In this lively and deeply reflective episode of The Catholic Experience, the Catholic Adventurer tackles the provocative theme: “God is Real. You Are Not.” Drawing from theology, personal testimony, and real-time audience interaction, I unpack what it means to become “real”—the True version of what God envisioned when he "thought you up", before you came into the world.— shedding the distortions of sin and returning to the person God originally envisioned. But I talk about a lot more than that! See show notes below.
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Major Segments & Flow

1. Intro & Context
   • Lighthearted confession about “fraud podcaster” status (episode meant for Live Sessions).
   • Explanation of the difference between Live Sessions and The Catholic Experience.
   • Push for direct listener connection via CatholicExperience.fm.
2. Main Theme: “You Are Not Real”
   • Theological explanation: God’s perfect idea of you vs. what sin and life’s experiences have shaped.
   • How original sin, personal sin, and life’s hardships distort God’s vision.
   • Holiness as the process of “becoming real” — becoming who God originally thought up.
3. Practical Implications of Holiness
   • The holier you are, the more “real” you feel and the more you experience life differently.
   • How holiness intensifies your joy in good things and sharpens your awareness of what needs to change.
4. Challenges & Analogies
   • The road to sainthood likened to The Lord of the Rings: highs, lows, and being pursued by darkness.
   • The need for perseverance, toughness, and embracing both joy and struggle.
5. Practical Roadmap to Holiness
   • Prayer life, sacraments, Mass attendance, frequent confession.
   • Honest self-assessment of virtues and flaws.
   • Patience with failures while refusing to tolerate sin.
6. Audience Q&A
   • Recognizing and avoiding scrupulosity.
   • How the devil uses both laxity and excess to derail progress.
   • Finding balance between taking yourself too seriously and not seriously enough.
7. Closing Challenge
   • Emphasizing the dignity of the human person — our nature is compatible with God’s.
   • Persevering through the “sticky” process of peeling away sin and distortion.
   • Final encouragement: take yourself seriously because God does, but stay humble.

Brief Show Notes

• Theme: Becoming the person God intended by growing in holiness.
• Key Insight: “The holier you are, the more real you are — and you begin to feel it.”
• Practical Tips:
  • Commit to a prayer life, even if it starts small.
  • Frequent the sacraments, especially confession and the Eucharist.
  • Identify what’s objectively good and bad about yourself; thank God for the good and ask His help to purge the bad.
  • Be patient with failures, but don’t tolerate them.
• Memorable Analogy: The journey to sainthood is like The Lord of the Rings — peril, pursuit, highs, lows, and ultimate victory if you endure.
• Special Moment: Audience question on scrupulosity leads to practical, down-to-earth advice on spiritual balance.

• (00:00) - In troduction of the Episode
• (02:52) - Episode Begins
• (03:22) - Why You're Not Real!
• (06:48) - Being Holy is Being the REAL Y ou
• (08:28) - Engagement Spreads the Truth
• (10:23) - How to Become REAL
• (10:55) - Your "HOLY" Is Unique
• (13:09) - TikTok is 'Tripping"
• (14:22) - The Recipe for Real-ness
• (14:48) - "Lord, Make me Holy"
• (15:33) - Lord of the Rings is a Saints Story
• (17:45) - Pursuit is Hard. Surrender is Easy
• (21:01) - Checking in with the Chat
• (24:33) - Tips for Your Journey
• (30:35) - Why is Being a Saint "Easy" but "Hard"?
• (31:40) - You Have to be TOUGH! We React to Peril
• (34:00) - Scrupulosity, and Self-Sabotage
• (37:00) - Devil Tempts to Excess, and Laxity
• (39:51) - Find Balance, not Extremes
• (41:00) - Surrender - The Challenge of Catholicism
• (45:08) - Amazing Value of Humanity: You UNDERESTIMATE Yourself