Chris Stefanick Catholic Show

Chris Stefanick | Real Life Catholic
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The world says the Catholic Faith is boring. And too often, we act like we believe it. Ready to live your Faith like an adventure instead? Chris Stefanick wants to help you live the JOY God created you for, right here and now. Hit Play and get rolling!

  1. Oct 6

    How to Make a Moral Decision | Dr. Cary Dabney

    What do you say when someone asks, "Who are you to judge me?" Dr. Cary Dabney, a professor of theology at Walsh University, returns to the show to unpack the simple framework he uses to teach moral theology to students who are devout, on the fence, or completely unchurched. It's the same framework that can help you talk with your kids, your grandkids, or a friend about hard moral choices without sounding judgmental or getting shut down. In this episode: - The four kinds of students in his classroom - The one question he asks before mentioning a single theologian - The three fonts of choice - What Robin Hood can teach us about good intentions - What relativism does to our ability to talk to each other - Why Dr. Cary calls Jesus "the pattern of righteousness" Dr. Cary also shares three things to check before any decision, and why humility and the option of reconciliation are always on the table when we get it wrong. Highlights 04:44 – The question that opens every moral theology class 06:16 – The three fonts of choice 07:32 – Robin Hood and the problem with good intentions 12:10 – Circumstances: same act, different gravity 13:47 – The object of the act 17:55 – Starting with what everyone shares: reason 19:26 – Taking the emotion out of hard conversations 32:12 – Silos, echo chambers, and Benedict XVI on relativism 34:38 – Three things to check before any choice 36:44 – Humility and the door to reconciliation 37:37 – Jesus, "the pattern of righteousness" ....... Sign up for The Daily Anchor to get Chris Stefanick's bite-sized reflections every morning: https://bit.ly/4tQCXtP ........ Support the creation of this content by becoming a Missionary of Joy with a monthly gift to Real Life Catholic and get free access to 9 transformative courses: https://bit.ly/4nTHbN0 Chapters (00:00:11) - Introducing Dr. Dabney and the Dab Name Joke(00:01:18) - Teaching Moral Theology at Walsh University(00:02:51) - The Four Buckets of Students(00:05:33) - Three Fonts of Choice: Intention, Object, Circumstances(00:07:32) - Robin Hood and Intention vs Object(00:09:50) - Support Real Life Catholic(00:10:40) - Teaching Critical Thinking, Not Just Answers(00:11:57) - Circumstances and Culpability Explained(00:13:51) - The Object and the Four Ends of Aquinas(00:16:42) - From Human Reason to Divine Revelation(00:19:22) - Removing Emotion from Moral Discernment(00:21:48) - Relativism's Self-Contradiction(00:22:40) - Arriving at Jesus as the Moral Standard(00:23:37) - Law, Love, and the Judging of Nations(00:25:42) - Applying the Framework to Abortion(00:27:30) - Pastoral Compassion Meets Moral Truth(00:29:04) - Hiroshima/Nagasaki as a Moral Case Study(00:31:58) - Relativism Isolates Rather Than Unites(00:33:11) - Summarizing the Framework for Parents and Teens(00:37:18) - Jesus as the Pattern of Righteousness(00:38:17) - Closing Thoughts and Farewell

