Ever wonder what really happens behind the walls of a monastery?

In this week’s episode, I welcome back our favorite Benedictine monk with a surfboard, Fr. Augustine Wetta. We’re stepping into a hidden world that’s been quietly defying the noise and chaos of modern life for over 1,500 years with silence, prayer, community, and a whole lot of humility.

But don’t expect some dreamy fairy tale. This is real life behind the habit: petty arguments over pens, broken irons held together with the wrong glue, and golf cart joy rides. It’s raw, funny, and surprisingly relatable. Turns out, becoming a monk doesn’t make you perfect; it just means you’ve committed to growing in love.

00:00 Intro

6:24 Why Fr. Augustine became a monk

12:11 What Fr. Augustine discovered about himself in his 1st years as a monk

13:24 Why silence isn’t scary; it’s clarifying

14:44 The monastic trick to handling distractions during prayer

17:49 The unexpected joys of Monastic life

19:22 And... the surprisingly holy story of a broken iron (short)

22:00 What monks fight about (spoiler: it’s hilariously petty and deeply human)

28:07 Why doing the dishes for someone who annoys you can be sanctifying

28:37 The power of apologizing even when you think you're right (short)

32:22 Settlers of Catan and golf carts in the monastery!?

35:51 Three simple ways to make your house more monastic (yes, even with kids running around)

36:26 Deliberately lose your next argument

This episode reminded me that monastic life isn’t about escape, it’s about living with radical intentionality. And that’s something every one of us is called to, whether you’re in a habit or a hoodie.

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Did Jesus really say, “Hate your mother”? It sounds more like a death-metal lyric, right? Nope…those are Jesus’ words in Luke 14.

So what’s up with that? Was He telling us to literally despise our parents? Of course not. But He was making one of the boldest, most shocking points He ever made: our love and loyalty to Him must be so much greater, so much higher, that even your deepest family bond looks like hate in comparison.

In this episode, I dive into this hard of Jesus and explain why love is free but costs you everything. What You’ll Discover:

What “hate your mom” really means (and doesn’t mean)

Why following Jesus will cost you everything and why that's GOOD news.

Why cheap grace can destroy faith and what costly grace really means.

Why you can’t call Jesus a “good teacher” He is either a Lord, a lunatic, or a liar.

The saints that went all in and never looked back

How putting God first doesn’t take away your life, but gives it back to you in fullness.

Jesus’s love is free, but it’ll cost you everything. And when you give Him everything, you discover the only life worth living.

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Come on a pilgrimage and retreat with me in Assisi! https://reallifecatholic.com/pilgrimages/

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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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Help us transform hearts for Jesus! Join the mission and become a monthly donor (A Missionary of JOY!): https://moj.reallifecatholic.com/

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Research links:

https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2019/01/31/are-religious-people-happier-healthier-our-new-global-study-explores-this-question/

https://hfh.fas.harvard.edu/religion-and-divorce

https://www.aau.edu/research-scholarship/featured-research-topics/people-religious-affiliations-live-longer-study-shows

Fr. Juan Gutiérrez’s basketball injury ultimately led to the upcoming canonization of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati! In this episode of The Chris Stefanick Show, I sit down with Fr. Juan Gutiérrez, who experienced something extraordinary: a complete healing of his ruptured Achilles that was officially declared a Vatican-approved miracle and is considered the second miracle needed for the canonization of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati.

Fr. Juan didn’t go looking for a miracle. When he suffered a complete tear of his Achilles tendon while playing basketball with seminarians, his doctor told him there was little chance of recovery without surgery. He turned to prayer, and what happened next left his surgeon speechless and left the Vatican investigating what even medical experts couldn’t explain.

Timestamps:
00:00 Intro

1:36 How a basketball game led to a torn Achilles

6:44 How a made-up novena became the turning point of the story

8:38 Intense heat during prayer—was something on fire?!

12:57 The surgeon's stunned reaction

16:29 Why God cares about the little things

16:55 Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati: The Patron Saint of Ordinary People

18:27 What’s your Achilles heel?

20:46 What’s it like to be a subject of a Vatican Investigation?

29:55 Who was Pier Giorgio Frassatti really!?

33:32 Why are we given miracles?

35:02 From atheist to… Catholic priest!?

So many of us think, “God only steps in for the big stuff.” But Jesus’ first miracle was at a wedding… turning water into wine. Not raising the dead or curing cancer. Why? Simply to save a couple from embarrassment.

Because that’s who He is. A Father who loves the details. A Savior who cares about your daily life. A Friend who meets you in your need, even when the world says it’s too small to matter.

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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

........

Help us transform hearts for Jesus! Join the mission and become a monthly donor (A Missionary of JOY!): https://moj.reallifecatholic.com/

........

The Chris Stefanick Show will soon be premiering on EWTN+ Streaming! You can start watching more great content at: EWTN.com/ondemand/

........

✈️ To learn more about all of Real Life Catholic Pilgrimages, visit: https://reallifecatholic.com/pilgrimages/ ........

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