Red Dirt Catholics
Join Jayce, James and guests from "Red Dirt" Oklahoma as they discuss what evangelization and discipleship looks like in real life.
Red Dirt Catholics
I Literally Met Jesus, Yesterday.
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In this episode, Jayce is joined by Jared Williams. Jared is currently serving as a FOCUS missionary in Memphis, TN, at the University of Memphis. Jared shares his inspirational journey from being a jailer to becoming a FOCUS missionary. His story highlights the power of faith and community in transforming lives and how you don't have to be afraid to step into ministry because you don't feel "qualified."
• Introduction to Jared’s background and current mission
• The humorous and ironic encounter during a youth conference
• Jared’s significant moment of awakening at adoration
• Building community among young Catholics in Oklahoma City
• Questions of calling and purpose through faith
• Encountering Jesus: moments of urgency and change
• The journey of starting the young adult group called Zeal
• God’s surprising interventions and practical experiences in mission life
• Balancing faith, work, and community involvement
Register now for the 2025 Discipleship Conference for the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City! This full-day, bilingual event will feature amazing speakers, breakout sessions, adoration, Mass, confessions, vendors and more at the Oklahoma City Convention Center on Saturday, August 9. Register now to get the early-bird price at OKDisciple.org.
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Links and other stuff from the show:
Pastoral Letter, "On the Unity of the Body and Soul:" archokc.org/pastoral-letters
Red Dirt Catholics Email Address: reddirtcatholics@archokc.org
The Book "From Christendom to Apostolic Mission" (Digital and Print): Amazon
The Social Dilemma: https://www.netflix.com/title/81254224
Daily Examen Prayer: https://bit.ly/309As8z
Lectio Divina How-To: https://bit.ly/3fp8UTa
Welcome back to Red Dirt Catholics. James and I are kind of tired of each other. We decided that we needed a break. So that's why it was just James and Joe last week and now it's me and Jared, and we really only record with guys whose name is Jay, jason, jared, james and Joe. So if you have another letter, you're out George, bishop, jokely, and different stuff like that. But today we have Jared Williams, who is a focus missionary at the University of Memphis. How are you doing, big guy? Good, glad to be here. Yeah, jared, what's been going on in your life recently? Who's Jared?
Speaker 2:Yeah, a lot. I just got back from SEEK so, trying to get into the swing of things here on campus, started some different outreach events and have just been out meeting people trying to share the gospel. How do you meet somebody? What are you meeting? What are you doing? Yeah, um. So for valentine's day we were handing out flowers. So you know, imagine a big guy like me walking up to you with a flower, like here you go happy valentine's day yeah, to like other guys or like ladies or guys, all of you, yeah, absolutely everyone deserves a happy valentine's day, jace that's true.
Speaker 1:I'm not saying that they don't. Uh, that's enjoyable, did they? Did they appreciate the flowers, or were they kind of weirded out by them, or all of the above?
Speaker 2:you know, I, I think it was, it was. It was kind of odd at first, but like appreciative by the end where it was just like yeah, probably the more confidence with which you were handing them and like, more sincerity the better it came off.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, that makes sense. I just got back. So you just got back from SEEK. I just got back from a youth conference. I'm going to leave out where this youth conference was because I kind of have a funny story, but I want to be kind. So we're in night one at this youth conference and they're doing a great job. The speaker is just starting the. The MC had done a great job. The kids are locked in, they're listening really intently and martyrdom was a theme at this particular youth conference. And so they make a. They kind of stop halfway through the keynote speakers presentation and they start this montage Of different martyrdom, so just to like get everybody Hyped up. So they've got Blessed Jose Sanchez Del Rio, joan of Arc, like all of these different movie depictions of martyrdom Going on throughout this conference. And we're like, oh, awesome. But then we hear the music that they're playing during this particular montage and the music choice is Like a Prayer by Madonna. The music choice is like a prayer by Madonna, the choral version that like came, came from Deadpool and everything.
Speaker 1:And and and a priest leans over to me while we're there and says this song is about what I think it's about, right, and I'm like yeah, and he's like wow, and so that was a bit of a miss. I think it was came from the speaker, not necessarily from the conference, and I think it was just a. It was just a mistake, but it was really funny that that that's what everyone was praising, worshiping to, apparently because of the popularity of the song. More recently, a lot of Protestant churches have churches have adopted the song and are using it in their worship services with not an understanding of what the song is actually about.
Speaker 2:Yikes.