  2. Sep 22

    Grace Guaranteed: The Sacraments Explained | Fr. Chris Alar

    One of the coolest things about being Catholic? You don't have to feel it to know you're getting it. In this episode, Chris sits down with Fr. Chris Alar — author of Understanding the Sacraments: God's Grace Guaranteed — to unpack why the sacraments are so much more than symbols, and why so many Catholics never learned what they actually do. Fr. Chris explains why infant baptism isn't about "letting a kid choose later," why Confirmation is the underrated "activation code" for the Holy Spirit's gifts, what it really takes for a confession to be valid, and why the Eucharist is literally the body and blood of Christ — not a metaphor. Along the way, Chris and Fr. Chris talk about the difference between true contrition and mere remorse, why evangelization has to come before catechesis, and Fr. Chris's answer to "which sacrament is your favorite to administer?" Highlights [00:01:09] – Why Fr. Chris Alar wrote a book on the sacraments [00:02:27] – The "wait till 18 to get baptized" argument — debunked [00:10:00] – Confirmation: the "activation code" for the Holy Spirit [00:16:39] – Heaven as a wedding feast — and why you need an invitation [00:18:41] – The three conditions for a valid confession [00:23:36] – Contrition vs. remorse: the difference between Peter and Judas [00:47:26] – Fr. Chris Alar's favorite sacrament to administer ....... Sign up for The Daily Anchor to get Chris Stefanick's bite-sized reflections every morning and be entered for a chance to win a trip for two on our Pilgrimage to Beauty: https://bit.ly/4tQCXtP ........ Support the creation of this content by becoming a Missionary of Joy with a monthly gift to Real Life Catholic and get free access to 9 transformative courses: https://bit.ly/4nTHbN0 ........ Order Fr. Chris Alar's book, Understanding the Sacraments: God's Grace Guaranteed (https://shopmercy.org/explaining-the-faith-understanding-the-sacraments.html), Check out his work with the Marians of the Immaculate Conception / Divine Mercy here: https://www.thedivinemercy.org Chapters (00:00:00) - Crucified: Grace guaranteed with Father Chris Alarm(00:00:36) - Chris Stefanick(00:01:09) - Understanding the Sacraments(00:07:15) - Priests baptisms too often(00:07:44) - Mission to Joy(00:13:42) - Evangelicals on the Sacraments(00:18:42) - The 3 Conditions for Valid Confession(00:23:44) - Saved by Faith alone and not by Works(00:28:37) - The Sacraments: God's Love into Action(00:32:38) - On the Sacraments(00:37:09) - The Priesthood in the Bible(00:40:34) - What's Missing in Praise and Worship(00:41:52) - Francis Chan on the Catholic Sacraments(00:45:06) - Catechesis ahead of Evangelization(00:47:23) - The Sacrament of Confession

  3. Sep 8

    A Blind Priest's Case for Miracles | Fr. Robert Spitzer

    Fr. Robert Spitzer has spent his life studying the two most well-documented sets of miracles and healings in Church history. Blind since his early thirties from a degenerative eye condition, he joins Chris Stefanick to lay out the evidence behind Fatima and Lourdes like you've never heard it. In this episode: how losing his sight deepened his prayer life, his theory that St. Paul himself may have been going blind, the eyewitness account of the Miracle of the Sun and the staggering odds against a natural explanation, the discovery of the healing spring at Lourdes, a man's leg instantly restored after being severed by a falling tree, and the Nobel Prize-winning doctor who went to disprove a miracle and left converted instead. Fr. Robert Spitzer, S.J., is President of the Magis Center of Reason and Faith and President Emeritus of Gonzaga University. Learn more at magiscenter.com Highlights 4:01 – How Fr. Spitzer prays through blindness 5:41 – "How has blindness blessed you?" 8:00 – A theory on St. Paul's "thorn in the flesh" 13:10 – The story of Fatima: what Mary told three children 20:29 – The bloodless miracle behind the Cold War's end 24:12 – The Miracle of the Sun and its 40,000 witnesses 28:25 – The "supernatural lens" theory, explained 38:16 – Bernadette and the apparitions at Lourdes 48:00 – The instantly healed leg of Pierre de Rudder 54:43 – Why the real number of Lourdes miracles is far higher than reported 56:00 – The political battle over the Lourdes grotto 1:01:37 – The Nobel laureate who tried to disprove a miracle 1:09:30 – Why Fr. Spitzer believes he was never healed 1:16:40 – Gabriel Gargam: paralyzed, then instantly healed 1:22:00 – "35,000 miracles... something is going on" ....... Sign up for The Daily Anchor to get Chris Stefanick's bite-sized reflections every morning and be entered for a chance to win a trip for two on our Pilgrimage to Beauty: https://bit.ly/4tQCXtP ........ Support the creation of this content by becoming a Missionary of Joy with a monthly gift to Real Life Catholic and get free access to 9 transformative courses: https://bit.ly/4nTHbN0 Chapters (00:00:00) - Fatima and Lourdes(00:00:39) - A Taste of God's Presence(00:01:14) - The Joy of Prayers(00:03:06) - Blind People Praying(00:09:38) - How to Know the Lord Loves You(00:10:58) - Daily Inspiration(00:11:38) - Wonders of the World(00:12:52) - Fatima(00:20:30) - In the Elevator With Mikhail Gorbachev(00:21:38) - John Paul II and the Soviet Union(00:24:01) - Miracle of the Sun(00:33:22) - The Miraculous Lens at Fatima(00:38:12) - The Story of Lourdes(00:39:00) - Bernadette at the Lourdes(00:44:59) - Wonders of the Water(00:51:43) - 7,000 Naturalistically Indefensible Miracles(00:57:27) - The Miracle of Bernadette Subaru(01:01:28) - The story of Alexis Carroll and Marie Bailey(01:09:29) - Paul on the Miracles(01:14:06) - Blind People's Joy and Acceptance(01:17:35) - The story of Gabriel Gargam(01:24:05) - The Miracles of Lourdes

