Get out your tin hats, today we’re talking conspiracy theories!   JUST KIDDING, no tin hats required! But we are talking not about conspiracy theories themselves, but how to survive in a world where sometimes, the line between the truth and the conspiracy is…a bit murky. Or is it?!   I’m so blessed to have Dr. Peter Malinoski back on the show to chat about this. We chat about some fascinating questions,, such as how do we tell the difference between the truth and a conspiracy? Does it really...

I hear all the time from parents whose children have drifted away from their Catholic faith either as teenagers or adults. These parents have done everything they can and pray for their children every day. There is hope for you. There is hope for your kids! Dr. Michael Sirilla is LIVING PROOF of this. Dr. Sirilla is a very dear friend of mine who grew up in a Catholic family and abandoned all of that as a young man to travel the country doing drugs and following the Grateful Dead. He had a...

Are you ready for a behind-the-scenes look at what marriage counseling is REALLY like? We're taking the "Real Life" in Real Life Catholic to the next level. My wife, Natalie, and I are getting real, raw and vulnerable today.   We’re sitting down with our friend, Dr. Jim Langley, to show you what a typical marriage counseling session looks like. So many people are afraid to go to marriage counseling or they feel like going to counseling means their marriage is doomed, but it can be a super...

Religion and….science? Yep, you read that right! So many people think that religion and science are incompatible, but this could not be further from the Truth.    Pope John Paul II said in his encyclical Fides et Ratio that “Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth; and God has placed in the human heart a desire to know the truth—in a word, to know himself—so that, by knowing and loving God, men and women may also come to the fullness...

Shame. It’s a feeling so universal that it goes back to our first parents, Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. The enemy actually uses shame to make us feel like we’re the only person dealing with a certain problem to keep us disconnected and hidden from our communities and from God.   Today, I’m sitting down with Carrie Schuchts Daunt to talk about all types of shame, what it does to us, and the antidote to it. Carrie is an author and presenter for the John Paul II Healing Center’s Undone...

How can something that seems so simple be so HARD? Yep, we’re talking about forgiveness with Fr. Ken Geraci, CPM, an EXPERT on the subject. This guy, in opposition to political protesters at a conference we attended together, led people in prayer! But he is the first to say that forgiveness is a virtue to be practiced and cultivated over time. But sometimes, you don’t want to forgive. Or, you only want to forgive about 95%, and you need to go a little further to forgive that last 5%. This is...

This was quite possibly one of the most profound and impactful conversations I’ve had in my entire life! Truly, Kim Zember is a presence of the outpouring of God’s love. So often, people within the church tend to pick two sides of the LGBTQ issue. They ignore the person feeling these attractions, or they condone and celebrate the lifestyle. The problem with these options are, neither one views the whole person as a child of God. Kim and I talk about her journey, how she realized she was...

NOTE: This episode discusses sensitive topics. Viewer discretion is advised. Today I want to introduce you to my hero, my wife: Natalie. Here, she shares her story of healing, conversion, and our love story. I can’t wait for you to hear her powerful testimony! Guys, the cracks in your heart are precisely where God enters to heal and use for His greater glory!   ........   ❤️ The episode was made possible by our Missionaries of Joy. To support this channel AND enter to win a FREE trip for...

Merry Christmas, guys! Today, I’m bringing you with me to where it all began—The Holy Land. I mentioned in last week’s episode in Nazareth at the Basilica of the Annunciation there is a sign that says “The Word Was Made Flesh Here.” Cue the chills! If you’ve never been to the Holy Land, it is a completely transforming experience, and I want to take you along on my 2018 trip so that you can experience what it’s really like where Jesus lived and walked and died and ROSE from the dead. I can’t...

Merry Christmas, guys!    This Christmas Week, I want to talk to you about amazement. Do we see the wonder in God the same way Anna and Simeon did when Our Lord was presented in the Temple? If we were at the manger scene, would we have been amazed?   G.K. Chesterton once said, ““The world will never starve for want of wonders; but only for want of wonder.” There are so many amazing things in this world, and we are unfazed and accustomed to so many of them.    This Christmas season, let us...

The Catholic Church was and remains the LARGEST social service in HISTORY. If you don’t love the poor, you will go to Hell (sorry, don’t shoot the messenger!). That’s a lot to sit with, but sit through this episode, and you’ll be convinced. First, I’m sharing my time ministering to the homeless in the Denver cold. Meeting these beautiful souls and sharing God’s love with them is always an unforgettable experience. Next, I sat down with my new friend, Jacob Livengood, who was once himself...

I hope your Advent is a great time of preparation, renewal, and JOY! We’re continuing our Advent series with my friend Fr. Michael O’Loughlin. Fr. Michael is the pastor at the Proto-Cathedral of St. Mary in Los Angeles. Our topic today is Evangelization—wait, isn’t that something missionaries do? No, my friend, you can evangelize TODAY in your corporate job! I talk with Fr. Michael about what it looks like when he goes to a bar (literally), what it means to call others to the Lord, and...

