Latest / Why I Believe / Marianne Callaghan: When God Answers in Real Time

Transcript

Marianne Callaghan: When God Answers in Real Time · Why I Believe

• 0:01
  Hello and welcome back to Why I Believe.
• 0:03
  I'm your host Michelle Von Ruden and today's guest is my friend Maryann Callahan.
• 0:08
  Maryann, can you please introduce yourself?
• 0:10
  Yeah, hi Michelle.
• 0:11
  Thank you so much for having me on today.
• 0:13
  um My name is Mary Ann Callahan.
• 0:16
  I have been uh Catholic my whole life.
• 0:20
  I um am married.
• 0:22
  uh I've been married for almost 23 years and I have two kids who are 21 and 20.
• 0:29
  And em I have worked in ministry in the Catholic Church since I graduated from college in 1998.
• 0:36
  So, well now everybody knows how old I am too.
• 0:38
  So.
• 0:42
  Yeah, so you said that you are working in the church.
• 0:45
  So what do you do for the church?
• 0:47
  I am the director of faith formation.
• 0:50
  So I am uh in charge of the faith formation for kindergartners through confirmation, which we celebrate in our diocese, um usually around sophomore year.
• 1:00
  But the great thing is we have so many kids that maybe their families have been away.
• 1:05
  And so they're celebrating it a little bit later.
• 1:08
  They're coming back.
• 1:08
  So better late than never.
• 1:10
  And so we have juniors and seniors, too, but it's a two year process.
• 1:13
  But usually it wraps up around sophomore year.
• 1:16
  I'm in charge of baptisms in our parish.
• 1:19
  So making sure that when couples come in, they are mentored and um just have a good positive experience in the church and so that they feel comfortable and want to keep
• 1:31
  coming back.
• 1:34
  And then I just kind of dabble in all different kinds of things like we're running alpha in our parish and loving that.
• 1:41
  just
• 1:42
  Anything that is education related, I kind of have my fingers in.
• 1:48
  yeah.
• 1:50
  Yeah.
• 1:51
  So faith formation is the way that we do it at our parishes.
• 1:55
  So I work at two parishes, as you know, St.
• 1:58
  Raymond's and St.
• 1:59
  Mary's.
• 1:59
  And the way that we do it is really a whole family ah experience because I think we have seen the results of people that maybe just were dropped off.
• 2:12
  once a week for their CCD, as we called it.
• 2:16
  And, um you know, they just weren't learning as much.
• 2:20
  I mean, great content and God bless all those catechists who worked with those kiddos, but we have learned um and we are seeing the fruits from the family experience really being a
• 2:34
  beneficial way to study together, to learn together.
• 2:36
  Because when the family, the parents are learning too, then it is more likely to
• 2:42
  be passed down to the kids.
• 2:43
  And that's what we want.
• 2:44
  know, the parents are the primary educators of the faith as St.
• 2:48
  John Paul II said.
• 2:49
  And so we need the parents to be educated too.
• 2:52
  So faith formation really in all the years, our goal is to have the kids really understand scripture, understand um the catechism, what the Catholic Church teaches, um understand
• 3:08
  the moral.
• 3:08
  uh
• 3:10
  component of faith.
• 3:11
  um You know, all of those kinds of things, just have them really rooted in knowledge of the faith so that they can see the beauty, the truth in it, and then want to share that
• 3:22
  with their own family as they grow up.
• 3:25
  Yeah, and I gotta say, I love that family aspect.
• 3:27
  we, before we moved to St.
• 3:28
  Raymond's Parish, we were at a different parish where they did CCD, and I agree with you.
• 3:31
  I don't think the kids were getting a lot out of it, right?
• 3:34
  Going straight from school to church and then on top of all the other things they were doing.
• 3:39
  So I think the family aspect is very nice.
• 3:42
  And that's one of the reasons why we chose to go to St.
• 3:44
  Raymond's.
• 3:44
  Well, and I love the community aspect of it too, because then, you know, when the parents feel connected to other parents there, then they want to keep coming back.
• 3:53
  And it just has a real casual community.