Speaker 1:So that's a good time. That's a good time. So while we were at Sikh, you and I got to connect. Jared is from Oklahoma City. For those of you who don't necessarily understand, today we're going to kind of go through Jared's whole story because I just thought it would be great for us to talk with him about it. But what did we get up to while we were at SEEK Jared?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so obviously cool just bumping around into you guys all over the conference. But definitely wanted to go get dinner and so Jace had the amazing idea to go check out a Olympic. What was it like? A trials area?
Speaker 1:It was the village, it was like where the Olympics were in Salt Lake City in like 2002 or something.
Speaker 2:Exactly so we get that beautiful idea.
Speaker 1:I know we were playing with the idea of getting in the bobsled, but you know this bobsled was $250 to slide down and for like 60 seconds of pure feeling like I was a part of cool runnings, which would have been it was so close to being worth it. But then Xander and I Xander was with us as well we watched a YouTube video of like a GoPro attached to the front of the sled and I was like that's not as cool as the movie. Never mind, we're just going to watch it. But so we get there and we walk up to the gift store and this gift store is like the only thing that's like cleared out on the property. Otherwise it had just snowed and there was a lot of stuff on the ground and so we walk around. There's like a museum of the Olympics and we see different gold medals and we read about the stories, but really we just went up there to see the bobsled go. That's really why we were there. So I'll let Jared take it from there.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So we're trying to figure out where we're even going to go to get to see this bobsled, because, like we can see it in the distance but there's like literally three feet of snow down like a curvy stretch to even like get to where the bobsled is. And so initially I'm just like, screw, let's go, like we'll just, we'll just walk straight through it. And uh, you were, I think you guys were trying to go around. So then I like I'm walking back and there's just snow all over me. Um, and then we decided to get up there and so we're just like gloshing through three feet of snow, trying to get there in our like slacks and conference wear, and we get to this like incline and it's like super icy, and so like I'm basically just trying to like watch my step and make sure I don't fall, because I'm extremely prone to falls and we get to the top, we watch the bobsled. Jared, how tall are you? I'm 6'4".
Speaker 1:Prone to falls. That's important to know. I don't know. That's important to know. Yeah, big man True.
Speaker 2:So we get all the way to the top and like no falls, no, nothing, like we were good, good and like literally a step before we are getting off of this incline.
Speaker 1:So we go back down. We go back down the hill, we see the bobsled, we make our videos, jared snaps for the newsletter, all of that fun stuff. Walk down, start again.
Speaker 2:Sorry yeah, yeah, a second before we get off of this incline. I just drop into the snow.
Speaker 1:I mean, just just pancake, I just laid there like he was one step away from getting off of the hard part and then just goes down and we're just cracking up at him that he's going to be wet for the next hour, like, and it's cold. It's cold on top of this mountain and yeah, and we were trying so hard not to fall, like like live footage of us in that moment would have been sold for thousands on the internet because all these kind of manly dudes look trying to get down this little hill. But then you fell again not too long after that. Like it just it just all. Ha, it all happened to you. And I'm trying to remember did we just video? Did I video you falling? Maybe I did, and if I can, I'll, we'll put it and we'll put the video in the show notes just so people can see. Um, but that was a really good time. But then we got some like alcoholic hot chocolate at a cool restaurant right after that and we had a good time it was a blast yeah so fun
Speaker 1:yes, sir. Um, I've been playing a lot. So oklahoma city this is the just for all of the viewers like we're kind of in the middle or at the end of the week, where schools were shut down all week because of all the ice. My son said it's Friday morning right now and my son said today feels like Monday because this is my first day of school that I've had this week because he had President's Day off off. So it's just been a kind of a wild week. And this morning I got to have breakfast with focused missionaries from across our archdiocese, from OU and UCO. That's why you normally don't see me in a suit jacket. It's a pretty rare sight, but today y'all got it.
Speaker 1:I got to have breakfast with Archbishop and have a mass and it was really really great. Um, but yeah, let's uh, today we're going to be talking about kind of just jared's story. Jared's from oklahoma city. He's uh, he's got a great story about how he, the lord, encountered him and really just changed the entire trajectory of your life, which is which is a really cool thing, and I'm excited to talk about it. So, uh, let's say a quick prayer In the name of the Father, son, holy Spirit, amen. Come, holy Spirit, lord, we pray that you enter into Jared's heart and let his words be your words. Let us converse together and discuss this story and let it show your glory. In your name. We pray amen. Father, son, holy Spirit, amen. So, jared, give us the intro. We know where the story is going to really kind of pick up. So fill in the gaps from womb to where the story picks up. Who are you? Where were you born?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:How did you get so big? How did you get that tall? I wish I was 6'4", Like. That's like the perfect height. So go ahead.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I was originally born in Norman, my dad's from New Orleans Military, met my mom and basically was raised Catholic, moved around a lot, lived in Kansas for a couple years, lived in England for three years too and came back to.
