My question is, how do we find balance with other family members that aren't Catholic
without our Catholic faith, but not to extremes where it comes off too strong?
Cade, I tell you, this is such an important question, my friend. And, I always,
whenever I get asked this question a lot - and I always - I know Matt hates when I do this,
so I'm sorry, Matt - but I'm going to do it again if you're listening.
But my old friend Matt Dula, who helped me into the Catholic faith, he sponsored me, in fact,
about 150 years ago. But I use him as an example because Matt, to me was that - I'm sorry,
I'm going to use the word - the perfect the perfect apostle in this sense. He was
a great guy. I think the first thing that really attracted me to Matt Dula is he was a good Marine.
He was a good guy. He was to work on time. Right. Right. He you know, he was a sharp Marine. He was
a good guy. A friendly guy. The guy you wanted to just hang out with, have a beer while I didn't
drink beer yet, he would help me there, too. But seriously, I mean, that to me a friend must show
himself friendly. The first thing we have to be are good people. And that's what I tried to do.
Now I messed up many times when I evangelized my family, Cade. I tried to reach them where they
were at. Now I messed up at times, and each one of my family members were very, very different.
My brother Terry and I used to fight. Oh, my gosh. We would go at it. You know,
But it was respectful. I mean, we never threw punches very much, you know? No, I'm kidding.
Yeah, we got a little intense there. But what I tried to do
is minister to everybody where they are. And I think that's the most important thing
because people have to see that you love them and there is nothing.
Were you ever heard the saying it was popular when I was Protestant years ago,
But there's nothing worse than a half-full Christian trying to overflow. Oh. Oh, you know.
Yeah. It just means when somebody just comes on so strong all the time,
it often betrays their own lack in their own life, their own insecurity, their,
you know, it comes off as angry, it comes off as disordered and whatnot.
But, you know, you look at Jesus and how Jesus approached the Samaritan woman at the well,
there's the master. And how does he start to think about it? What did Jesus do? He came down
to the Samaritan woman at the well and he said, Hello, Samaritan woman at the well, I'm God,
How are you? By the way, I'm the second person on the blessed Trinity relationally distinct
from the Father in the Holy Spirit, but one in essence. And by the way, I've been incarnate.
I have two natures divine, one divine, one human hypothetic. No, he didn't say that. Cade,
what would the what would the Samaritan woman have said? Huh? What are you
talking about? Right. What did he do? He said, Can you get me a drink of water?
You know, And so having a beer with somebody, just being with them and listening. James
I believe it's chapter two where Saint James says, We are to be slow, to speak,
swift to hear. Don't you love that cycle? Yes, I do. Slow to speak. Everybody listening to me
right now be slow to speak, especially when controversial things are happening.
Right side. Yeah, I won't. I won't go any further. Be slow to speak and quick to hear. But, Cade,
that's to me the thing that what the first thing that attracted me to Matt Doyle and
then when we had the discussions, we could get into some heavy duty stuff
and disagree and passionately so. But there was a friendship there.
A friendship had developed. And so, you know, we could take a few punches here. And I'm
speaking metaphorically because there was that foundation. So that's what you got to do. You
build that foundation just by loving people. And then, yeah, eventually and often the gospel is
offensive and, and sometimes people are going to reject us because they reject the gospel.
And you can be the most perfect apostle and still get crucified. I think that's
what happened to Jesus. Say they crucified him. All right. But but here's our goal, Cade. We if
somebody is going to be offended, it should be because of the gospel, not because of us.