WEBVTT 00:00:00.320 --> 00:00:01.919 Podcast um coming to you from St. 00:00:02.000 --> 00:00:04.559 Augustine Church and Student Center and Coral Gables. 00:00:04.719 --> 00:00:05.839 My name is Michelle Lopez. 00:00:06.000 --> 00:00:07.280 I'm one of your hosts today. 00:00:07.440 --> 00:00:10.880 And um Father, why don't you introduce yourself and our lovely guest? 00:00:10.960 --> 00:00:12.560 We have a guest today, so we're excited. 00:00:12.880 --> 00:00:14.320 This is brand new today. 00:00:14.400 --> 00:00:15.519 It's very exciting. 00:00:15.679 --> 00:00:17.600 Uh of course I'm Father Vigo from St. 00:00:17.760 --> 00:00:18.320 Augustine's. 00:00:18.399 --> 00:00:26.480 And today we have the pleasure of having Pam Gigante, who was an NBC 6 anchor, morning anchor. 00:00:26.559 --> 00:00:29.359 I don't know how you did it for the the as many years as you did it. 00:00:29.600 --> 00:00:30.559 It's crazy. 00:00:30.800 --> 00:00:32.320 But um also a parisher. 00:00:32.399 --> 00:00:34.320 She's a parishioner sometimes. 00:00:34.399 --> 00:00:35.679 You're part-time parishioner. 00:00:35.920 --> 00:00:36.159 Part-time. 00:00:36.320 --> 00:00:37.520 You're mostly at Epiphany. 00:00:37.840 --> 00:00:37.920 Yeah. 00:00:38.079 --> 00:00:39.200 But she's a Legatus member. 00:00:39.280 --> 00:00:43.439 I'm a chaplain for Legatus, and we've worked many years together. 00:00:43.520 --> 00:00:44.240 Even before I was at St. 00:00:44.399 --> 00:00:45.759 Augustine, I've known Pam. 00:00:46.079 --> 00:00:48.960 Uh she's done a lot of great work with the Archdiocese of Miami. 00:00:49.280 --> 00:00:52.960 But I thought it would be fun to bring you a professional. 00:00:53.280 --> 00:00:54.799 This is what she does for a living. 00:00:54.880 --> 00:00:56.479 So she's going to give us some notes and feedback. 00:00:57.039 --> 00:00:57.920 Can you give us some tips here? 00:00:58.960 --> 00:00:59.840 You guys are doing great. 00:00:59.920 --> 00:01:01.039 I've been I've been following. 00:01:01.119 --> 00:01:03.039 Congratulations on this podcast. 00:01:03.200 --> 00:01:04.799 It's been, I think, wildly successful. 00:01:04.959 --> 00:01:08.079 I've heard from so many people who watch and they've gotten so much from it. 00:01:08.159 --> 00:01:09.200 So you guys are doing great. 00:01:09.280 --> 00:01:09.680 Don't worry. 00:01:10.000 --> 00:01:12.319 Well, if you say so, it means a lot. 00:01:12.480 --> 00:01:13.599 But thank you for being here today. 00:01:13.680 --> 00:01:16.159 We want to dig in and just talk about the hominy. 00:01:16.239 --> 00:01:17.359 That's what we do on Mondays. 00:01:17.519 --> 00:01:21.439 We kind of break open what uh what we heard on Sunday. 00:01:21.680 --> 00:01:23.680 And um so here we are. 00:01:24.000 --> 00:01:24.560 But thank you for coming. 00:01:25.120 --> 00:01:25.760 Thanks for having me. 00:01:26.159 --> 00:01:29.519 And our hope is going from the pews on Sunday to the whole of your week. 00:01:29.599 --> 00:01:35.200 So we're gonna be opening up um the feast of the dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome. 00:01:35.439 --> 00:01:36.079 Did I say that right, Father? 00:01:36.319 --> 00:01:37.280 That's like the longest feast. 00:01:37.680 --> 00:01:37.760 St. 00:01:37.840 --> 00:01:40.239 John Lateran, yeah, you got it from the Lateran family. 00:01:40.719 --> 00:01:41.040 Wonderful. 00:01:41.200 --> 00:01:43.760 So that was um the feast day that we celebrated yesterday. 00:01:43.840 --> 00:01:49.200 And so we're actually gonna be talking that was the homily was kind of opening up what that feast day means for us personally and for the church. 00:01:49.359 --> 00:01:56.239 Um so we're not gonna read the homily today, but I'm gonna give you a little kind of preview into uh what the homily was about, and we'll kind of open up conversation from there. 00:01:57.040 --> 00:01:59.599 Um so again, this is taking from Father's Homily. 00:01:59.840 --> 00:02:07.120 It says, The roof may fall, the walls may crumble, but the church of Christ will always stand strong because the church isn't marble or mortar. 00:02:07.200 --> 00:02:09.520 It's you, it's me, it's all of us. 00:02:10.400 --> 00:02:16.400 So that is kind of our conversation today, is looking at this great feast day is about a building, but it's not really about a building. 00:02:16.639 --> 00:02:21.759 So would love to kind of I think that's the the twist that you gave to it, Father, that was really beautiful. 00:02:21.840 --> 00:02:27.759 Um because I think the the name of the feast day is a little um you're kind of like, oh, okay, that's that's nice, a church. 00:02:28.000 --> 00:02:28.159 Right. 00:02:28.400 --> 00:02:29.840 And then what about what does that mean? 00:02:30.080 --> 00:02:30.159 Yeah. 00:02:30.319 --> 00:02:31.280 It's not about a building. 00:02:31.919 --> 00:02:35.759 And I think the church does that because it's to stress that it's not about a building. 00:02:36.000 --> 00:02:36.879 As beautiful as St. 00:02:36.960 --> 00:02:45.680 John Lateran is, I I mentioned in the homily, it's uh one of the four major papal basilicas, and it has a holy door, lots of people going to St. 00:02:45.759 --> 00:02:46.800 John Lateran. 00:02:46.960 --> 00:02:49.280 Um it's an impressive building. 