:00 — The story of Chris Stefanick's heroic great-uncle standing up to communism 06:36 — History of Poland 08:12 — The “Miracle on the Vistula” 12:27 — John Paul II's childhood tragedies and upbringing under communism 23:31 — Daily life under communism 31:12 — “Nine days that changed the world” 36:15 — The assassination attempt on JPII and Providence at Fatima. 39:36 — John Paul II's ongoing impact 49:13 — How Divine Mercy will change the world When you look at Poland’s story, you see how God turns suffering into strength. A nation crushed by war, communism, and loss became the cradle of some of the greatest saints of modern times—Maximilian Kolbe, Faustina Kowalska, and John Paul II. Their secret? They allowed grace to transform them in the midst of evil to unleash God’s goodness. Oppression has the power to raise up saints—and it certainly did that in Poland through Pope John Paul II. But he reminded us that the true spark to renew the face of the earth isn’t a pope or a politician. It’s Divine Mercy—God’s love poured out on a wounded world. Divine Mercy has the power to tear down walls, topple empires, and heal hearts. It took down the Iron Curtain without a single shot being fired. And if it can break the chains of communism, just imagine what it can do in your own heart. St. John Paul II, pray for us! ........ Sign up for the Daily Anchor for FREE and receive daily reflections, updates, and encouragement from Chris Stefanick to help you live with the joy you were made for: https://mailchi.mp/reallifecatholic/daily-anchor-landing-page-20 ........ Support the creation of this content by becoming a Missionary of Joy with a monthly gift to Real Life Catholic: https://moj.reallifecatholic.com/ ........ Join Chris Stefanick and Fr. Dave Pivonka on pilgrimage to Assisi: https://www.canterburypilgrimages.com/tour/1226/

Waiting can be challenging, especially for love or purpose. Discover the incredible journey of Blessed Sebastian of Aparicio, who found his true calling at 72 after a lifetime of longing and loss. Chris shares three vital tips: keep living fully, embrace the present, and maintain unwavering prayer. He warns against losing faith when life feels slow, and highlights how pursuing dreams shapes personal character. Learn to trust God's perfect timing and remember, he never operates on our schedule.

He was a practicing satanist. A successful comedian. And totally lost. Then one day, while sitting in the back of a Catholic church, comedian Shayne Smith had a vision of the Virgin Mary that changed his life forever. In this 100th episode of The Chris Stefanick Show, Shayne opens up about his journey from abuse, violence, and satanism…to freedom, faith, and forgiveness in Jesus Christ. He shares how laughter became a way to heal, how radical forgiveness rewired his brain, and how the love of Christ transformed his woundedness into a life of joy—illuminating comedy as a pathway for sharing that joy with others. Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 2:00 How Shayne found comedy (and what makes people laugh) 10:28 The challenge and gifts of ADHD and creativity 18:39 From “the everything guy” to the “Jesus guy” 22:22 Comedy as a sacred calling 26:45 "Laughter is getting close to God." 28:10 Using comedy to uplift rather than tear down 36:00 How conversion redeemed his childhood trauma 43:27 Covering a satanic tattoo to reveal the Trinity 50:07 Shayne's conversion story 56:10 A vision of Mary that changed him instantly 1:06:36 Forgiving those who hurt him 1:11:05 How God redeemed his life experiences 1:15:53 Shayne’s prayer for healing and freedom God can reach into the depths of darkness to remind us that we are his beloved children and redeem any story—no matter how bleak it might seem right now. I hope Shayne's story is a source of hope and inspiration for you if you're still struggling to overcome your wounds or if you're seeking a way to use your talents for the glory of God. ........ Sign up for the Daily Anchor for FREE and receive daily reflections, updates, and encouragement from Chris Stefanick to help you live with the joy you were made for: https://mailchi.mp/reallifecatholic/daily-anchor-landing-page-20 ........ Support the creation of this content by becoming a Missionary of Joy with a monthly gift to Real Life Catholic: https://moj.reallifecatholic.com/   ........ Join Chris Stefanick and Fr. Dave Pivonka on pilgrimage to Assisi: https://www.canterburypilgrimages.com/tour/1226/

