30: How To Make an Interfaith Marriage Work | Marie Mazzanti

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Hey, I'm your host, Mari Wagner,

and you're listening to the ever be

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podcast where faith meets lifestyle.

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I'm so excited you're here, whether you're

a new listener or a longtime follower,

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I know there's something here for you.

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Pull up a chair and listen in for

insightful real life conversations

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and actionable steps on how to claim

the full life God created you for.

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If you're a woman desiring to live

a Christ centered life in today's

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modern world, then this is for you.

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Welcome to Ever Be.

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mari-wagner_2_09-25-2024_100302:

hey, Marie, welcome to ever be.

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We're so excited to have you today.

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squadcaster-h1d2_1_09-25-2024_110302:

Hi, thank you so much for having me.

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And I so appreciate you opening up

your big, beautiful platform to this

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taboo topic in the Catholic space.

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mari-wagner_2_09-25-2024_100302: Yes.

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I'm excited to dive into this

conversation because it's actually a

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topic I haven't explored much myself

like personally, and it's not a

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topic I talk about a lot on my page.

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Um, but I think that it's going to

be really interesting talking about

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interfaith marriage and really helpful

for listeners, um, who might be in a

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similar boat and might be seeking advice

and encouragement from someone who is.

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In the same boat as them,

so excited to dive into it.

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But before we get started, can you just

tell us a little bit about who you are?

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Um, what you do?

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squadcaster-h1d2_1_09-25-2024_110302:

Yeah, my name is Marie and, uh, I

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am a stay at home mother of five.

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I am married to a

wonderful Protestant man.

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We've been married, uh, it'll

be 11 years this New Year's Eve.

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Uh, but we've been together for 15.

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mari-wagner_2_09-25-2024_100302: Wow.

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squadcaster-h1d2_1_09-25-2024_110302: yes.

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So very, very excited about that.

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I run a Catholic Instagram page,

uh, called at Catholic Caritas, and

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it's really just for fun for me.

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Uh, I love the Catholic faith and

I realized that there was a lot of,

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room for, uh, I mean, a group of

people that weren't being spoken to.

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And so that's why I started my page

to help support interfaith marriages.

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mari-wagner_2_09-25-2024_100302:

Beautiful.

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I love that.

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Can you talk about what does Caritas mean?

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What is it?

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Is it Latin or what is that word?

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squadcaster-h1d2_1_09-25-2024_110302:

Yeah.

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Yes, I get that a lot.

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Um, it's, uh, it does mean it's

Latin and it does mean love.

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Um, you can interchange

it, you know, with Latin.

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Sometimes there's some things that

kind of have some shifts, but it's

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Catholic love and that was a really,

um, big pull for me, especially after,

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um, one of my favorite Encyclicals,

um, by Pope de Benedict the 16th,

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um, which his is called God is Love.

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Um, DSS Caritas, I believe is what it is.

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Sorry if I've referred it Latin people.

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Um, but uh, so yeah, that's

what kind of drove me to.

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To move in that direction for my page.

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mari-wagner_2_09-25-2024_100302: Nice.

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I love it.

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Well, before we get started into chatting

about interfaith marriage, I think

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it's important to chat about your own

personal faith journey a little bit.

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So can you share about maybe

how being Catholic has shaped

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your life and has become such

a defining part of who you are?

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squadcaster-h1d2_1_09-25-2024_110302:

Yeah.

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So, um, I'm a cradle Catholic.

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I come from a big Italian Catholic family.

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Uh, my faith has always

been important to me.

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Uh, but I think like a lot of cradle

Catholics, um, There was a period of

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where I made idols of other things, uh,

like a secular social life and sports

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and things like that when I was younger,

uh, I sort of had a, uh, to Jesus, back

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to Jesus moment around 16 when, uh,

And at least where I live, the, that's

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when we do confirmation and a shout out

to Cardinal DiNardo for confirming me.

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And, uh, I had basically a reversion,

um, that kind of had a spark

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ignited for my love of my faith.

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Um, and that was just a spark and

it definitely needed kindling.

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Um, and, uh, I think that it burned

pretty small at first, but it kind of made

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me realize How really, truly important

my faith was, even if it wasn't at the

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complete forefront of my life quite yet.

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I think God was preparing me

for a lot bigger things as I

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know now, so many years later,

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mari-wagner_2_09-25-2024_100302: Yeah.

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squadcaster-h1d2_1_09-25-2024_110302:

and, uh, you know, for the

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seasons that were to come.

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And I think that Christ was going to

just give me log after log to kind of

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feed that spark to turn it into a fire.

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And I could only see that in hindsight

as we can with So many times with

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God where we don't see the plan.

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Um, and, uh, you know, God is

such a loving father, but also he

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knows those ways that are best.

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And there was so many times that I started

to hit things, especially after 16, you

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then go in your senior year and you go to

college and it's just this whole new life.

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mari-wagner_2_09-25-2024_100302: Yeah.

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squadcaster-h1d2_1_09-25-2024_110302:

And he really gently, um, was

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kind of pushing me in a direction

that I really didn't understand.

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Uh, I guess to create a long story

short, I, uh, was, you know, dating

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a wonderful Catholic man who I

thought I was going to marry.

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And we were gonna have this big,

beautiful Catholic, perfect family.

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mari-wagner_2_09-25-2024_100302: Yeah.

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squadcaster-h1d2_1_09-25-2024_110302:

uh, yeah, fast forward.

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He's a priest now, so

we didn't get married.

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mari-wagner_2_09-25-2024_100302: Wow.

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squadcaster-h1d2_1_09-25-2024_110302:

and yeah.

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And so God had this really beautiful plan

for both of us that after we broke up

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my freshman year, I just didn't get it.

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I didn't understand.

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I was so angry at God.

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Um, even after that reversion,

I was just like, wait, what?

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I thought this was you would have wanted.

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Um, and so it took a lot of, uh, trust.

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And it taught me a huge lesson in that

pretty early on, um, where then God

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presented me with this wonderfully

amazing, virtuous, Protestant man,

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uh, and kind of threw me through

a loop, who is now my husband.

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Um, and I couldn't really have

planned what God had in store.

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I couldn't have thought it, planned it,

uh, uh, and I think that is really the

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beginning of where I really had to go.

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Okay.

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Part of my faith is actual faith.

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Just like letting God do it.

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And that doesn't mean I'm good at it.

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It just means that I

started to learn that.

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mari-wagner_2_09-25-2024_100302:

Yes, I can so relate to that.

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And it's funny when it really

does come down to faith and

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you realize faith is a gift.

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It's not just something that we

can choose to have, although we

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can challenge ourselves in it.

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It's truly like, you have to ask

for the grace, like, Lord, give me

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more faith because in my humanity

it is so hard and I need to trust

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and I need to believe in you.

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And that's just a grace that we're given.

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So

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squadcaster-h1d2_1_09-25-2024_110302:

Amen.

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mari-wagner_2_09-25-2024_100302:

it's beautiful.

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Okay.

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Well, how did you and your husband meet?

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Tell us a little bit about

like that early stages of the

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relationship with your husband.

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And, um, we can kind of get into

like, when the faith conversation

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came in, just kind of start sharing.

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Right.

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squadcaster-h1d2_1_09-25-2024_110302:

I mean, my husband and I met

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during sophomore year of college.

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Uh, he was, he worked for a

tutoring company and he was

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passing out flyers on campus.

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It's not some like romantic story.

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I'd say, um, the way he tells it.

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You know, over dinner.

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Yes, it is.

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But, uh, so we bumped into each

other and we talked, um, we chatted,

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we flirted, we found out we live

a few doors down from each other.

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He did not ask for my number.

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Rude.

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And so I, you know, kind of

just, okay, well, maybe not.

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And, uh, showed up at my door a couple

of days later, asked me to lunch.

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That was our first date.

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Uh, and after having gone through

sort of this period of time where

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I was by myself, I was single.

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I had broken up with that Catholic guy

who God was calling to be a priest.

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And we didn't know.

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And I had been on a lot of

dates, like first dates.

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And I was really tired of dating.

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the feeble, where I wanted

to weed out the fray.

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And so I started having this, um,

this thing that I would do where

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on first dates, I would really just

kind of tell them exactly who I was.

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Uh, which is just meaning I would work

in that I was a devout Catholic that,

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uh, I felt very called to marriage, not

necessarily to the person that I was on a

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date with, that I wanted lots of children.

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They would be raised Catholic and at

the very, you know, end with the kickers

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that I wasn't going to be sleeping

with them unless we were married.

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mari-wagner_2_09-25-2024_100302: Right.

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squadcaster-h1d2_1_09-25-2024_110302:

uh, that really weeded out a lot of guys.

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in a good way.

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And so I did that with my

husband and bless his heart.

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He, he didn't flinch.

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Uh, he definitely seemed very

interested when I said those things.

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and expecting not to get a second date

because that's usually what happened.

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Uh, he then asked me to a second

date for a formal that was in

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New Orleans the next weekend.

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And, uh, and then after that,

we pretty much were like,

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we want to date exclusively.

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And so it took a couple of months.

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For to kind of feel this out where I was

like, okay, wow, I didn't expect this.

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I'm going to see what happens.

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I'm just going to trust God because,

uh, that doesn't mean I'm like full

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blown going into marrying this guy.

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It just, let's see what happens.

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And after a couple of months, I

realized I, and this is sort of a

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side note, Prior to that I was getting

really, just being a brat of God, um,

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I was just like, where's my husband?

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Freshman year of college.

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Uh, so

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mari-wagner_2_09-25-2024_100302:

in when you're 19.

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squadcaster-h1d2_1_09-25-2024_110302:

impatient.

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I was like, where is he?

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Um, and so I started a journal

that I would, you know, call

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letters to my husband and it was

just me like complaining to God,

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basically like, where is he?

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And I'm so frustrated and I'm

I'm praying for him and this is

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what I would, you know, want my.

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Future husband to be like, and

this is what I want our kids to be

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like, you know, things like that.

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And after a couple of months, I was

writing it pretty much all the time.

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I realized I started writing to my husband

that I was dating and I was like, Oh wow.

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Okay.

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So that's, if that's what's happening

now, then I need to take this seriously.

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And so really dived in pretty quickly.

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It wasn't like a, I don't

want to scare him away thing.

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I was like, well, if this scares

him away, then he's not the guy

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who God wants me to be with.

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And so we jumped in pretty

quickly and it wasn't all at once.

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Um, you know, I talk about

it on my, uh, my page a lot.

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I have a highlight called interfaith

and I put up most of the conversations

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that we have, where there are questions

that I would ask him, like, If you're

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married to a Catholic woman, and we have

a Catholic marriage, and we have Catholic

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children, what does that look like?

