Join Brendan host of The Heights Podcast as he welcomes Trey and Mari Wagner, co-founders of West Coast Catholic. This episode, recorded for The Heights Podcast and repurposed for The Ever Be Podcast, dives into the concept of Catholic identity and how to cultivate it within the home. Trey and Mari discuss their journey with West Coast Catholic, practical tips for creating a prayerful environment, and the importance of recognizing our brokenness and need for a Savior. They also explore what Catholic identity is and how to incorporate your Catholic identity into your home. Listen in for insights on the significance of Catholic traditions, the power of holy water, and fostering both personal and family prayer life.

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mari-wagner_1_09-25-2024_095656: we

just recently recorded an episode with

2

some good friends of ours on their

podcast called the heights podcast.

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You might also know Brendan and Connor

from human project on Instagram.

4

And we had an amazing conversation

on their podcast about Catholic

5

identity and establishing that

Catholic identity in your home.

6

And I just thought this conversation

was so fruitful and so wonderful.

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That my listeners would

love to hear it as well.

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So for this week's episode, we are

just going to be playing the recording

9

from the heights podcast episodes.

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You can listen in on that conversation.

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Hey, I'm your host, Mari Wagner,

and you're listening to the ever be

12

podcast where faith meets lifestyle.

13

I'm so excited you're here, whether you're

a new listener or a longtime follower,

14

I know there's something here for you.

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Pull up a chair and listen in for

insightful real life conversations

16

and actionable steps on how to claim

the full life God created you for.

17

If you're a woman desiring to live

a Christ centered life in today's

18

modern world, then this is for you.

19

Welcome to Ever Be.

20

What's up everyone.

21

Welcome back to the Heights podcast today.

22

We have on Trey and Mari Wagner, who are

the co founders of West Coast Catholic.

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And Maria has launched a podcast is

the host of ever be podcast, right?

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So, we're excited to have them on.

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So, just first, Troy and Mari, maybe

share a little bit more about who you

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are, how you guys started West Coast

Catholic, and what you guys are up to.

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Yeah, thanks for having us, Brendan.

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We always love chatting with you,

so this is going to be a fun convo.

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Yeah, we're excited to be here.

30

We started West Coast Catholic in 2019

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when I started my personal Instagram blog.

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Um, really it was just in the midst of

a reversion that I was going through

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in my life and the Lord placed it on

my heart to share how I was choosing

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to live my faith out in college.

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Um, as a young 20 something year old.

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Um, so I started doing that on an

Instagram page called West coast Catholic.

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Uh, I grew up in the West coast and kind

of felt like I didn't really ever have

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a lot of Catholic community out there.

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Hence why I chose to be the West coast

Catholic to represent, um, that side of

40

the country and eventually it just, it

just kept growing and continued to grow.

41

And about a year into having this blog,

Trey, uh, gave me a handmade rosary that

42

he made for my birthday and the beauty

of that rosary and the intentionality,

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With which I knew that it was made

drew me to prayer so much that I kind

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of unlocked like a spiritual life hack

like beauty beauty draws us to prayer.

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Um, And it is a transcendental so

it's true and there's something about

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beauty that just lifts our eyes and

our souls and our minds to god and

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so I was so drawn to the rosary just

Through the beauty of the item, um,

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and that inspired us to start making

rosaries, uh, to bless the people that

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were following along on our Instagram.

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And at the time we were

also discerning engagement.

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And so we also may have been trying to

save up for a ring at the same time.

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And so we thought that

selling a few rosaries.

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Blessings and people with beautiful prayer

tools, and then hopefully saving up for a

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ring would help set us up for the future.

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And the Lord had very different plans.

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I mean, the Lord, uh, just continue

to bless those rosaries and what

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we thought would just be selling a

few rosaries as a one time thing.

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Um, just kind of continuing to snowball

into what it is today, six years later.

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And now we're a full on Catholic

lifestyle brand and it's

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Trey and I's full time work.

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So yeah, it's our ministry.

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And the Lord has blessed us

abundantly and it's so much fun,

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so much fun working with my wife.

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Spoiler alert, we did get married.

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Yes, it worked out great.

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How long have you guys been married now?

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Three and a half years.

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Three and a half years.

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And it all kind of really started

when Trey made that rosary.

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Is that, am I right?

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I made one rosary and she's

like, oh my gosh, a Catholic man.