• 3:56
  You know, let's sit and have some food together.
• 3:59
  Let's learn together.
• 4:00
  Let's pray together.
• 4:00
  It's just a good, good environment, I think.
• 4:04
  true.
• 4:05
  It really helps to build that community.
• 4:07
  I think that's one of the things that we all need, especially when we're walking through these times, is community.
• 4:12
  without a doubt.
• 4:14
  You mentioned another program that I think uh we should highlight here, and you mentioned Alpha.
• 4:20
  Yeah, so can you tell us what Alpha is all about and why it was important for you to bring it to the church?
• 4:24
  Sure, actually, it was through the inspiration of somebody else who was, she was on retreat, a parishioner at St.
• 4:32
  Raymond's.
• 4:34
  And um she just was feeling really inspired after hearing multiple testimonies about Alpha to bring it to St.
• 4:43
  Raymond's.
• 4:44
  So Alpha was uh started, gosh, I should know this.
• 4:48
  Is it 20 years ago now?
• 4:50
  um Well, somewhere around there.
• 4:54
  And really it was to bring people who are totally unchurched, totally unaware of who Jesus is, why he came to earth, why he came to save us, all those kinds of things.
• 5:07
  It was to try to bring them in to Christianity.
• 5:13
  And so um Julie, who was inspired with this idea, brought it to me and I'm like, this sounds great.
• 5:20
  so, because we know we have our people that come
• 5:24
  to mass every Sunday, but maybe they didn't learn a lot of this stuff growing up.
• 5:30
  You know, as we discussed, there might've been some flaws in the system before.
• 5:35
  And God bless these people who keep coming back every Sunday, but maybe they don't exactly know everything about Jesus and a relationship with him and everything like that.
• 5:45
  And so this was a forum in which we could discuss this and hopefully bring some people in who knew nothing.
• 5:52
  about the faith.
• 5:53
  Now, our experience this year is we have 50 people in our small parish, we have 50 people signed up for Alpha.
• 6:01
  And pretty much everybody is well-churched in this group.
• 6:06
  But what we, our goal is to have everybody reach out and grab somebody.
• 6:11
  What we, that is our mission.
• 6:13
  We have been sent on mission to bring people to Jesus.
• 6:16
  And so now that we know what Alpha is after going through it,
• 6:21
  Or as you know, we're in the process of it.
• 6:23
  Once we're done, let's go out and invite everybody that we can find who needs to know this message.
• 6:29
  And we're going to be equipped with the tools to do that.
• 6:32
  Yeah, that's awesome.
• 6:33
  And I think, like you said, you know, I'm so I'm part of the program.
• 6:35
  I'm doing Alpha.
• 6:36
  And I think it's great because even the people that are in my small group, we're still learning.
• 6:41
  We're still learning from each other.
• 6:43
  We're learning from the videos because we're not going to know it all.
• 6:46
  We're not made to know it all.
• 6:48
  But being able to have the answers for somebody else who might ask a question is really helpful.
• 6:53
  Absolutely.
• 6:54
  And as you mentioned, community, and it's another, it's just another one of those events.
• 6:59
  We know that community is so incredibly important.
• 7:04
  I was reading a stat last night about how many people came into the church at the Easter vigil.
• 7:09
  And this article was written by a bishop and he was saying the number one component to bringing people in is community.
• 7:19
  It is uh accompaniment and it's,
• 7:22
  a friend who reaches out and brings that friend into community.
• 7:27
  And I was like, yep, that's right.
• 7:29
  That's totally on the mark.
• 7:32
  Yeah, that's awesome.
• 7:34
  So you've been working at the church, you have the kids.
• 7:38
  Is your life easy though?
• 7:39
  I mean, I think sometimes people think that when we become a person of faith and we do all these things and we're involved with the church, that life is just going to be smooth
• 7:47
  sailing.
• 7:48
  That's a great question, Michelle, because I think what we learn is that um life is easier in one respect, in that we have focus and we have hope.
• 8:02
  We have hope in Jesus.
• 8:04
  So in that respect, yes, but that does not mean that we don't have our struggles, our challenges, our crosses.
