Yes Catholic

Isaac LeBlanc: A Journey of Faith, Gratitude, and Prayer

David Patterson Season 2 Episode 29

Ever wondered how unwavering faith and community can spark profound personal transformation? This week, we’re thrilled to introduce Isaac LeBlanc, a Michigan native with an extraordinary journey of faith and devotion. Listen as Isaac reflects on his desire to love others as God does and his curiosity about the apostles' experiences with Jesus, emphasizing the vital role of trust and faith in God’s plan, even when the answers remain elusive.

Join us as we explore the impactful summer mission at Damascus, where Isaac experienced the transformative power of community and faith. Hear heartwarming anecdotes, such as intercessory prayers bringing warmth to cold campers during adoration, demonstrating the tangible effects of faith and prayer. The episode also tackles the challenges Isaac faced when transitioning from a tight-knit community to a secular environment and the crucial role prayer played in maintaining his relationship with God. Wrapping up with reflections on gratitude, love, and the future of the church, this episode offers a heartfelt invitation to deepen your own faith and find inspiration in Isaac’s spiritual journey.

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Speaker 1:

Welcome to yes Catholic, the place where real people share their real stories and realize it is all God's grace on the move. I'm your host, David Patterson, and every week we hear a new guest share their story of how they came to give their yes to Jesus and his church. So let's get started Really excited. Tonight We've got Isaac LeBlanc. Welcome, buddy. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your story.

Speaker 2:

Thank you so much for having me. It's such a great opportunity to be here.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely so. For those who don't know you, why don't you share a little bit about yourself before we dive into the rapid fire? Get to know you more.

Speaker 2:

Sure, my name is Isaac LeBlanc. I grew up here in Michigan, originally in the Waldo area if anyone knows where that is Just moved in with my brother here in Ferndale. It's been great. I'm the youngest of six siblings. I have four sisters, one brother and I also have some nieces and nephews in there as well. They're a great joy in my life. Love the outdoors, love seen god in nature and especially as the warm weather gets here in michigan it's been been a blessing.

Speaker 1:

We're gonna get to know you a little bit more with the rapid fire. You want to tackle some of these questions sure awesome, okay, describe yourself as a kid in three words wild quiet wait. How do those go together?

Speaker 2:

wild and quiet I would say most. Most people were always said that I was shy, but around family I was like the clown in a way.

Speaker 1:

You know you say was the third one I say creative uh, would you say you're a morning person or a night owl?

Speaker 2:

Oh, night owl for sure. Not a morning person, although I like when I wake up early and I see the benefits, but night owl for sure.

Speaker 1:

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

Speaker 2:

Definitely teleportation, haking, stalking traffic. Yeah, one of my friends live far and I'm like I wish I could just drive there.

Speaker 1:

Be there instantly, be great yeah, yeah, okay, go to order at a coffee shop I would say, as of late, definitely a uh, mexican latte.

Speaker 2:

It's pretty good. It's like go to. Yeah, it's like, I don't know, it's got a little spice to it, it's weird, but I like's. Like Go to. Yeah, it's like, I don't know, it's got a little spice to it. It's weird, but I like it.

Speaker 1:

All right, go to short prayer.

Speaker 2:

I would say, lord, help me, love like you love it's been my go to is trying to see people the way God sees them.

Speaker 1:

If you could have coffee with any saints, who would it be?

Speaker 2:

people the way God sees them. If you could have coffee with any saint, who would it be? I was going to say, like St Peter, or just any of the apostles that actually got to be on earth with Jesus, because if we have the Holy Spirit in us and we get to live with the Holy Spirit and they get to live with Jesus, I'd be curious of like the difference, of like a little confidence, to see like what, what the differences were of like having him there versus having the Holy Spirit inside of us okay, last one.

Speaker 1:

If you could ask God one question, what would it be?

Speaker 2:

honestly, I was gonna say nothing because, like anything I could think of, then I would just take the phone out of it, of like. Even if I was to ask like, what was your plan for my? Life, like that's part of the journey, kind of thing yeah, I've seen just the fruits of being able to like, just trust in him, even when I don't know what the answer is or like. I think it's so much better that way of having the faith to trust all right, man.