Speaker 1:Oklahoma City. Where in England?
Speaker 2:RAF Mildenhall, it's just next to Mildenhall Village.
Speaker 1:Is there a word that us in Oklahoma would know about that? Is that close to London? I've heard of that.
Speaker 2:Is it close to Edinburgh? Something like that?
Speaker 1:I've heard of that word before Liverpool, just going to keep saying British cities that I've heard of. Yeah, Um yeah, but keep going Sorry.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, you're good, Um, so yeah. So yeah, basically moved back in high school, went to high school just outside Oklahoma City to the east, and yeah decided to start going into work. Did some like way different jobs. I was a detention officer for three years, which prison. Well, jail, but yeah.
Speaker 1:Oklahoma City. Oklahoma City jail.
Speaker 2:I was in Oklahoma County technically Oklahoma County jail, so I did that for about three years and then got offered a job at Tinker Air Force Base. So I started working there and that's where I worked most recently before becoming a missionary. So it's kind of like at Tinker Air Force base, uh, when I worked there that I started to get involved with young adults and ministry and really take my faith more seriously.
Speaker 1:Um, yeah, what was your faith? What was the faith like during that time until you're from kid to adult, like did you get your sacraments? Did you go to mass? What was going on there?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think it was just really tough. If I'm being honest, being in a military family, my dad was gone for a couple years while we were in high school and that was just a really hard experience. Seeing him Only every couple of months, uh, just with like military service Um, but got my sacraments, uh, we definitely tried to make it to mass every Sunday. I don't I don't know that we always succeeded with that, but I think generally, like when I graduated high school and got out of my parents' thumb, I, it just wasn't something that I took super seriously. Um was excited to sleep in on Sunday mornings, um, and and not worry about going to mass, um. But yeah, uh was a little bit involved in youth group when I was a kid but, like, didn't take that super seriously either.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Um can you think of a podcast appropriate story from when you were at the jail? Can you think of a podcast appropriate story from when you were at the jail? That's just something wild, Like I'm just we watch, we watch, everyone watches true crime stuff all the time and everything. So I'm sure that they'd be interested to hear. Yeah.
Speaker 2:So there was one time I was locking down a kind of violent pod and was just I had all these doors open. There were probably about 50 of them and we were having or 25 doors were open. But basically we were having problems with inmates shoving stuff in our locks, trying to break them. And so all the doors are open and I'm looking around making sure inmates are getting back into their cells and, uh, I see this inmate, uh, shoving stuff into his lock and I'm like, hey man, like what are you doing? Um, and he's, he just kind of looks at me and he just looks back at the lock and keeps doing what he was doing no, I was like okay, like that's what we're gonna do.
Speaker 2:So I walk over to the cell and I'm I'm trying to get him to uh, to quit, and uh, when I get up to the cell I'm like dude, stop. And um, we get all the way to the cell and uh, all of a sudden he just like steps back and he's like who are you talking to? And I'm like I'm talking to you and anyway, dude just swings on me for like no reason at all. Um, yeah, it was. It was kind of crazy.
Speaker 2:And so I kind of weave back and I back up and I'm like trying to reach for my radio to call for, you know, backup, and I'm reaching for pepper spray see if I can mace this guy. And, uh, he's just running full speed after me. So, finally, like at a certain point I'm like I can't reach these in enough time, so I just drop it and we start just kind of fighting, going back, back and forth for a little bit and, um, I got him in a headlock and I'm just, like you know, trying to do my best to get this guy to stop hurting me. You know what I mean. Um, and at some point he just is like hitting me through the headlock and he, uh, he hit me in the temple, like right here.
Speaker 2:And, um, I just remember, like not even thinking remotely clearly and like reaching for my pepper spray and like I let him go and I just like pepper sprayed like cause, when I looked up there were like 15, 20 inmates just like surrounding me, like as my back is against this wall, and I'm like, holy crap, this is really scary. And so I'm just like getting everybody as I'm trying to get this uh, inmate, like I didn't even mean to get these guys, but I'm just like trying to get this inmate, and so once I pulled the pepper spray out, everyone just dispersed and like then my backup ran through the door, so that was kind of a crazy moment. Yeah, yeah, I found out later, dude had a shank in his pocket and was like trying to come at me, so oh, this other inmate was like I saved your life that day and I was like that's wild that's crazy, that's
Speaker 1:crazy like and that didn't happen every day, like that was a, that that was, that was a rarity, I'm sure um, I mean oklahoma county is pretty violent, violent jail.