• 8:11
  And in fact, um I remember talking to a priest friend recently, like,
• 8:18
  Why are things getting harder?
• 8:20
  Why do I have so many crosses?
• 8:22
  Like one after another.
• 8:25
  And he said, he was like, you know, because God knows that you can handle it.
• 8:30
  And he really, our time here on earth is trying to perfect ourselves so that we can get to heaven.
• 8:36
  And so these challenges, these crosses that are coming our way are helping me for eternity.
• 8:43
  once I kind of, I knew that.
• 8:46
  But once I actually heard it, it helped me shift my perspective, like, okay, this is lovingly given to me by God so that I can do the work that I need to get to heaven.
• 8:59
  Yeah.
• 8:59
  So what are some of those challenges that you face?
• 9:02
  they in your everyday walking the faith or are they bigger?
• 9:05
  What does that look like for you?
• 9:07
  I would say not necessarily walking the faith at this point because, um excuse me.
• 9:18
  Sorry about that, Michelle.
• 9:20
  I just got so excited.
• 9:21
  um I was actually on my way to work this morning.
• 9:25
  I was just talking to my friend about this, that um I did the consecration to the blessed mother.
• 9:33
  at the Feast of the Annunciation two years ago.
• 9:35
  So that would have been March 25th of 2024.
• 9:41
  yeah, absolutely.
• 9:44
  So Father Michael Gately put together a mini retreat, a 33 day mini retreat that you just do at home based on the writings and the life of St.
• 9:58
  Louis de Montfort, who was the first one to come up with a consecration to the Blessed Mother.
• 10:03
  So at St.
• 10:03
  Louis de Montfort, St.
• 10:04
  Maximilian Colby, Mother St.
• 10:07
  Teresa of Calcutta, Mother Teresa, and St.
• 10:10
  John Paul the Great or John Paul the Second, one of my all time faves.
• 10:14
  All of them actually are some of my all time faves.
• 10:16
  And so what a consecration is, is really giving yourself to Mary so that she can bring you closer to Jesus.
• 10:25
  And the fact of the matter is it works.
• 10:29
  I was telling my friend this morning, I'm like, I tried everything in the book to do it on my own to get closer to Jesus.
• 10:36
  But when I gave myself to the Blessed Mother, that's when she took the reins and she just kept bringing me, keeps bringing me closer and closer and closer to him.
• 10:45
  So I would say I don't have, I have a pretty good perspective on faith now, thanks to the Blessed Mother and how she's shown me her son.
• 10:56
  But it has not always been that way.
• 10:58
  We have definitely had some struggles uh along the way.
• 11:02
  My husband is the youngest of 11.
• 11:06
  And I have been a mom since I was born.
• 11:10
  I really, like I just, I remember I dated somebody in college who told me I reminded him of the mom from home improvement.
• 11:18
  And I'm like, that's not.
• 11:20
  great.
• 11:20
  ah But I think I just always have been a mom, you know, and I planned on having a ton of kids.
• 11:27
  And that didn't happen.
• 11:28
  That was not in God's plan for me.
• 11:31
  And that was very difficult, very, very difficult.
• 11:37
  I had, we had our son, and then a year later, we had our daughter, and that pregnancy was fraught with trouble.
• 11:45
  She is such a blessing for being here.
• 11:47
  Well, our son too, but I
• 11:50
  my body was not dealing with the pregnancy well at all.
• 11:53
  And then I couldn't have any children after that.
• 11:56
  um so multiple miscarriages, a stillbirth, you know, so it was very, very hard, uh very much a struggle.
• 12:06
  But at the same time, my husband and I also attribute our faith so much to getting through that struggle and the hope that God gave us because
• 12:18
  That was a very dark time and it was years of it.
• 12:21
  It was very, very hard to get through, but then we did get through it.
• 12:26
  And we felt this joy almost.
• 12:29
  I know that sounds weird because how do you get joy from that?
• 12:32
  But it was just more in the peace of knowing that God was with us and that we are our gift, our life here on earth is a gift and God gave us this gift and we have our two
• 12:44
  children and we just need to.
