018: The Impact of Intentional Relationships

Eric Chow has a conversation with Deacon Rafaele Salvino and Deacon Richard Conlin about the impact of relationships in their journey to discipleship and vocation. They discuss why relationships matter and the missionary skill of 'matchmaking': taking God's grace and matching it with people's needs.

1:00
Deacon Raff Salvino shares his story

3:55
Deacon Richard Conlin shares his story
"Going to confession, that day I became an intentional disciple and a missionary disciple. I just had to go tell everyone what happened"

7:32
How friendship witnessed to Deacon Raff: "I knew there was more, I wasn't sure where it would come from, but I knew it was possible. I encountered Christ in adoration as the fulfillment of all my deepest desires."

Deacon Richard "Out of that commitment, the intentionality of journeying with someone, our ability to be a disciple came about. You're commiting to a person, it's not a program you're putting someone through, you're not trying to fix someone. You're committing to the person and that relationship brought us here. "

11:40 -12:10
"The Archdiocese of Vancouver wouldn't have Deacon Richard and Deacon Raff if there weren't a couple of people who wanted to commit to us. And out of that relationship we have a relationship with Christ and we want to share that full time, all day everyday, and that's what we have the privledge to do now. You being intentional about a relationship with someone...you never know what could come of that"

15:20
Deacon Richard says "When you look at the people that you want to bring to Christ, you have to ask yourself if there's a genuine relationship of trust there. Are you only reaching out to them to invite them to events at church? Or do you hang out with them to build trust or text them to see how they're doing? Or is it always connected to 'can you come to this next event? "

17:50 - 18:36
Deacon Raff talks flag football and Christ

18:42 - 19:30
Deacon Raff missed faith study, leader came to his family's house.

20:48
Deacon Richard discusses how preaching has helped him grow as a missionary disciple. The skill of "matchmaking" - taking the grace of the readings with the needs of the people, and you match them. But it's not just for preaching, this is a skill that all missionary disciples need to grow in.

24:30
Being a missionary is challenging, and experiencing rejection in an invitation is a moment that strengthens us as missionary disciples.

"Not having it all together is one of the greatest assets that you have (as a missionary disciple) because you're authentic. You're authentically striving to live a life for God, and the people around you see that. They see your flaws and they also see the beauty of that too, so that when you make that appeal to live a life for Christ, it carries so much more weight and authority."

33:43
Deacon Raff dismantling the lie that "only the priest evangelizes" and "I don't know enough to be a missionary".

34:56
Deacon Raff says"I would die with a huge smile on my face if I could see every single parishoner know that, by baptism, God has called them to be a missionary."