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I I always prayed for a Catholic

boyfriend, and I didn't know that

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that's what it would be like, but when

he gave me that rosary, I was like,

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this is, this is what I prayed for.

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Yeah, I was looking at your guys

website right before this, actually,

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and I loved, uh, the little saying,

experience a foretaste of heaven.

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Yes.

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And So maybe, could you just share

briefly about that and how that reflects

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what you guys do at West Coast Catholic?

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Yeah, that was the tagline that we came

up with for this brand that we created.

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And really what it is, is

experience a foretaste of heaven.

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So what is heaven?

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Heaven is ultimately communion with God.

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And that is what we're trying to

inspire everybody here through our

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products and through our lifestyle

goods and prayer tools that we sell.

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Is to inspire a prayer

life within the consumer.

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And so, uh, through prayer, we're able

to obtain community with God, which

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is like a little foretaste of heaven.

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It's because heaven is community with God.

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Prayer is community with God.

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A way that we can experience that little,

little taste of heaven here on earth.

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And so.

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Everything we create is, uh, created

with that intention in mind to

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inspire prayer and to our customers.

95

Yeah.

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Whether it's a, you know, actual prayer

tool, like a rosary or a devotional

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or holy water, or whether it's.

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A lifestyle item, like a belt bag

or a necklace or an accessory.

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It is all intentionally designed with

like a faith infused, um, intention with

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the design and something in it, right?

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Whether it's prayer or the meaning

of the product in some way, it's

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supposed to elevate us to the Lord

and elevate our souls to the Lord

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and help us find that communion.

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And like Trey said, the

bottom line is prayer.

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We're always trying to encourage people

to build a prayer life and to say,

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relationship with the Lord through prayer.

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Cause that's really

what is transformative.

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And once we find that it's like, we find

this little taste of heaven here on earth

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and the more that we're able to meet the

Lord in that intimate space of prayer,

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the more we're able to get a little taste

of what it's going to be like one day.

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Sweet.

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I love it.

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So in this podcast, we're going to be

talking about the home and establishing

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a Catholic identity in the home.

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And a lot of your guys products at West

Coast Catholic, Helps facilitate that.

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So, you know, we are all formed by what we

consume or, you know, become what you eat.

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What's the saying?

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Is it you, yeah, you become

what you eat type of deal.

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Okay.

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But just in general, like what we,

what we take in, you know, the music we

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listen to the shows, how we, everything

we take in forms us and the home in

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general, I mean, that's where, that's

where you live, you know, that's,

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that's So I think it's so interesting,

particularly with this topic, that we're

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going to talk about just the home and

how actually like decorating your home.

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Or how you set it up, like how

you, I don't know if you guys made

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this up, but like to qualify or

something you did, what is it called?

127

I mean, I don't know if I made it

up, but yeah, I had to see, I have

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a series called Catholify your home.

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And so I feel like the

term has really stuck.

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Yeah.

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Yeah.

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Okay.

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I mean, it just popped up in my mind.

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I wasn't even planning

on saying that, but yeah.

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So, you know, we talk about.

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You know, we can talk about these things,

but it actually affects who we are in

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our identity, particularly as Catholics.

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So before we kind of dive into, you

know, how a married couple or just

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a single person, whoever has a home

or an apartment, wherever you live,

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how you can set that up to actually

foster a deeper Catholic identity.

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First, I just want to ask you guys, what,

you know, what would you say it means to

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actually have a Catholic identity or to

be Yeah, that's a great question, Brandon.

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Um, Yeah, we are still figuring that out.

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I think every day is, uh, you know,

we're learning more and more what that

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means, but I would say fundamentally,

I would say what it means to be

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Catholic is one recognizing your own

brokenness and your own humanness.

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Uh, I think the, the best way that

I've been able to resonate with this

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is actually through something that St.

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Paul said, I don't even know what, in what

book, I think maybe Romans, but I can't

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remember, but he says something along the

lines of like, I can't do what I want.

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And I always do what I don't want

to do and I think that's a very like

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human experience that we all feel.

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I know that I feel that very deeply.

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And so I think 1st, it's recognizing that

we are broken because it's not until you

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recognize your brokenness that then you

can even acknowledge a need for a savior.

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And so then that's the second half

of the coin is acknowledging the need

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for a savior and, uh, recognizing that

our savior is Jesus and that he did

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through the cross actually redeem us.

