♪ ♪ ♪ >> 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.