  4. Aug 25

    Fulton Sheen Predicted This 70 Years Ago | Dr. Peter Howard

    He's about to be declared a saint, and Dr. Peter Howard has spent nearly 30 years tracing his every word. Founder of the Fulton Sheen Institute, Dr. Howard earned his Doctorate in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome, where he specialized in dogmatic theology and Mariology. Dr. Howard joins Chris Stefanick ahead of Archbishop Fulton Sheen's beatification to talk about the man who shaped his entire life. In this episode: the cassette tape that changed Peter's life at 22, the actual microphone Sheen used on that retreat now sitting in Peter's office, why Sheen called Mary a "spiritual Trojan horse," the one direct appeal Christ ever made of His followers, the falling out with a cardinal that got Sheen's show pulled off air overnight, and what Sheen predicted decades ago about identity, AI, and the "economic savior" the world is waiting for. Peter also opens up about his son Beckett, now 15, who started tagging along to daily Holy Hour... and hasn't stopped. Highlights: 04:42 – When Peter's heart caught fire for Fulton Sheen 08:36 – The retreat tape that became "the genesis of everything" 11:00 – The actual microphone Sheen used, now in Peter's office 22:03 – Mary as the "spiritual Trojan horse" 27:05 – Why Jesus asked for one hour in Gethsemane 34:08 – "You will win the war before the Blessed Sacrament" 38:14 – Peter's son Beckett and his own daily Holy Hour 50:31 – The falling out with Cardinal Spellman 52:54 – John Paul II's words Sheen waited a lifetime to hear 1:02:26 – What Sheen predicted about AI as a false savior ....... Sign up for The Daily Anchor to get Chris Stefanick's bite-sized reflections every morning and be entered for a chance to win a trip for two on our Pilgrimage to Beauty: https://bit.ly/4tQCXtP ........ Support the creation of this content by becoming a Missionary of Joy with a monthly gift to Real Life Catholic and get free access to 9 transformative courses: https://bit.ly/4nTHbN0 ........ Learn more from Dr. Peter Howard: FultonSheenInstitute.com and FultonSheenMovement.com Chapters (00:00:02) - Peter Howard on Becoming a Doctorate(00:04:00) - Martin Sheen on His Love Letter(00:07:45) - Floyd Sheen's On Retreat With Irene Sheen(00:12:19) - Philip Sheen on His Message(00:18:33) - In the Elevator With Martin Sheen(00:20:58) - Sheen on the Life of Martin(00:25:25) - The Life of Saint Patrick(00:30:19) - The HOLY AMATEUR(00:34:50) - We're Living in an Extraordinary Era(00:40:15) - Why Don't We Run to the Real Source?(00:42:52) - Martin Sheen on His Priestly Life(00:45:19) - Martin Sheen on the Why of Life(00:50:31) - Martin Sheen on His Conflict With Cardinal Spellman(00:55:35) - The Immaculate Conception of Our Lady of Guadalupe(00:59:21) - The Epic End of the New Evangelization(01:04:50) - Sheen on the Daily Holy Hour(01:08:37) - I'm so grateful for Fulton Sheen. Can I preemptively say, blessed Fulton Sheen