Speaker 1:

Well, you flew through the rapid fire. Let's begin with the opening prayer and then we'll get you to share your story in the name of the father and the son and the holy spirit. Amen. Oh god, I thank you for isaac, thank you for his yes, his fiat, or I just asked you would help us to decrease, so you'd increase. Lord, help everything that we talk about. Just give you glory, and we make this prayer in jesus name. Amen, in the name of the father and the son and of the holy spirit. Amen. All right, man, let's dive right in. Where's your story begin?

Speaker 2:

yeah, I mean I was. I was raised in a very catholic family. Parents were both raised catholic, grandparents catholic. It's always like just a huge part of life. We'd pray the rosary every week. Parents always talked to me about like prayer, teach me prayers, everything of that sort. Um, just yeah, I'd say definitely my parents huge blessing in my life for sure, whether I knew it or not, just setting me on that right course in my life, just beyond blessed and, yeah, growing up always was just very devout in everything.

Speaker 2:

Every time we got like holy cards in the mail or something like that or like pick out holy card. I had an entire seven foot by four foot section on my wall under my bunk bed of like holy cards and stuff, even though I didn't know who some were. But yeah, always I was very like devout love going to mass. I always thought like I was going to be a priest growing up, just because that's what everyone told me, because I had a holy card collection. Yeah, it was always very on fire for the Lord in many ways, but like never really knew him on a personal level more so, just like what he represented. Of like represented love and like I knew that it was right. I knew that was like everything my family followed and I always knew like there wasn't nothing else made sense to me. Of like everything else beyond that just seemed foolish. And like even when times like I was doubting in my faith or like struggling, like I just knew, like there's nothing else out there, like I just have to get through this. Of like there's nothing else. Like St Peter, like who else would we go to? I was like, yeah, just like, like I feel like I was really blessed in that area because even when I was down, even when I was like angry, I just like I always had a deep conviction in my heart like there's nothing else out there, like I know I just have to to push through this. And that was a lot easier to do growing up middle school, high school I had an amazing youth group in middle school and high school every week through Christ the King Catholic Church in Ann Arbor. It's amazing, yeah, I had that weekly great formation, have adoration. So like I really was living off of that like weekly youth group high of like going hanging out out with friends praising God and like getting that youth group high and then going home and then not really living my faith out or at least not seeking the Lord outside of that of not setting aside prayer time, not reading scripture, except the ones that sounded cool and that made me feel good.

Speaker 2:

And then it wasn't until sophomore year, college. It wasn't anything like that, there wasn't any. Um, I went to community college, but in community college it's a community college with no community, so it wasn't. There wasn't anything at all really for me and honestly I didn't really make any effort to look either, so I didn't have. I didn't really make any effort to look either, so I didn't have. I didn't have weekly youth group to go to, where I was surrounded with other like-minded Catholics that wanted to seek the Lord as well. My sister had just gotten married and moved out, so it was like pretty much just me living at the house with one of my other sisters. So I felt very isolated and just really desired for that connection that I felt like in youth group and in adoration and worship. So I would just go to there's a 24-hour adoration chapel near my house slash gym, so I'd go to the gym and then I'd go to the adoration chapel until like 2 am and just sit with the lord you're how old at this point?

Speaker 2:

I was, I think 19.

Speaker 1:

yeah, so you just had the thought of okay, after the gym I'm just going to start going to adoration, because I don't really have that catholic community anymore yeah, wow, yes.

Speaker 2:

So like um which huge part of that is my mom would bring me to adoration or just stop at the church if we were going to the dentist after stop adoration chapel. So it was like I always had that kind of engraved in me like this is a place to go when, like you, just sit with the lord. I would just kind of sit in the silence and never really I would kind of converse, mostly out of like frustration or anger. But it wasn't until, like one of the times like I, just one of my other friends he just moved far away, my best friend lived like an hour away from me and it felt like just another loss.

Speaker 2:

I just gotten out of a relationship as well, and so I just sit in there in adoration and just really reflecting on life and like choices and just like all the, all the friends that came and went, all the relationships that came and went, and just like to realize it, the deeper realization that, like through all the times where, like, people have let me down, people have hurt me, or like I've let myself down or I've been kind to myself of like, whether I realized it or not, like Jesus was always right by my side and was with me in all those movements and was rooting for me in all of my lows and just wanted to be there for me and support me.