00:02:49.599 --> 00:02:53.759 But the church is not about stone and mortar, it's uh more. 00:02:53.919 --> 00:02:59.759 It's and and and going back to uh the story that I gave about Cuba. 00:03:00.240 --> 00:03:02.960 But we can get back we can get to that uh in a little bit. 00:03:03.199 --> 00:03:04.400 But St. 00:03:04.560 --> 00:03:07.759 John Lateran is an important church, it's the cathedral of the Pope. 00:03:07.919 --> 00:03:08.879 A lot of people think that St. 00:03:08.960 --> 00:03:14.319 Peter's Basilica is uh the the cathedral of the Pope, but it's not, it's St. 00:03:14.400 --> 00:03:15.520 John Lateran. 00:03:15.759 --> 00:03:26.319 And in when you go to Rome and you see it uh these huge letters there on the facade of the church that says mother and head of all churches in the city and the world. 00:03:26.560 --> 00:03:28.159 Of course it's in Latin. 00:03:28.560 --> 00:03:30.639 Um but uh impressive. 00:03:30.719 --> 00:03:31.919 It's a it's a beautiful building. 00:03:32.080 --> 00:03:38.560 But I think that this uh feast day really reminds us that uh Jesus Christ is a foundation. 00:03:39.520 --> 00:03:43.599 We are the body of Christ, we are the church, and how do we understand that? 00:03:44.000 --> 00:03:50.240 If we can understand it, then the community grows in that understanding. 00:03:50.719 --> 00:03:52.080 Um so yeah. 00:03:52.479 --> 00:03:54.719 Yeah, I thought I listened to the homily as well. 00:03:54.800 --> 00:03:56.479 It was it was it was really good. 00:03:56.639 --> 00:04:06.879 I was taking a bunch of notes and also because I was gonna be here today, you know, I wanted to remember a few things, but I thought as well, like Michelle was saying, it's sort of an abstract feast day. 00:04:06.960 --> 00:04:08.400 You're like, why are we celebrating this? 00:04:08.479 --> 00:04:10.159 So I think you really put it into perspective. 00:04:10.319 --> 00:04:13.439 And you mentioned, wasn't it, Constantine's baptismal font? 00:04:13.520 --> 00:04:13.599 Yeah. 00:04:13.919 --> 00:04:14.240 Still there. 00:04:14.560 --> 00:04:15.120 It's still there. 00:04:15.280 --> 00:04:16.160 You can go and see it. 00:04:16.480 --> 00:04:17.439 That is so impressive. 00:04:17.680 --> 00:04:17.920 Right. 00:04:18.160 --> 00:04:33.519 And that there's just been this building layer upon layer of the church, and so that's just metaphoric for how we are as Christians, because it's this lifelong spiritual journey, and you're continuing to build on what you know and what you believe and how you act. 00:04:33.680 --> 00:04:38.480 Like we're always we're s we're always growing and always growing and always rebuilding. 00:04:39.360 --> 00:04:47.839 You know, this church is super important because it's the first church uh that's built after Christianity is legalized. 00:04:48.000 --> 00:04:55.519 So it's 324, um right after Constantine is is baptized and they build this huge church. 00:04:55.680 --> 00:05:01.600 And um but it it's going back to what what are we celebrating? 00:05:01.680 --> 00:05:03.680 What is it truly that we're we're celebrating building? 00:05:03.759 --> 00:05:06.560 No, we're not celebrating building, we're celebrating our Christian faith. 00:05:07.600 --> 00:05:16.399 And um but so yeah, I went to Cuba on uh on Sunday, just for Sunday, you know, for a couple hours. 00:05:16.560 --> 00:05:45.120 And uh it was devastating in the sense that what I saw was was crazy in uh because you know, we have hurricanes here in Florida, we'll have it in the United States, and the government's very good, and people are very good, and NGOs and and communities come together, they start picking up the debris, and they come together, people bring water, and and you see the best of humanity after something, some sort of uh uh devastating something like a hurricane or an earthquake. 00:05:45.360 --> 00:05:47.439 But Cuba doesn't have any resources. 00:05:47.839 --> 00:05:59.120 So they didn't have power before the earthquake, uh the hurricane, and they don't have water, and so it's it's um it's it's on top of and on top of uh just misfortune. 00:05:59.360 --> 00:06:10.639 Um so we went uh on behalf of the Archdiocese of Miami and the Catholic charities, the Order of Malta, we took down uh something like 43,000 pounds of food. 00:06:10.959 --> 00:06:11.519 That's incredible. 00:06:11.759 --> 00:06:31.120 But the big deal was to get down there to talk to some of these chur uh to uh government officials and church officials to make sure that all that food that was coming down off the plane, it was getting into the trucks that was sitting there waiting by from caritas from uh the Archdiocese of Santiago, and and we saw that. 00:06:31.279 --> 00:06:35.199 We saw how they were able to put that in the trucks, and uh that was the reason why we went. 00:06:35.279 --> 00:06:47.279 And then and then we made our way to uh the sanctuary of Our Lady of Charity, and we prayed there uh before the uh Nuestra Señora de la Caridad, and that was uh very powerful, impactful. 00:06:47.519 --> 00:06:51.839 In fact, the eye of the hurricane was very close to the shrine. 00:06:52.399 --> 00:06:55.519 So that whole area is just devastating. 00:06:55.600 --> 00:06:59.199 And the priest, I didn't mention this in the homily, but we we visited, and they start. 