Speaker 2:When I worked there we had like 654 like infractions in like one year.
Speaker 1:So like it was a lot for sure, maybe twice a day. Well, that's crazy. Well, keep telling me your story. That's awesome, I mean it's not awesome, that a guy tried to shank you, but good story yeah, yeah, it was crazy.
Speaker 2:Mom is definitely happier with the new line of work yeah, being a missionary yeah, yeah, that makes sense, um, but yeah, so basically around the time I just really was like searching, you know, uh, I I felt like the things of the world would would bring me, I think, some sense of meaning, purpose, pleasure, I think, even like working at the jail, working for the air force, like as a civilian. Um, I was really just like wanting like purpose. I really just wanted like something more and I, I think, looking back at it now, like I see that, um, you wanted something to matter.
Speaker 1:And I think, looking back at it, now like I see that you wanted something to matter.
Speaker 2:Right, no, absolutely. And so putting on a uniform or, you know, driving onto an Air Force base every day, like it definitely gave you, you know, that sense of purpose, like there was something better. But I think I just always kept walking away unfulfilled, kept walking away unfulfilled. And so, yeah, I think around it was probably winter sometime when I was working at Sinker, probably two or three years ago, something like that I had just kind of been like done with, like chasing the things of this world and I think the first thing in my mind, as as any young man does when, when they start to question everything, it's like man, you know what would help this situation is a virtuous woman. So, like I default to, um, I'm Catholic, like maybe maybe I could go find a Catholic wife that will make me feel better, because clearly God's not going to do that for me, or something I don't.
Speaker 1:I don't know what lie I was I was telling myself at that point interesting thought process, but we're glad it got you where it was, where you were yeah, keep going, um so.
Speaker 2:So basically went to um, just investigate like Catholic young adults. I Googled it, I think, one day and just had seen that there was like a mass meal, mission or something in the city and we met a whole bunch of people, was still just like I don't really know if this is my cup of tea, but like met enough people that I was able to kind of have friends and hang out and do different things. So great, uh, would come around for social events and things like that, but wouldn't really in any way say that I was taking my faith seriously.
Speaker 1:Um, just just hunting for that, hunting for that wife, hunting for the honey. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:I think that was definitely the thought process. So somewhere, I think December, I had gotten an invite to come two-stepping and I loved to dance and was just really wanting to go do that with all of the Catholic young adults which bar.
Speaker 1:Cowboys Nice, I like.
Speaker 2:Cowboys it, so it's my favorite. Yeah, cowboys is awesome.
Speaker 1:There's another one that's like not redneck or whatever, but that one, it just had such an old vibe to it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, whenever I will say side note like I miss country bars so much there are none in.
Speaker 1:Memphis at all and like.
Speaker 2:I just want to listen to country music and go dance and like there's nothing like that.
Speaker 1:It's kind of funny because, like all of Elvis's, stuff is there in Memphis, isn't it?
Speaker 2:And he's got a little bit of a country vibe. It is the most wild stuff ever to me. Like I don't get it at all yeah.
Speaker 1:Memphis is more of a Motown type of vibe.
Speaker 2:even yeah, I mean, this is more of a Motown type of vibe, even though Motown was in Detroit, yeah yeah. So yeah, basically get this invite to come to Steppen and they're like we're going to go to this thing called Adoration. Beforehand, and, being like pseudo Catholic, I probably should have known what that was and I had no idea, like I just was, like, what is Adoration? Adoration like we're gonna go to adoration, okay, um. So they tell us to, um, meet him at the cathedral and uh, I get there and none of the girls show up, like literally no one is there it's just me what a bait and switch.
Speaker 1:Baby.
Speaker 2:No girls, just jesus yeah, yeah, um, and so I think just like experiencing, uh, a lot of like man this is not why I came here, but like I guess I'm gonna stay and so, um, I think just getting in the pew and yeah, I mean, obviously the summit nights you guys put on are amazing Lots of praise and worship. Candlelit cathedral the cathedral in Oklahoma City is absolutely beautiful. The lights are all dim. It's just really a place that you can encounter christ in a very real way and I think just kind of sitting there and watching, uh, as as like the monstrance came out and every catholic in the cathedral just kneels and watching as I just I just got chills with you saying that that's cool.