  5. Aug 11

    The Hidden Identity Crisis in Women's Sports | Sam Kelley

    Is female athletics hiding an identity crisis nobody names out loud? Sam Kelley, founder and president of FIERCE Athlete and a former Division I soccer player at UConn, joins Chris Stefanick to unpack it. A nine-time state champion in high school before a career-ending knee injury forced her to rebuild her sense of self, Sam now leads a national ministry mentoring female athletes toward their identity as daughters of God. In this episode: the toxic pressures nobody talks about in women's sports, how same-sex attraction gets tangled up with team bonding and abuse, why Sam's encounter with the Eucharist changed everything, the theology of the body applied to competition, and why the tide on transgender athletes is finally turning. HILIGHTS 00:00 – Intro: The identity crisis hiding in women's sports 02:06 – Sam Kelley joins to talk Fierce Athlete's mission 07:09 – Nine state titles, then a career-ending knee injury 10:25 – A toxic locker room and an unplanned encounter with Jesus 13:18 – Same-sex pressure and coaches in women's sports 19:10 – Why sport surfaces so much sexual confusion 22:07 – The real fix: Jesus, then deep inner healing 42:13 – A closing prayer for identity and healing ....... Sign up for The Daily Anchor to get Chris Stefanick's bite-sized reflections every morning and be entered for a chance to win a trip for two on our Pilgrimage to Beauty: https://bit.ly/4tQCXtP ........ Support the creation of this content by becoming a Missionary of Joy with a monthly gift to Real Life Catholic and get free access to 9 transformative courses: https://bit.ly/4nTHbN0 ........ Head to https://fierce.org for everything Sam and her team are building. Dive deeper with Sam's book, her podcast, and more at https://fierceathlete.org/ Chapters (00:00:00) - Fierce Athletes: When They Forget Who They Are(00:01:06) - Chris Stefanick Inspiring Triathlete(00:03:36) - Fierce Women Athletes(00:07:06) - An Athlete's Struggle With Identity(00:10:14) - How I Was Saved By The Eucharist(00:14:14) - Domestic Abuse in Women's Sports(00:19:21) - Ex-athletes on Sexual Hypertension(00:23:30) - The Real Life of Sport(00:27:48) - Do Sports Make Women More Feminine?(00:31:50) - John Paul II on Gender Roles(00:35:09) - Fierce Athletes: Coming soon to Sports(00:37:28) - Be Fierce: The Athlete's Guide To Growing Physically(00:40:33) - Both Walsh University Commencement Speakers(00:41:30) - Jesus Prays for Sam's Knee(00:46:06) - Fooled by Nature

  6. Jul 28

    5 Simple Ways to Actually Change Your Life | Fr. Jonathan Meyer

    Do you know exactly who you want to be, but can't seem to actually become that person? Fr. Jonathan Meyer joins Chris to share five simple, doable things you can do today to make real, lasting change in your life. In this conversation, Fr. Jonathan breaks down his acronym MESS — Move, Eat, Sleep, Silence, Socialize — and explains why so many of the spiritual struggles we bring to God are really unaddressed physical and psychological ones. He shares the direct, practical advice he gives in confession (including his well-known "Three B's" for setting boundaries with technology and sin), why comfort might be the disease of our age, and why no one — not even a priest — is meant to make change alone. Fr. Jonathan also opens up about his own six years of counseling, the intentional community life he shares with a brother priest, and why he modeled his bedroom after St. John Vianney's. The conversation closes with a challenge for every viewer: when did you stop dreaming the dream you started with? Highlights 00:00 – Five simple things to make real change in your life 02:44 – The MESSS method: Move, Eat, Sleep, Silence, Socialize 04:17 – Why comfort might be the real disease of our era 05:41 – The "Three B's" — bedroom, bathroom, basement — and setting real boundaries 13:00 – Why change starts with a decision, writing it down, and accountability 18:41 – A good morning starts with a good evening (the 9pm/9:30/4:30 routine) 25:22 – "When did you stop dreaming the dream you had?" ....... Sign up for The Daily Anchor to get Chris Stefanick's bite-sized reflections every morning and be entered for a chance to win a trip for two on our Pilgrimage to Beauty: https://bit.ly/4tQCXtP ........ Support the creation of this content by becoming a Missionary of Joy with a monthly gift to Real Life Catholic and get free access to 9 transformative courses: https://bit.ly/4nTHbN0

  7. Jul 21

    Gym Bro Secrets + Theology of the Body (This Combo Works)

