Are you waiting to find "the one?" The perfect job? Maybe just a general feeling of contentment in your life?
God's timing is often (usually!) not our timing. So what can you do?
Meet Blessed Sebastian of Aparicio—a man who built roads, made a fortune, and waited decades for his deepest prayer to be answered, but it didn't go quite like he envisioned it. His story is a powerful reminder that what seems like a delay from God is actually just the unfolding of his perfect plan for you.
Sebastian longed for marriage and waited until he was 60 to find “the one.” Both wives died soon after. Only later, at 72 years old, did he finally discover his true vocation as a Franciscan friar—and eventually become known as the Angel of Mexico.
In this reflection, I offer three tips for what you should (and shouldn't) do while you play the waiting game. Keep living, keep loving, and keep praying. God is never late, and he will not be outdone in generosity.
Blessed Sebastian, pray for us when we’re in a rush and God is not.
Timecodes:0:00 – When you’re in a rush and God’s not 0:45 – The incredible life of Blessed Sebastian of Aparicio 3:15 – Don’t abandon God’s plan when life feels slow 5:20 – Keep living: the danger of waiting for “real life” to start 7:45 – Keep praying and trust God’s perfect timing
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9:54
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9:54
Shayne Smith on the Healing Power of Comedy and his Radical Conversion
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.
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1:17:30
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1:17:30
Stop Doing These 4 Things If You Want Lasting Change
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.
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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?
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✉️ Sign up for Chris’s Daily Anchor for free daily encouragement: https://mailchi.mp/reallifecatholic/daily-anchor-landing-page-20
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9:45
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9:45
Behind the Scenes of the Hallow App with Alex Jones
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
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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
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✈️ Join Chris Stefanick and Fr. Dave Pivonka on pilgrimage to Assisi: https://www.canterburypilgrimages.com/tour/1226/
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1:41:00
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1:41:00
What Faith IS, What Faith ISN'T, and How to Grow in Faith
“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?
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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!
Brasil