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mari-wagner_2_09-25-2024_100302: Yeah.

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squadcaster-h1d2_1_09-25-2024_110302:

I, at the time, one of the reasons why I

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didn't want to start my page is because

I didn't really have a lot of guidance.

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There wasn't a lot of, you know,

You know, what do I do here?

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I did have experience in

interfaith marriages in my life.

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My were, um, my italian catholic dad was

married to my baptist mother for three

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years and then she converted and then

My dad has six brothers and sisters and

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so similar things happen in those my

godparents who are my aunt My uncle were

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in an interfaith marriage, um up until

he was about 55 and then he converted

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Uh, and so I had a lot of these instances

where it was Was very ecumenical and

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I could see that it could work, but I

wanted to make sure that there was also

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instances that I'd seen where people

would marry someone that was Protestant

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thinking, Oh, it's all the same.

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We all love God and

it's not that different.

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And we do all love God,

but it is pretty different.

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And I wanted to make sure he was

consenting fully to everything that that

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meant so that there was no surprises

when children came along because that

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wouldn't be fair to our future children.

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Um,

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mari-wagner_2_09-25-2024_100302: Can

I just, can I just say one thing?

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I so admire boldness in how you approached

him and spoke to him about the future

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and the importance of your faith.

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And I think it's so good for women who are

in the dating world to hear this because

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I think often, uh, there is, a tendency

or a like Desire to kind of tone it down

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a little bit to kind of tone down how

catholic we are or tone down like what

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our expectations or what our standards

are just to see if it'll work out like

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just to see if We could like make it

work or stick it out a little bit longer.

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And I think what you said was so Filled

with truth of like if it's gonna scare

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him away, then he's not the one so

don't prolong The hard truths that

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might scare him away because that

might Just be what gives you the answer

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on if this is your husband or not.

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Um, so I think that is just a wonderful

thing I wanted to point out and just say

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that that is so brave of you and so good.

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Um, and I'm excited to hear like

what, what was his response were and

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what those conversations were like.

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squadcaster-h1d2_1_09-25-2024_110302:

Yeah, no, thank you.

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I really do appreciate that because, uh,

as I have met even more younger Catholic

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men nowadays to that boldness, I think

is sometimes seen as not feminine too.

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And it's not so much just like the, let

me tell you what I, you know, what I

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believe, what I feel, but it's also that

like, it's sort of like, well, that's

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a little abrupt wait till he's talking

about it and even approaching guys.

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And I just think, I always think of St.

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Catherine of Siena because, and St.

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Joan of Arc, those are just women that I

look to so much when it comes to being.

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The women that are like, well,

I don't want him to reject me.

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And these women were bold and

they were warriors for God and

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they did not, they weren't quiet.

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One of them told off a Pope, you know,

and so it, it definitely speaks to

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this nature, um, of us to be scared

of rejection, but to really ask the

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Holy Spirit for conviction in these

areas that they're not rejecting you,

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they're rejecting God in that sense.

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Because, that is something we need

to really, I think, as women, focus

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on because it is, it's hard to

say I don't want to be rejected.

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Because I didn't mean I didn't feel

that way, but I was more convicted

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that, that if he was going to love

me, he was going to love all of me.

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And part of my, that is my fate.

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And so when I bring up all these

things and he says, okay, never

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really, met a hardcore Catholic

before, what does this even mean?

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And, uh, which has been on par

for most times, most of the

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cases with a lot of Protestants.

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mari-wagner_2_09-25-2024_100302: Yeah.

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Yeah.

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Yeah.

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squadcaster-h1d2_1_09-25-2024_110302:

to know that our church does.

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And because of that, I was able

to say, Okay, well, now let's go

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through the aspects of what it means

to be married to a Catholic person.

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And it went all the way from you have

to be married in the church, what does

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that look like, to birth control, to,

uh, which was actually probably one

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of the more, you know, some, everyone

has different things, especially with

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Protestants that they get caught up on,

you know, some of them are the same.

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It's like the Pope and Mary, but really

for my husband, it was very different

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because he wasn't really disillusioned

by a lot of anti Catholic rhetoric.

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It was more of just, you know,

Yeah, I've heard about Catholicism,

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: 00:13:46

but I've never really met

anybody that's hardcore Catholic.

286

: 00:13:48

So just what's up?

287

: 00:13:50

And so as I explained things,

birth control is a big thing.

288

: 00:13:52

That's something he'd never heard before.

289

: 00:13:53

We went through Humanae Vitae.

290

: 00:13:55

We talked about theology of the body.

291

: 00:13:58

Um, St.

292

: 00:13:59

John Paul II is just one of my best

friends and helped me so much in

293

: 00:14:03

that process of really getting him to

understand that marriage is a sacrament.

294

: 00:14:08

the church and that it's

a gift to each other.

295

: 00:14:10

And, uh, that really, you know, it took

him a little bit, but as we went through

296

: 00:14:14

all those documents and it was, that's

the beautiful thing about our church is

297

: 00:14:17

that it's really not just like, well,

because the church says so it is a lot.

298

: 00:14:22

It's a lot of beautiful, intelligent,

writings from people that when you look

299

: 00:14:28

and read them, they just make sense

from not only a spiritual standpoint

300

: 00:14:34

The creation of man, but also just like

how society works well, you know, in

301

: 00:14:38

societies where there is, uh, you know,

they, what's the mark of a good society.

302

: 00:14:42

It's like a healthy family unit.

303

: 00:14:43

You're like, interesting.

304

: 00:14:44

Cause that's not, you know, those

studies aren't based off of religion.

305

: 00:14:47

It's just kind of where they studied these

different societies throughout the world.

306

: 00:14:50

And they see, you know, That

the family unit is a really big

307

: 00:14:53

part of this thriving society.

308

: 00:14:55

And so through these beautiful documents

that our church gives us, and these

309

: 00:14:59

writings, and these saints, I was able

to kind of show my husband, uh, how As

310

: 00:15:05

we went through each topic we had issues,

I would on that topic and put it aside

311

: 00:15:11

and then we move on to the next one.

312

: 00:15:12

And so once we had this sort of

like group of topics, we then

313

: 00:15:15

really started to dig in because

he had to say yes to everything.

314

: 00:15:18

It was sort of a, there was no

like, okay, I'm cool about all this

315

: 00:15:21

stuff, but maybe we do something

different with birth control or

316

: 00:15:24

maybe we do two different churches.

317

: 00:15:26

And it was like, no, is me.

318

: 00:15:29

This is what I want.

319

: 00:15:30

And each conversation that we had, it

was a really dig into challenging him.

320

: 00:15:36

And his, and not challenging

his faith as like, what do you

321

: 00:15:39

have to prove this and debate?

322

: 00:15:40

It was more that, do you

see what I'm showing you?

323

: 00:15:43

Are these things going to lead us and our

children closer to Christ or further away?

324

: 00:15:48

And the ones that he said, well,

I think maybe further away in this

325

: 00:15:52

one, we would then dig into it

so deeply that then you would see

326

: 00:15:55

that, you know, for instance, Mary.

327

: 00:15:57

It's really hard to, to see how

Mary doesn't lead you closer to

328

: 00:16:01

Christ once you really dig into her.

329

: 00:16:03

And

330

: 00:16:03

mari-wagner_2_09-25-2024_100302: Yeah,

331

: 00:16:07

squadcaster-h1d2_1_09-25-2024_110302:

all of it and understand it or totally

332

: 00:16:08

believe it, but that does make sense.

333

: 00:16:10

Right?

334

: 00:16:11

That she is not above God.

335

: 00:16:13

She is not above Christ, but she

definitely leads you through to Christ.

336

: 00:16:16

You know, she's the, the moon.

337

: 00:16:19

so as we went through these things,

and this was so hard because during

338

: 00:16:22

one of those periods, he was, Living

in Spain and we didn't have FaceTime

339

: 00:16:26

at the time and there was only Skype

and it dropped a lot and I cursed

340

: 00:16:30

the Skype gods over and over again.

341

: 00:16:33

It was very hard and it was tedious and

I'm not going to say that it wasn't.

342

: 00:16:37

It was, you know, we, it wasn't

something that weighed on us, but it

343

: 00:16:40

was something that we took seriously.

344

: 00:16:41

We wouldn't, you know, spend every second

doing this, but as we went through,

345

: 00:16:45

I made sure it was really important

that, I mean, we dated five years.

346

: 00:16:48

Um, and granted that had something to do

with us being so young, meeting at 19,

347

: 00:16:52

but it still was really important to where

he had to agree, he had to fully consent.

348

: 00:16:57

And I, I love that he spent that

time because I had some friends that

349

: 00:17:01

husbands were just like, yeah, sure.

350

: 00:17:02

It's fine.

351

: 00:17:02

Whatever, whatever.

352

: 00:17:03

And then they got married and

had kids and they had a kid and

353

: 00:17:06

then it started to come up then.

354

: 00:17:07

And that makes it way more complicated and

difficult because here you are married and

355

: 00:17:13

they're, you know, if you don't believe in

divorce, then there's really no other way.

356

: 00:17:17

And so it's, it's the

cross is heavier that way.

357

: 00:17:20

So if anyone, you know, is discerning that

I would say, focus on those things, um,

358

: 00:17:26

and make sure you're willing to walk away.

359

: 00:17:28

mari-wagner_2_09-25-2024_100302:

I think that's a great point.

360

: 00:17:30

I was going to bring up to just how,

um, amazing it is that you guys spent

361

: 00:17:34

all that time really diving into each

teaching and the things that you were

362

: 00:17:38

disagreeing on and really taking the time

to get to the bottom of it and have all

363

: 00:17:43

these conversations instead of just put

it aside and be like, okay, well, we'll

364

: 00:17:48

just, you know, we'll agree to disagree

and we'll circle back to it later.

365

: 00:17:53

Sure.

366

: 00:17:53

Because

367

: 00:17:54

squadcaster-h1d2_1_09-25-2024_110302:

bridge.

368

: 00:17:55

mari-wagner_2_09-25-2024_100302:

yeah, that's what I was going to say.

369

: 00:17:56

I'm like, if you, if you do that,

I'm sure there's much more of a

370

: 00:17:59

tendency when you're married to be

like, Oh, it's going to come up again.

371

: 00:18:03

And so I think that's a concern people do

have of like, what if he says he's fine?

372

: 00:18:08

It's fine now when we're dating,

because we're in kind of this

373

: 00:18:11

honeymoon phase and we couldn't

imagine not being together forever.

374

: 00:18:15

And then when you get married,

Things start to come up where he

375

: 00:18:18

starts to kind of be like, actually,

I don't agree with this anymore.

