The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert

Episode: Father James Martin (Extended)
Date: February 7, 2026

Episode Overview

In this extended interview, Stephen Colbert welcomes longtime friend and frequent guest Father James Martin, S.J.—bestselling author, podcaster, and editor-at-large at America magazine. The conversation centers on faith during turbulent times, Father Martin’s new memoir (“Work in Progress: Confessions of a Busboy, Dishwasher, Caddy, Usher, Factory Worker, Bank Teller, Corporate Tool, and Priest”), and the human side of spirituality—including humor in religion and the value of humility. The tone is warm, witty, and insightful, with vulnerability and laughter in equal measure.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Turning to Faith in Troubled Times

• Biblical Comfort:
  • Stephen opens by noting the chaotic and "heartbreaking" state of the country, asking what scripture brings Father Martin comfort in such moments.
  • Father Martin turns to the Resurrection:

    “...the resurrection shows us that, you know, hope is never dead and nothing is impossible with God. So I go back to the resurrection all the time.” — Father James Martin [02:16]

• Doubting Apostle:
  • When Stephen wonders where he’d have landed as a disciple, Martin responds:

    “I would have been like, Thomas. I believe that I need to see it.” — Father James Martin [02:34]

  • Stephen jokes that he'd have feared getting swept up in the crowd (“Free Barabbas!”), illustrating the complexity and humility in faith.

Meeting the New Pope and Church Inclusiveness

• Meeting Pope Leo XIV:
  • Colbert admires Martin’s recent meeting with the new American Pope, Leo XIV, and asks about their topics.
  • Martin shares they discussed ministry to LGBTQ Catholics:

    “The message I got from him was that he's confused Pope Francis’ mission and message of welcome and inclusion, and he wanted that to be broadcast now.” — Father James Martin [03:45]

• Papal Guest Aspirations:
  • Stephen reveals a wish to have the Pope on his show, which Father Martin affirms would make a “very good guest” and jokes,

    “He has a lot to say... He’s pretty holy.” — Father James Martin [04:27]

Lessons from Humble Work and Vocation

• Memoir ‘Work in Progress’:
  • Stephen reads the humorous subtitle of Martin’s memoir and asks what job most shaped him.
  • Martin credits busboy/dishwasher work:

    “I learned how not to treat people because I was treated poorly...when you’re mistreated, you say to yourself, ‘I’ll never treat someone like that.’ So I learned a lot about just kindness and humility and, you know, not being mean.” — Father James Martin [05:12]

• Skill with Humility:
  • Martin mentions his dishwashing skills came in handy even as a Jesuit novice:

    “When I was a Jesuit novice, people actually said to me, ‘You wash dishes very well.’ And I said, ‘I’m a professional.’” — Father James Martin [05:43]

• Ashtrays and 1970s Childhood:
  • Father Martin displays an ashtray he made in Cub Scouts:

    “And so for 50, 60 years, my parents had that, and they would stub their cigarettes out of my face.” — Father James Martin (joking about childhood keepsakes) [06:21]

Discovering a Calling

• The Jesuit Vocation:
  • Martin explains the Jesuit order’s vows and educational legacy.
  • On his own path, he recounts being uninspired at GE and discovering Thomas Merton via television:

    “The documentary I saw was so compelling, it really prompted me to think about changing my life. And I read his autobiography and, you know, one step led to another, and in a couple months I was in the Jesuits.” — Father James Martin [07:32]

Identity and Merton’s “False Self”

• Value Beyond Achievement:
  • Stephen quotes Merton’s “Seven Storey Mountain” on disguising oneself in achievements; Martin agrees, connecting it to his business career:

    “I was trying to pretend that I was a corporate executive and that I really liked it...but it just wasn’t me. And eventually you have to be your true self. Which was a great insight from Merton, which really helped me out a lot.” — Father James Martin [08:13]

Faith and Humor

• Jesus’ Sense of Humor:
  • Colbert laments the lack of humor in the Gospels and asks if Father Martin sees evidence of Jesus joking.

    “If he’s fully human...he has a fully human sense of humor...in Aramaic, camel and gnat are gamla and galmah...it’s a little like wordplay. It's a pun. And you think the disciples must have said, ‘Oh, that's pretty good, you know,’ but we miss the heat...he must have had a sense of humor because he's fully human.” — Father James Martin [08:59]

• Memorable Riff:
  • Colbert describes Peter trying to walk on water as a Wile E. Coyote gag:

    “I'm doing it. And then he looks down and sees the rough waters and he goes, pew. Like Wile E. Coyote, right?” — Stephen Colbert [10:05]

  • They agree Jesus must have at least smiled.
• The Butt of the Joke:
  • Colbert jokes about comedy being at someone’s expense:

    “Am I going to hell, Jim?” — Stephen Colbert [10:49]
    “We live in hope.” — Father James Martin [10:50]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Hope:
  “Hope is never dead and nothing is impossible with God.”
  — Father James Martin [02:16]

• On Humility and Service:
  “Should work in service for a while.”
  — Stephen Colbert [05:10]

• On the Pope as a Guest:
  “He’s no Jim Martin, but he’s pretty good.”
  — Stephen Colbert [04:22]

• On the Call to Vocation:
  “One step led to another, and in a couple months I was in the Jesuits.”
  — Father James Martin [07:36]

• On Identity and Self:
  “Eventually you have to be your true self.”
  — Father James Martin [08:20]

• On Humor in the Gospels:
  “In Aramaic, camel and gnat are gamla and galmah...it’s a pun.”
  — Father James Martin [09:00]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:00] – Finding hope in the Resurrection
• [03:30] – Meeting Pope Leo XIV and ministry to LGBTQ Catholics
• [05:00] – Lessons from working menial jobs
• [06:49] – What it means to be a Jesuit
• [07:02] – Inspiration from Thomas Merton
• [08:00] – Conversation on Merton’s “false self”
• [08:59] – Humor and wordplay in the Gospels
• [10:05] – Comic take on Peter walking on water
• [10:49] – “Am I going to hell, Jim?” / “We live in hope.”

Summary Flow and Tone

The conversation is candid and playful, blending spiritual wisdom with Stephen’s signature humor. Father Martin shares personal stories and theological insights with warmth and self-deprecation, while Colbert navigates between reverent inquiry and irreverent jokes. Listeners receive an accessible, heartfelt meditation on faith, humility, and the ways both laughter and hardship shape a meaningful spiritual life.

For those who haven’t listened, this episode is a rich, soul-searching yet laugh-filled exchange about vocation, imperfection, hope, and finding the divine in daily life’s highs and lows.