Chris Stefanick Catholic Show

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My father-in-law was just baptized at 85! Apr 11, 2026

Show notes

My father-in-law was just baptized. At 85 years old.
Watch this week's reflection to hear the whole story—and why it matters for you right now.
To watch a lifetime of questions, of searching, and of sin washed away in an instant? That is how powerful the love and mercy of God is.
And that's what Divine Mercy Sunday is all about.

Jesus told Saint Faustina that his mercy is like an ocean — and our trust is the bucket. The bigger the bucket, the more mercy we can receive. The only thing that limits God's mercy isn't the size of your sin. It's the size of your trust.
I'm recording this from Hawaii, where my family is on a pilgrimage to beauty. My kids got to visit Kalaupapa — the remote peninsula on Molokai where people with leprosy were exiled in the 1800s. It was a place of total anarchy and misery.
And guess who walked into the middle of it? The Catholic Church.
Father Damien came from halfway around the world, and he didn't leave. He stayed. He held people's hands while they died. He built churches. He cut holes in the floor so the sick could stay at Mass without having to leave. He crawled under the building himself to clean it all out. And eventually, he contracted leprosy too.
That's what divine mercy looks like when it has hands and feet.
We're not just supposed to receive mercy. We're supposed to give it away. People are messy. Life is messy. But mercy says, "I see the mess, and I'm not running from it. I'm stepping right into it—for you."
Jesus, we trust in you.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Chris's father-in-law was baptized at 85 after a lifetime of searching. Is there someone in your life you've been praying for who seems "too far gone"? How does this story challenge that assumption?

2. Jesus told Saint Faustina that his mercy is like an ocean and our trust is the bucket. What makes it hard for you to trust in God's mercy—and what would it look like to "bring a bigger bucket"?

3. Father Damien didn't just serve the lepers from a distance—he lived among them and eventually became one of them. Where is God asking you to step into someone else's mess instead of keeping a comfortable distance?

4. Joseph Dutton was a broken man—a Civil War veteran, an alcoholic, divorced—and he gave his brokenness to God on Molokai. Have you ever felt disqualified from serving God because of your own failures? How does Dutton's story speak to that?

5. Chris says we're not just supposed to receive mercy but imitate it. What is one concrete way you can be an instrument of God's mercy to someone in your life this week?

Interested in a pilgrimage to Kalaupapa in Molokai, Hawaii? Fill out this form: https://bit.ly/4ck9zEj
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Watch the episode on Divine Mercy with Fr. Chris Alar: https://youtu.be/81-skhKl0-w
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Divine Mercy Sunday: What You Need to Know | Fr. Chris Alar Apr 07, 2026

Show notes

I'm going to be honest with you—you might be a little frustrated after watching this. But only because you didn't know it sooner.

There is one day every year when Jesus promised that any Catholic who goes to confession and receives Holy Communion will receive the complete forgiveness of all sin and all punishment.

Not just forgiveness. Complete wiping of the slate. Like a second baptism.

That day is Divine Mercy Sunday—the Sunday after Easter. And in this episode of the Chris Stefanick Show, Fr. Chris Alar explains why this is quite possibly the most extraordinary grace available to us in the entire liturgical year.

Here's the part that blew my mind: most of us know about plenary indulgences. But to receive one, you need to meet four conditions—including having zero attachment to sin, even venial sin. St. Philip Neri once said that out of 1,200 people in a cathedral, only two received the plenary indulgence.

Divine Mercy Sunday's promise? Confession and Communion. That's it. No other conditions.

Fr. Alar explained why Jesus was emphatic about this being on the eighth day of the Easter octave. To the Jews, eight symbolized eternity—the day the groom comes for his bride. Jesus is coming for you. And he wants to find you spotless.

So here's what you do:
✅ Go to Confession sometime before Divine Mercy Sunday (even a week before counts)

✅ Receive Holy Communion at any Mass on that day

✅ Go back to your pew and pray: "Lord Jesus, you promised St. Faustina that the soul who goes to confession and receives Holy Communion on this day will receive the complete forgiveness of all sin and punishment. I have. Please give me this grace. Jesus, I trust in you."

That's it. That's the whole thing.

Remember—God's mercy is the ocean. Your trust is the bucket. Whatever feels hopeless in your life right now? It's a pebble tossed into that ocean. It's nothing.