00:06:59.519 --> 00:07:04.480 I felt so bad because we got there, and the priest wants to say hello and wants to show us around. 00:07:04.560 --> 00:07:07.040 And and Mass is starting, and it's starting late. 00:07:07.120 --> 00:07:07.759 You know how I am. 00:07:07.839 --> 00:07:12.959 I like to start on Mass on time and end on time, and and I'm saying, but Father, you gotta celebrate Mass. 00:07:13.040 --> 00:07:14.800 Don't worry about us go, no, no, no, you're here. 00:07:14.879 --> 00:07:16.160 We want to celebrate, you know. 00:07:16.399 --> 00:07:19.040 And um the church was packed. 00:07:19.120 --> 00:07:20.480 I'm talking packed. 00:07:20.720 --> 00:07:21.040 Wow. 00:07:21.279 --> 00:07:25.519 And um he says, You see all these people, a lot of these people lost their homes, and they're here. 00:07:26.000 --> 00:07:26.480 Wow. 00:07:26.720 --> 00:07:28.160 They're celebrating the faith. 00:07:28.800 --> 00:07:31.519 And um that was the the what I wanted to. 00:07:31.759 --> 00:07:39.519 That's how when I came home, I I rested for a little bit, then I went to my office and I sat down and wrote the homily for Sunday. 00:07:39.759 --> 00:07:48.079 Um but it brought me back to that that instance where that lady, you know, we pull up to this church that had been decimated. 00:07:48.160 --> 00:07:51.360 It was just basically just the floor of the church was there. 00:07:51.519 --> 00:07:58.240 And she's sitting there sweeping, and the bishop comes out and says, Oh my dear, you know, you lost the church is gone. 00:07:58.319 --> 00:08:05.439 And and he she reprimanded, no, Monseignor, la Iglesia somos nosotros, we are the church. 00:08:05.600 --> 00:08:06.399 Don't forget that. 00:08:06.560 --> 00:08:06.800 Yeah. 00:08:07.360 --> 00:08:11.279 You know, and uh that's telling that to the archbishop, right? 00:08:11.519 --> 00:08:11.600 Right. 00:08:11.759 --> 00:08:20.240 Well, I wasn't Archbishop Miami, it was the Archbishop of there in Cuba, but um but it it it n I never forgot that. 00:08:21.040 --> 00:08:21.680 So powerful. 00:08:21.839 --> 00:08:22.240 Yeah. 00:08:22.560 --> 00:08:31.120 Yeah, it's but the the one thing that I wanted to communicate is how do you see yourself in relationship to your community and also your domestic church at home? 00:08:31.360 --> 00:08:37.600 Like how does how do you see your church as a stones and the mortar and that we're living stones? 00:08:37.759 --> 00:08:54.240 I I was talking to someone today and and she was uh lamenting of a big family problem that they have, but one of the things that she was saying is that the values that I instilled in my children are still there and I see that that domestic church, those val that that's still there. 00:08:55.039 --> 00:08:55.600 Yeah, right? 00:08:55.919 --> 00:08:56.799 That's so powerful. 00:08:57.039 --> 00:09:08.559 And uh Father, even um even your story, I mean like what a way to celebrate this feast day by like being universal church to another country and like being able to, yeah, be with the people there and then come home to your own people. 00:09:08.879 --> 00:09:11.919 Like it really that universality of the church is so unique and beautiful. 00:09:12.080 --> 00:09:16.559 Um, but also kind of this um invitation to like do we know that we're the church? 00:09:16.639 --> 00:09:19.519 And I think even myself growing up, like church was building. 00:09:19.759 --> 00:09:20.320 Like that was it. 00:09:20.399 --> 00:09:21.440 Like, are we going to church? 00:09:21.600 --> 00:09:25.120 And but that and also like church or like you know, the religious or the priest. 00:09:25.200 --> 00:09:25.360 Yeah. 00:09:25.519 --> 00:09:29.519 Um but what you're kind of opening up in your homily is calling to mind that like that's not the whole truth. 00:09:29.759 --> 00:09:31.440 The whole truth is like we are the church. 00:09:31.679 --> 00:09:35.360 Before ever there were walls, right, in the early church, it was the people. 00:09:35.600 --> 00:09:42.480 And really helping us know that that's the responsibility to take up and also collaborate with and um and how do we see that? 00:09:42.639 --> 00:09:44.639 Like I think that that's the question. 00:09:44.799 --> 00:09:50.159 Do I the the comment that you just made is do we understand that we are the church? 00:09:50.320 --> 00:09:52.240 This collective body of Christ. 00:09:52.399 --> 00:09:56.399 And what I mentioned was when one part of the body suffers, we all suffer. 00:09:56.480 --> 00:09:57.279 And do you feel that? 00:09:57.440 --> 00:09:58.639 Do you feel that hurt? 00:09:58.879 --> 00:09:59.679 Um and I think St. 00:09:59.919 --> 00:10:02.399 Augustine does a pretty good job about that. 00:10:02.720 --> 00:10:05.519 We're very quick to w what what what do you need? 00:10:05.679 --> 00:10:06.480 How how can we do this? 00:10:06.559 --> 00:10:07.279 How can we solve it? 00:10:07.440 --> 00:10:11.759 What what what what where's the you know the assistance that's that's needed? 00:10:11.919 --> 00:10:13.919 Um and so we're good at that. 00:10:14.000 --> 00:10:15.360 It's faith in action. 00:10:15.600 --> 00:10:29.600 And you're right, there was such a st stark contrast from being in Cuba with this, you know, church and and the celebration and also being at our church and the celebration that we had there. 