376

: 00:18:21

Um, so talk to us kind of like what

that's been like now that you're married,

377

: 00:18:24

what is your faith life, uh, in your

marriage and in your family and that

378

: 00:18:28

day to day life and how are you guys

kind of, yeah, coexisting in your two

379

: 00:18:32

faiths under one roof in a marriage?

380

: 00:18:34

squadcaster-h1d2_1_09-25-2024_110302:

Yeah.

381

: 00:18:35

That's definitely something that I

think I get asked out about a lot.

382

: 00:18:39

And.

383

: 00:18:40

I will speak to the people who eventually

and later on up to the people who,

384

: 00:18:45

whether by a reversion or conversion,

you know, to Protestants get married and

385

: 00:18:50

then one of them becomes Catholic, uh,

or a falling Catholic marries, uh, you

386

: 00:18:54

know, a Protestant or a falling Catholic.

387

: 00:18:57

And then they get, you know,

reignited in their faith.

388

: 00:18:59

Uh, there's something they can.

389

: 00:19:01

It's not.

390

: 00:19:02

Just about.

391

: 00:19:03

Oh, well, you kind of missed

the part where you could prep.

392

: 00:19:05

mari-wagner_2_09-25-2024_100302: Yeah.

393

: 00:19:06

squadcaster-h1d2_1_09-25-2024_110302:

so I will speak to that.

394

: 00:19:07

Just, uh, I'm going to preface that

because I, I will say that it's been

395

: 00:19:10

really and smooth because we went

through all of the tedious, really

396

: 00:19:16

hard topics before we got married.

397

: 00:19:18

mari-wagner_2_09-25-2024_100302: Mm.

398

: 00:19:18

squadcaster-h1d2_1_09-25-2024_110302:

our date day isn't as

399

: 00:19:20

difficult as some others.

400

: 00:19:21

Um, and.

401

: 00:19:23

I think that that is due to the

due diligence that we did, uh,

402

: 00:19:26

and how important that was to us.

403

: 00:19:28

Now, uh, as millennials and Gen Z

Catholics raising children in this, it's,

404

: 00:19:33

we have a, just a plethora of incredible

resources that our parents didn't have.

405

: 00:19:39

And so our day to day, um, really is

just full of all of those resources.

406

: 00:19:44

So, um, have thousands of Catholic books,

you know, um, from, you know, the YouTube

407

: 00:19:51

channels that for, for kids, Catholic

stuff to all of the incredible books that

408

: 00:19:56

they have to the saints of life podcast.

409

: 00:19:57

Shout out.

410

: 00:19:58

Love them.

411

: 00:19:59

mari-wagner_2_09-25-2024_100302: Mm hmm.

412

: 00:19:59

squadcaster-h1d2_1_09-25-2024_110302:

there's, we, we have all these resources

413

: 00:20:02

that I have to kind of help support me,

um, and him because I can't just sit

414

: 00:20:06

down with him every time and go, this

is what you need to say to the kids.

415

: 00:20:09

But because we have these resources,

it's like, read him this book.

416

: 00:20:12

And he learns along with

them too, in a lot of ways.

417

: 00:20:15

It's sort of like just through them.

418

: 00:20:19

we really live liturgically.

419

: 00:20:21

And I think that's really important

when it comes to an interfaith marriage

420

: 00:20:24

that, um, You keep inviting your spouse,

whether or not they want to participate.

421

: 00:20:28

Um, my husband is always really

supportive of participating.

422

: 00:20:31

He is just, he was dedicated

to, this is a family thing.

423

: 00:20:34

This isn't like a, you guys do this

and I'm over here thing because.

424

: 00:20:38

You know, Christianity is the, you

know, the family is really important.

425

: 00:20:41

And so, you know, we pray at

meals together every meal.

426

: 00:20:45

Um, we spend time reading the Bible

with our younger kids and then our

427

: 00:20:48

older kids when they get home in the

evenings, uh, we, prayer is really

428

: 00:20:52

huge because it's one thing that.

429

: 00:20:55

It's really uniting, right?

430

: 00:20:56

So no Protestant is going to be

like, ah, no, I'm cool on the prayer.

431

: 00:20:59

It's like they're, they have

really beautiful prayer lives.

432

: 00:21:01

And,

433

: 00:21:02

mari-wagner_2_09-25-2024_100302: Yeah.

434

: 00:21:02

squadcaster-h1d2_1_09-25-2024_110302:

once they see that Catholics do too,

435

: 00:21:06

uh, and they understand what the

prayer life actually looks like.

436

: 00:21:08

I think that it's this really

great way to bring unity in a, in

437

: 00:21:12

a marriage and even in friendships.

438

: 00:21:13

Uh, to pray with each other uh, to

their level of comfortability too.

439

: 00:21:18

I think that there's, um, real

beauty in saying like, well,

440

: 00:21:21

we both love the Lord's prayer.

441

: 00:21:22

And here's all the other

prayers we say about Jesus.

442

: 00:21:24

If those other things

make you uncomfortable.

443

: 00:21:26

Uh, luckily my husband is very open

to, you know, he's a, he's a huge

444

: 00:21:31

stoic and really into philosophy

and he understands, uh, the nature

445

: 00:21:35

of these prayers that we have.

446

: 00:21:38

Or, um, he, he knows the words,

he notices the words that there

447

: 00:21:41

is nothing incriminating the Hail

Mary because it's in the Bible.

448

: 00:21:45

So he, he doesn't, uh, withdraw

his logic when it comes to

449

: 00:21:48

understanding the Catholic faith.

450

: 00:21:49

It doesn't mean he has to believe it yet.

451

: 00:21:51

He understands that this is something

he agreed to, and he can still support

452

: 00:21:54

our children and me in these things.

453

: 00:21:56

So it's really the day to day prayers.

454

: 00:21:59

Um, these days are

really big in our family.

455

: 00:22:01

I am not, uh, crazy about it.

456

: 00:22:04

I love that people that are, but

I focus on my children's saints.

457

: 00:22:07

Our saints and then the big feast

days, uh, in the church that, you know,

458

: 00:22:10

holy days of obligation, all that.

459

: 00:22:11

Um, and we kind of come together

as a family and what they

460

: 00:22:14

used to do back in the day.

461

: 00:22:15

I mean, we feast.

462

: 00:22:16

We have special days where we have

treats and we talk about, you know,

463

: 00:22:20

what this feast day is about, and we

pray together as a family for the things

464

: 00:22:23

that, um, are on our hearts at the time.

465

: 00:22:26

So it's really not a whole lot

of, uh, strategy as much as it's

466

: 00:22:30

just, we agreed that we would go

to church together on Sundays.

467

: 00:22:33

Uh, he does that.

468

: 00:22:36

Um, and we pray before bed and we

have a great community that we built.

469

: 00:22:41

mari-wagner_2_09-25-2024_100302: That

is so beautiful to hear just kind

470

: 00:22:43

of that, like harmony within your

family that you're still able to have.

471

: 00:22:47

Um, a few questions that come to mind.

472

: 00:22:50

One, how are you kind of like

communicating these differences of you and

473

: 00:22:55

your husband's faiths to your children?

474

: 00:22:57

Like what is their

understanding of the two faiths?

475

: 00:23:00

Um, and then, This is a small question,

but does he, so you said he comes

476

: 00:23:05

to church with you guys on Sundays.

477

: 00:23:07

Does he also go to a Protestant

service or is he kind of counting

478

: 00:23:11

that as like his worship time as well?

479

: 00:23:12

Yeah.

480

: 00:23:15

squadcaster-h1d2_1_09-25-2024_110302: I,

the, the question before about, uh, how we

481

: 00:23:19

talk to our children about it, essentially

what it is is that our children actually

482

: 00:23:24

go to a classical Christian school.

483

: 00:23:26

So it's kind of helpful, has already

been helpful in this way, uh, because

484

: 00:23:30

they're, whether your kids go to a public

school or a school where there is just

485

: 00:23:34

different faiths and different beliefs,

it has been really helpful because

486

: 00:23:37

they're able to see how our brothers and

sisters in Christ that are Protestant.

487

: 00:23:42

love God, they still love to

pray, and there's, they've noticed

488

: 00:23:45

differences that they talk to me about.

489

: 00:23:46

I let it come up naturally, because

there's really no reason when I,

490

: 00:23:50

I have a nine year old all the

way down to a eight month old.

491

: 00:23:53

And so at these ages of formation, I

want to make sure that I'm focusing

492

: 00:23:57

on unity and truth, not just truth.

493

: 00:24:00

Um, because the unity part has

to do with me doing building

494

: 00:24:03

blocks is what I call it.

495

: 00:24:05

And it's building blocks of them asking

me questions and me having appropriate

496

: 00:24:08

answers that are still true and still

provide the truth of the Catholic faith

497

: 00:24:12

without really diminishing and demeaning,

um, another person's faith in general,

498

: 00:24:16

because I will, you know, I can still say

that our faith is true and that this is

499

: 00:24:20

true and that it is lacking in somewhere

else because I can, you know, as Pope

500

: 00:24:25

John Paul II says, we can recognize truth

and the goodness in other faiths, because

501

: 00:24:30

it's still, truth is not subjective.

502

: 00:24:32

In another faith, if someone says

that murder is wrong, and then they're

503

: 00:24:35

wrong about everything else, we can

go, Well, yeah, murder is wrong.

504

: 00:24:38

That is true.

505

: 00:24:38

That is not wrong, just because

someone that I disagree with

506

: 00:24:41

everything else on said it.

507

: 00:24:43

And so it comes to this critical,

very important critical, uh, thinking

508

: 00:24:48

when it comes to our faiths and other

faiths, is that we'll pass a church.

509

: 00:24:53

Oh, that's where our

friend so and so goes.

510

: 00:24:56

How come they don't go to our church?

511

: 00:24:57

And how can we don't go to that church?

512

: 00:24:59

And I'll say things like, well, in that

church, they love God and they, they

513

: 00:25:03

hear his word, just like our church.

514

: 00:25:05

However, they don't have the Eucharist.

515

: 00:25:07

And they said they don't.

516

: 00:25:08

And I said, no.

517

: 00:25:09

And that, that's really,

that really is sad, isn't it?

518

: 00:25:11

That's why it's really important

in our faith to share with other

519

: 00:25:14

people about the Eucharist.

520

: 00:25:15

And if they don't

understand it, that's okay.

521

: 00:25:18

It's not really easy to understand,

but we still need to share it.

522

: 00:25:21

And we still need to know that it's true.

