♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪
♪ ♪ ♪ >> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY,
WELCOME BACK.
I'M PRETTY EXCITED.
MY NEXT GUEST IS A JESUIT PRIEST AND AUTHOR AND EDITOR AT LARGE
OF "AMERICA" MAGAZINE.
HIS LATEST BOOK IS CALLED "LEARNING TO PRAY."
PLEASE WELCOME TO "A LATE SHOW," FATHER JIM MARTIN.
FATHER JIM, GOOD TO SEE YOU.
>> GOOD TO SEE YOU.
>> Stephen: I ASSUME AS A PRIEST YOU ARE WILLING TO
FORGIVE ME FOR BUMPING YOU BEFORE CHRISTMAS, BECAUSE WE HAD
THE BIDENS ON AT THE LAST MINUTE.
>> YES, I GIVE YOU A FULL ABSOLUTION FOR THAT.
>> Stephen: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> YOU'RE WELCOME.
>> Stephen: I INTERVIEWED YOU NINE TIMES OVER "THE COLBERT
REPORT," COMPLETISTS OF STEPHEN■ COLBERT, WE KNOW THAT YOU WERE
THE CHAPLAIN OF COLBERT NATION.
NOW WE'RE ON NETWORK.
DO I NEED TO MAKE YOU AT LEAST MONSIGNOR.
DO WE NEED TO KICK YOU UP TO BISHOP OF THE COLBERT NATION?
WHAT SHALL IT BE.
>> THAT'S A LITTLE GRAND FOR A JESUIT.
CHAPLAIN IS FINE.
>> Stephen: REALLY?
YOU DON'T HAVE ANY DESIRE TO WEAR THE SCARLET OR THE BERETTA
OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT?
>> WE JEZ WITS MAKE A PROMISE NOT TO ASPIRE FOR HIGH OFFICE SO
CHAPLAIN IS JUST GREAT.
>> Stephen: WAIT A SECOND, THAT'S NOT QUITE-- THAT DOESN'T
QUITE PASS THE SMELL TEST.
WE HAVE OUR FIRST JESUIT POPE RIGHT NOW.
AREN'T YOU GUYS DOING A LITTLE BIT OF AN END ZONE DANCE WHEN HE
BECAME THE POPE.
>> HE DOESN'T STRIVE FOR IT.
THAT'S THE JESUIT DISTINCTION THERE.
>> Stephen: I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE NEW BOOK "LEARNING TO
PRAY ."
I ENCOURAGE COULD LEARN A ABOUT PRAYING.
I DESCRIBED MY-- I TOLD YOU WHY I PRAY.
I BELIEVE IN THE NICEST WAY POSSIBLE, YOU DESCRIBED MY
PRAYING AS SOME ACADEMIC.
( LAUGHTER ).
>> I'M SURE I MEANT THAT IN THE BEST POSSIBLE WAY.
>> Stephen: YOU DID, BECAUSE I HAD A "I DID IT!"
YOU'RE LIKE, LOOSEN UP, BABY.
IMPROV.
WHAT ARE SOME DIFFERENT WAYS THAT PEOPLE DON'T CONSIDER
PRAYING.
I KNOW SO MANY PEOPLE IN COVID RIGHT NOW, MANY PEOPLE ARE
TURNING TO THEIR FAITH, AND IT'S VERY FRUSTRATING FOR THEM
BECAUSE OF THE LIMITATIONS OF SOCIAL DISTANCING, PEOPLE DON'T
FEEL COMFORTABLE GOING TO CHURCH.
I'VE BEEN A FEW TIMES, BUT I STILL DO FEEL A LITTLE
UNCOMFORTABLE WHEN I HEAR SOMEBODY COUGHING IN THE-- IN
THE SACRISTY.
>> THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS TO PRAY.
I TALK ABOUT THEM IN MY BOOK.
IT DEPENDS WHO YOU ARE.
THERE IS NO RIGHT WAY TO PRAY.
YOU CAN SAY THERE ARE CONTENT-HEAVY WAYS, AND MORE
MORE CONTENT-LIGHT PRAYER, WHERE YOU IMAGINE YOURSELF IN THE
PRESENCE OF GOD.
IT DEPEND WHERE YOU ARE.
AND ALSO DEPEND ON WHERE YOU ARE IN YOUR LIFE, BECAUSE DIFFERENT
KINDS OF PRAYER CAN APPEAL TO YOU, YOU KNOW, AT DIFFERENT
TIMES OF YOUR LIFE.
>> Stephen: YOU SAID THERE'S NO WRONG WAY TO PRAY.
BUT HAVEN'T THE LAST 2,000 YEARS BEEN, YOU KNOW, REPLETE WITH
BATTLES OVER THE FACT, YOU KNOW, LIKE MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH YOU
AND I BELONG TO FIGHTING WITH PERHAPS OFFSHOOTS OR OTHER GREAT
CHURCHES IN THE WORLD, LIKE THE 1054 WHERE THE GREEKS BROKE UP
BECAUSE WE ADDED THAT TO THE CREED.
THERE ARE FIGHTS OVER THE RIGHT WAY TO PRAY.