Speaker 2:

And that he wasn't just like a way of life to live by or some do's and don'ts to check off that. He was an actual person that desired a relationship with me, a perfect relationship, relationship with me. A perfect relationship in the way that my past relationships with people had failed, of like I had been seeking approval of others as my fulfillment in life and like that always failed and left me empty. But it was like god you don't need to prove your love to jesus, he just wants you to accept it and did and did that realization come right away?

Speaker 1:

or was that a gradual journey for you Because you said you were angry, right? That realization of like God loves me, god's been rooting for me, was that gradual visiting adoration?

Speaker 2:

I would say I knew it, but I wasn't always convicted of it. The conviction was pretty much that one night in a parish yes, yeah, because I knew it never really fully believed it, yeah. Another thing too was part of the faith is I was always like, you know, faith was just a relationship with Jesus. Like all the theology and stuff like doesn't really matter as much. Like I believe everything the church teaches, but like I don't need to read up on it or whatever. And like, yeah, just focus on me and Jesus, you know. But in that same moment I was also convicted of like, like, if Jesus really is this person that I should build a relationship with, like well, how do I get to know him more? And then also the conviction of well, he is the word made flesh of like if I want to know him, I need to read the Bible more, that I need to start reading scripture. Make that part of my life and not just like something to neglect.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, that was a huge part, huge pivotal moment in my life. For sure, I'd say the pivotal moment.

Speaker 1:

What changed for you after that pivotal moment in the way that you conducted yourself daily?

Speaker 2:

Sure, I would say I definitely started trying to read the Bible more. I didn't really know where to start at the time. I just had a Bible app on my phone. I also had always had a hunger to serve for God. I didn't really know where to start there and then I had gone to after that moment.

Speaker 2:

I had gone to the Empower Conference through Damascus Mission that they have for college age people every winter.

Speaker 2:

So I went there and they provided a lot of info about their summer missionary program and I had actually applied two years prior when I was like 18 or a year and a half, but my heart was not in it at all. I was kind of looking to it for an escape and I didn't get accepted and I was like happy I didn't get accepted, so it just wasn't good but I kind of forgot about it. So at the Empower Conference they had like info sessions about it and I'm like whoa, like I forgot this is something I can do, like I can actually serve God and serve his children in this way. So I was really on fire for that. I was obviously a little bit scared at first but I applied for a counseling position, got accepted Definitely struggling with a lot of doubts about being worthy to be in a counseling position, a position of leadership to high schoolers and middle schoolers. Really battled with that, like honestly, like through the whole summer of like who am I to to be doing this?

Speaker 1:

um, but yeah what helped you guys?

Speaker 2:

honestly, the strong community that I had at damascus was huge, because I I didn't have like healthy friendships growing up, and so having like a strong knit community of catholics who all had a common goal of building god's kingdom and serving these kids over the summer, building each other up and doing so, that was like just like a huge healing moment for me too, of like yeah, just really helped me heal my self-perspective of like wow, like not everyone is judging me 24 7 and like I don't have to care what people think about me and like I just have to be jesus centered, jesus focused. So that was huge. And just like have daily mass throughout the summer, um, and so much time and adoration as well. It's just huge, and I'm into like seeing, seeing and hearing about different miracles, um, happening throughout the summer as well Just amazing.

Speaker 1:

Some physical miracles or spiritual.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, a little bit of both yeah.

Speaker 1:

Wow. So how did the Lord work on your heart during the Damascus mission?

Speaker 2:

One area is. He revealed to me the power of intercession Really, honestly, like the first week. So many people growing up you know just now like oh yeah, I'll pray for you. I'll pray for that, like I'll have a test tomorrow, pray for me. It's like everyone says it so calmly and just lie down like no one actually really means it for the most part. And you just really revealed to me like intercession does work and it's like it's a very powerful tool of like. Yeah, if we have time, I'd love to share an example yeah, man cool.

Speaker 2:

It was like a little bit of both um miracle, uh. I think it was the first week, so it was early in the summer. It was like it was pretty cold out still like evening. We had outdoor adoration for the campers and I had freshmen in high school and it was cold. We all forgot. I forgot to tell them to bring blankets because that was my bad, but god provided.