523

: 00:25:23

Little bitty building blocks when they

get older and they ask, I'll have a

524

: 00:25:26

little bit of a different answer with a

little bit more mature wording, right?

525

: 00:25:29

But it's all about sharing

in the unity of God.

526

: 00:25:33

They all believe in God, the father,

God, the son, and God, the Holy spirit.

527

: 00:25:37

And here's where we agree.

528

: 00:25:38

And here's where maybe they have

something that they haven't heard yet.

529

: 00:25:41

And so because of that, not really

all about, cause people have asked,

530

: 00:25:45

well, have you told them that

the church is the true church?

531

: 00:25:48

Well, I don't really need to

do that yet because we haven't

532

: 00:25:49

really gotten to the reformation

533

: 00:25:52

mari-wagner_2_09-25-2024_100302: Yeah.

534

: 00:25:52

squadcaster-h1d2_1_09-25-2024_110302:

a nine year old.

535

: 00:25:53

I will get there, but I'm not

worried because the building blocks

536

: 00:25:56

that I'm building now when they're

young is small and loving and warm.

537

: 00:25:59

And so when they get to that stage,

they'll realize, Oh, You can still be

538

: 00:26:02

loving and still love your brothers and

sisters in Christ that aren't Catholic,

539

: 00:26:07

uh, and still hold to the truth.

540

: 00:26:09

And to answer your other

question, my husband does only

541

: 00:26:11

go to Catholic church with us.

542

: 00:26:13

He, I offered him when we were in

college, I said, we can go to my church

543

: 00:26:17

and then go to your church if you want.

544

: 00:26:18

And he came to the Catholic

church and came to Mass and

545

: 00:26:21

he goes, Oh, I've never been.

546

: 00:26:23

They read from the bible like

three times and I was like, yeah,

547

: 00:26:26

mari-wagner_2_09-25-2024_100302: Yep.

548

: 00:26:27

squadcaster-h1d2_1_09-25-2024_110302:

was like, okay And so I asked him later.

549

: 00:26:29

I said do you want to go to and he goes?

550

: 00:26:31

No, I I really feel like there's

a lot of the parts of the mass.

551

: 00:26:34

I don't understand but I, you get readings

from the Bible, you get a, a sermon,

552

: 00:26:38

which is the homily, you know, and he, he

was satisfied and it's been 15 years and

553

: 00:26:43

he is, he's probably a better Catholic

than a lot of Catholics, honestly, he's

554

: 00:26:46

been, he's been with us for 15 years.

555

: 00:26:50

Um,

556

: 00:26:51

mari-wagner_2_09-25-2024_100302:

That's funny.

557

: 00:26:51

squadcaster-h1d2_1_09-25-2024_110302:

and, and I'm not against, you

558

: 00:26:53

know, him going to another church.

559

: 00:26:55

Like let's say, uh, early on he'd said,

yes, I said, but regardless of where

560

: 00:26:59

you go, our children and you and me

will all go to the Catholic mass only.

561

: 00:27:04

And we will attend together.

562

: 00:27:05

So if you want to, if you need

something else, that's fine.

563

: 00:27:08

mari-wagner_2_09-25-2024_100302: Mm hmm.

564

: 00:27:09

That's so true.

565

: 00:27:10

Yeah.

566

: 00:27:11

squadcaster-h1d2_1_09-25-2024_110302:

me appreciate his, his conviction

567

: 00:27:14

towards himself was he was honest.

568

: 00:27:16

He was like, that has everything I need.

569

: 00:27:18

And if the church doesn't have

the community, cause that's

570

: 00:27:20

really important to a lot of

Protestants, then you build it.

571

: 00:27:23

mari-wagner_2_09-25-2024_100302:

Share with us kind of like some of the

572

: 00:27:25

challenges that you've encountered,

um, in balancing your Catholic

573

: 00:27:28

faith with your husband's beliefs.

574

: 00:27:29

It sounds like it's been a really

beautiful, smooth ride and that a lot

575

: 00:27:33

of those, uh, kind of hard conversations

happened before you were married.

576

: 00:27:37

Um, but I, I wonder, you know,

there's gotta be some challenges

577

: 00:27:41

that have happened along the way.

578

: 00:27:42

So if there are any, could

you just share that with us?

579

: 00:27:45

squadcaster-h1d2_1_09-25-2024_110302:

Absolutely.

580

: 00:27:45

I do not want to come across as if it's

just been like roses and butterflies.

581

: 00:27:49

Uh, you know, we did mitigate a lot

of the hardship early on for sure,

582

: 00:27:53

mari-wagner_2_09-25-2024_100302: Yeah.

583

: 00:27:53

Yeah.

584

: 00:27:56

squadcaster-h1d2_1_09-25-2024_110302:

And it doesn't matter if it's,

585

: 00:27:59

you know, two Protestants married

or two Catholics married, it

586

: 00:28:01

is marriage and it's difficult.

587

: 00:28:03

And it's a sacrament for a

reason because it's, it is, it is

588

: 00:28:05

sanctifying each other constantly.

589

: 00:28:07

And I would say early on, once we

started to have children, I did feel

590

: 00:28:11

this conviction to convince him.

591

: 00:28:13

started to feel like it was my job.

592

: 00:28:16

To convert him, which is a

question I get all the time.

593

: 00:28:18

How do I convert my spouse?

594

: 00:28:20

mari-wagner_2_09-25-2024_100302: Yeah.

595

: 00:28:21

squadcaster-h1d2_1_09-25-2024_110302:

they don't like my answer

596

: 00:28:21

because I say you can't.

597

: 00:28:22

And, um, it's, it's the

Holy Spirit that does it.

598

: 00:28:26

And once you release to that,

I think that's where the real

599

: 00:28:29

beauty came in, in my marriage.

600

: 00:28:30

Because early on, I was

like, I loved apologetics.

601

: 00:28:33

It was my favorite.

602

: 00:28:34

It's just what I really dived

into when I was in confirmation.

603

: 00:28:37

When I was going through

confirmation, uh, I went to a

604

: 00:28:39

Lutheran school for a little while.

605

: 00:28:40

And in the class, I got challenged a lot.

606

: 00:28:43

And it was just, convicted me.

607

: 00:28:45

And when I dived in, I loved all of

the things the Catholic church has

608

: 00:28:49

from encyclicals, uh, to papal bulls to

the catechism to, you know, it, it was

609

: 00:28:55

just so full of more information than I

could ever get through in my lifetime.

610

: 00:29:00

And that was beautiful to me because

it just meant I can, I can keep

611

: 00:29:04

growing and that there's never an end.

612

: 00:29:05

And that, some people don't like that.

613

: 00:29:07

I love that.

614

: 00:29:08

I love that I'm never going to be

this fully full adult Catholic.

615

: 00:29:11

I'm always going to be this growing

teenager that's grasping for information

616

: 00:29:15

and, and, and teachings and wisdom.

617

: 00:29:18

Uh, because if I, if I'm at

the end, then I'm in heaven.

618

: 00:29:20

Yes.

619

: 00:29:22

mari-wagner_2_09-25-2024_100302:

I love that too, because it just

620

: 00:29:24

makes the faith like ever new it.

621

: 00:29:26

We, we often get into these

places where it can get a little

622

: 00:29:29

stagnant, a little bit of a plateau.

623

: 00:29:31

Cause you know, the faith journey is

all about highs and lows and those

624

: 00:29:34

midpoints, but that's something I love

about the Catholic faith is that there is.

625

: 00:29:38

There's literally an endless amount

of writings and teachings and, um,

626

: 00:29:44

saints and just resources to continue

to grow in our faith so that we can

627

: 00:29:49

continue to mature in the spiritual

life and prepare ourselves to be saints.

628

: 00:29:54

And yeah, kind of this like ever knew,

like, there's so many, um, possible.

629

: 00:29:58

Like points of like reversion in

our faith life because of that.

630

: 00:30:02

So you can keep going.

631

: 00:30:06

Yeah.

632

: 00:30:08

squadcaster-h1d2_1_09-25-2024_110302: I,

you know, I think, I don't, I've never met

633

: 00:30:10

a Catholic that didn't have a reversion

reversion after reversion, you know,

634

: 00:30:14

because it's, if that's, if that's not

happening constantly, then you really

635

: 00:30:17

aren't spending enough time in his word.

636

: 00:30:20

Reading about the church, learning

things, uh, because it really should

637

: 00:30:23

continue because it is just so wildly

intricately beautiful that you will find

638

: 00:30:29

more and more things that you just didn't

even, I mean, just reading the Bible.

639

: 00:30:31

If you read the Bible every

year, if you read the Bible every

640

: 00:30:35

year, then you're going to find

something new every single time.

641

: 00:30:38

And I think that early on when I, I had

this, you know, and it's a beautiful, I

642

: 00:30:44

want to speak to those people that are

going through that, that are in it, having

643

: 00:30:47

this hat, holding this heavy cross that.

644

: 00:30:50

You feel a heaviness.

645

: 00:30:51

You want to share in that fullness

of church with your spouse.

646

: 00:30:55

And that desire in and of itself is.

647

: 00:30:58

So holy and it's so beautiful, but how

we go about it is the part where people,

648

: 00:31:03

we start to kind of falter and I, I

was, you know, I did the same thing.

649

: 00:31:07

It was like, you know, after, after

children, um, we have five now, but at

650

: 00:31:12

the time I only had three and I was dead

set on proving him wrong, like by facts,

651

: 00:31:15

like, look at this and apologetics.

652

: 00:31:17

And did you read this?

653

: 00:31:18

And what do you think about this first?

654

: 00:31:19

And it, okay.

655

: 00:31:20

Always resulted in, uh, not only in

creating distance between my husband

656

: 00:31:24

and the Catholic church, but creating

distance between my husband and myself.

657

: 00:31:28

And it wasn't until I had a deeply

spiritual encounter about two years ago.

658

: 00:31:32

Um, uh, with Christ in the Eucharist

and adoration where I witnessed an

659

: 00:31:36

elderly veiled woman prostrating

herself in front of the Eucharist.

660

: 00:31:39

And it just was like the

most moving experience ever.

661

: 00:31:43

I realized that I needed

to start differently.

662

: 00:31:47

I need to start acting like

Christ is alive in the Eucharist.

663

: 00:31:52

Like, I need to go visit him more

because I was going to adoration, but.

664

: 00:31:56

It's bodily.

665

: 00:31:57

And so, um, I started attending

adoration weekly and I just started

666

: 00:32:01

pouring my heart out to him.

667

: 00:32:03

And then it wasn't so much like, give me

this, convert my husband, do these things.

668

: 00:32:06

Although those things are fine to share

because God wants to hear our hearts.

669

: 00:32:10

started saying, I am your

servant do with me what you will.