Speaker 2:Watching Christ, just like being processed through the room, and I think, like and seeing that people were following the monstrance with their body, like with their head, to the point where, like they are literally aiming to see Jesus. And it's like in that moment, like I just became uniquely aware that like Christ is here in this room and he's in front of me, and like my life has to change, like right now, and not even knowing what that meant, not even knowing like anything about, like what any of this was going to look like, but just wow, uniquely aware that like there is a God and he is right here in front of me.
Speaker 1:So and what a grace to get to experience. I mean, yeah, because I mean it's simple, it's Jesus. You know, like we get the bells and whistles within Summit, which is really nice of just trying to be like the best date night with Jesus in town, but I mean that kind of encounter can happen, you know, with the Lord anywhere. That's where it happened to you, there For that moment, where, like you realize, god is in front of you and he makes himself really, he makes himself known to you in a more real way than your upbringing had, or where he'd been at, or you'd been in the, at the Air Force base. Like the question that's coming into my mind with that is, like, was that a scary thing of like whoa, this is actually real and this like demands a response from me. Like was there fear at all coming from that moment, from you, or was it really just I know what I have to do and it makes sense Like, tell me more about that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there there wasn't really like a like a path forward. I would say, um, I definitely just like knew something had to change and I didn't exactly know what that meant or what that was. Um, and and like, I definitely think, after understanding the like magnitude of like what happened, like it was definitely like a scary thing of just like, yeah, I've not been living my life even remotely right up until this point, and so now everything in my life has got to change. And I think too, just like being around some of the other Catholic young adults and hearing some of the dialogue, up until that point of just like, what is in, how how does it affect us, and some of those things, it kind of just came like full circle in that moment where it was like, oh my gosh, like my life needs to change right now that's amazing.
Speaker 1:My life needs to change right now, right now. So that's so. Then what happened?
Speaker 2:so, yeah, I I consider this to be really just a god moment per se. But literally that night, um, right after uh, adoration, once again, none of my friends are anywhere to be seen. Um, but they do like a little you know social hour or whatever, um, after summit, and so I'm going to get myself a little you know cookie and some lemonade a little after mega epiphany snack. That stuff tires you out, baby yeah yeah, got to refuel.
Speaker 1:Something has to change. I'm going to eat this ham sandwich first, though.
Speaker 2:Exactly, exactly, exactly. So I see one of my friends just kind of sitting in a corner, just like one guy that I kind of vaguely knew, and so I go sit by him and that night uh, I met, uh my one of my best friends. His name is, uh Weston Weston Ishen. He's a um, another focused missionary. He's another Focus missionary. He serves at Louisiana Tech. At the time he was just in college and was kind of involved with Focus at UCO and so, weston, just like immediately we had this like kind of brotherly, like familial bond and it was just an experience where it was like man, I feel like I've known this guy my entire life and that's weird.
Speaker 1:And so, weston, you had met him for the first time at Summit, at Summit or after after Summit, that same night.
Speaker 2:Yeah, right, right after Summit, yeah, and so he he's just like talking about adoration and I think he could just see that like I just had a profound experience like here and like I'm I'm sharing like bits of it but like not even necessarily comprehending super what happened. And he's just like, dude, do you like want to go grab something to eat or something? And I was like absolutely so. The next day for breakfast we meet at like cattlemen's for breakfast and we spent six hours in a booth talking. Like it was the most intense conversation of just like him sharing his testimony with me, me kind of giving him a background about myself, and it's just like it flipped. And he was like, dude, like I'm going to this Christmas party, you should come.
Speaker 2:And I was like OK, flash forward to like I meet Ryan Delgado. He's like a, uh, young adult coordinator for St Monica's, uh, there in the city and you know, have like one of the best nights of my life just hanging out with their young adults and really just chilling and enjoying it. And I was like really considering making St Monica as my parish and just driving like 45 minutes from where I was in Midwest City to make that my parish.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And I tell that to Ryan.
Speaker 1:It's really tempting.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no. And I think like, yeah, there's good community, it's really beautiful. My friends go here. This is great and you know, ryan, I very intently remember him sharing with me like you are always welcome here. But I really think that you should start something on your side of the city. And I remember thinking to myself like I met Christ literally yesterday, thinking to myself like I met Christ literally yesterday and we're talking about like starting a young adults group in Midwest City. So I had no idea what that meant and I just kind of told him like I don't really know that, that I can do that, and he just kind of went I don't really know that I can do that, and he just kind of went. God doesn't call the qualified, he qualifies the called.