LET'S NOT GLOSS OVER HISTORY HERE, JIM.
>> THAT'S TRUE.
AND I AM NOT USED TO HEARING THAT ON LATE NIGHT.
THAT'S PRETTY IMPRESSIVE.
>> Stephen: YOU SHOULD WATCH THE SHOW MORE.
WE TALK ABOUT IT ONCE A WEEK.
>> I THINK THE KEY-- CERTAINLY THERE ARE RELIGIOUS BATTLES --
BUT THE KEY IS THERE IS NO RIGHT OR WRONG WAY TO PRAY, SO WHAT
YOU FEEL DRAWS YOU INTO GOD'S PRESENCE IS FINE.
YOU SHOULDN'T SAY TO SOMEONE, "YOU SHOULDN'T PRAY THE ROSARY."
IT'S WHATEVER SUITS YOU BEST.
IT'S YOUR PERSONALITY.
DIFFERENT KINDS OF PEOPLE LIKE DIFFERENT KIND OF PRAYER AND
THAT'S OKAY.
IT'S LIKE RELATIONSHIPS.
YOU RELATE TO PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
THAT'S OKAY.
IT'S BEING OPEN TO NEW WAYS OF PRAYING AND DIFFERENT WAYS OF
PRAYING.
>> Stephen: IS THERE A SURPRISING WAY OF PRAYING?
DOES PRAYER HAVE TO INCLUDE WORD.
>> NO, I MEAN, OFTENTIMES IT DOESN'T.
OFTENTIMES PEOPLE LIKE TO PRAY JUST IN GOD'S PRESENCE, AND IT'S
WORDLESS, AND THEY FEEL A SENSE OF GOD'S PRESENCE.
FOR EXAMPLE, YOU GO TO THE OCEAN, AND YOU SEE THE SEA
ALMOST AS AN IMAGE OF GOD'S IMMENSITY OR VASTNESS.
I MEAN, THE OCEAN IS NOT GOD, BUT YOU CAN PRAY WITH THOSE KIND
OF IMAGES WHICH IS WORDLESS AND DRAWS YOU INTO A SENSE OF GOD'S
PRESENCE.
>> Stephen: THE OCEAN IS NOT GOD.
I READ "MOBEY DICK."
WE'RE BOTH LIFELONG CATHOLICS, AND YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO GO TO
CHURCH.
YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO RECEIVE COMMUNION AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR.
THAT'S THE RULE.
WHAT ABOUT NOW DURING COVID?
ARE THERE ANY SPECIAL DISPENSATIONS GOING ON OUT
THERE?
>> YES, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE TO MAKE IT, ESPECIALLY IF
THEY'RE ELDERLY OR SICK.
A LOT OF BISHOPS AND EVEN PASTORS HAVE TALKED ABOUT BEING
DISPENSED, THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO IF YOU'RE IN DANGER.
THERE'S A WONDERFUL PRAYER ABOUT SPIRITUAL COMMUNION THAT EVEN IF
YOU DON'T-- EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT THERE PHYSICALLY TO RECEIVE THE
EUCHARIST, THAT YOU HAVE A DESIRE FOR IT, AND I THINK GOD
UNDERSTANDS THAT.
>> Stephen: LET'S TALK ABOUT 2021.
POPE DECLARED THIS YEAR THE YEAR OF ST. JOSEPH.
WHAT'S THE SIGNIFICANCE?
WHY HAS HE GIVEN SAINT JOE THE BIG JOB?
>> HE'S VERY DEVOTED TO JOSEPH, AND I THINK JOSEPH IS THE
PERFECT SAINT FOR THE PANDEMIC.
HE LEADS WHAT THEOLOGIANS CALL THE HIDDEN LIFE.
WE KNOW VERY LITTLE ABOUT JOSEPH, OTHER THAN HE WAS A
CARPENTER.
HE IS GIVEN NO LINES TO SPEAK IN THE NEW TESTAMENT AND HE LEADS A
LIFE OF GREAT SERVICE TO JESUS.
AND WE THINK OF PEOPLE TODAY DURING COVID LEADING HIDDEN
LIVES.
GOD SEES THE SACRIFICES THEY'RE MAKING.
THEY DON'T MAKE THE FRONT PAGES OF THE NEWSPAPER AND THEY'RE
VERY VALUABLE.
I THINK JOSEPH IS A BEAUTIFUL PANDEMIC SAINT IS THERE I LIKE
THE PATRON SAINT OF A HAPPY MARRIAGE-- OF A GOOD MARRIAGE
AND A HAPPY DEATH.
>> AND A HAPPY DEATH, THAT'S RIGHT.
>> Stephen: JESUS ON ONE SIDE, MARY ON THE OTHER.
CAN'T DO MUCH BETTER THAN THAT.
>> YOU CAN'T, RIGHT.
>> Stephen: WE HAVE TO TAKE A QUICK BREAK, BUT WHEN WE COME
BACK, I WILL ASK FATHER MARTIN IF DURING COVID YOU REALLY HAVE
TO GIVE SOMETHING UP.
WE HAVE ALREADY GIVEN SO MUCH UP.