670

: 00:32:14

And it was even like, it's hard

for me not to cry when I say it

671

: 00:32:17

because it was so scary to say.

672

: 00:32:19

I couldn't for so long because I

knew that if I said it he would

673

: 00:32:26

do something, you know, like,

674

: 00:32:27

mari-wagner_2_09-25-2024_100302: Yeah.

675

: 00:32:27

squadcaster-h1d2_1_09-25-2024_110302:

going to do?

676

: 00:32:29

that fear, I just, I, I gave into it.

677

: 00:32:32

I mean, I didn't give into it.

678

: 00:32:33

I just over and over again,

whatever it is, it, I will do it.

679

: 00:32:37

And I'm scared.

680

: 00:32:38

And I want to know, I want

you to know I'm scared.

681

: 00:32:40

Um, and I, but I did ask for peace.

682

: 00:32:43

this is, I'm so scared to say this.

683

: 00:32:45

I'm going to keep saying it, but this,

The most incredible thing happened was

684

: 00:32:48

after going to adoration for about six

weeks, I went twice a week then I can only

685

: 00:32:52

make it once now, but I do think it's a

great practice that I started to feel just

686

: 00:32:59

amazing piece wash over me and it wasn't

me clicking in my head, like me being

687

: 00:33:03

like, okay, cognitive behavior of therapy.

688

: 00:33:05

I figuring that it was, it

was like, yeah, it was God.

689

: 00:33:11

And it was one of those things.

690

: 00:33:12

I can't explain it.

691

: 00:33:13

I've always heard people talking

about it where I'm like, yeah, okay.

692

: 00:33:15

Um, but it, it, it was like a warm

water, like washing over me that

693

: 00:33:23

just like itself deep into my soul.

694

: 00:33:26

And it was God saying, focus your

attention on catechizing your children and

695

: 00:33:31

loving the Lord with that warmth that only

a mother can bring from and connecting

696

: 00:33:36

us their faith and your children.

697

: 00:33:38

And then look to the saints and

learn how to love your husband

698

: 00:33:41

to the best of your ability.

699

: 00:33:43

Like.

700

: 00:33:44

Not loving him so he'll become Catholic.

701

: 00:33:46

Just loving him to the

best of your ability.

702

: 00:33:48

And when I did that, I started really

the way I was encountering him.

703

: 00:33:55

I forgave more.

704

: 00:33:57

I was patient more.

705

: 00:33:58

I wasn't pressing him.

706

: 00:34:00

And man, did he, God was

doing his work in that way.

707

: 00:34:04

Um, through me backing off,

which I was like, of course,

708

: 00:34:08

like, that's what it took.

709

: 00:34:09

Okay.

710

: 00:34:10

Um, and I saw a change in my husband.

711

: 00:34:12

I did.

712

: 00:34:12

I saw, um, you know, softening.

713

: 00:34:15

And I think that that's just probably

one of the most important things

714

: 00:34:18

that I would share with people that,

focus on the softening and stop

715

: 00:34:22

hardening your heart because that is

not what brings people to our faith.

716

: 00:34:26

mari-wagner_2_09-25-2024_100302:

Yeah, that's beautiful.

717

: 00:34:28

And I mean, we hear this time and time

again, and I've experienced it too.

718

: 00:34:31

It's almost like when we finally let go

and allow God to be God and us to just

719

: 00:34:37

like be his children is when things

start to get a little bit easier.

720

: 00:34:41

Not that everything falls into place

immediately, but there is that.

721

: 00:34:44

least that you mentioned that comes in.

722

: 00:34:46

And, um, I've, I have found that when we

surrender to God, these things that we

723

: 00:34:51

hold so tightly to these things that mean

so much to us, cause it's not, it's not

724

: 00:34:55

a little offering that you did that you,

that was big of like, Lord, I give you

725

: 00:34:59

my marriage, my husband, my deep, like

good and holy desire to convert him and

726

: 00:35:04

to help him find the fullness of truth.

727

: 00:35:07

Right.

728

: 00:35:07

Those are all big things that you

are not letting go in the sense of

729

: 00:35:10

like, Oh, like it doesn't matter

anymore, but just like handing to

730

: 00:35:14

the Lord and being like, you lead,

731

: 00:35:17

squadcaster-h1d2_1_09-25-2024_110302:

Yeah.

732

: 00:35:18

mari-wagner_2_09-25-2024_100302:

Like you just give me the little

733

: 00:35:20

breadcrumbs so that I know where you're,

what you're asking me to do next.

734

: 00:35:24

And I will respond with a generous yes.

735

: 00:35:26

But you're able to kind of let go

of that grasp and be like, okay, I

736

: 00:35:29

trust Lord that we just earned well,

that you brought us into marriage.

737

: 00:35:33

And so therefore.

738

: 00:35:35

You're going to take care of it

because this was your doing in the

739

: 00:35:37

first place and we have to trust

that like he knows what he's doing

740

: 00:35:41

when he's calling us to something.

741

: 00:35:43

squadcaster-h1d2_1_09-25-2024_110302:

And even if it's a situation where, you

742

: 00:35:46

know, I've had plenty of conversations

with people who didn't like me

743

: 00:35:49

talking about minor faith marriage,

uh, it's still a sacrament and even

744

: 00:35:53

if it's a situation where maybe we

didn't listen to God and we did marry

745

: 00:35:56

someone who there would have been.

746

: 00:35:58

match.

747

: 00:36:00

He likes to use, when we don't

listen, things that, he likes

748

: 00:36:05

to use those instances to keep

working toward good, right?

749

: 00:36:08

Because even, even if it's something

where we didn't listen and, you know, as

750

: 00:36:11

a, as, as a mother, like you see those

things with your kids, and it's such a

751

: 00:36:15

beautiful lesson from our father because

he takes instances where we didn't listen

752

: 00:36:19

and he still creates good out of them.

753

: 00:36:21

So even if it was something you

didn't choose, if maybe you're

754

: 00:36:23

a Protestant married to another

Protestant and you converted and you're

755

: 00:36:26

just like, why would God do this?

756

: 00:36:27

I don't, why did he

make me Catholic sooner?

757

: 00:36:29

Why won't he make me a spouse

Catholic or a reversion?

758

: 00:36:32

It's all about using those instances

where you feel like you know what you

759

: 00:36:36

should do instead of asking God, like

you just said, like, what should I do?

760

: 00:36:41

And instead of going, Oh, well,

I feel like this is a good,

761

: 00:36:44

it felt good to debate him.

762

: 00:36:45

It felt good to go, Oh,

I'm, I'm proving something.

763

: 00:36:48

But the hard thing was

actually stopping it.

764

: 00:36:51

And now it's not hard, but, but like you

said, like, it was this sacrifice, but

765

: 00:36:54

it initially wouldn't have felt like it.

766

: 00:36:56

It would have felt like the wrong

thing if I hadn't gone to God

767

: 00:36:58

and said, like, let's, I want, I

want to know what your plan is.

768

: 00:37:01

I had my plan and I thought it was

your plan, but now I'm actually

769

: 00:37:03

going to ask you what your plan is.

770

: 00:37:05

mari-wagner_2_09-25-2024_100302: Yeah.

771

: 00:37:05

Yeah, absolutely.

772

: 00:37:07

Something that I kind of want to chat

about, which I know we hadn't like

773

: 00:37:10

fully originally planned to talk about,

but if you have any thoughts I'd love

774

: 00:37:13

to hear, um, cause I'm sure you've

had conversations with a lot of people

775

: 00:37:17

through your platform, either people

that are in an interfaith marriage

776

: 00:37:21

or people that are not, that might

want to object to you sharing about

777

: 00:37:25

this or like encouraging people if

that's what God's calling them to do.

778

: 00:37:29

What are some like of the common

objections you feel like people say?

779

: 00:37:33

To you when it comes to an

interfaith marriage, and how

780

: 00:37:36

would you respond to them?

781

: 00:37:37

How do you kind of deal with these

conversations of people that are on

782

: 00:37:39

the other end that are like, no, you

should only marry a practicing Catholic

783

: 00:37:43

if you're a practicing Catholic.

784

: 00:37:44

Like, how would you respond to them?

785

: 00:37:46

squadcaster-h1d2_1_09-25-2024_110302:

Yeah, I get that a lot.

786

: 00:37:47

I got that.

787

: 00:37:49

I got it a ton at the beginning and

then people started to realize I,

788

: 00:37:51

I knew what I was talking about.

789

: 00:37:53

mari-wagner_2_09-25-2024_100302: Yeah.

790

: 00:37:54

squadcaster-h1d2_1_09-25-2024_110302:

uh, it really started with a lot

791

: 00:37:56

of, um, well meaning Catholics

who were like, you're encouraging

792

: 00:38:01

people to marry outside the faith.

793

: 00:38:02

And I was like, I absolutely am

not like, You're just ignoring

794

: 00:38:07

the reality of what happens.

795

: 00:38:08

You can say, yes, of course

it's, it's, it is good and holy.

796

: 00:38:12

And we should try and find people

who are Catholic that, um, to marry.

797

: 00:38:16

Uh, but what about, again, I would

always say, what about the people

798

: 00:38:19

who are Protestant that converted?

799

: 00:38:20

What about people that had a reversion?

800

: 00:38:22

Are you just supposed

to ignore those people?

801

: 00:38:23

Am I supposed to just say that those

people don't exist and to just like

802

: 00:38:26

step over them and pretend like these

people aren't struggling and need

803

: 00:38:29

love in our church and just go, well,

if you messed up, sorry about that.

804

: 00:38:32

Cause that's how a lot of them acted.

805

: 00:38:34

Where it's like, well, you know, and a

lot of them made it sound like, well,

806

: 00:38:38

you can't possibly be holy if you're not

married to a Catholic, you cannot be, and

807

: 00:38:42

you know, and then that was my favorite

line, because then I would always bring

808

: 00:38:45

up, The saints and those who came before

me that went through things like this.

809

: 00:38:50

And, um, I think that a lot of times

when I would bring those things up and

810

: 00:38:56

not to mention also that speaks on a

variety of topics, that is the, another,

811

: 00:39:02

we talked about before the beautiful.

812

: 00:39:04

Uh, writings and all the things.

813

: 00:39:05

Our church has been

around for 3, 000 years.

814

: 00:39:06

This isn't the first time someone

has been like, can I marry

815

: 00:39:09

someone that's not Catholic?

816

: 00:39:10

And so they have instruction.

817

: 00:39:13

There's literally, um, uh, instruction

matrimonium mixa, which is like

818

: 00:39:17

instruction on interfaith marriage.