Speaker 2:And I say that just like three times a week to somebody.
Speaker 1:I love that quote. So, good Go Ryan. Shout out Ryan, Well done. Yeah, dude and Weston.
Speaker 2:Ryan's awesome. He's so cool.
Speaker 2:But yeah, so so you get it going right, yeah, um, there were a lot of moving pieces.
Speaker 2:I'd figure out, um tried to get in touch with some of the people that I knew kind of around the area, um, and just get a lay of the land and ultimately, you know, we just came up with a plan like we're gonna start doing events I I mean nothing crazy Uh, and I think pretty quickly we just started gaining like a lot of steam, um, and like, for context, st Philip Neri, um, midwest city, it's kind of a smaller parish, um, not a whole lot of young people uh, around per se, and I think, just very quickly, like we were starting to get a lot of involvement and these young people were just kind of starting to come out of the woodworks and it was really fun and so, like, in the beginning, I just really enjoyed putting on the events and like doing the different things, but I definitely like wanted a larger impact. I think if, uh, if anything could maybe define a charism of mine, I think it would be zeal, um, and and sometimes, sometimes it just looks like everything sucks, and how do I?
Speaker 1:you are not good at this Now let me show you how are not good at this.
Speaker 2:Now let me show you how. Yeah, right, um, and so at least that was my mindset, uh, before now, I guess. Um, and, and so I think I was just really trying to make oklahoma city like a place that catholics would want to be catholic and and come interact with the community, and this is all within months of meeting Jesus really for the first time, yeah. And so I remember saying something to you and Kendra, I think in passing, like a theology on tap.
Speaker 2:I remember this, yeah, and I don't even really remember like what I was talking about, but I I just kind of like shared, like I think like a vision thing, that like I wanted or whatever, and like I remember you know briefly talking with you about it and and just being like they do not care what I think.
Speaker 1:I didn't care what you thought I was like who's this guy? He's been here for two months saying that. You know, we were making a. We were making a slight adjustment. Kendra had just started. We were adjusting from mass meal omission to like Lumen Christi and theology on tap. And we had a lot of thoughts behind it and you were like, dude, why aren't you just doing mass meal admission? That was perfect. And I was like, okay, jared, sounds good, but keep going.
Speaker 2:That's funny, that was my initial thought right, right, right. And so, for whatever reason, I just remember, like you, through Kendra, I think, reaching out to me. It couldn't have been much further after that. Yeah, maybe a few months later, yeah, and it was kind of just like, hey, jason wants to talk to you about this thing and we're kind of wanting to do this on like an, an archdiocesan level, and I was like that's cool, what does that mean? Like, so I was just really excited to like talk to you and see how I could be involved so to flip it around, on the other side of it, jared it was just bursting onto the.
Speaker 1:the young adult scene, you know, was at every single event, was making. He was making his opinions known and you know, it got to the point where, like, everybody knew who jared was immediately and kendra's kendra had kind of taken over young adults at that point and I was kind of just fading away. But I knew who jared was, which was fascinating. And it just got to the point where I was hearing and seeing everything that was happening at St Philip Neary and I still didn't know who this guy was, even after he had, like, talked to me and said that we were doing everything wrong in young adult ministry. But I was still interested and I was like you know what, if a person has this much zeal or gumption or just stick-to-it-edness and already knows everybody, like there's some in my brain, I was like there's some, there's some talent here that I want to, that I was excited to cultivate and was I don't even remember how Kendra and I decided that that was something that we wanted to do. So so then I was like, yeah, shout out to him, let him know that I want to call him and basically so I schedule it all the call with Jared. It was in the month of May and the only reason I know that it was in May is because when I was supposed to call him, I had randomly this was we've talked about this before on the podcast I won a world series of poker event event in Durant, but then I had to go to Vegas to play in the next one and did really well there as well.
Speaker 1:So after the tournament, one of the days I was like, oh, it's time for me to call Jarrett. Well, let's just get this done and over with now. So I'm just walking down the Vegas strip, you know, just, you know all the, all of the different things that you see, all the cool things, all of the less cool things that you see on the Vegas strip. It was all happening and I was just dead focused on pitching Jared. I was like, look, you have all of these great qualities. I want to meet with you, I want to pray with you, I want to think of through, think things through, and like slowly build something with you was kind of the vision. And like slowly build something with you was kind of the vision that I, that I pitched in that moment and while walking down Sin City which is crazy, but you can go ahead and go from there what your, what your perspective was for it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, I remember you kind of tell me like you wanted some people that were going to be boots on the ground, some kind of shock trooper, esque, kind of trooper.