• 12:46
  do the best that we can on earth with those two kids.
• 12:50
  And so I think it was kind of a gradual and in all of a sudden moment for us, if that makes any sense, because then we just felt peace and it was amazing.
• 13:03
  and you know, things with, my husband has a family business and with that always comes lots of challenges, amazing times, know, exciting things with it.
• 13:15
  But it comes with challenges too.
• 13:16
  And we are so grateful that we have our faith to get us through to lean on that and to just help us with those crosses that we have along the way.
• 13:27
  Yeah.
• 13:28
  Well, I'm truly sorry for your loss.
• 13:30
  You know, I know that's not easy to talk about, but I also, you know, kind of think that was coming into my head was that, you are a mother of a lot of children because you are
• 13:37
  helping with the faith for how many kids that come through the programs every year.
• 13:42
  That is really sweet of you to say that, Michelle.
• 13:44
  I love, I am grateful every day for the job that I get to do.
• 13:49
  I don't know how, and it's amazing how it started too.
• 13:53
  I was not even going to be in this role.
• 13:56
  Talk about God guiding me where I needed to go.
• 13:59
  um I was a physical therapy major in college and I did all my hours of observation.
• 14:06
  like, this is so boring.
• 14:08
  I wanted to be in physical therapy because I was an athlete and I was in physical therapy plenty and I loved what my PT did for me.
• 14:16
  But then I looked at all the paperwork that had to be done and I was like, that's so not for me.
• 14:20
  I am not that kind of person.
• 14:23
  And I remember it was oh the Christmas break of my senior year.
• 14:30
  And I was like, what am I going to do?
• 14:31
  Cause I was already like into the master's program in PT.
• 14:36
  And I like, you know what?
• 14:36
  I love my theology classes.
• 14:38
  Like I really love, like they were really resonating with me.
• 14:42
  I was obviously in a Catholic uh university.
• 14:47
  truthfully, Michelle, at that point, my faith was a part of my life.
• 14:51
  I went to mass every Sunday.
• 14:53
  I was a good girl, but it wasn't planted in me.
• 14:56
  You know what I mean?
• 14:56
  Like it wasn't, I didn't know how to use it.
• 14:59
  I didn't know.
• 15:00
  I just knew what I should and shouldn't do basically.
• 15:04
  But I loved my theology classes.
• 15:06
  I loved learning about Jesus in a different way.
• 15:08
  I loved all the different aspects.
• 15:10
  So then my second semester of senior year, I dropped out of PT and took all theology classes, um which was really interesting, a lot of reading, loved it.
• 15:23
  But then I was like, this is what I want to do.
• 15:25
  And that's when I started, I graduated um and then started working um for the church.
• 15:32
  and haven't stopped since.
• 15:34
  And so I'm just grateful.
• 15:35
  This all goes back to your comment about me being a mother to a lot of children.
• 15:39
  That is my favorite part of the job is interacting with these families.
• 15:43
  just, you know, most of the week I'm behind my computer and doing all that.
• 15:47
  But then when I get to be with the families, I'm thrilled.
• 15:50
  I love it.
• 15:51
  And I feel so blessed that I get to do it.
• 15:56
  I think it's interesting, one of the things that you said was that you knew the faith, you had the faith, but it almost sounded like you didn't own it, right?
• 16:04
  Like you didn't have that relationship.
• 16:06
  And I've heard that from a lot of people that grew up in a church, whether it's a Catholic church, a Lutheran church, it doesn't matter, but they've all inherited their faith, as
• 16:14
  one of my guests said, they inherited their faith, and at some point they had to actually make that choice.
• 16:19
  And it sounds like you made that choice that developed and deepened that relationship in college.
• 16:25
  I would say it started academically, really.
• 16:27
  I love learning, so I was eating up everything that I could.
• 16:32
  And I think it was just, this is the plan that God had for me, so I am grateful for that, but I wish I understood the relationship aspect way back when, like 28 years ago when I
• 16:47
  started doing this.
• 16:48
  that wasn't...
• 16:51
  but that wasn't the road that I was supposed to take yet.
• 16:54
  And so it has been a gradual thing.