Speaker 2:

Um, yeah, I was, it was sound adoration and I was just praying in the depths of my heart that like like lord, like in this, in this cold weather, in this feeling of coldness, like just come and warm their hearts with your love. Like just come, as a father, just come and warm their hearts with your love. And I was just praying for all of them Like I didn't have breath. I had no idea that I was praying for them. And then we had an opportunity. We all line up and kneel down and the priest would bring the monstrance like right, right in front of our faces, like just inches away. Just hold it there for a few seconds and go on to the next camper.

Speaker 2:

And small group afterwards were just asking like, okay, like what was it like having like Jesus come that close up to your face and like, oh, like I was like really cold before and I was like having like jesus come that close up to your face and like, oh, like like I was like really cold before and I was like shivering and like as soon as, like the monster was like brought up to my face, like I just felt like really warm, I stopped shivering and then, like each one of the groups started rattling off and how like oh yeah, like I felt the same, like I was really cold and like I felt really warm afterwards. And I'm like that's, it's amazing you guys say that, because I'm like that was my prayer for you guys is that like the in this like coldness, that the father would come and like warm your hearts wow, yeah, it's really beautiful I love god's timing just in the fact of how you know you applied previous.

Speaker 1:

You said you're 18 when you applied, but your heart really wasn't in it. But after you're in that moment of adoration, yeah, it's like a door open wide. Yes, yeah, it's like god's perfect timing. And things when you don't fully understand, it's like, no, he's got it I know it's.

Speaker 2:

It's amazing. Yeah, for sure, this summer was just like a huge kickstart and really helped me grow and like just seeing how good god is as a father and how he just wants to seek you out. Yeah, it's just been, I'd say, exponential since then. As of the summer, it was a huge kickstart, for sure. Um, relief stirred up the desires in my heart for what a really real relationship looked like with God. As far as like daily prayer, it's a huge part that I never had a daily prayer and asking God's heart for others of, like how I said, like my favorite prayer right now is like God, help me to love like you love praying for God's heart for his children, so that he could serve them better. Yeah, and then so post-summer, I was. This is where it's like still baffles me every time how just God answers prayers, sometimes scarily quickly.

Speaker 2:

So I'd be coming home from the summer going to a new school. I'd never been there before, I had no idea what it looked like and I was like pretty, pretty scared. Honestly, I was like leaving this awesome community of missionary disciples and then just going to a secular campus right now, a new one. But it's amazing how God works. So I, me and some of the other guys I started with we went to Saturday Mass at the church that I grew up with at doing youth group, and Pastor Father Ed was there and we saw him after Mass and he ended up taking us out to dinner and we were just talking and stuff and then he was like oh so, where are you going, isaac?

Speaker 2:

After this, I'm going to go to Easter, and after I don't really know what that looks like, though I wanted to stay mission focused. Um, he's like, oh, he's like I know, like the campus ministry director there, I get you connected. Oh, okay, that's cool. And so, like, post that I get like a message from her on Instagram. She's like, hey, we have like our discipleship nights like every thursday and stuff like, oh, that's amazing, it's awesome. So I was just like, wow, that's awesome, like this is amazing so you immediately got connected to campus ministry.

Speaker 2:

Then it's like before I even left for this, left the summer, yeah, wow. And then one of my account other counselors. He's like, oh, my girlfriend's actually a part of that. She said it's amazing. It's like awesome, like sweet. So, yeah, I, I got connected with that, I got got back from the summer and that's just been such a beautiful experience there at St John the Baptist. Yeah, just been trying to serve as much as I can there.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and Lord just been really answering my prayers. I'm like I was praying. I'm like Lord, like I really desire to just do more with the campus ministry there. And then they it's like a week later they invited me to be part of their campus ministry team. So, like the students that like help set up and everything for the discipleship nights, I'm like, wow, thank you, lord, answering this prayer. Like immediately after, like a little while after that, my lord, I wish I could do more as well.