00:10:30.000 --> 00:10:34.720 Two different styles, but but the same exact church. 00:10:34.960 --> 00:10:35.679 Yeah, yeah. 00:10:35.919 --> 00:10:37.360 It's it's incredible. 00:10:37.759 --> 00:10:45.440 Um Pam, I was kind of thinking about like what what has your experience been of like of church, like church being like you, like you're being a part of that. 00:10:45.679 --> 00:10:50.960 Do you have any of your own experiences you'd like to share of like coming to a greater understanding of um being a part of the living church? 00:10:51.200 --> 00:10:52.399 Yeah, that's such a great question. 00:10:52.559 --> 00:10:54.879 I mean, I'm a cradle Catholic, so it was always part of my life. 00:10:55.200 --> 00:10:58.320 Is it you know, when you're little, you don't even know the difference. 00:10:58.480 --> 00:11:03.279 You've learned how to do the sign of the cross and say your prayers, which is such a gift. 00:11:03.440 --> 00:11:05.759 Um I'm so grateful that my family gave that to me. 00:11:05.919 --> 00:11:10.080 So it was always a part of my life, um, and it was always the foundation for me. 00:11:10.159 --> 00:11:15.279 Even when I went away to to college, maybe I was one of those rare students that didn't really drift away. 00:11:15.440 --> 00:11:27.600 To me, it felt because I was away from home, it gave me a sense of belonging and it made me feel like home going to mass, because it was no matter where you go, the mass is still the same, and that's such the beauty of the Catholic faith. 00:11:27.759 --> 00:11:36.480 Um, but I think one of the things that really one of the pivotal moments in my career, I guess, or my life as a Catholic, was when I did my Emmaus retreat. 00:11:37.039 --> 00:11:45.360 Um that was just so beautiful to go on that retreat and to meet all of these other women who were the living embodiment of Christ. 00:11:45.679 --> 00:12:02.159 Because they were sharing their stories, a lot of them really profound, heartfelt stories, some with tragedy involved and and trauma and despair, but yet they were doing so well, if you will, because of their faith. 00:12:02.559 --> 00:12:04.639 And they gave people so much hope. 00:12:04.960 --> 00:12:16.720 And I remember being on that on my retreat, and this was in 2000, so it was a long time ago, and feeling for the first time and understanding for the first time how much Jesus loved me. 00:12:17.200 --> 00:12:32.559 I don't know why I didn't get that before or understand that before, but it was at that moment and going on that retreat, which is such a gift to yourself, because you just close the the w the outside world out and you get to be in the space on that retreat with with people who are just carrying you. 00:12:33.360 --> 00:12:34.000 That's powerful. 00:12:34.240 --> 00:12:34.480 Yeah. 00:12:34.639 --> 00:12:37.039 So for me it was that was very, very pivotal. 00:12:37.440 --> 00:12:42.080 And what would you say because you out of the three of us, you're the only one with adult children. 00:12:44.799 --> 00:12:45.679 They're in college. 00:12:45.840 --> 00:12:48.639 And so um you know, that domestic church. 00:12:48.720 --> 00:12:52.639 You you and Alfred did a really good job in having that domestic church in your house. 00:12:52.799 --> 00:13:02.000 But how do you think that that impacts them in their understanding that you are church and and that in you need to now go to a community to continue to be church? 00:13:02.240 --> 00:13:02.559 Yeah. 00:13:02.879 --> 00:13:04.399 Because your kids are different, right? 00:13:04.639 --> 00:13:05.919 Yeah, they're all different. 00:13:06.159 --> 00:13:12.080 Um two have graduated from college already, one is a senior in college, so they're they're moving along with their lives. 00:13:12.399 --> 00:13:15.200 Yeah, they're from 28 to 21. 00:13:15.440 --> 00:13:25.360 So um I think you as parents instill these values in your children and you show them that this is what we do as a family. 00:13:25.519 --> 00:13:26.480 This is our faith. 00:13:26.639 --> 00:13:27.840 We practice our faith. 00:13:28.000 --> 00:13:33.279 We go to mass on Sunday, we participate in myriad ways that the This is who we are as a family. 00:13:33.679 --> 00:13:34.480 This is who we are. 00:13:34.639 --> 00:13:42.879 And and there's a lot of talk, as you know, like when people go out of town, some people feel like, oh, when I'm out of town, or I'm traveling to go to a tournament. 00:13:43.039 --> 00:13:45.600 I don't I can't get to church, or I don't need to go to church. 00:13:45.840 --> 00:13:53.919 But we were always like, we're gonna find a way to go to mass because this is who we are, because that's what we felt was important for us and for our kids. 00:13:54.320 --> 00:13:57.440 Any pushback from any of the kids uh at any ages? 00:13:57.600 --> 00:13:58.960 Uh I don't want to go to church. 00:13:59.039 --> 00:14:01.919 I don't think we're really it was more like hurry up. 00:14:03.120 --> 00:14:04.240 Maybe that's pretty normal. 00:14:04.559 --> 00:14:05.039 Yeah, yeah, yeah. 00:14:05.279 --> 00:14:10.480 Three daughters, it was like you could hear somebody yelling, that's my ponytail holder, that's my hairbrush. 