Transcript
Father Mike Schmitz (0:00)
Coming up in today's episode of Called.
Elizabeth Marcolini (0:02)
And the priest afterwards got up and said, there's a mom who's pregnant with a child with special needs and she's due in two weeks. We met in person and she asked us to be her parents.
Father Mike Schmitz (0:13)
As you're describing this, I'm thinking, wait a second. I was just praying for this.
Elizabeth Marcolini (0:18)
My husband and I struggled for seven years with infertility and was like, matt, how could this be what God wants? If you are listening to this and your child has been diagnosed with something that is scary to, you know, like as an adoptive parent of a with special needs, your child is loved, your child is wanted, your child has a purpose. As a parent, we are ever on a path to becoming littler and littler and littler. And in that, I think we find Jesus more and more and more. You don't have to be sufficient. Jesus never once calls us to sufficiency. He calls us to surrender.
Father Mike Schmitz (0:54)
Hi, my name is Father Mike Schmitz, and welcome to Called, a podcast brought to you by the Catholic Initiative in partnership with Ascension. When I first joined the Catholic Initiative Board, I was immediately struck by how closely their mission aligned with my own. To renew the church and to serve those most in need. The Catholic Initiative is restoring parishes and schools, is strengthening communities, and reminding us that faith isn't just something that we believe, it's something that we live. That's what this podcast is all about. It's about hearing real stories of courage, of mercy, and of hope that move us from belief to action. As Jesus tells us in Matthew 25, he said, Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. In every episode, we'll explore how ordinary people are answering that call in extraordinary ways and how you and I can do the same. Today we're talking about what it means to care for the vulnerable, not out of obligation, but out of love. Scripture reminds In Proverbs 31, 8, 9, it says, Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. For the rights of all who are destitute, speak up and judge fairly. Defend the rights of the poor and the needy. This call to care for the vulnerable is at the heart of Catholic social teaching. And yet we live in a time where the failure to value those with special needs can lead to inferior healthcare and tragically high abortion rates. Affirming the dignity of every person and the church's mission to stand with the poor, the sick, the elderly, the unborn, and and the forgotten is crucial to living as Jesus Christ wants us to. To help us reflect on this call, I am joined today by Elizabeth Marcolini, Catholic leader, speaker, and co author of Bella's Gift and the Pocket Guide to the Works of Mercy. Elizabeth, welcome to the called podcast.