We love to overcomplicate things—especially when we're trying to make a lasting change in our lives. But in reality, the road to healing and holiness is paved with a commitment to small, simple steps. Want a better marriage? A deeper prayer life? Better health? Freedom from a bad habit? Don’t overthink it. What is the simplest step toward your goal? And why aren’t you taking it yet? In this reflection, I outline four things holding you back from living the life God intended for you...and the small, incremental steps you can take to break free from stagnation in any area of your life. 1. Pride: “If it were that simple, I’d have done it already.” 2. Desire: Sometimes we don’t really want to change.3. Distraction: We stay too busy to make room for change.4. Fear: The simple step feels too hard, so we avoid it. You probably already know what you have to do, and you just need to create and live out some simple rules for yourself to get there. Stop looking at things from 30,000 feet. Ask God for help. And step out in faith today to take that first, simple step on the journey to transformation. ——— DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1. Which of the four—pride, desire, distraction, or fear—do you struggle with most right now? What’s one small, concrete step you can take this week to defeat it? 2. Can you think of a time when a simple act of obedience or discipline led to real change in your life? What helped you take that first step? 3. Where are you overcomplicating your relationship with God? How might returning to something simple—like daily prayer, Scripture, or confession—help restore peace? 4. St. Benedict changed the world with a “simple rule of life.” What’s one simple rule or habit you could commit to that would draw you closer to holiness? 5. Naaman almost missed his miracle because he thought God’s command was too simple. Is there an area in your life where God might be calling you to trust and act, even if it seems too easy or small? ——— ✉️ Sign up for Chris’s Daily Anchor for free daily encouragement: https://mailchi.mp/reallifecatholic/daily-anchor-landing-page-20 Help us transform hearts for Jesus! Join the mission as a monthly donor (a Missionary of Joy): https://moj.reallifecatholic.com/ Come on Pilgrimage and Retreat with me in Assisi! https://canterburypilgrimages.com/1226

Unless you have been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard of the Hallow prayer app. This wildly popular platform has grown exponentially over the past few years to help millions of people to pray—not to mention making a life of prayer more attractive and mainstream. It’s a simple idea with profound results: use a smartphone app to guide people into a habit of daily prayer. Through monthly prayer challenges, reflections, videos, and music from some of the most recognizable and influential Catholics in the world (and I’m on there, too!), Hallow has recently crossed the incredible milestone of logging ONE BILLION prayers. Praise God! In this episode of The Chris Stefanick Show, I am thrilled to welcome Hallow co-founder Alex Jones for an in-depth conversation that goes behind the scenes on the inspiration for the app, Alex’s personal faith journey, glory stories of how God is using this app to change lives, and lessons learned from being a Catholic entrepreneur in the secular world of startups. Highlights: 0:00 Intro 2:50 Alex’s journey from atheism to prayer7:16 Finding the Hallow app’s name through Lectio Divina 11:50 Prayer as a gateway to relationship with Christ 30:00 The sacred surge happening in Catholicism 35:54 When the Super Bowl crashed the app 39:46 Mark Wahlberg, Kevin James, and other Catholic celebs 44:50 Working with Jonathan Roumie 49:49 “The Man Helping Silicon Valley Find God” 54:30 Using Smartphone Technology for Good 58:00 Having an Impact Beyond Metrics 1:06:35 Why Hallow Succeeds in Business 1:19:10 Alex’s Prayer Routine 1:27:48 How God Uses Success to Purify Your Soul 1:39:00 Join Chris and Alex in Silent Prayer Prayer is a fundamental aspect of our faith. If you want to grow in relationship with someone, you have to spend time with them. Same goes for God! I’m so grateful to Alex and everyone at Hallow for creating an app that harnesses modern technology to actually bring us closer to the Lord. If you haven't tried it yet, click below to get a free three-month trial of the Hallow app: https://bit.ly/4odnzEc ........ Sign up for the Daily Anchor for FREE and receive daily reflections, updates, and encouragement from Chris Stefanick to help you live with the joy you were made for: https://mailchi.mp/reallifecatholic/daily-anchor-landing-page-20 ........ Support the creation of this content by becoming a Missionary of Joy with a monthly gift to Real Life Catholic: https://moj.reallifecatholic.com/   ........ ✈️ Join Chris Stefanick and Fr. Dave Pivonka on pilgrimage to Assisi: https://www.canterburypilgrimages.com/tour/1226/