Speaker 1:I use that word a lot.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you definitely do, Just like in the parishes and and trying to start communities in a very real way, Similar to what I'd done at St Philip Neri but just at all of the different parishes throughout the archdiocese. So I was really excited about that idea and started kind of just letting the cogs turn. And I think, like this is something where I noticed like my work life balance was just super out of whack. I remember there was a time you pulled me to the side and you're like dude, like how often are you praying? And I remember not having a great answer for you really at all.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and it wasn't like I was quizzing him, I was just like genuinely concerned and wanted to know that these are these are things that you figure out when you, when you're in discipleship you know, Absolutely Um.
Speaker 2:And so you know, I, I think I I felt really convicted about the prayer and like to the point where I was like I, I need to pray more. Um, and I also just felt this like really strong conviction about like being around the Eucharist and like trying to hit daily masses and and go to holy hours and things like that. And it's like I'm doing all this young adult stuff at St Philip Neri, I'm doing young adult stuff for the Archdiocese, I'm working a full-time job on top of that and I'm like trying to live a sacramental life. And it just felt like I was being pulled at like every edge or seam and just like didn't really know what to do and like felt like there was a lot of success, felt like we did a lot of good, obviously creating Zeal and being able to brainstorm that with you. That was so cool, dude, it was awesome.
Speaker 1:You remember the moment we called it Zeal? Yeah, tell them that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, tell them, tell them that. Yeah, so we're. We're at your house um sitting at your table, just like brainstorming names yeah, we're just throwing things on a word document yeah, I don't even remember exactly like I. I remember like some different names we were trying to work with or make work finder.
Speaker 2:That was definitely one of them was one of them yeah, yeah, um, so we were just, you know, trying to name this thing anything so that we could just start getting stuff out there. And yeah, I don't remember if it was you or if it was me or I don't know, but somebody says zeal, and I like that and I think you'd make the reference like, yeah, like zeal, team six.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and then it was just like a both of our eyes got huge.
Speaker 2:We're like well, this is cool, we're calling it zeal yeah.
Speaker 1:That's. That's where it came up. So like we spent a year working together kind of developing that how we'd push it around and this is, and then, a few months after that, you can you sorry, it's your story, not my story yeah, yeah, no, you're good, you're good.
Speaker 2:So, um, yeah, we're, we're just getting after it hard and and I'm I'm really feeling this tug of just like I don't want to be on the base anymore, like my heart is completely in ministry and like I don't want to do this and trying to figure out how to balance it all, how to do it right. And then you guys had offered to take me to seek, and so I had, I guess even to just rewind for a second um Weston guy that I met at Summit. Um had hit me up in August of that year, um, and while he was fundraising, was just like, hey, like I think you'd be a really good, focused missionary, and not even really understanding what that means, and and just kind of like, yeah, dude, you, dude, you're absolutely crazy.
Speaker 1:And then having a conversation with you about that exact moment where like— yeah, at the same conversation at my house I said have you ever considered like missionary life? And you're like no dude, never in a million years would I even entertain something like that. And I was like, okay, that's kind of what we're doing anyway. But fine, but keep going.
Speaker 2:Yeah. And so you guys invited me to come to seek with you and was able to just kind of hang with the Archdiocese and we brought some guys and you know was just experiencing the talks and the prayer and we're going through a making missionary disciples track and it's like this place is awesome, this is cool. And then you find out like, oh yeah, and Focus runs this conference. And I remember wanting to see Weston at the conference. He was there with his students from Louisiana Tech and first time I see him and it's probably been months since the last time and I walk up, I'm like man, you guys got a great missionary. He's going to be like an awesome deacon someday and he's married, you know whatever. And he goes Jared's going to be an awesome missionary one day.
Speaker 2:And I just remember being like what are you talking about? Like stop, like can we just stop pushing this? Like I don't want to do this, like it's not. And so he, he was just like dude, I really think you should think about it. Like let's eat lunch at the conference one day. And so go eat lunch.
Speaker 2:And we're sitting on the floor and I'm just like there's people walking by and I'm just like okay, I have done so much with zeal and just like this is what we got going on and these are the parishes that are involved in. You know, like it's just going great and like I am so excited and these are the things that we're doing. And he's just listening and happy and nodding along. And you know, I kind of turn it around. I'm like why do you want me to be a missionary? You know, I kind of turn it around. I'm like why do you want me to be a missionary? And he's like dude, every bit of that sounds absolutely amazing and I think that you should leave all of it and be a missionary, just like I. I don't get why, and you know, still I didn't understand why, but I ended up talking to one of the seminarians, henry, and I remember having a conversation. Just because I'm an external processor, I'm telling everybody this crazy missionary dude, weston, wants me to be a missionary.