Jesus, I trust in you.

HIGHLIGHTS
0:00 — Intro
2:05 — The ABCs of Divine Mercy (Ask, Be merciful, Completely trust)
5:10 — Trust is the vessel for all grace
7:17 — Jansenism and how it distorted our view of God
11:18 — Divine Mercy: God's love put into action
14:15 — The meaning of the eighth day
16:06 — The octave of Easter explained
19:01 — Divine Mercy Sunday as the eighth day
21:16 — The extraordinary promise: forgiveness of sin AND punishment
22:02 — The fulfillment of Yom Kippur
23:16 — John Paul II's death on the vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday
24:30 — What the two rays in the image symbolize
26:30 — Why this is greater than a plenary indulgence
29:30 — The 4 plenary indulgences any Catholic can do daily
31:00 — The 4 conditions for a plenary indulgence
34:17 — The extraordinary promise requires only confession and communion
36:04 — The simple prayer to claim the grace
38:44 — The nail and the hole analogy
41:01 — Closing prayer: Jesus, I trust in you

Understanding Divine Mercy by Fr. Chris Alar: https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Divine-Mercy-Explaining-Faith/dp/1596145390
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The Shroud of Turin: 15 Facts Science Still Can't Explain Apr 02, 2026

Show notes

The Shroud of Turin is the most studied artifact in human history—and after hundreds of thousands of research hours across dozens of scientific disciplines, no one can explain it.

In this special episode of the Chris Stefanick Show, I dive deep into the evidence that this ancient linen cloth is the burial—and resurrection—cloth of Jesus Christ.

From the photographic negative hidden for centuries before photography existed, to the 3D holographic body data, to the 34 trillion watts of energy required to produce the image, I share 15 mind-blowing scientific facts about the shroud that point to its validity.

Then I shift gears to discuss what the shroud reveals about the painful reality of Christ's Passion—over 700 distinct injuries, the brutality of the scourging, the crown of thorns that was actually a helmet, Jerusalem limestone on His nose from falling face-first, and the forensic evidence of both living and dead blood in exactly the right locations.

This episode will give you a new understanding of what Christ suffered for us.

HIGHLIGHTS:
0:00 — Introduction
1:25 — The Shroud Is the Most Studied Artifact in History
2:36 — Fact 1: The Image Is a Photographic Negative
4:12 — Fact 3: The Image Contains 3D Body Data
5:48 — Fact 4: The Image Radiated Straight Up and Down Like a Flash of Light
7:01 — Fact 5: The Back Image Isn't Flattened
7:48 — Fact 6: Undisturbed Blood Clots
8:34 — Fact 7: The Energy Required Is Beyond Modern Technology
10:04 — Fact 8: The Image Is Nearly Invisible Close Up
10:36 — Fact 9: The Image Is Only Two Microns Deep
11:38 — Fact 10: The Image Shows the Inside of the Body
12:05 — Fact 11: The Blood Is Real and Came Before the Image
12:44 — Fact 12: The Blood Is Type AB
14:20 — Fact 14: Jerusalem Pollen Embedded in the Shroud
15:07 — Fact 15: The Face Matches the Oldest Portraits of Jesus
15:31 — Debunking the 1988 Carbon Dating
17:56 — What the Shroud Reveals About the Crucified Man
18:39 — The Scourging: 370+ Wounds from Two Men
20:43 — His Face Was Destroyed
21:23 — The Crown of Thorns Was a Helmet
22:24 — Over 700 Injuries Before He Was Even Sentenced
23:09 — Jerusalem Limestone on His Nose
24:46 — Nailed at the Wrists, Not the Palms
25:08 — How Crucifixion Kills: Progressive Asphyxiation
26:29 — The Spear Wound: Blood and Water Explained
27:07 — Living Blood and Dead Blood in the Right Places
27:52 — Two Options: Forgery or Resurrection
29:19 — He Is Risen — What It Means for You
30:43 — Prayer

Download my Shroud of Turin fact sheet to read more and share with others: https://bit.ly/3NWHn1T

I am passionate about this subject, but by no means an expert. I'm grateful to the following sources that informed this discussion: the work of Jeremiah Johnston, Doug Powell, Robert Spitzer, the STURP team, ENEA (Paolo Di Lazzaro), Max Frei, Giulio Fanti, Elvio Carlino, and the broader sindonology research community.

