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Do Whatever He Tells You
While chaperoning my daughter’s fourth-grade field trip at the Heart of Jesus Retreat Center in Santa Ana, I encountered a small booklet by Servant of God Sister Ida Peterfy, SDSH, titled Do Whatever He Tells You. Drawn from John 2:5, the title recalls the Blessed Virgin Mary’s instruction to the servants at the Wedding at Cana, words that immediately preceded Christ’s first public miracle, the turning of water into wine. This sign prefigures the transformation of wine into His Blood at the Institution of the Eucharist. It was the beauty of the Liturgy, along with the persistent witness of the faithful, that originally drew me to the Catholic faith, and this booklet served as a reminder of what God was calling me to do.
At the time, I was discerning whether to return to a project I had created five years earlier: the Christian Witness Podcast. It had been on my mind for weeks leading up to the retreat. I had set it aside after struggling to find people willing to share their testimonies, shifting instead to my own YouTube channel. In doing so, I discovered how difficult it is to speak openly about one’s faith, especially on camera. Public speaking had always been something I avoided, and I began to recognize this fear more clearly: the hesitation to be seen, to lay bare one’s soul for the sake of God. It is no small thing. Yet, reflecting on the booklet, its title returned to me with clarity, God’s timing is not accidental, and perhaps I was being prepared to help others learn how to share their faith.
During Mass at the retreat, that sense of direction deepened. The celebrant, Fr. Aristotle, presented a mosaic of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (pictured above), composed of hundreds of smaller photographs representing those who had influenced his vocation. The image struck me immediately. The Sacred Heart is also the central motif of my YouTube channel, @JoshRader, and the structure of the mosaic mirrored what I had envisioned for the Witness podcast: individual lives, distinct, personal testimonies, coming together to reveal the face of Christ. It is, in a sense, the work of the laity: to make Christ visible through the witness of our lives.
What first appeared as coincidence began to take on the character of witness. Later, I discovered that Fr. Aristotle had published his artwork online on March 30, 2017. March 30th happens to be my wedding anniversary. That date holds deep significance for me, not only personally but within the mission I envision for the podcast: to encourage men to be faithful husbands, fathers, and leaders, serving first within their homes as primary teachers of the faith; the Domestic Church. This mission I have been discovering lately is what I think the Witness Podcast is for.
The year itself—2017—was also pivotal. It marked the beginning of my wife’s journey through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), as well as my own formal study of the faith. At Franciscan University, I was formed in a covenantal and typological understanding of Salvation History, the awareness that God uses signs to point toward their fulfillment. In that light, the convergence of these moments during a time of discernment did not feel incidental. It felt intentional, and maybe providential as it does seem as an affirmation to return to this project.
These experiences to me suggest that if we align ourselves with the Divine Will, God provides signs along the way to guide our path. If He is calling this podcast to serve as a platform for others, He will provide the witnesses in His time.
As Christians, we must ask ourselves: How is God calling me to share my faith? Am I attentive to the signs He places before me? Most importantly, am I willing to respond to His grace and do whatever He tells me?
If you feel called to share what God has placed on your heart, I invite you to reach out via the form below. To hear examples from others, you may browse the testimonies featured on this site or if you enjoy reflecting on the faith please visit my YouTube channel, @JoshRader.