Speaker 2:

And then, um, sister lisa, one of the campus ministry directors, like approached me and another, another guy part of the campus ministry, asked if we could co-lead our our men's night that we have every semester. I'm like, well, that's amazing, like thank you for this opportunity. Like god answered my prayer. Yeah, it's just been. Like it's crazy just how, like past, god has been answering my prayers as of late. I'm just beyond grateful because it's just increased my faith so much. It's kind of where I'm at right now, just trying to trust in the Lord as much as I can, just seeking in all that I do.

Speaker 1:

And the Lord's not even done yet, which is amazing, right, do, and the lord's not even done yet, which is amazing, right. The journey continues and makes me think of romans 8 28, where we know that god is working for the good for those who love him. We're called according to his purpose. Right, it's one of my favorite verses. And to think back about you as a little kid, you know, with all your holy, holy cards, prayer cards, right under the bunk, like it was where the bunk bed is, right, yeah, and how the lord answered the prayer of a little kid, you know, drawing closer and closer to him, which is amazing. So you want to, you want to kind of speak to just that daily prayer and what's worked for you, because I know a lot of people struggle with that. You know, it's kind of like man, like I want to pray, I just kind of don't know how. Just Just like what's worked for you.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I would say I'm definitely still figuring out what works the best for me, but I would say it's definitely different for everyone. There's no one set thing that works for everyone, especially because, like the Lord speaks to each person like uniquely, definitely like meditating on the scriptures. Well, first of all, setting aside specific times in your day to pray is huge, even setting a timer, so you're not just like, okay, at 930, I'll be done praying, but setting a timer it's going to make a noise when it's done, so I don't have to check the time. But I'd say going through the scriptures is beautiful. If you don't know where to start the gospels, just learning about jesus's life is very good. What I would say the lord has spoken to me the most through is just journaling, conversing with god. In your journal of like I'm writing and then I'm putting quotation marks, and this is god writing of. Like I'm writing my question that I have and then I'm writing out his response you make videos on this yes yeah, yeah of like some of those are just like scriptural responses.

Speaker 2:

That's why I have like the corresponding scripture verses of like that truth. Those are from my journals, like the questions I have of. It was the first, first, maybe the first video I made of like I was really struggling with just anxiety about just school and like trying to find internships and things like that. I just wrote in my journal like Lord, I just feel like the world is spinning so fast and I can just never keep up, like I'll always be behind. And he's just like don't follow the world, follow me. Okay, thank you for that. Right yeah. Have you ever tried writing a letter from God to you? Okay, thank you for that.

Speaker 1:

Right yeah have you ever tried writing a letter from God to you?

Speaker 1:

not an entire letter, okay, no, that'd be cool to try though so you just basically take your pen and pray and say, lord, I want you to speak through this pen to me. Whatever you want to say, say it. And you just start with dear isaac and don't sit there thinking what should I write? Just start writing. Yeah, it's actually. Uh, it's pretty cool because I did it years and years ago and then randomly, man, I think I was like going through some old journals or books or whatever, and I pulled it out and I was like whoa, yeah, and just how, like years later I actually showed it to my wife and I was like every single thing that was written has actually, like been answered yeah, that's the craziest part of like.

Speaker 2:

Like you said, I've written things down where I'm like either it just doesn't make sense in that time or I just don't know how it applies, or, yeah, it just doesn't make sense to me, and then I'll like go back randomly, or I'll just kind of like feel inclined to like okay, I'm just gonna go through my journal entries, I'll go through and I'm just like whoa, like yeah, that is crazy. Or just to see like where I've come of, like what was going on in my life then, what I was struggling with, and just seeing how, like, I have victories over that, or like god changed that aspect of my life. It's really beautiful it really is.

Speaker 1:

Actually, I was doing a meditation based on the, the oblates, the salesians. It kind of walks you through like this meditation of like how has god been faithful to you? And then, at theians, uh kind of walks you through like this meditation of like how has god been faithful to you? And then at the end, they kind of ask you, like what is the bumper sticker that you want to live today? You know, like what's the word of the day? It's funny because I I didn't even really make the connection of your story, but my word today was actually gratitude. And that's isn't that one of your favorite songs, brandon?

Speaker 2:

yeah, yeah, such a solid song, man it was a really hard one not to sing that song. What's that? I said it was a really hard lent not to sing that song.