“If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can move mountains.” But you can't have faith unless you know what it IS. And even a great mind like Jordan Peterson seems to be missing something in his definition. Faith can't be reduced to a moralistic view of obeying the rules and it demands that we let go of any skepticism about the existence of God. Our relationship with God is not conditional and our faith can't be, either. In this reflection, I want to set the record straight on what faith is, what faith isn't, and some practical steps we can take to grow in our faith. At its core, faith is clinging to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, even when we don’t fully understand, even when we fall short, even when we can't prove it. If you struggle with your faith, pray the powerful words of the man whose son was healed by Jesus: "Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief." Discussion Questions 1. Have you ever struggled with seeing faith as just “following rules”? How does thinking of faith as a relationship change things for you? 2. Jordan Peterson often says he “acts as if God exists” but avoids saying outright, “I believe.” Why do you think it’s hard for some people (maybe even us) to make that leap from thinking about God to trusting in God and his existence? 3. Chris compares faith to marriage—you can learn about someone, but at some point you have to say “I do.” Where do you see yourself on that threshold with God right now? What would it look like for you to take a step deeper in faith? 4. The fastest way to lose faith is to neglect your relationship with God. What distractions pull you away from God most easily? How can you give more time to your faith? 5. Chris outlined three ways to grow in faith: Ask for it, act as if you believe, and fill your life with holy things. Which of these do you most need to focus on right now? ——— ✉️ Sign up for Chris’s Daily Anchor for free daily encouragement: https://mailchi.mp/reallifecatholic/daily-anchor-landing-page-20 Help us transform hearts for Jesus! Join the mission as a monthly donor (a Missionary of Joy): https://moj.reallifecatholic.com/ Come on Pilgrimage and Retreat with me in Assisi! https://canterburypilgrimages.com/1226

Leah Libresco Sargeant, a Catholic writer and policy worker, dives into her groundbreaking work on redefining dependence as a source of strength rather than weakness. She argues that societal constructs often favor men, challenging listeners to rethink modern feminism and its impact on family policies. Leah connects dependence to care for the vulnerable, asserting that true interdependence can foster compassion and community. The conversation reveals how understanding our need for each other enhances human dignity, encouraging a more caring world for everyone.

Can money truly buy happiness? This podcast dives into Jesus’ teachings that serving the poor directly impacts our eternal judgment. It explores the sobering tale of the rich man and Lazarus, emphasizing that wealth should uplift those in need, not isolate us. Surprisingly, studies show that giving boosts our joy more than spending on ourselves. Listeners are encouraged to prioritize generosity, realigning their values to create a lasting impact both in this life and the next. God remembers every act of love for the poor—what investment will you choose?

Are TikTok and endless scrolling killing our ability to think, pray, and even enjoy life? The truth: yes. And it’s worse than you think. Entertainment isn’t entertaining anymore, it’s addicting. And it’s rewiring an entire generation. What used to refresh us—stories, music, and conversation—has been replaced with noise that is designed to keep us hooked. The result? Shorter attention spans, weaker relationships, and a creeping emptiness that no amount of scrolling can fix. In this episode of The Chris Stefanick Show, I sit down with Deacon Kyle Washut, president of Wyoming Catholic College (and a real-life cowboy ), to talk about what’s really happening to us and how to fight back with faith, beauty, and real human connection. Deacon Kyle also talks about the unorthodox and refreshing ways that Wyoming Catholic College forces students to unplug from screens and plug back into the world around them. We weren’t created to be slaves to our screens. We were made for freedom. And the good news is you don’t have to stay stuck in dopamine culture. With small, intentional choices, you can retrain your heart to savor and wonder at life again. So put the phone down, seek out something real, and be present with the people God has put in your life. ---------------- Kauai Pilgrimage: https://www.canterburypilgrimages.com/tour/kauai/ Wyoming Catholic College: https://wyomingcatholic.edu/ Sign up for the Daily Anchor for FREE and receive daily reflections, updates, and encouragement from Chris Stefanick to help you live with the joy you were made for: https://mailchi.mp/reallifecatholic/daily-anchor-landing-page-20 Help us transform hearts for Jesus! Join the mission and become a monthly donor (A Missionary of JOY!): https://moj.reallifecatholic.com/ ✈️ To learn more about all of Real Life Catholic Pilgrimages, visit: https://reallifecatholic.com/pilgrimages/

In a world craving instant success, the discussion centers on the beauty of patience and growth in hidden seasons. David’s overlooked years as a shepherd highlight how small tasks prepare us for greatness. The power of a simple slingshot is explored, demonstrating how humble beginnings can lead to monumental achievements. Listeners learn lessons from moso bamboo, emphasizing that slow roots lead to explosive growth. Ultimately, faithfulness in the ordinary lays the groundwork for extraordinary futures.