00:14:10.559 --> 00:14:12.320 It was like, hurry up, just get in the car. 00:14:12.559 --> 00:14:13.919 But did you wish you were still there? 00:14:14.240 --> 00:14:14.960 Oh, of course. 00:14:15.120 --> 00:14:16.240 Yeah, I miss those moments. 00:14:16.559 --> 00:14:17.360 I miss those moments. 00:14:17.679 --> 00:14:28.080 But yeah, I think too, like, you know, we were very fortunate to grow to raise the kids here in Miami with extended family, with that sense of of your faith is important. 00:14:28.159 --> 00:14:30.240 This is what we do collectively, all of us. 00:14:30.399 --> 00:14:34.639 I sent them to Catholic school, and then they learned a lot about service through that. 00:14:34.799 --> 00:14:36.639 It's just like it's just ingrained. 00:14:36.879 --> 00:14:37.279 Right. 00:14:37.759 --> 00:14:44.480 So as women, they are very passionate about service and serving others and and living and living a good life. 00:14:44.879 --> 00:14:45.519 And that's the whole thing. 00:14:45.679 --> 00:14:52.399 And my hope was that that it is ingrained, and if it's not ingrained, let's get it ingrained in some of the even adults. 00:14:52.639 --> 00:14:59.440 Uh because what I was trying to say in the homily too is that there's gonna be cracks. 00:14:59.600 --> 00:15:15.360 Just like there's cracks in the church, there's gonna be cracks in your own life, and there's gonna be uh wood beams in your heart or uh whatever it is that there's this need for constant renewal, refurbishing, renewing, restoring. 00:15:15.919 --> 00:15:26.240 Um and I think that that speaks if we're able to really say this is where the area in my life that needs help, right? 00:15:26.320 --> 00:15:42.080 Then I I can be that community, I can be that church, even within my home, with my husband, my wife, my children, but then in the greater scheme of a community that's growing in faith and and challenging each other and being accountable to each other, right? 00:15:42.480 --> 00:15:46.559 Um, because this the community like ours, it can't just be stagnant. 00:15:47.200 --> 00:15:55.200 Um it it has to to really have members of the faith that are challenging and that are growing with each other uh and serving. 00:15:55.360 --> 00:16:04.399 We we I think we've done a good job to challenge people and offer opportunities to serve because that is another component of it. 00:16:04.960 --> 00:16:08.960 Faith has to be faith in action, and we saw that this weekend with this trip. 00:16:09.200 --> 00:16:15.600 Um but it it's all part of I am church, I am the church. 00:16:16.240 --> 00:16:25.279 And it it's it's far beyond just our little beautiful, little cozy church that we have of you know, bricks and walls and floors. 00:16:25.679 --> 00:16:25.840 Right. 00:16:26.080 --> 00:16:28.879 And it's not just being in that building, your church all the time. 00:16:29.120 --> 00:16:29.360 Right. 00:16:29.519 --> 00:16:29.759 Right? 00:16:29.919 --> 00:16:36.480 You come there to get renewed and to go to mass and to to gather, but that's doesn't stop and start when you walk in and out of the door. 00:16:36.879 --> 00:16:37.759 You know how I see that? 00:16:37.919 --> 00:17:00.639 Sometimes I see that like when we do Edmanos a la calle, like we're out in downtown Miami, and I'm just looking at some of the some of our kids or adults that are kind of shy that are but then I see them kind of stepping out of their own and and talking to someone by themselves or bringing a sandwich to someone, I'm like, wow, our church is beautiful, our church is growing, and this right here, we're just this little group right here, this is the church. 00:17:00.720 --> 00:17:01.120 This is Catholic. 00:17:01.360 --> 00:17:02.000 Where are you guys from? 00:17:02.159 --> 00:17:02.559 We're from St. 00:17:02.720 --> 00:17:06.559 Augustine's Catholic Church, but we're it's this is who we are, right? 00:17:07.039 --> 00:17:10.160 Yeah, that the church isn't confined to the building, but it's it's the people. 00:17:10.319 --> 00:17:12.319 And I think way more. 00:17:12.640 --> 00:17:18.240 Yeah, and even in the example that you gave um of the lady with the broom, I mean she just knew that in her bones. 00:17:18.799 --> 00:17:20.000 She did know that in the bones. 00:17:20.319 --> 00:17:23.599 The church it the building itself will come and go, but it's the people. 00:17:23.920 --> 00:17:34.079 And um and I think for us, uh I don't know, some people I think have the tendency to be very individualistic individualistic and think like, okay, well that's the church over there. 00:17:34.160 --> 00:17:35.519 And um I don't know. 00:17:35.599 --> 00:17:41.279 I I think we talked about this a couple weeks ago of if everyone could play their part, like what a difference we would make in our local community. 00:17:41.519 --> 00:17:56.799 Like if we're if people were willing to take that broom to their own soul, like you were talking about in your homily, to really um to clean house but and to allow the Lord to do like that restoration within so that we can together come and build like a beautiful thing for God, but yeah through our community. 00:17:57.279 --> 00:18:00.640 I I like if I could add, and I wrote it down in your homie. 