• 16:56
  And I will tell you what helped a lot was just growing up and life experiences and probably, you know, being married, having children, that really helped me too in
• 17:10
  understanding that love, like that deep, profound love and like the love that I have for my husband and for my kids doesn't even touch the love that God has for us.
• 17:20
  So I think
• 17:21
  once I could start processing that, then it's like, whoa, you know, that's when that relationship really kicked in.
• 17:29
  But I'm grateful that it did happen eventually, because I've been able to share that with my kids, that relationship aspect of, you know, really forming that with Jesus, having
• 17:41
  that in, I want to stop saying relationship, but you know what I mean?
• 17:45
  Like,
• 17:46
  I can learn from my experiences and share that with my kids so that hopefully they can start a little bit earlier than I have.
• 17:54
  your kids are already following in your footsteps, right?
• 17:56
  They're going to the same um school that you went to and all of that,
• 18:00
  Actually, I went to um Marquette University and my kids go to St.
• 18:04
  Norbert College.
• 18:05
  Yeah.
• 18:06
  Yeah.
• 18:07
  And but they're very, they're very engaged.
• 18:10
  They love their faith and um they're just little evangelists.
• 18:14
  just, I'm really proud of, proud of them and, their desire to share the faith with their friends and people that they meet and people who need the faith.
• 18:23
  You know, when you see somebody struggling, um
• 18:26
  That's when you want to reach out and let them know about the faith.
• 18:30
  Yeah, for sure.
• 18:31
  And I think that's really the turning point for some people is when they're struggling, they either turn towards or turn away.
• 18:37
  Right.
• 18:38
  And I think having somebody to help guide them helps.
• 18:41
  Yeah, for sure.
• 18:42
  That's, you're absolutely right.
• 18:46
  So you had mentioned to me that there was kind of an answered prayer just recently, a couple weeks ago, for you and your family.
• 18:55
  Do you want to share that with us and the circumstances behind it?
• 18:58
  absolutely.
• 18:59
  um So I was talking about how I just totally rely on the Blessed Mother.
• 19:07
  know, she is, she's my go-to lady to take me to Jesus.
• 19:11
  And um I was in adoration.
• 19:14
  So adoration for Catholics is where the Blessed Sacrament is exposed on the altar.
• 19:20
  So it's a consecrated, the Eucharist, right?
• 19:23
  So.
• 19:24
  is present right there on the altar and we get to spend that time.
• 19:27
  We believe that Jesus is present in that Eucharist, not just a symbol, He is right there.
• 19:33
  And so I go to adoration every Monday and I get to sit there with Jesus and just tell Him about my day, tell Him about my week, ah praise Him, thank Him, ask Him for what I need,
• 19:43
  tell Him I'm sorry for what I've done and all those kinds of things.
• 19:45
  Well, this particular Monday, a couple of weeks ago, I was talking to the Blessed Mother to...
• 19:52
  And I'm like, Mary, I need you to give something to your son.
• 19:56
  I, uh, I just want Patrick to have peace.
• 19:59
  So baseball had been really particularly troubling for him.
• 20:06
  Um, he is a great player who loves the sport.
• 20:12
  I can't even tell you how much he loves the sport of baseball.
• 20:15
  And it just wasn't, it was looking like it wasn't going to be a good fit this season.
• 20:22
  And I had been really praying, praying, praying about it.
• 20:25
  And I told her, I asked him, I didn't tell Mary, I asked her to please take, take this to Jesus and just to, to, let Patrick know that she was with him and that she loves him and
• 20:39
  that she's, she's taken care of him and holding onto him.
• 20:43
  And cause she's, she can be his mother when I can't be there for him.
• 20:47
  Right.
• 20:48
  And so I get a call that night from Patrick.
• 20:52
  And he's like, mom, had to let you know, I just stepped out of adoration.
• 20:55
  So he was at adoration at school.
• 20:58
  Did you know that he was also an adoration?
• 21:01
  No, well yeah, because they both actually go Monday nights.
• 21:04
  They have adoration and confession and they both generally go on Monday nights.