*and apologies for my sometimes raspy voice in the video!

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Stop Giving Yourself a Free Pass | Palm Sunday Reflection Mar 28, 2026

Show notes

Every person who nailed Jesus to the cross thought they were a pretty good person.
The soldiers? Just doing their job.
The Pharisees? Protecting the system.
Pontius Pilate? Just trying to keep his career on track.
They all gave themselves a free pass. And we do the exact same thing.
Listen to my Palm Sunday reflection to hear why that matters, and why it should change everything about how you enter Holy Week.

When we read the Passion at Mass on Palm Sunday, we are forced to say the ugliest lines out loud—"Crucify him!"—because those aren't just ancient words. They're our words, every time we fall into sin.
And I'm not saying this to make you feel bad. I'm saying it to make you feel grateful.
Because when you see how ugly sin really is, you finally see how far God was willing to go for you. You couldn't pay the price for a single sin. He paid it all.
As you enter into Holy Week, stop giving yourself free passes. Look your sin in the face. Take it to confession. And then look at the cross and say thank you.
I'll be praying for you.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Chris says every person involved in the crucifixion gave themselves a "free pass." Where in your own life are you most tempted to do the same — and what excuses do you tend to make?

2. How does the image of Mel Gibson's hand holding the hammer in The Passion of the Christ change the way you think about your personal responsibility for sin?

3. Chris describes people who "best life" themselves into destructive choices. Have you ever witnessed this in someone you care about? How did you respond — and how do you wish you had responded?

4. The reflection ends with three responses to the cross: gratitude, repentance, and forgiveness of others. Which of these three is hardest for you right now, and why?

5. Jesus didn't let what was done to him change who he was. Think of a situation where someone has hurt or wronged you. What would it look like to respond the way Jesus did — not letting their sin steal your peace, joy, or ability to love?

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The Science of Motivation and Doing What You Should | Dr. Tom Zimmer Mar 24, 2026

Show notes

Why can't you get yourself to do the things you know you should be doing?

It's not a willpower problem. It's a motivation problem—and there's a science behind fixing it.

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Tom Zimmer, a PhD researcher specializing in the science of motivation and a professor at Wyoming Catholic College. Tom has spent years studying why people do what they do—and more importantly, how to change it.

We go deep on the stuff that actually matters: how to motivate your kids to love the faith instead of just enduring it, why "good job" is killing your child's growth, the hidden reason boys are retreating into video games, and how the same motivational principles that apply to kayaking and skiing apply to your prayer life and your Lenten sacrifices.

I'm already thinking about how I can talk to my own kids differently. There's a reason some kids grow up loving what their parents love—and it's not luck. Tom breaks it all down with practical tools you can start using today.

Highlights
0:03:00 — Why the real problem isn't willpower
0:06:30 — Motivating his 8-year-old daughter to nail a kayak roll
0:19:30 — The problem with extrinsic rewards
0:43:25 — Why Dads need to visibly live their faith
1:01:00 — Why "good job" doesn't build self-efficacy
1:04:55 — Flow theory
1:09:45 — Why video games are engineered to exploit

Wyoming Catholic College: www.wyomingcatholiccollege.com

Read Dr. Tom Zimmer's thesis: https://collections.lib.utah.edu/details?id=1422680

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Having Faith BEFORE the Miracle Happens Mar 21, 2026

Show notes

What do you do when God feels late?
In this Sunday's powerful Gospel on the raising of Lazarus, we are invited into one of the most honest, raw moments in Scripture—when Martha looks at Jesus and says what we’ve all felt at some point: “Lord, if you had been here…”
Ever been there? Watch this reflection that gets real about why it’s okay to bring your mess straight to God and how Jesus proves He has power over sin, suffering, and even death itself.
But here's my biggest takeaway: Martha's faith wasn't just at the beginning when she asked Jesus for help, or at the end when Lazarus walked out of that tomb. She believed right in the middle—before the miracle, before the answer, while she was still upset and heartbroken.
That's where most of us live. In the middle. And that's exactly where Jesus is asking: "Do you believe this?"
Come to him as you are. Give him your whole messy heart. And trust him right in the middle.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Martha told Jesus exactly how she felt — "Lord, if you had been here, my brother wouldn't have died." When have you felt like God showed up too late, and how did you express that to him? Is there something you need to bring to him honestly right now?