00:18:00.799 --> 00:18:01.279 I took notes. 00:18:01.359 --> 00:18:02.240 I knew I was gonna be on the show. 00:18:03.599 --> 00:18:05.440 Let me let me take some notes. 00:18:05.759 --> 00:18:11.119 Um, which is you know, and you know what, in a massive guess if you see people on their phone sometimes, maybe they're taking notes. 00:18:11.359 --> 00:18:11.680 They are. 00:18:11.920 --> 00:18:12.720 Yeah, they're taking notes. 00:18:13.119 --> 00:18:16.960 What you said, and I want to you mention it again, and you said, what will we add? 00:18:17.119 --> 00:18:20.559 Do we add beauty or do we add to the cracks and the leaks? 00:18:20.720 --> 00:18:20.960 Yeah. 00:18:21.119 --> 00:18:28.640 And I think it's like important for us to feel, and Michelle and I were talking about this, is no matter what space you're in, to bring beauty and light. 00:18:28.799 --> 00:18:31.039 Do you bring light or do you bring negativity? 00:18:31.279 --> 00:18:36.799 And then I think too, as Christians, like also give yourself some grace because we're not always on our, we're not always our best. 00:18:36.880 --> 00:18:37.759 We're human, right? 00:18:38.000 --> 00:18:45.759 And so if you feel like maybe you weren't the best in a situation, you can always go back and apologize, or you just do better next time. 00:18:45.920 --> 00:18:46.960 But give yourself grace. 00:18:47.039 --> 00:18:50.799 Don't think it has to be all or nothing, like, oh, I'm failing, I'm failing as a Christian, I'm not. 00:18:51.039 --> 00:18:52.000 No, give yourself grace. 00:18:52.079 --> 00:18:57.200 You've decided to to be a Christian, you've decided to to maybe follow your Catholic faith, and so good for you. 00:18:57.279 --> 00:19:03.359 And we're here as a community to help support you when you feel weak or you can't, or we need to pray for you. 00:19:03.599 --> 00:19:05.119 That's that's one of the beauties. 00:19:05.279 --> 00:19:11.680 That getting back to the Emmaus retreat, I'm still on a text message with my sisters, and we will pray for each other all the time. 00:19:12.000 --> 00:19:13.519 And it's very, it's very powerful. 00:19:13.920 --> 00:19:16.000 Yeah, it's the whole walking together. 00:19:16.160 --> 00:19:16.559 Yeah. 00:19:16.880 --> 00:19:18.559 And and learning from each other. 00:19:18.720 --> 00:19:30.240 And you know, you made a a comment there about uh the church has leaks, or uh are we repairing our are we looking at our ugliness, our our our sinfulness, or even our weaknesses. 00:19:30.400 --> 00:19:35.359 I I think that a good self-awareness goes a long way. 00:19:36.079 --> 00:19:46.000 Because we're gonna fail, we're gonna have our bad days and we're gonna be short, we're gonna be impatient, and we're I gonna be just ugly, and and that's where okay. 00:19:46.559 --> 00:19:54.880 You you said it, you pick yourself up, you can turn this around, uh go to confession or whatever it is you need to do, but nip it in the bud and say, No, this is not who I am. 00:19:54.960 --> 00:20:00.559 I'm a Christian and I I love I love the Lord and I wanna serve him well and I wanna make him proud. 00:20:00.720 --> 00:20:20.960 And um and so yeah, that's yeah, and and you were mentioning in your homily, and I think this is just relevant in our conversation, is there's um sometimes we can be like, oh well, let the bishops do that, or like you know, a posture of like complaining or being, you know, nic n nitpicking like what's going on in the church that's that you don't like, or like if this was better. 00:20:21.119 --> 00:20:32.160 Um and I know I I've talked to a lot of people who have the first comment, and I've said this myself in the beginning of my walk of like, well, I'm not gonna go to church because like they're all hip hip hypocrites anyways, you know, like they're all you know, whatever, whatever. 00:20:32.319 --> 00:20:41.119 But being able to um again like take our accountability of our own self and sweep our own corner of the church and like if like that's it. 00:20:41.200 --> 00:20:43.759 That's why you have to be responsible for it's not everyone else. 00:20:43.920 --> 00:20:51.279 But it's like you're yes, you're part of the church that you need to clean house and be a living stone that actually brings beauty and fruit. 00:20:51.680 --> 00:20:56.960 Um And there's the other flip of that coin too, is where oh they're they're too holy there at that church. 00:20:57.039 --> 00:20:57.920 I don't belong there. 00:20:58.079 --> 00:21:03.839 I uh you know, I've made some really major mistakes, I've not been the best Christian, so I'm not gonna go. 00:21:04.079 --> 00:21:05.519 Well, that's a cop out too. 00:21:06.240 --> 00:21:06.640 Right? 00:21:06.799 --> 00:21:08.960 And um so you're right. 00:21:09.119 --> 00:21:15.279 I think that that there has to be this understanding of okay, well, is it about Jesus Christ? 00:21:15.440 --> 00:21:19.359 And do I understand that that He's the foundation to all of this? 00:21:19.920 --> 00:21:21.599 Um and what does that mean? 00:21:21.839 --> 00:21:27.039 Or sometimes we just we love excuses just to be able to do whatever it is that we want to do. 00:21:27.599 --> 00:21:27.759 Yeah. 00:21:28.000 --> 00:21:34.160 But but for the person who's really maybe people watching this and they are really hard on themselves, what do what do you say to them? 00:21:35.359 --> 00:21:45.359 Well, you know, that happens a lot, and uh there's all all different levels to that because there's scrupulosity, there's uh sometimes it's it's excessive. 