• 21:08
  But I had not told him about my prayer to the Blessed Mother.
• 21:11
  Like I spent the whole hour talking to her, right?
• 21:13
  And so um he calls me, like, I just had to step out of adoration and tell you that the Blessed Mother told me that she's taking care of me and I'm going to be okay no matter
• 21:25
  what happens.
• 21:26
  I'll be okay.
• 21:27
  And she brought me such peace.
• 21:29
  He's like, no matter what happens, I'm going to be fine.
• 21:32
  And I was like, I mean, I instantly started crying, of course, because I'm like, holy cow, Patrick, my prayers went from Eau Claire up to heaven and straight down to De Pere.
• 21:42
  Like, that's amazing how that worked out.
• 21:46
  And I mean, she delivered that message, but God bless him, his ears were open, you know, and so in his heart.
• 21:52
  And so he heard that message.
• 21:54
  And I'll tell you, he stopped playing baseball and has not regretted it for one second.
• 21:59
  We thought that was gonna be a really difficult decision, because it's been so much a part of his life.
• 22:04
  He says every day, I have so much peace.
• 22:06
  I have so much peace.
• 22:08
  And we just, yeah, we give it to the blessed mother because she has been taking care of him.
• 22:14
  She told him she wouldn't, she has, you know?
• 22:16
  I mean, it's really beautiful.
• 22:19
  It's amazing.
• 22:21
  Yeah.
• 22:23
  You said two key things that I don't want people to miss.
• 22:25
  You said that Patrick had his ears open and his heart open.
• 22:30
  And I think when we don't, when we're closed off or we're not listening or we won't hear, that's when we can't get the messages, right?
• 22:39
  So people are like, well, he's the Holy Spirit doesn't talk to me or God doesn't talk to me or right.
• 22:45
  I almost want to say like, well, are you listening?
• 22:48
  Right.
• 22:50
  I think that comes with practice, you know, it's just like we're sports family, right?
• 22:55
  So um we are used to going to practice, putting in the time, you got to put in the time, you got to put in the energy.
• 23:01
  And it's the same with keeping your ears and heart open.
• 23:06
  You need to read scripture.
• 23:08
  You need to see how God is speaking through the word.
• 23:13
  You need to work on that relationship with Jesus because if you're not
• 23:18
  I mean, it's just like a relationship with a friend.
• 23:21
  If you're not working on it, that relationship fails, right?
• 23:24
  And so you need to put in the time and effort and to the point where all of sudden it's second nature, where you're just talking and then you just sit and have a little quiet and
• 23:35
  you hear that answer.
• 23:38
  But you need to dedicate some time through prayer, through scripture, for Catholics, for going to the sacraments, you know?
• 23:46
  when you can go to confession and just get rid of all of that sin, all that stuff that's clogging it up.
• 23:52
  I always tell the kids it's like a clogged drain.
• 23:54
  And then, you know, because we're human and we sin and we do dumb things and, but God is there in the sacrament of confession to clear that up.
• 24:03
  So our pathways are open and we can have that communication line as clear as can be, you know, and unclog that drain.
• 24:12
  So it takes effort, but like I said, then once you get through it,
• 24:16
  Once you keep working on it, becomes second nature to offer up that prayer and then hear a response.
• 24:22
  Yeah, that's beautiful.
• 24:23
  So if there's somebody out there listening today who maybe doesn't have that relationship, it's like, OK, maybe I want to start toying with the idea of having a relationship.
• 24:31
  Where should they start?
• 24:33
  That's a great question.
• 24:34
  Gosh, I always say like.
• 24:40
  That's interesting going from that aspect because I'm in the business of sending people out to find those people.
• 24:46
  So then it's like, well, what do we do with those people that want to start learning?
• 24:49
  It's hard when you pick up scripture, although like it is an essential and a vital part of of your formation.
• 24:58
  But where do you start?
• 24:59
  You know, where do you start in the Bible?
• 25:00
  Where how does that go?
• 25:03
  So I would say if you have a friend to talk to that, you know, of, hey, you know, this person seems to me be
• 25:09
  to live with joy.
• 25:10
  Maybe I want to find out how this person did it.