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And then it's given us the, the

power and the grace through the

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Holy spirit, uh, to become like him.

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And like, ultimately the Christian

journey is becoming like Christ.

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And so ultimately it's the

gospel message is what is like

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what it means to be Catholic.

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And there are some like unique ways that.

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We're able to live that out through

our Catholic faith, um, through the

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sacraments, through tradition, um, and

all the teachings that I know that you

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were talking about, you want to share

a little bit more about that, Mari?

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Yeah, no, I, I love what you were

saying about the gospel message, because

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although that obviously is like the

heart of all Christianity, I think

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what you were saying is so unique.

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About us Catholics, just like

recognizing our brokenness and also

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just, um, in the, in the gospel.

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So we were missionaries with focus.

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And so we like, learned this

like way to share the gospel.

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Right.

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And so it's like, um, if you want to

help me out here, you are, uh, in perfect

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relationship with the Lord, right.

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In the very beginning.

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Right.

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And then sin enters the world and

there's this huge chasm that comes in.

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We like, we're sinful.

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There's this brokenness and

it separates us from God.

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Right.

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all we long for is to like be back

in that perfect union with God.

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But unfortunately, like in our

humanness, there's nothing we can

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do to be like, fully reconciled

with the most perfect divine being.

187

And so we clearly need a savior.

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So, so first of all, it's

that acknowledgement of

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like we need a savior and.

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The Lord in his love and mercy and just

like desire to be with us and united

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with us once more sends himself down

in the form of his son to reconcile us.

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And the way the reason that

works is because Jesus is both

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fully human and fully God.

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And so in his human is

he's able to repair.

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Uh, he's able to like bear the weight of

our sins, but because of his divinity,

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he's able to repair that infinite

chasm that is between us and the Lord.

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Um, and he not only came to do

that for us to just save us, but

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actually to transform our lives.

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And that's what I love most

about the gospel message.

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And that's where I kind of want to

tie it into Catholicism a little bit,

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because while What I see a lot in

Protestant Christianity is just the need

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to acknowledge that you're saved and

that you have a savior and that's it.

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However, we, as Catholics

believe that both faith and work

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play a role in salvation and.

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In this gospel message that we

share, we share that Jesus came

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to transform our whole lives.

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And so he not only just wants to like

wipe us clean and be like, you're good.

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I did the work for you, but he actually

wants to change us inside out to transform

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us, to change the way that we live and the

way that we live those works that we do.

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And that you see on the outside.

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set us apart as Catholics.

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And as we were chatting a little bit

about these questions, before we got on,

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one thing that you said was that, um, at

one point in time, all these people that

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were following Christ started to live

very differently than everybody else.

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So much so that they had to give

them a name to identify them.

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And they called them Christians.

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And they were like, you

people that are so different.

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And, Strange and are following this man.

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We're going to call you Christians.

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Um, and so I think that ties in a

little bit to kind of this reflection

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on like faith and works and how like our

works truly, um, play a role in this.

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And I feel like is a foundational

part about being Catholic and

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how that kind of ties into.

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The church in a sense is really the

sacramental life I feel like as well

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and how as Catholics We both follow and

are guided by scripture and tradition

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and that like wholeness of the way that

we practice our faith Really sets us

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apart in our Catholic identity and is

something so beautiful that I feel like

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we're so blessed that the church has

given us So many avenues to experience

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like this tangible faith Do you want

to talk more about sacraments at all?

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Yeah, I mean, it's the way that we're

able to experience God, it's the gifts

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that the church has given us, uh, so

obviously because of our brokenness, like

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we can't achieve the salvation on our own.

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And so we have these wonderful gifts to

help us along the way and to help us, like

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you were saying, Mari, to be transformed

from the inside out to become like Christ.

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And so through confession, through

the Eucharist, uh, those are like

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the primary sacraments that we can.

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receive weekly, monthly, uh, that help

us on that road to salvation for sure.

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That's great.

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Yeah.

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I, well, it was just coming to

my mind was to like be Catholic.

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If we live the Catholic faith and truly

let it sink in, we will become more

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fully ourselves and more fully human.

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You know, the, I believe as the

Vatican two council said, you know,

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uh, that Christ, um, by the revelation

of the mystery of the fodder father

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and his love for us fully reveals

man to man himself and makes a

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supreme calling clear, but Christ

himself is the man who's fully alive.

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Like he reveals what it means to be human.