00:21:45.759 --> 00:21:59.279 And that's where I think that uh you need to sit with a spiritual director, you need to sit with uh someone that you trust, a mentor or a priest that that can look or or listen to you and say, look, you're being too hard. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:05.039 I think the sacrament of reconciliation can help you, or let's let's look at it this way. 00:22:05.680 --> 00:22:14.319 Um but I in those instances I think that an outside voice needs to come in there and help you kind of get out of that funk. 00:22:15.359 --> 00:22:18.400 Because when you are too hard on yourself, that's you're not allowing grace. 00:22:18.480 --> 00:22:22.480 And what it ultimately what that is is that you're the one that wants to be in control. 00:22:22.960 --> 00:22:23.200 Right? 00:22:23.279 --> 00:22:28.480 It's prideful, it's I I know better, I know, and no, don't worry about it, I know what I need to do. 00:22:28.559 --> 00:22:30.880 And so it it it's it's all about control. 00:22:31.119 --> 00:22:38.799 And um and so that's when someone else can come around and say, uh, let me pinpoint or let me tell you what I see. 00:22:39.200 --> 00:22:42.000 And and that can sometimes pull the person out of it. 00:22:43.119 --> 00:22:43.599 Right? 00:22:44.000 --> 00:22:44.880 Yeah, that's great. 00:22:44.960 --> 00:22:49.920 Um spiritual insight, and I think um Think God, we have I mean, we need community. 00:22:50.079 --> 00:23:02.960 It goes back to the fact of like we need a church to belong to, uh a community to be a part of helping us grow, especially in areas that we are blind to, or we need that extra help to be pulled out of, you know, seeing things in a certain in a certain way. 00:23:03.200 --> 00:23:13.039 Um Father, one of the things from your homily that I wanted to mention when you talked about the the actual basilica in Rome, I love how you mentioned like that it's been there through history. 00:23:13.119 --> 00:23:18.079 So like earthquakes, fires, like it has had seen it's it seemed like every storm possible. 00:23:18.240 --> 00:23:18.319 Right. 00:23:18.559 --> 00:23:25.839 Um but yet it's still beautiful, and it's even more beautiful because it has had deconstruction, reconstruction, like in and out. 00:23:26.160 --> 00:23:29.440 Can you share a little bit, like relate that to like the beauty of just our own journey? 00:23:29.599 --> 00:23:30.559 And like that's back to us. 00:23:30.880 --> 00:23:39.359 Yeah, and we've been we we've kind of been talking about that about community and do we understand that we are the church and not just the building itself. 00:23:39.599 --> 00:23:47.759 And what I meant by that is that through the centuries, people have built upon other basilicas. 00:23:47.920 --> 00:24:06.000 Like even from the ancient basilica, there's been add-ons and repairs and uh, like you said, earthquakes, fires, everything that you can imagine, but they have contributed to this beautiful masterpiece that sits there that people are visiting at this moment right now, going through a holy door. 00:24:06.960 --> 00:24:19.440 And um, and so the reason why I mentioned that is that we need to understand as living stones that contribute, right, to a church that is growing, that is thriving, that is alive. 00:24:19.759 --> 00:24:24.160 Again, I'm not talking about the physical building, I'm talking about as living stones. 00:24:24.319 --> 00:24:29.119 How do you contribute to a church that is alive and thriving? 00:24:29.359 --> 00:24:30.960 Because I I love the St. 00:24:31.119 --> 00:24:34.640 Augustine's that so many people are saying that I feel alive. 00:24:34.720 --> 00:24:40.559 I feel that I I come to serve, that I I have something to give, or that you guys offer this, whatever. 00:24:40.640 --> 00:24:41.839 And I'm not talking about, oh, St. 00:24:41.920 --> 00:24:43.680 Augustine's is the best parish in the church. 00:24:43.759 --> 00:24:50.720 That's the only church that I know that I can give a little bit of context and I can a little bit share my experience with what people are telling me, right? 00:24:50.799 --> 00:24:51.119 Yeah. 00:24:51.359 --> 00:24:57.920 And um, and so it's a beautiful thing when you can see someone come on a can come out of this. 00:24:58.240 --> 00:25:02.160 I was just a Sunday churchgoer that really didn't do anything. 00:25:02.240 --> 00:25:04.000 It was just Sunday one hour and that's it. 00:25:04.319 --> 00:25:13.200 And now you see people that are really involved in their ministries, people that are are going out of their way to do all these other service projects. 00:25:13.279 --> 00:25:13.519 Why? 00:25:13.680 --> 00:25:19.599 Because they see themselves as this beautiful member of a community that is a church. 00:25:19.920 --> 00:25:22.000 And again, I'm not talking about a building. 00:25:22.160 --> 00:25:28.160 And so my question to you that are listening is how are you part of a living stone? 