2. Chris talks about Martha having "faith in the middle" — believing before the miracle happened. Where in your life right now are you waiting in the middle, and what does it look like to trust God before you see the answer?

3. Chris shares how the words of absolution in confession felt almost too easy for the weight of what he was carrying — and then he looked at the cross. How does the reality of what Jesus did on the cross change the way you approach confession and God's mercy?

4. A religious sister told Chris that a message about loving yourself bothered her for five years before it transformed her life. Has there ever been a truth about your faith that initially stung or made you uncomfortable, but later became a turning point?

5. Chris says God is strong enough to take on all your messiness — that you don't need a "protocol" to come to him. What keeps you from bringing your real, unfiltered heart to God in prayer? What would it look like to drop the protocol this week?

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Who was the REAL St. Patrick? | A Kidnapped Slave Who Changed Ireland Mar 17, 2026

Show notes

Most people think St. Patrick's Day is about shamrocks and green beer. But who was the man behind the legend?

In this interview with Eddie Cotter Jr., Catholic author, speaker, and founder of the Dead Theologians Society, we uncover the true story of St. Patrick beyond the legends.

This episode is packed with inspiration for anyone who has ever felt unqualified by their weaknesses or wounds.

St. Patrick was kidnapped as a teenager, dragged to Ireland as a slave, and spent six years in isolation — and that's exactly what made him one of the greatest missionaries in history. His wounds weren't disqualifiers. They were his training.

He learned the language. He learned the culture. He loved the people. And then he went back—voluntarily—to the land of his captivity to bring them the faith.

He felt unqualified. He felt uneducated. He said so himself. And yet he converted an entire nation.

Your wounds might be the exact thing that God is using to prepare you for his glory. Even our darkest moments can become the beginning of our mission.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day—and may his rugged faith inspire you to live yours boldly.

The episode closes with Eddie reading St. Patrick's Lorica (Breastplate) — the prayer Patrick prayed daily for God's protection throughout his mission.

PLUS: Eddie is the talented drummer of an amazing traditional Irish band. They played at my 50th birthday party and you get to listen in on some of the fun at the end of this episode!

Highlights:

00:00 – Intro
01:27 – Eddie Cotter Jr. & the Dead Theologians Society
05:00 – St. Patrick's Day vs. the real St. Patrick
06:17 – Eddie's lifelong vow of sobriety
20:25 – Dead Theologians Society: 28 years, 550 parishes, vocations born from it
22:00 – The 35,000-foot view of St. Patrick's life
31:41 – Patrick's wounds were his greatest qualification
38:43 – Croagh Patrick: Ireland's holy mountain
42:23 – Patrick: the first person in recorded history to condemn slavery
50:18 – Patrick's humility: "a stone lying deep in the mud"
52:04 – You don't need credentials to lead people to Jesus
54:05 – Eddie reads the Lorica (St. Patrick's Breastplate Prayer)
57:28 – Traditional Irish music from Eddie's band!

More from Eddie Cotter, Jr.:
Wisdom and Inspiration from the Saints in One-Sentence: https://deadtheologianssociety.com/product/wisdom-inspiration-from-the-saints-in-a-sentence/

Dead Theologians Society: www.deadtheologiansociety.com

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God Is Not Punishing You (The Truth About Suffering) Mar 14, 2026

Show notes

Why does God allow suffering?

It’s one of the deepest questions every human heart asks. When things fall apart—when illness hits, relationships break, or life throws unexpected curveballs—it’s natural to wonder: Did I do something wrong? Is God punishing me?

The disciples asked Jesus the same question when they saw a man born blind: “Who sinned, this man or his parents?”

Jesus’ answer changes everything.

Suffering isn’t proof that God is angry, and it’s not karma keeping score. Instead, Jesus reveals a God who is a loving Father...one who can bring incredible good even out of pain.

And the ultimate answer to suffering isn’t a philosophy. It’s the cross.

God didn’t stay distant from our pain. He entered it.