819

: 00:39:18

And you can go read it on the

Vatican website right now.

820

: 00:39:21

And it talks about everything

that I've already said, which

821

: 00:39:24

is that like, it is hard.

822

: 00:39:25

You're not going into something easy.

823

: 00:39:27

I knew that.

824

: 00:39:28

So I consentingly, willingly went into

this knowing this is going to be hard.

825

: 00:39:32

Um, I prayed on it.

826

: 00:39:33

Uh, we talked about all the things,

you know, that I talked about.

827

: 00:39:36

So, Um, after I reading that it does talk

about the sanctity of marriage still too.

828

: 00:39:40

It's still a sacrament and you still have

things you need to do in order to, uh,

829

: 00:39:45

you know, follow the church's guidelines

on how to keep your marriage holy, uh,

830

: 00:39:48

mari-wagner_2_09-25-2024_100302: Mm-Hmm?

831

: 00:39:49

squadcaster-h1d2_1_09-25-2024_110302:

you know, uh, in Vatican two documents,

832

: 00:39:51

there's plenty of them that you can

go through where people act like

833

: 00:39:54

it's not allowed in the church and

it is now under certain instruction.

834

: 00:39:58

And that's why I think that.

835

: 00:39:59

When people come at me like

this, I'm just like, you're

836

: 00:40:02

acting like this is not approved.

837

: 00:40:04

I am not saying that

you should seek it out.

838

: 00:40:06

I

839

: 00:40:06

mari-wagner_2_09-25-2024_100302: Yeah.

840

: 00:40:07

squadcaster-h1d2_1_09-25-2024_110302:

to the people who are in it.

841

: 00:40:09

They're already in it.

842

: 00:40:10

And you can't ignore them.

843

: 00:40:12

Because when you ignore them, that's

like ignoring, uh, those who, you

844

: 00:40:15

know, It's like the poor in spirit.

845

: 00:40:17

You need, those people are

the people, their kingdom,

846

: 00:40:19

the kingdom is theirs, and you

847

: 00:40:21

mari-wagner_2_09-25-2024_100302: Mm-Hmm?

848

: 00:40:21

squadcaster-h1d2_1_09-25-2024_110302:

them that, and when you don't, and you

849

: 00:40:23

act like it's only for those people

who are in church all the time, who are

850

: 00:40:26

doing those things, like, man, you're

missing the point, um, and so they really

851

: 00:40:31

do kind of clam up when I bring up the

saints, and I think that that is, they

852

: 00:40:36

do have their, you know, like their,

uh, their like responses to it, but once

853

: 00:40:42

they start to realize that, you know,

Uh, they, they're telling me I can't

854

: 00:40:45

possibly be holy when I'm married to a

Protestant and I point out Saint Monica.

855

: 00:40:49

You know, like, uh, she ha she created

a saint, not, not just like, you know,

856

: 00:40:54

she birthed a saint, um, and she was a

saint and she was married to, uh, you

857

: 00:40:58

know, a man that was not necessarily

easiest guy to, to be married to

858

: 00:41:03

Um, and I highly encourage those who

are listening to this to look up St.

859

: 00:41:07

Monica to make her one of

your really good friends.

860

: 00:41:09

Um, because she's the one

of the patron saints of.

861

: 00:41:13

Uh, mothers of difficult

children and husbands,

862

: 00:41:15

mari-wagner_2_09-25-2024_100302: Yeah.

863

: 00:41:16

squadcaster-h1d2_1_09-25-2024_110302: that

everyone's, you know, spouse is difficult,

864

: 00:41:19

that is not Catholic, but it's just, it's

kind of showing you, if you read about her

865

: 00:41:23

story and you understand that she didn't,

you know, convert her, her, uh, son,

866

: 00:41:30

God did because she unceasingly prayed.

867

: 00:41:33

And so it's a really good way to

look at how we can act as a mother.

868

: 00:41:38

spouses in an interfaith marriage,

uh, and just parents in general,

869

: 00:41:42

honestly, like your kids fall away.

870

: 00:41:43

That happens all the time

without your control.

871

: 00:41:46

We're not in control of them.

872

: 00:41:47

They're gods.

873

: 00:41:48

And so all we can do is do our

best in instruction and pray.

874

: 00:41:53

And I think St.

875

: 00:41:54

Monica shows us that quite a bit.

876

: 00:41:56

Um, but one of my favorites is

blessed Elizabeth of Luzier.

877

: 00:41:59

Now she's not a saint, uh, but.

878

: 00:42:02

She is like become one of my best friends

because she is a very profound example of

879

: 00:42:08

love and patience and an unwavering faith

when it comes to interfaith marriage.

880

: 00:42:12

Her husband was Felix and he was an

atheist and he was not the nicest person.

881

: 00:42:16

He teased her a lot about her faith

882

: 00:42:18

mari-wagner_2_09-25-2024_100302: Wow.

883

: 00:42:19

squadcaster-h1d2_1_09-25-2024_110302: yes.

884

: 00:42:20

And so it was, it wasn't just this

like, Oh, it was just how it was.

885

: 00:42:23

I mean, he teased her and they

did love each other very much.

886

: 00:42:26

And I know this because she

has a diary that you can and

887

: 00:42:29

read, which I highly suggest.

888

: 00:42:31

Um, and she committed herself to prayer

and fasting and charity on behalf of

889

: 00:42:37

her husband and offering her life as

like a quiet witness to the faith.

890

: 00:42:41

Um, and I'll just like read a part of her

diary because it's just so helpful for

891

: 00:42:46

those that are looking for some resource

to go and just, you know, sit with them

892

: 00:42:51

in this saint can, you know, bless.

893

: 00:42:53

She's a blessing.

894

: 00:42:53

I don't know why.

895

: 00:42:54

We'll see what happens with her

sainthood, but she can sit with you

896

: 00:42:57

in this, um, this heartache, this

heaviness, this cross that you have.

897

: 00:43:01

Um, and you can read her diary

because This amazing ending the story.

898

: 00:43:06

Um, she says, I wanted to tell him

above all that faith and the Catholic

899

: 00:43:09

religion have made me completely

his more than I could have been.

900

: 00:43:12

Otherwise, they have enabled me to

understand him and to love him more.

901

: 00:43:15

And this is her talking

to her atheist husband.

902

: 00:43:17

Right?

903

: 00:43:18

And somebody might read that

out of context and just be

904

: 00:43:21

like, wow, that's amazing.

905

: 00:43:22

sounds weird, but she, it demonstrates

that despite the vast difference in

906

: 00:43:25

their belief, like, she saw that God

was asking her to love this man who

907

: 00:43:28

didn't even love God yet, and in a

way that, that encouraged him later

908

: 00:43:34

on, she passed away, and then he finds

her diary, and he reads all of it and

909

: 00:43:38

realizes how deeply she loved him.

910

: 00:43:41

mari-wagner_2_09-25-2024_100302: Wow.

911

: 00:43:42

squadcaster-h1d2_1_09-25-2024_110302:

way he couldn't even understand, you

912

: 00:43:43

know, like, I made fun of this, I did

this, and she didn't talk bad about

913

: 00:43:46

me the whole time in this diary full

of her life where she offered up

914

: 00:43:50

her suffering, she was sick a lot.

915

: 00:43:51

For him, I mean, it just moved him so

much that then he gets sort of convicted

916

: 00:43:56

and he goes to prove Catholicism wrong.

917

: 00:43:59

He's like, I'm gonna go, uh, and,

and go talk to these, I think it was

918

: 00:44:03

Franciscans, I can't remember now.

919

: 00:44:05

Um, and he goes and

tries to prove it wrong.

920

: 00:44:07

And his hazard diary and is

converted in the process.

921

: 00:44:09

And so even after her death, the

Holy Spirit was working through her.

922

: 00:44:13

And so there were these, these, these.

923

: 00:44:16

documents, these saints,

these people's lives.

924

: 00:44:19

I show these people that try and come at

me with these convictions that interfaith

925

: 00:44:24

marriage is unholy or that people that

are in it cannot be holy or become saints.

926

: 00:44:29

I just slam it right in their face

because they could not be more

927

: 00:44:31

wrong and they could not be more

misguided in the Uh, way that they

928

: 00:44:37

are looking at our Catholic faith.

929

: 00:44:39

mari-wagner_2_09-25-2024_100302: Yeah.

930

: 00:44:40

Gosh, I'd never heard those of the saints

in that blessed and that is definitely

931

: 00:44:44

an encouraging story and not surprised

that he was converted in the process

932

: 00:44:48

of trying to prove Catholicism wrong.

933

: 00:44:50

I feel like that happens

often all the time.

934

: 00:44:54

Um, okay.

935

: 00:44:56

Just, we, we have a few more

questions before I wrap up.

936

: 00:44:58

I feel like we could continue to

talk about this cause yeah, this

937

: 00:45:01

is such a fascinating conversation.

938

: 00:45:03

But one thing I do want to touch on

before we wrap up is just, Your own faith.

939

: 00:45:08

Um, how has your own faith deepened and

evolved in this process of being married

940

: 00:45:13

to someone who is of a different faith?

941

: 00:45:16

squadcaster-h1d2_1_09-25-2024_110302:

Yeah.

942

: 00:45:17

I mean, I would say that kind of

going back to what I said about

943

: 00:45:23

how I was attending adoration more.

944

: 00:45:25

I, I did that because I

was starting to struggle.

945

: 00:45:28

I was.

946

: 00:45:30

I was losing a lot of hope and I

was, um, not really sure what to do.

947

: 00:45:35

And my wonderful Catholic therapist

was like, you need to go to adoration.

948

: 00:45:41

And I was like, okay, that's

just like another thing to do.

949

: 00:45:43

And she was like, no, I want you to

go before you come to every session.

950

: 00:45:47

You go, you come here once a

week, 30 minutes beforehand.

951

: 00:45:51

And I just appreciate that so

much from her because I did it.

952

: 00:45:54

And I would say for the first three

to four weeks, I just sat there.

953

: 00:45:57

I was like, okay, I have

to be here for 30 minutes.

954

: 00:46:00

It's been 15.

955

: 00:46:01

I already said all the prayers.

956

: 00:46:03

What do I do?

957

: 00:46:04

And I'm telling you that when I

saw that woman, probably about

958

: 00:46:07

week 5, I was just moved to tears.

959

: 00:46:10

And I thought, what am I doing?

960

: 00:46:11

I'm sitting in front

of the Eucharist here.

961

: 00:46:14

And I'm acting like it's this like magic

eight ball of like, here's my prayers.

962

: 00:46:18

Okay.