00:25:29.039 --> 00:25:38.880 And you said it earlier, it's like, well, I don't want to be someone also too that that tears down the building or contributes to a bigger crack or to a leak. 00:25:38.960 --> 00:25:43.519 I want to be someone that's constantly repairing and and coming over and oh, let me heal that up. 00:25:43.599 --> 00:25:47.359 And because if you're that type of living stone, then you're adding to the beauty. 00:25:48.160 --> 00:25:48.480 Yeah. 00:25:48.799 --> 00:25:49.039 Right? 00:25:49.279 --> 00:25:49.440 Yeah. 00:25:49.680 --> 00:25:50.160 Absolutely. 00:25:50.720 --> 00:25:59.599 And I think what you're sharing too is the different ways, at least in our kind of local experience of it here, is um I feel like we've done uh an intentional job to tell people like that we care. 00:25:59.839 --> 00:26:00.000 Right. 00:26:00.400 --> 00:26:07.440 Like we want you to be here, like you're welcomed, you're loved, and like you have a part to play in like what God is doing in our local community and place. 00:26:07.759 --> 00:26:12.000 And I feel like people desire that and long for it, but they don't ever hear it very well, you know. 00:26:12.079 --> 00:26:13.839 And their experience of church is very distant. 00:26:14.000 --> 00:26:21.440 Like they go or they or it's more like consumer attitude sometimes of like, okay, I'm gonna go and get what I need and go home instead of like, no, come because you belong here. 00:26:21.680 --> 00:26:24.799 And you have some a gift to give that no one else can give, and like we need you. 00:26:24.960 --> 00:26:25.440 We want you. 00:26:25.920 --> 00:26:43.839 And that that needs to be reminded, uh, that needs to be given to the people in the sense that in this very competitive world and on our busyness and our distractions, that's the mentality is okay, consumerism, okay, I'm just gonna consume this, and it's one thing among many things, and uh we gotta break from that. 00:26:44.000 --> 00:26:50.880 It this is your church experience, your life in the church is completely different than anything else that you do in the day or in your office. 00:26:51.039 --> 00:26:54.160 It can't be just one thing among the many things that you do. 00:26:54.480 --> 00:26:57.119 Being church is completely different. 00:26:57.279 --> 00:26:58.640 How is Sunday sacred? 00:26:58.799 --> 00:27:00.480 Is Sunday sacred to you? 00:27:00.799 --> 00:27:10.400 And then does that spill over into other things that you're gonna do or in how you plan your week ahead uh in the different uh ministries or apostolates that you're involved with? 00:27:10.720 --> 00:27:13.599 You're in a you're involved in a lot of different apostolates in the church. 00:27:13.920 --> 00:27:15.759 So it's not just Sunday Mass, right? 00:27:16.240 --> 00:27:24.640 And um, but that was that something that was part of you prior to Emmaus or that that kind of Emmaus kick-started that desire to be more involved. 00:27:32.000 --> 00:27:35.519 But it was after Emmaus that I ended up doing so much more. 00:27:35.920 --> 00:27:37.920 Now, did your uh husband go through Emmaus? 00:27:38.079 --> 00:27:39.440 Because he has the same spirit that you do. 00:27:39.680 --> 00:27:40.400 Yeah, he did too. 00:27:40.640 --> 00:27:40.799 Okay. 00:27:41.039 --> 00:27:42.240 I went first, he went second. 00:27:42.400 --> 00:27:42.960 Yeah. 00:27:43.680 --> 00:27:45.039 A lot of spouses do that. 00:27:45.119 --> 00:27:52.640 One will go first and they're so moved by it that they encourage the other spouse to go so that you can kind of be on the same playing, you know, level playing field. 00:27:52.720 --> 00:27:52.799 Yeah. 00:27:53.119 --> 00:28:17.440 You're gonna you're gonna be happy about this because um something I I haven't mentioned this Sunday when I was in Cuba, the priest there said had it not been for Emmaus, we would be in a different type of recovery mode because they said that because they've been doing so many Emmaus retreats, that these Emmaus teams are now the ones organizing everything. 00:28:19.599 --> 00:28:20.240 On the island. 00:28:20.559 --> 00:28:20.799 Wow. 00:28:21.119 --> 00:28:34.799 And these are Emmaus retreats that were started from parishioners here in in Miami from different parishes that went down to Cuba, and the bishops themselves are saying what an impact that is doing in the church. 00:28:34.960 --> 00:28:40.079 Because remember, it's a communist country still, a very deeply communist country. 00:28:40.160 --> 00:28:42.480 They don't want the church, they don't want people going to mass. 00:28:42.720 --> 00:28:51.039 And so um they have to figure out how to gain space within the Catholic world in this very hostile environment. 00:28:51.440 --> 00:28:53.599 And so Emmaus has been very successful. 00:28:53.680 --> 00:28:53.920 Why? 00:28:54.079 --> 00:29:07.920 Because you have this retreat experience and and the pastors are being are able to say to these people, okay, within everything all of this, now how do we go out and be church in a hostile world? 00:29:08.400 --> 00:29:15.680 Think outside the box with no resources, but you're being called to mission even within a mission territory. 00:29:15.920 --> 00:29:16.400 Yeah, yeah. 00:29:17.039 --> 00:29:17.839 What a great point. 00:29:18.000 --> 00:29:18.640 Yeah, yeah. 00:29:19.039 --> 00:29:30.480