Speaker 1:

Yeah I might have broken the rules. Uh, not realizing. Looking back now, because I drive, I commute about 30 minutes. Listen to worship, I probably you're like oh, oh wait that's good, god, you remember that. But but the importance right of of actually having gratitude even in the midst of the challenges, and whatnot like when you look back, you can see god's faithfulness, and so like having that gratitude through and through.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I mean that's, that's how you like build trust in the Lord is like, even like with a person is like you trust them because they like prove their trust over and over again, like they showed up and like they proved to you like, oh, I can trust this person Cause they've done like, they've proved their trust in me through actions of like. That's why it's important to like reflect is like, oh, like god actually does prove to me that I can't trust him because he has answered these prayers and he has. Whether they're how I wanted them answered or not, he has answered them in one way or another you can actually trust him yes I think so many of us struggle with that yeah in all things.

Speaker 1:

You know what I mean. It's like, jesus, I trust you. But if I'm being honest, my next line is like help me to trust you more. Actually, yeah, it's like, lord, I love you, help me to love you more.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I mean it's a work in progress. It's hard because you're like I want to trust you but I can't. I want to trust you. Just help me trust you, yeah. Yeah, that was a huge part too of like it's so much easier to trust God with your past and trust God with your present, because those are things that you can see and that you have some control over. Like trust God with your future. It's like something you can't see and something you don't have control over, so it's just so much harder to do.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, well said so, man, based on you sharing your story and everything, what is your hope for the future of our church?

Speaker 2:

St Paul. I think it's St Paul, I think it's St Paul. I'm still learning here. If you do like whatever action, like, without love, you're just a resounding gong. If you in all that you do, if you don't do it with love, like you're just a bunch of pots and pans banging around of, I would say for the future church of to rekindle the message of love, and not even just the, the message of love, but the, the heart posture of of love. To to really see others how Jesus sees them, to whether we're admonishing the sinner, but to do so with love, because people know, people can sense if you're not coming out of a place of love.

Speaker 2:

I know what faithful love is For people to just pray to receive the heart of the Father for His children, so that we can love others more truly and more fully. So I mean, that's what made Jesus stand stand out was his love and compassion for others. Yes, he rebuked sin and said sin no more, but he looked at them with love and compassion. Yeah, in scripture it's like he looked at them with love and then he said go sin no more. So, yeah, I think that's what just we as a church need to to refocus on is having a heart or a focus of love, of loving the person and, through that, telling them to go sin no more yeah, I just pulled up the verse you're referring to, 1 Corinthians 13.

Speaker 1:

It says if I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but if not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. Yeah, well, on that note, man, I just want to thank you so much for your guest to Jesus and his church. And again, like the journey continues and God's not done, he's got a lot more going on. So I just want to thank you for your yes, if people want to learn more or connect about what you've got going on, those little letters you know like I think they're.

Speaker 2:

They're inspirational to be able to look at. How can?

Speaker 1:

they connect if they'd like to just do instagram and you want to shout out your your handle so people can check it out it is l-e-b-l-a-n-c.

Speaker 2:

Dot isaac, which is i-s-a-a-c yeah 22, so 22 22.

Speaker 1:

All right, would you be willing to close us in prayer tonight?

Speaker 2:

of course, father, son, holy Spirit, amen Come Holy Spirit. Lord, I thank you for this opportunity to share your glory with all those that are, that are listening or will listen. Lord, I thank you for your trustworthiness, your compassion for this opportunity. Lord, I ask you to continue to work in our lives to show that you are a trustworthy God, that we can walk hand in hand with you.

Speaker 1:

Amen. Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed this episode and you'd like to help support the ministry, please share it with others, post about it on social media or please leave a rating and review. To catch all the latest stories, you can follow us on Instagram at yescatholic and visit our website, yescatholiccom. If you have benefited from yes Catholic, please consider joining our Patreon community. Visit patreoncom slash yescatholic. I would like to thank our current patrons for your ongoing prayers, support and contributions that have helped yes Catholic reach thousands of souls all over the world each week. 1 Peter 3.15 says Always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who calls you to account for the hope that is in you. You have a story. Don't be afraid to share the good news of how Jesus Christ has moved in your life with a family member, friend or colleague. Give Jesus your yes every single day and watch the ripple effect of the gospel. Join us next week. The journey continues right here at yes Catholic.