    Fitness and faith aren't as separate as you think. In this episode, professional bodybuilder and personal trainer Dakota Lane joins Chris to talk about the real connection between physical health and spiritual growth — and why "getting spiritually buff" starts with how we treat our bodies. Dakota pulls back the curtain on the extremes of competitive bodybuilding (6,000-calorie bulks, 60-lb cuts, near-total dehydration before stepping on stage) and explains why that world is closer to an extreme sport than everyday fitness. Then he and Chris dig into what actually matters for the rest of us: the theology of the body, why St. Thomas Aquinas says we're body-soul composites, how self-mastery is meant to lead to self-gift, and why so many people's struggles with food and fitness trace back to unhealed wounds rather than a lack of willpower. Dakota — who is also Chris's personal trainer — shares his own story of using fitness to cover for insecurity, the difference between vanity and being a good steward of your body, and practical, no-cost ways to start today: morning habits, hydration, protein, and simply taking the next right step. They close with some straight-up "gym bro" talk on why a consistent, holistic approach beats every fad diet out there. HIGHLIGHTS [00:02:39] The bodybuilding disclaimer — why extreme physique culture is "no longer fitness, it's an extreme sport" [00:07:04] The truth about competition "peak" — how bodybuilders get dangerously dehydrated for magazine-cover photos [00:08:55] Why fitness and the spiritual life were never meant to be separate — Aquinas, body-soul composites, and grace [00:10:22] Self-mastery is meant to lead to self-gift — the story of the priest giving piggyback rides on the beach [00:25:52] Dakota gets vulnerable about the wound behind his own fitness journey — and why food issues are almost never really about food [00:31:59] Breaking the all-or-nothing mindset — "you can get anywhere from anywhere if you just start taking steps" [00:44:56] Gym bro talk: the "human approach" to nutrition, why 80% of results come from what you eat, and Jesus's own physicality as a "tekton" ....... Sign up for The Daily Anchor to get Chris Stefanick's bite-sized reflections every morning and be entered for a chance to win a trip for two on our Pilgrimage to Beauty: https://bit.ly/4tQCXtP ........ Support the creation of this content by becoming a Missionary of Joy with a monthly gift to Real Life Catholic and get free access to 9 transformative courses: https://bit.ly/4nTHbN0 Chapters (00:00:00) - Bodybuilder Dakota Lane on How to Get Huge(00:00:43) - Chris Stefanick(00:01:24) - In the Elevator With Dakota Lane(00:01:49) - Getting Fit For Your Spiritual Life(00:03:16) - Gaining Weight For Cutting(00:07:51) - The Connection of Fitness and Virtue(00:12:58) - Mission: Missionaries of Joy(00:14:22) - How to Avoid the Extremes With Exercise(00:18:57) - How to Motivate People in the Ministry(00:23:48) - How to Help People Get Over Eating Disorders(00:29:15) - How to Stop Getting Fat With Stress(00:34:06) - How to Heal From a Sinful Habit(00:37:45) - How to Lower Your Stress(00:40:52) - Committed to a Little Thing Every Day(00:45:54) - Diet and nutrition in the fitness world(00:51:25) - A Father's Love for His Wife

  8. Jul 14

    Christopher West Answers YOUR Questions About Sex, Dating & Gender

    Is the Church's teaching on sex just a list of rules — or an invitation to something better? Christopher West, the world's foremost teacher of St. John Paul II's Theology of the Body, joins Chris Stefanick for a speed-round Q&A built entirely from questions submitted by Daily Anchor subscribers. Three minutes on the clock, no script, no easy questions. In this episode: the difference between Thomistic and phenomenological approaches to morality (and why JP2 brought them together), real advice for parents on teen dating, how to reach a young man stuck in pornography, what a long-married couple should do when desire for intimacy isn't mutual anymore, why Christopher refuses to use the term "LGBTQ," and how the word "gender" itself points to the truth about the transgender debate. Highlights 00:00 – Cold open: the most fun episode ever filmed 03:13 – Thomistic vs. phenomenological approaches, explained with a poison analogy 10:03 – Speed round begins: advice for teen dating and healthy "eros" 14:17 – How to talk to a young man caught in pornography ("there's a banquet") 16:59 – What a married couple should do when desire for intimacy isn't mutual 21:07 – Why Christopher West won't use the term "LGBTQ" 27:09 – The real meaning of "gender" and the Church's teaching on being transgender ....... Sign up for The Daily Anchor to get Chris Stefanick's bite-sized reflections every morning and be entered for a chance to win a trip for two on our Pilgrimage to Beauty: https://bit.ly/4tQCXtP . ....... Support the creation of this content by becoming a Missionary of Joy with a monthly gift to Real Life Catholic and get free access to 9 transformative courses: https://bit.ly/4nTHbN0 ........ Learn more about Christopher West and the Theology of the Body: https://tobinstitute.org/ Chapters (00:00:00) - Christopher West(00:00:54) - The Catholic Sexpert(00:02:52) - John Paul II: The Theology of the Body(00:07:53) - Punishment for the Sexual Revolution(00:09:18) - Daily Inspiration(00:09:58) - Christopher St. John's Advice for Teen Dating(00:15:25) - Fast Food and the banquet(00:16:57) - The Need for Sexual Intimacy in the Marriage(00:20:32) - The LGBT Issues(00:22:11) - Archbishop Chaput on Sexuality(00:27:05) - The Problem with Gender Affirming Surgery(00:31:26) - Bradley on the Culture War(00:36:42) - Good News for the Battlefield(00:36:59) - Pray for Christopher West and His Family

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The world says the Catholic Faith is boring. And too often, we act like we believe it. Ready to live your Faith like an adventure instead? Chris Stefanick wants to help you live the JOY God created you for, right here and now. Hit Play and get rolling!

Information

  • Creator
    Chris Stefanick | Real Life Catholic
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2023 Chris Stefanick Catholic Show
  • Show Website
    Chris Stefanick Catholic Show

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