• 25:14
  What was this person's journey?
• 25:15
  Because I think if you're accompanied, if you walk with somebody, then you can walk that path just a little bit easier.
• 25:22
  But if you don't have somebody in your life who can help you and guide you and share their story, I would just start by talking to God a little bit every day.
• 25:31
  Just talk to God.
• 25:33
  God, I'm here.
• 25:33
  You know, just tell.
• 25:35
  This is what I tell.
• 25:36
  work with, I have this
• 25:37
  small group of high school girls that I work with, and you assume that kids know how to pray, right?
• 25:44
  Well, they need to be told, tell God about your day.
• 25:48
  Just let them know what you're going through.
• 25:50
  Let them know the great things.
• 25:51
  Let them know the tough things.
• 25:53
  Let them know your challenges.
• 25:54
  Let them know what you're thankful for.
• 25:57
  And where do you need help, you know?
• 25:59
  And so, um something I love to do too, I may be going on a little bit too much,
• 26:05
  But at the end of the day, taking an inventory.
• 26:09
  You know, the daily examine that was brought to us by St.
• 26:11
  Ignatius of Loyola, where you just assess your day.
• 26:16
  What was awesome?
• 26:17
  What was terrible?
• 26:18
  oh What can I thank God for?
• 26:21
  And what can I do better tomorrow?
• 26:24
  Just start by talking to God about all those things, just letting Him into your day a little bit at a time, and then it can start growing and growing.
• 26:32
  I would say, ah
• 26:35
  If you're Catholic, go to mass on Sunday.
• 26:37
  See what it's all about.
• 26:39
  Receive the Eucharist because when you have Jesus coming to you, I was the sponsor for two women coming into the church at the Easter vigil.
• 26:50
  And for one of them in particular that the experience of, first of all, because the confirmation happened first and a father putting her hands on her head and the Holy Spirit
• 27:00
  coming to her brought her to tears.
• 27:04
  until she received the Eucharist.
• 27:06
  I mean, that whole time, it was so overwhelming and so powerful.
• 27:09
  And she was so aware that the Holy Spirit was coming to her and that she was receiving Jesus in the Eucharist.
• 27:15
  And it was so beautiful to watch, so incredible.
• 27:19
  And so I would say go to Mass.
• 27:21
  If you're Protestant, Christian, whatever, get to a service, go on Sunday, be part of a community, connect that way.
• 27:31
  But, you know, I would say start by praying.
• 27:34
  find community and God will find his way to you.
• 27:38
  He's always standing there ready to open that door.
• 27:42
  You just have to knock.
• 27:44
  It's beautiful.
• 27:45
  Thank you so much for sharing that.
• 27:46
  think that's really helpful that you went into detail on some of these things that are common knowledge to the Catholic faith, but maybe not to everybody.
• 27:53
  So thank you so much for that.
• 27:56
  And as we end our time here today, I do want to ask you what I've asked all my guests so far.
• 27:59
  What is your favorite Bible verse?
• 28:02
  What are you living right now?
• 28:04
  There are so many.
• 28:06
  My favorite Bible story is the wedding feast at Cana, probably for obvious reasons, because you know my love and devotion to the Blessed Mother.
• 28:14
  And I mean, it's just such a beautiful reminder that Jesus listens to his mother.
• 28:20
  um But I would say my favorite Bible verse is from Jeremiah.
• 28:27
  And it's the one for I know the plans that I have for you.
• 28:30
  um
• 28:32
  Can I read it?
• 28:33
  Let me find it here in my Bible if I can read it to you, because I can.
• 28:36
  that's perfect.
• 28:38
  For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the Lord.
• 28:42
  Plans for your welfare, not for woe.
• 28:45
  Plans to give you a future full of hope.
• 28:48
  That's Jeremiah 29, 11, my absolute fave.
• 28:52
  Love it, love it.
• 28:53
  Thank you so much for being here today.
• 28:55
  I truly appreciate your time, Ariane.
• 28:57
  Michelle, thank you.
• 28:58
  Thank you for the amazing work that you are doing.
• 29:00
  God bless you.