Speaker 2:I'm like dude, I got like a house, a car, a dog, I can't just uproot and leave. This is nuts, you know. And um, henry, just kind of like, pulled me to the side and was like you know, have you prayed about it? No, not at all, that's the dangerous part yeah, no, absolutely.
Speaker 2:And and he was just like, well, firstly, you need to pray about it. And he said, secondly, like what is your goal with zeal? And I was like, well, I just want to like lead people to know Jesus and I want to build community. He's like, bro, focus literally builds community. I just remember like hearing that and being like shot dude, like I just felt like, oh, like he's right and that is frustrating to me. Yeah, um, and so he gave me a book, uh, father jacques philippe, um, searching for maintaining peace, um, yeah, and he was just like go pray about it.
Speaker 2:And so there's a keynote session going on as we're having this conversation, and like I remember like wanting to go to the keynote and like my friends texted me where are you at? And just being like I'm going to go pray, like I don't, I'm just going to go be with Jesus. And so no one is in the adoration chapel and I just get right up front and I prayed for a while and I actually prayed in front of a JP2 relic which I think is funny, like JP2 telling Curtis Martin go be soldiers, and like feeling like there's maybe some sort of something happening there and just feeling like man, I think I have to like hear this guy out, and like it doesn't mean that I'm going to be a missionary, but like Got to take a step Right and so get out of prayer, and I remember, like telling you about it, I think, a little bit later, to be like I'm probably not going to yeah, I mean, I can pull up the text.
Speaker 1:The second you send the text to me. He didn't even have the guts to like say it to me on the phone. He just sends me a text. He's like hey, man, I got to tell you something and I already knew. I just tale as old as time, boring. Almost seen this movie before. It's like, oh, I'm gonna be a missionary, but I probably won't be. And then I like turn over to my wife and I'm like jared's gone next year. This I have to, I have to, I have to figure this out. God's calling him, he's stealing him, maybe he'll bring him back, you know. So it's just so funny, like to see that and like I knew that that was a great thing for you. So I was.
Speaker 2:I was proud of you yeah, and I think it was just the duality right where it's like we, we finally come to fruition on zeal, like to the point where, like that friday, we're shooting a commercial yep to just announce zeal to the clergy and you know like get it started and and I'm driving an hour later to go to Dallas for interview weekend. Yep, sure were, and it's just yeah. I mean experiencing the level in which Focus does discipleship and their passion to reach souls. It just spoke to me in a way that I wasn't prepared for.
Speaker 1:Dude and the devil was trying to do everything to you. So you recorded the video and you were like, do I need a suit? It's like you'd never applied for a job before and I was like, walking you through, walking it through with you, come on, this is true and you know it's true. You're like, do I need a suit? And I'm like, yeah, go buy a suit. So he's like trying to find a suit at JCPenney that day, trying to figure it all out. I don't even remember what, but he ended up being late for some reason, like he got stuck in traffic or whatnot. So there's just all this tumultuous around stuff around you, but the lord doesn't care about any of that. When he, when he, wants to communicate with us, it's just like he's going to cut through it and see you and be with you and that's what he did for you and that's awesome. Jared, this is a great. This is a great part one.
Speaker 1:I think we're gonna have to to have you back this summer sometime and to hear more about like what's happening now that you've like said yes to mission on like a super full time way. But your story is powerful and the main thing that like that stood out to me was just the willingness to say yes when it was obvious and the willingness to say yes when it was obvious. You know, I think that there's a lot of moments where we know what the Lord is calling us to, where we're like hearing it, and it's so easy for us to say no, but there were some big moments where the Lord was obvious with you and you said yes, which is a really beautiful thing. And it's just. Your story is a really great inspiration to for all of us at the Archdiocese, for all these different things, all the. You know tons of people who work on Summit and work on our Catholic Young Adult events Like, yeah, you are the, you're a bit of a poster boy in a way of just like, see these things produce stuff and, you know, make things happen and really the Lord produces disciples.
Speaker 1:So it's great talking to you, jared, and we'll land the plane here and we'll bring you back again and have a sequel. How's that sound? Sounds great, all right, good, this has been Red Dirt Catholics. My name is Jace, that's Jared. We'll see you guys next time. Thank you.