Happy Advent! We’re going to spend the next few weeks just like John the Baptist: preparing the way for the Lord! This episode is a little different in that I won’t have any guests, but I’ll be talking straight to you guys to share practical tips to prepare your hearts for Jesus’ birth at Christmas.  First up, we’re talking about prayer. What does it look like to pray? How do I pray well? What do I do with my hands?! I walk you through it all. Let’s dive in together.   ........   ❤️ The...

Is Pope Francis the real Pope? How do we know? It seems there’s a growing number of Catholics online questioning the papacy, and we’re here to set the record straight. I brought on my dear friend, Dr. Michael Sirilla, a theology professor at my alma mater, Franciscan University of Steubenville, to not only answer the internet’s hottest questions about the Pope, but to clarify what modern Catholics may not know about the office. There are a lot of Catholics confused and hurt right now about...

Happy (almost) Thanksgiving! This channel is all about finding and living out the joy in Catholic life, and with the holidays coming up, I wanted to give you some tools for dealing with family members who may have narcissistic tendencies. It’s a helpful skill to have in your tool belt, especially this time of year! I’m so excited to share this conversation with my guest, Dr. Peter Malinoski. He is a clinical psychologist who is an expert in loving people out of narcissism. We talk about how...

Let's get personal with Fr. Mike Schmitz in Part TWO of our amazing conversation! If you can’t tell, Fr. Mike’s joy and love for the Lord is SO contagious! But his story is NOT what you would think!!   ........   ❤️ The episode was made possible by our Missionaries of Joy. To support this channel, visit https://reallifecatholic.com/moj/   .........   ✉️ Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly inspiration in your inbox. https://reallifecatholic.com/opt-in/   .........   ▶️ Watch the "Chris...

I am so excited to share my newest episode with you! Today, I’m sitting down with THE Fr. Mike Schmitz, at his father's cabin! I’ve known Father Mike for a long time, and it’s such a blessing to share this conversation with you. We chat about Fr. Mike’s daily routine (and his love for CrossFit), his relationships with his family, and stay tuned to the end where he shares amazing advice for parents, catechists and teachers.   ........   ❤️ The episode was made possible by our Missionaries...

In the spookiest episode to date, we sit down with my friend, Fr. Chad Ripperger, who is a REAL LIFE exorcist. You guys, Christ literally uses him to liberate souls from demons! While this episode does talk about some serious situations, we’re not going to get into the crazy stuff you see in scary movies. Spiritual warfare is a REAL thing and it’s time to put on the armor of God and protect ourselves! This is such an amazing conversation with Fr. Chad about fear and how to overcome your...

Are you guys ready for this? This is a very special episode that is near and dear to my heart. I got to sit down with Fr. Michael O’Loughlin, a great friend of mine. Fr. Michael is the pastor at the Proto-Cathedral of St. Mary in Los Angeles. He recently drove six hours to be with my mother-in-law in the final hours of her life and subsequently celebrated her funeral Mass. We’re sitting down to talk about death. Nobody like talking about it, but we’ve all got to face it eventually. This is...

I’m so excited for you guys to see this latest episode! I sat down with my friends Jim Beckman and Fr. Ken Geraci and discussed seven key scripture passages that deal with forgiveness and healing. As we go through these Scripture passages, we talk about opening ourselves up to forgive, letting God’s mercy heal us, and so much more. This episode does get a little deep, but it is so worth the listen! You guys, God loves you so much. I want you to know that whatever has happened to you or...

Today, we’re talking all about masculinity. So often in this world, the word “masculinity” is preceded by the word “toxic.” Not today! When men’s tendencies and attitudes are nourished and raised up in light of the Gospels and in light of Christ’s teaching, we make the culture more BEAUTIFUL. Men and boys are NOT a fire to be put out. Men, the Church needs YOU to grow and give yourself as a gift the way Christ gave Himself as a gift. Then, I share with you a talk I recently gave about how a...

I can’t wait to share this week’s episode with you guys! First, I talk about how the world will hate you for standing up for what is right—and YOU should do it ANYWAYS. Next, I share a clip from a talk I gave about how the world hates men who say the word, “NO.” So often in today’s culture, we are called to draw boundaries. We can feel like a tiny David against the Goliath of Cancel Culture and the Internet. The culture tries to weed out men who stand up for the little guy, but it’s...

Your pain, your suffering is not a sign that God has abandoned you. That is a lie! Jesus Christ did not suffer so that you would not have to, He suffered so that you would know how to. God redeems every single experience that you can possibly have, including suffering. Even at death, at your final moment, you are there with Jesus who is there to carry us to eternal life. In suffering we find STRENGTH, and in suffering we find JOY. In this episode, I sit down with two students at Ave Maria...

This week - I bring you with me to Hawaii, one month after over 100 people lost their lives in the fires.  Lots of questions remain to be answered. But for us, we dive in to the most important questions: “Where was, and where is God in the midst of all this?” Guys… and the grace is so evident, and I hope our "documentary-style" episode honors that.  If you’re lacking time, fast fwd to minute 19 and listen to how people who lost loved ones are chipping in to help rebuild. They carried their...