963

: 00:46:19

I wasn't acting like I was, Jesus was

standing in front of me like this woman

964

: 00:46:23

who was prostrating herself on the ground

in front of lots of people, not caring

965

: 00:46:26

whatsoever to the extent to which like

she was very old, we had to help her up.

966

: 00:46:30

And so it was, it was so moving

her humility, her conviction.

967

: 00:46:35

And I just like, thought, what am I doing?

968

: 00:46:38

What I'm, I'm here every day and

I'm not, I am not pretending.

969

: 00:46:42

I mean, I'm pretending and I'm not acting

like that is Christ in front of me.

970

: 00:46:46

What would I do if Christ

was in front of me right now?

971

: 00:46:49

And I was like, I probably would

be on the ground like that.

972

: 00:46:52

And so I started going with this.

973

: 00:46:54

Just, I read, um, Frank, uh, St.

974

: 00:46:58

Francis uh, the devout life and

reorganized my way, the way that I prayed

975

: 00:47:06

and I started to really go in there as a

way to worship instead of like I'm going

976

: 00:47:09

to go to adoration to ask for all the

things, you know, like sit on Santa's lap.

977

: 00:47:13

I think that I was doing that

like, God, please do this.

978

: 00:47:16

Please do this.

979

: 00:47:17

Instead of.

980

: 00:47:18

Going in and just worshiping him

and pouring my heart out to him.

981

: 00:47:22

Yes.

982

: 00:47:22

But, but mainly going in there first

and foremost and being like, that's God.

983

: 00:47:26

I'm going to sit in for 20 minutes of the

first part of my adoration and thank him

984

: 00:47:31

for all of the things, because I'm kind

of feeling down about my life right now.

985

: 00:47:35

So once I, and it's a great practice

in general, and I did those things and

986

: 00:47:38

then I would pray for other people.

987

: 00:47:40

And then I would surrender myself

and then I would say, here are

988

: 00:47:43

the desires on my heart, God.

989

: 00:47:45

mari-wagner_2_09-25-2024_100302: Mm-Hmm.

990

: 00:47:47

squadcaster-h1d2_1_09-25-2024_110302:

did that because I was,

991

: 00:47:50

desperate is the wrong word.

992

: 00:47:52

I, I just that C.

993

: 00:47:53

S.

994

: 00:47:53

Lewis has this book called

the problem of pain.

995

: 00:47:55

And I love it so much because it talks

about God whispering to us in our

996

: 00:48:01

pleasures and shouting to us in our pains.

997

: 00:48:04

And so when we go through these

crosses and we have them, I think

998

: 00:48:06

a lot of times people think that.

999

: 00:48:09

God's punishing them or maybe they did

something wrong or maybe like, you know

: 1000

00:48:12,709 --> 00:48:15,309

Maybe if I learn my lesson quick enough

that like God will take away this pain

: 1001

00:48:15,309 --> 00:48:21,269

But I that once we realize we surrender

to these beautiful sufferings And I didn't

: 1002

00:48:21,269 --> 00:48:25,549

understand that about the Catholic faith

for so long My my interfaith marriage

: 1003

00:48:25,549 --> 00:48:29,799

has been such a beautiful cross for me

because it drew me to him I needed him

: 1004

00:48:29,809 --> 00:48:36,209

more than anything and once I did have

him it made Every cross lighter, you know,

: 1005

00:48:36,209 --> 00:48:42,129

he took the yoke and I think that that is

the beauty of these crosses that we get.

: 1006

00:48:42,129 --> 00:48:44,289

Whether it's chronic illness,

whether it's interfaith marriage,

: 1007

00:48:44,289 --> 00:48:46,854

whether it's infertility, like you

have witnessed in your own life,

: 1008

00:48:47,154 --> 00:48:47,544

-: 2024

: 1009

00:48:47,844 --> 00:48:49,779

-: 2024

see the beauty of it and

: 1010

00:48:49,779 --> 00:48:51,929

it makes suffering less.

: 1011

00:48:52,249 --> 00:48:56,599

And I think that that is what

has really convicted me, uh, to,

: 1012

00:48:56,699 --> 00:48:57,879

to, like you said, surrender.

: 1013

00:48:58,414 --> 00:49:02,094

-: 2024

Yeah, wow, that was gold, Marie.

: 1014

00:49:02,214 --> 00:49:07,634

I'm like, we just got a whole crash

course on prayer just in itself right now.

: 1015

00:49:07,994 --> 00:49:10,034

I can't wait to come.

: 1016

00:49:10,129 --> 00:49:11,109

-: 2024

Salem, get his book.

: 1017

00:49:11,914 --> 00:49:13,444

-: 2024

Yeah, I need to read that book.

: 1018

00:49:13,444 --> 00:49:14,554

I've heard so much.

: 1019

00:49:14,564 --> 00:49:17,574

It's just like your number one

classic, like a saint book on prayer.

: 1020

00:49:17,584 --> 00:49:20,954

And I've just never actually

sat down to read it.

: 1021

00:49:20,954 --> 00:49:21,359

So that's cool.

: 1022

00:49:21,499 --> 00:49:23,499

Gotta move up on my list for sure.

: 1023

00:49:23,619 --> 00:49:24,039

-: 2024

: 1024

00:49:24,039 --> 00:49:24,439

Yes.

: 1025

00:49:25,129 --> 00:49:26,619

-: 2024

just love what you were saying about,

: 1026

00:49:26,639 --> 00:49:31,529

um, sitting on Santa's lap because

I think that's what we do so often.

: 1027

00:49:31,749 --> 00:49:32,469

Let's be real.

: 1028

00:49:32,469 --> 00:49:32,959

Everybody.

: 1029

00:49:32,959 --> 00:49:36,649

We go to church, we go to mass, we

go to adoration or, or we, you know,

: 1030

00:49:36,649 --> 00:49:39,769

go to pray even in our own home in

the morning or at night before bed.

: 1031

00:49:40,129 --> 00:49:42,769

And we, and we start giving

the list of things that we

: 1032

00:49:42,779 --> 00:49:44,299

really, really, really desire.

: 1033

00:49:44,819 --> 00:49:47,289

Now I want to say that's not bad, right?

: 1034

00:49:47,319 --> 00:49:48,509

The Lord wants.

: 1035

00:49:48,584 --> 00:49:49,924

To hear our desires.

: 1036

00:49:50,224 --> 00:49:53,784

But last night we were in like our,

we have a monthly married friends

: 1037

00:49:53,784 --> 00:49:55,384

group that meets once a month.

: 1038

00:49:55,384 --> 00:49:57,994

We rotate dinners and we like

read a marriage book together.

: 1039

00:49:58,764 --> 00:49:59,064

Yeah.

: 1040

00:49:59,064 --> 00:50:01,444

And so we were discussing prayer

last night and we're like,

: 1041

00:50:01,444 --> 00:50:02,354

how's everybody's prayer doing?

: 1042

00:50:02,754 --> 00:50:04,614

And so many of us were like pretty bad.

: 1043

00:50:04,984 --> 00:50:09,064

And one of them, it kind of like

the consensus was like, okay, maybe

: 1044

00:50:09,064 --> 00:50:11,854

the consistency is there, but the

quality feels like it's not there.

: 1045

00:50:11,854 --> 00:50:13,684

And so we were like, what does that mean?

: 1046

00:50:13,684 --> 00:50:16,004

Like if we're consistently

going to prayer, but it feels

: 1047

00:50:16,004 --> 00:50:17,889

like it's The quality is bad.

: 1048

00:50:17,889 --> 00:50:19,129

Like, why is that?

: 1049

00:50:19,209 --> 00:50:21,489

And some of us were talking

about, like, I just feel like

: 1050

00:50:21,489 --> 00:50:22,579

we pray for the same things.

: 1051

00:50:22,579 --> 00:50:26,359

Like we go into adoration and we say,

please, Lord, can please, Lord, please,

: 1052

00:50:26,359 --> 00:50:28,869

Lord, please, Lord, for those same

things that we're always praying about.

: 1053

00:50:29,149 --> 00:50:30,829

But what you said about

like, what about that space?

: 1054

00:50:31,294 --> 00:50:32,544

literally to just worship.

: 1055

00:50:32,554 --> 00:50:35,174

What about that space to

just sit with the Lord?

: 1056

00:50:35,274 --> 00:50:36,354

That's prayer too.

: 1057

00:50:36,354 --> 00:50:39,514

And I feel like that's so important to

know those first few weeks before you

: 1058

00:50:39,514 --> 00:50:42,944

saw your therapy or going to adoration

before therapy, where you were like,

: 1059

00:50:42,954 --> 00:50:44,274

I was just really sitting there.

: 1060

00:50:44,794 --> 00:50:48,254

I feel like that is so much more

valuable than we think because we're

: 1061

00:50:48,274 --> 00:50:50,644

constantly talking out of our ears.

: 1062

00:50:50,644 --> 00:50:56,034

We're constantly consuming content

and words and opinions, and even

: 1063

00:50:56,034 --> 00:51:00,594

like what to in prayer and all these

things were like, maybe the Lord.

: 1064

00:51:00,894 --> 00:51:05,264

Actually could do more work if we

just sat there and received him and

: 1065

00:51:05,364 --> 00:51:08,284

force ourselves to do nothing, which

I think is really hard for women.

: 1066

00:51:09,464 --> 00:51:10,834

It's really hard for us women.

: 1067

00:51:10,889 --> 00:51:12,379

-: 2024

mean, honestly, I washed over

: 1068

00:51:12,379 --> 00:51:13,339

that, but you're so right.

: 1069

00:51:13,339 --> 00:51:15,169

It's like I was sitting

there for four weeks.

: 1070

00:51:16,189 --> 00:51:19,869

going twice a week because I would go

then and I would go in another time and

: 1071

00:51:20,159 --> 00:51:24,789

You could have said nothing was happening

but God knew that I would go to that

: 1072

00:51:24,789 --> 00:51:27,589

next adoration moment and I would see

that woman cuz if I had gone to that

: 1073

00:51:27,589 --> 00:51:30,519

first One and that woman was there I

would've been like, okay, is she okay?

: 1074

00:51:30,589 --> 00:51:34,019

All right Well, you know it took

those it took the great I mean, you

: 1075

00:51:34,019 --> 00:51:38,274

know You can't sit in front of our

Lord and Savior and nothing happens.

: 1076

00:51:38,574 --> 00:51:38,874

-: 2024

: 1077

00:51:39,269 --> 00:51:40,379

-: 2024

you know, even if you don't know what

: 1078

00:51:40,379 --> 00:51:43,119

to do, even if you don't have the

four weeks that happened to me, it's

: 1079

00:51:43,119 --> 00:51:46,369

why I tell people, invite your spouse

to adoration, even if they don't go.

