Chris Stefanick Catholic Show

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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Chapters

(00:00:00) - The Feast of Divine Mercy
(00:00:30) - Chris Stefanik
(00:01:17) - Father Chris Alar returns to the priesthood
(00:01:26) - Uncovering Divine Mercy
(00:06:30) - Catholics on Jansenism
(00:09:13) - Sacred Heart and Divine Mercy
(00:12:39) - Crucified Mercy
(00:16:40) - The Decameron: The Octave of Christmas
(00:20:02) - Divine Mercy Sunday
(00:24:22) - The Image of Divine Mercy
(00:26:27) - What is a Plenary Indulgence?
(00:29:49) - 4 Plenary Indulgences You Can Do Every Day
(00:32:11) - 4 Conditions of Attachment to Sin
(00:36:03) - Crucified Mercy Sunday
(00:39:05) - Confession in the Catholic Church
(00:41:01) - Prayer for the Year

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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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

........

Join Chris Stefanick on pilgrimage: https://www.reallifecatholic.com/pilgrimages

Chapters

(00:00:00) - The Shroud of Turin
(00:01:25) - The Shroud of Turin
(00:02:36) - The Shroud of Turin: A Real Human Face
(00:09:58) - 9 Fascinating Facts About The Shroud of Turin
(00:14:52) - The Shroud: Being Debunked by Christians
(00:17:12) - The Crucified Man on the Shroud
(00:23:47) - The Shroud of the Cross
(00:29:33) - The mystery of the Shroud of Turin

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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Sign up for the Daily Anchor for free daily reflections from Chris Stefanick in your inbox:
https://bit.ly/4tQCXtP

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Join the mission to spread the joy of the Gospel! Become a Missionary of Joy to support this free content: https://bit.ly/4nTHbN0-----
Join Chris Stefanick on pilgrimage: https://www.reallifecatholic.com/pilgrimages

Chapters

(00:00:00) - How Ugly Is Your Sin?
(00:00:30) - The Ugly Sin of Human History
(00:06:40) - Forgive Your Sins

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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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

........
Join Chris Stefanick on pilgrimage: https://www.reallifecatholic.com/pilgrimages

Chapters

(00:00:00) - The Science of Motivation
(00:00:51) - Chris Stefanik
(00:01:33) - Interviewing Dr. Tom Zimmer
(00:02:59) - In the Land of Motivation
(00:05:41) - Behaviorism in Children
(00:09:45) - How to Deal with a 14 Year Old's Behaviorism
(00:12:16) - Christian Parents on Behaviorism
(00:15:35) - Start with extrinsic motivation and get rid of behaviorism
(00:18:09) - MISSIONARY OF JOY
(00:22:38) - The 7 theories of Motivation
(00:24:16) - Self-Destiny and Motivation
(00:27:32) - The Importance of Perceived Autonomy
(00:30:06) - Motivation in the Catholic Church
(00:34:40) - Learn more about the Catholic faith
(00:38:53) - How To Talk To Your Child About Skiing
(00:42:29) - Justin Schneer: Expectation and Value Theory
(00:45:34) - How To Motivate Your Kids
(00:49:09) - Building Competence in the Church
(00:52:00) - Reasons for rewarding and punishing behavior
(00:53:19) - Give Your Kids Perceived Autonomy
(00:55:59) - Self-Advocacy and Self-
(01:00:47) - Self-efficacy 3, The Good Job
(01:03:22) - Understanding the Process of Flow
(01:06:56) - Lent: Too Hard a Sacrifice
(01:09:20) - Crisis in Motivation and Culture
(01:13:23) - A message from the Challenge

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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Sign up for the Daily Anchor for free daily reflections from Chris Stefanick in your inbox:
https://bit.ly/4tQCXtP
-----
Join the mission to spread the joy of the Gospel! Become a Missionary of Joy to support this free content: https://bit.ly/4nTHbN0

-----
Join Chris Stefanick on pilgrimage: https://www.reallifecatholic.com/pilgrimages

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Chris Stefanik on the Power of His Words
(00:05:41) - Martha's Faith in the Middle