If you’re going through something hard right now, I hope this reflection will help you see suffering in a completely new light—and remind you that even in pain, God is working for your good.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Chris talks about three ways people explain suffering: chance, karma, or God bringing good from it. Which of these explanations do you see most often in the world today?
2. The disciples asked Jesus, “Who sinned, this man or his parents?” Why do you think we instinctively assume suffering must be someone’s fault?
3. How does the Cross of Jesus change the way Christians understand pain and suffering?
4. Chris says Jesus didn’t suffer so we wouldn’t have to, but so we would know how to suffer. What do you think that means in practical terms?
5. Is there an area of suffering in your life right now where you might need to trust that God is bringing a greater good?

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Jeremy Rivera's Journey From Evangelical Pastor to Catholic Mar 10, 2026

Show notes

Jeremy Rivera was an evangelical pastor who was convinced Catholics didn't really know Jesus.

Then he became one.

In this new episode, Jeremy shares how honest conversations about authority, Mary, and the Eucharist led him back to the Catholic Church—and why true renewal begins with a personal encounter with Jesus Christ.

His journey to the Catholic Church didn't start with theology—it started in the shower on Christmas Eve, 1985, when a 10-year-old boy cried out to God in the middle of his parents' divorce and felt the Holy Spirit show up. His mom, sensing something had happened, pulled a handmade Italian crucifix from under the bed—a Christmas gift she wasn't going to give until morning—and handed it to him on the spot.

That crucifix is still in his kitchen today.

But the road from that moment to the Catholic Church was anything but straight. We unpack Jeremy's winding journey: losing his faith in college, a crisis pregnancy and abortion that brought him to his knees, and the theological questions that nearly kept him from ever becoming Catholic.

We also discuss what the Church gets wrong about evangelization, why most Catholics have never been "ambushed by Jesus," and how an unexpected encounter with the scent of roses in a FOCUS chapel broke through his deepest resistance—Mary.

Whether you're a cradle Catholic, a skeptic, or somewhere in between, this conversation will challenge and encourage you.

HIGHLIGHTS:

0:00:00 — Intro

8:00 A powerful encounter with God at age 10

13:00 Abortion, Romans 5:8, and radical conversion

17:30 Surf ministry, seminary, and church planting

23:40 The restlessness that wouldn’t go away

28:00 Meeting Archbishop Chaput

31:50 “I want to ask your forgiveness.”

37:00 Mary: the greatest hurdle

40:00 The fragrance of roses

47:30 Tradition vs. traditionalism

55:00 Do you actually know Jesus?

1:09:00 A prayer of surrender

Learn more about Jeremy Rivera: https://thelittlej.com

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Why God Isn't Shocked By Your Sin | Woman at the Well Reflection Mar 07, 2026

Show notes

You are not too much for God.

In this Gospel reflection, we dive into one of the most powerful encounters in all of Scripture: Jesus and the woman at the well. At first glance, it looks like a simple conversation about water—but it’s actually a moment that reveals something shocking about God’s heart.

Jesus meets a woman who is hiding in shame, avoiding people, and trying to bury her past. She comes to the well at midday, the hottest part of the day, just so she won’t have to face anyone. But that’s exactly where Jesus meets her.

And when he reveals that he knows everything about her life—her mistakes, her relationships, her mess—something unexpected happens.

She doesn’t run.

Why? Because for the first time, someone sees her completely…and doesn’t flinch.

And it wrecked her in the best possible way. She went right back to that village she'd been hiding from and started telling everyone.

This Gospel shows us something incredible:

God isn’t shocked by your past. He isn’t overwhelmed by your struggles. He already knows everything—and he still chooses to sit with you, love you, and invite you deeper.

Even more powerful: the thing she was most ashamed of becomes the very thing that turns into her testimony. If you’ve ever felt like your life is too messy for God, this reflection is for you.

Go to Him. With all of it. Watch Him not run.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. The woman at the well avoided the crowd out of shame. Is there an area of your life you've been keeping hidden — even from God? What would it look like to bring it to him?

2. Chris reflects on the Catechism's line that prayer is "an encounter of God's thirst with ours" — that God thirsts for us to thirst for him. How does that reframe the way you think about prayer?

3. Every nudge to pray, every impulse to go to church — Chris says that's God thinking of you first. Has there been a moment in your life where that rings true? What happened when you responded (or didn't)?

4. Jesus named the woman's sin openly, and the conversation didn't end — it deepened. What does that tell us about how God sees us? How does it challenge the way we see ourselves?

5. The woman's greatest shame became her testimony — she ran back to the village and told everyone. Is there something in your own story of failure or struggle that God might want to use for his glory?

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