: 1080

00:51:46,529 --> 00:51:48,709

Even if you just go, you know what,

you may not believe that's Jesus,

: 1081

00:51:48,709 --> 00:51:50,929

but why don't you just go sit and

you take your Bible and you pray?

: 1082

00:51:51,149 --> 00:51:52,789

Like, that's just a quiet place to pray.

: 1083

00:51:53,599 --> 00:51:54,369

Nothing happens.

: 1084

00:51:54,784 --> 00:51:58,254

Is, like, there is going to be something

that happens if that person keeps

: 1085

00:51:58,254 --> 00:52:01,014

going and sitting in front of God,

even if they don't know it's God.

: 1086

00:52:01,484 --> 00:52:03,284

And that is the power of the Eucharist.

: 1087

00:52:03,604 --> 00:52:04,234

-: 2024

: 1088

00:52:04,314 --> 00:52:05,524

Uh, absolutely.

: 1089

00:52:06,114 --> 00:52:09,074

Well, before we close out, do you

have anything else you want to share

: 1090

00:52:09,074 --> 00:52:12,774

or any advice that you want to share

specifically with women who are in an

: 1091

00:52:12,774 --> 00:52:16,914

interfaith relationship, maybe discerning

marriage or are in an interfaith

: 1092

00:52:16,914 --> 00:52:18,654

marriage right now and maybe struggling?

: 1093

00:52:19,814 --> 00:52:20,884

-: 2024

Oh man, so much.

: 1094

00:52:21,264 --> 00:52:25,604

Um, I would definitely say, uh,

there's so much more I want to share.

: 1095

00:52:25,604 --> 00:52:29,844

And, uh, if, uh, trying to figure

out ways to share it better, but, um,

: 1096

00:52:29,964 --> 00:52:33,094

please follow me on Instagram, not

because I don't sell anything, guys.

: 1097

00:52:33,124 --> 00:52:35,004

I literally do not.

: 1098

00:52:35,024 --> 00:52:37,484

I will turn down people that try

and pay me stuff because it's

: 1099

00:52:37,484 --> 00:52:38,454

too much of a hassle for me.

: 1100

00:52:38,944 --> 00:52:42,924

I am only there to share what I've learned

so that I can help support other people

: 1101

00:52:42,924 --> 00:52:44,039

because I wish I'd had it that way.

: 1102

00:52:44,039 --> 00:52:44,389

to.

: 1103

00:52:44,884 --> 00:52:44,994

-: 2024

: 1104

00:52:45,294 --> 00:52:47,279

-: 2024

so follow me at Catholic

: 1105

00:52:47,279 --> 00:52:48,419

Caritas on Instagram.

: 1106

00:52:48,429 --> 00:52:50,819

And I, you know, there's plenty

of highlights that I've already

: 1107

00:52:50,819 --> 00:52:52,289

made and feel free to DM me.

: 1108

00:52:52,289 --> 00:52:55,359

I love getting DMs and talking to

people one on one because I love

: 1109

00:52:55,359 --> 00:52:59,329

to hear the stories and, and, and

helping with specific people if

: 1110

00:52:59,329 --> 00:53:00,719

I can, again, I am not an expert.

: 1111

00:53:00,719 --> 00:53:01,719

I just want to help.

: 1112

00:53:01,999 --> 00:53:04,959

Um, but I would say my, my biggest

thing is lean on the saints, the

: 1113

00:53:04,959 --> 00:53:06,259

saints that we just talked about here.

: 1114

00:53:06,639 --> 00:53:09,329

I mean that and not like just

reading their diaries and

: 1115

00:53:09,329 --> 00:53:09,999

seeing what happened to them.

: 1116

00:53:10,019 --> 00:53:12,424

I mean, Ask them to pray for you.

: 1117

00:53:12,584 --> 00:53:16,074

They, they have this, they have the

ear of God in heaven and they've been

: 1118

00:53:16,074 --> 00:53:16,764

through what you've been through.

: 1119

00:53:16,764 --> 00:53:20,024

And so when they pray

for you, it is powerful.

: 1120

00:53:20,204 --> 00:53:23,334

And so if you make them your friend

and you, you share with them all

: 1121

00:53:23,344 --> 00:53:26,234

the struggles you have too, they

will, they will help lessen that

: 1122

00:53:26,234 --> 00:53:28,544

load by asking God to help you.

: 1123

00:53:28,814 --> 00:53:29,584

And that's powerful.

: 1124

00:53:29,584 --> 00:53:32,474

We know that because that's in the

Bible, that the prayer of those

: 1125

00:53:32,474 --> 00:53:34,214

righteous people is powerful.

: 1126

00:53:34,224 --> 00:53:38,404

So utilize that as a Catholic,

um, and dedicate time.

: 1127

00:53:38,464 --> 00:53:40,974

Like we just talked about the power

of adoration and the Eucharist.

: 1128

00:53:41,284 --> 00:53:46,454

A lot of people sleep on it, and I'm

telling you, I wish I had known earlier on

: 1129

00:53:46,474 --> 00:53:48,614

in my marriage how powerful that would be.

: 1130

00:53:48,914 --> 00:53:49,174

-: 2024

: 1131

00:53:49,474 --> 00:53:53,094

-: 2024

to fill your cup, but also just working

: 1132

00:53:53,094 --> 00:53:55,014

on that personal relationship with God.

: 1133

00:53:55,114 --> 00:53:57,494

If you don't have it,

go through the motions.

: 1134

00:53:57,504 --> 00:54:00,164

Like you just said, it, it's

okay to go through the motions

: 1135

00:54:00,164 --> 00:54:01,724

until fake it till you make it.

: 1136

00:54:01,724 --> 00:54:04,554

And if you keep sitting in front

of God, something will happen.

: 1137

00:54:04,714 --> 00:54:07,384

And if you keep surrendering

yourself, something will happen.

: 1138

00:54:07,834 --> 00:54:08,994

Um, and.

: 1139

00:54:09,334 --> 00:54:16,364

Focus on prayer with your, your Protestant

spouse focused on unity and per title

: 1140

00:54:16,364 --> 00:54:21,114

like your God specifically asked you

to learn how to love that person to the

: 1141

00:54:21,124 --> 00:54:25,284

best of your ability and to, and that's

your, that's your vocation right there.

: 1142

00:54:25,294 --> 00:54:28,184

It's to do that and that's

not through forcing them.

: 1143

00:54:28,204 --> 00:54:30,124

It's through loving them

in their own love language.

: 1144

00:54:30,154 --> 00:54:31,984

It's only specific to you and your spouse.

: 1145

00:54:32,304 --> 00:54:35,004

I would have no idea because I don't,

I'm not married to your spouse.

: 1146

00:54:35,144 --> 00:54:36,724

So that is your challenge.

: 1147

00:54:36,734 --> 00:54:40,994

And your goal is to find those

things and do it, learn how to live

: 1148

00:54:40,994 --> 00:54:42,774

out Ephesians in the proper manner.

: 1149

00:54:43,684 --> 00:54:47,944

that doesn't mean submitting to sin,

just means learn how to love better.

: 1150

00:54:49,474 --> 00:54:50,704

-: 2024

That was so beautifully said.

: 1151

00:54:50,974 --> 00:54:51,524

Thank you.

: 1152

00:54:51,584 --> 00:54:54,554

This was such an insightful

conversation and encouraging.

: 1153

00:54:54,554 --> 00:54:59,334

And I do hope that, yeah, if we have any

listeners that are in a situation, either

: 1154

00:54:59,334 --> 00:55:03,089

discerning, uh, interfaith marriage or

in one, I hope that this was encouraging

: 1155

00:55:03,384 --> 00:55:06,344

and kind of just a light in that cross.

: 1156

00:55:06,344 --> 00:55:06,984

Thank you for sharing.

: 1157

00:55:06,984 --> 00:55:12,309

So Openly about your experience and

just sharing the good and the bad and

: 1158

00:55:12,319 --> 00:55:15,219

how it strengthened your faith and

just everything you shared, I feel like

: 1159

00:55:15,219 --> 00:55:18,539

was so personable and just beautiful

to hear your experience so openly.

: 1160

00:55:18,539 --> 00:55:19,869

So thank you so much.

: 1161

00:55:20,304 --> 00:55:20,604

-: 2024

Yeah.

: 1162

00:55:20,604 --> 00:55:21,564

Thank you for having me.

: 1163

00:55:21,624 --> 00:55:25,494

It's a taboo topic and I appreciate you

opening up your platform to it because

: 1164

00:55:25,814 --> 00:55:28,864

it is so much needed and I think that

you're going to reach a lot of people in

: 1165

00:55:28,979 --> 00:55:29,389

-: 2024

: 1166

00:55:29,939 --> 00:55:30,229

Yeah.

: 1167

00:55:30,229 --> 00:55:32,929

And so on Instagram, I know we

said at the beginning, but where

: 1168

00:55:32,929 --> 00:55:34,324

can people find more about you?

: 1169

00:55:34,974 --> 00:55:35,284

-: 2024

Yeah.

: 1170

00:55:35,284 --> 00:55:39,454

So, at Catholic Caritas,

and that's C A R I T A S.

: 1171

00:55:40,479 --> 00:55:45,659

uh, after Catholic, um, and, uh, if

you type in Marie Mazzanti, M A Z Z A

: 1172

00:55:45,659 --> 00:55:47,619

N T I, you'll also find me that way.

: 1173

00:55:47,969 --> 00:55:51,179

Uh, and so, yeah, that's, that's pretty

much the only, I do have a YouTube

: 1174

00:55:51,179 --> 00:55:52,359

channel, but I haven't updated it.

: 1175

00:55:52,389 --> 00:55:53,019

I'm sorry.

: 1176

00:55:53,019 --> 00:55:53,729

I will get to it.

: 1177

00:55:53,739 --> 00:55:54,979

The five children get in the way.

: 1178

00:55:56,009 --> 00:55:58,949

But primarily, that's where I

do a lot of my, um, talking and

: 1179

00:55:58,949 --> 00:56:00,219

questions and things like that.

: 1180

00:56:00,654 --> 00:56:01,194

-: 2024

: 1181

00:56:01,244 --> 00:56:01,554

Yeah.

: 1182

00:56:01,614 --> 00:56:02,444

Make sure to check her out.

: 1183

00:56:02,444 --> 00:56:02,954

Everybody.

: 1184

00:56:03,174 --> 00:56:03,984

Thanks so much, Marie.

: 1185

00:56:04,774 --> 00:56:04,794

-: 2024

Yeah.

: 1186

00:56:04,794 --> 00:56:05,304

Thank you.