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And I mean, I think the claim that

we would make is to be Catholic is

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to actually be fully yourself, to

be fully human, which is revealed in

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light of Christ and, and that means.

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Oh, yeah, yeah, I said, and I think

that, like, if we are as Catholics.

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supposed to be fully alive, like we

should be attractive, like we should have

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attractive lives that people are drawn to.

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And clearly Jesus did.

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That's why people were drawn to him.

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And if, if being Catholic is being

fully alive in Christ, then like

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that should say something about

that, the way that we live our life.

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Trying to hold in that sneeze.

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I couldn't.

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I usually sneeze in twos, but.

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I think we're good on just the one.

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You can keep going.

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One big one.

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Um, but yeah, that's all I was saying.

265

It was, I think in light of that,

like we should live attractive lives.

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And I think, I don't know, maybe

there's, like, ways that, like, we as

267

Catholics can, like, improve that and,

like, make this faith more attractive

268

because of the way that we're living.

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Yeah, and I think, I just, I relate

to that so much on a personal

270

level, like what you were saying

about, like, becoming, like,

271

fully human, fully yourselves.

272

And that's, like, equivalent to,

like, the fullness of Catholicism.

273

Because in my life, when I, fully

embraced my Catholic faith and Changed

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my life to be centered around Christ

and the sacraments like I became fully

275

myself and I remember like in that whole

experience like sharing with Trey and my

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friends of like I have never felt more

mari in my entire life i'm like this is

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like Fully and upon unapologetically,

like who I am in every way.

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And I just experienced like the fullness

of joy, the fullness of freedom, the

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fullness of peace, like in so many

aspects, like in every aspect of my life.

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And it, and it's, it wasn't

truly until I like fully.

281

lived out my Catholic faith

when I, when I felt that.

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So like, even just on a very personal

human experience, like practical

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level, like that is so true.

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Yeah.

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Yeah.

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I, sorry.

287

I just, my phone just dropped.

288

Um, but, uh, Yeah, it's and we're

not saying I want to make this clear.

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We're not saying when you talked about

Trey like, hey, we're called to be,

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you know, attractive and even beautiful

and therefore I'm going to wear this.

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We're not, you know, we're not being

pharisaical in the sense of, you know,

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Catholics are all about just the law and

looking good doing the works, but inside,

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um, We're full of, you know, extortion as,

as Christ says, like, no, the, the outside

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reflects the inside, but the inside also

reflects the, the outside and, you know,

295

so to be Catholic, you know, therefore

we should act and behave in certain ways.

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Even if we don't want to at

the time, we need a reordering.

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We need a retuning of our,

of our hearts, you know?

298

And, and I'm just thinking of like, okay,

why do we dress modestly as Catholics?

299

Well, because we believe that the human

body has a great dignity and value.

300

Uh, why do I, why am I

going to love my neighbor?

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Well, well, Christ told me so.

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And because I'm most fully

myself, most fully alive.

303

So we can apply that now to just the

home and lifestyle and even like, okay.

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And like decorating, setting up a home

environment that's attractive, that's

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welcoming for people to come in, but also

just yourselves and like living in it.

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So maybe we can kind of segue into.

307

The home, you know, why, why is the home

so important to fostering one's self and

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one's life and one's Catholic identity?

309

Yeah.

310

I love this topic.

311

So I'm excited to chat about it.

312

Um, you guys, you guys aren't saying

like, Hey, you need to put up incense.

313

So when people walk in,

it's all foggy and smoky.

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I mean, are you, you're not

saying anything like that?

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No, no, no.

316

Um, no, but I love, I love

this topic and your question.

317

Why is a home so important?

318

Truly comes from this idea

of the domestic church.

319

Um, and that's something that we

believe as Catholics and that the

320

church teaches that the primary, um,

catechist of the faith start in the home.

321

So, like, the, the parents, the guardians

of the family in the home are the ones

322

who have that primary responsibility

to teach the children and to teach

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the family of the faith and pastor.

324

Down those traditions, um, those

practices and that love for the faith,

325

um, that knowledge of the faith.

326

And there's many different ways that

we can do this, but I think once we

327

recognize that we recognize first of

all, that we have a responsibility

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to bring the church into our home.

329

And I love this term domestic church.

330

Like how are we bringing different

pieces of the church, both in

331

like practice and essence and both

like physically, like aspects of.

332

The beauty of the church, how is that

being represented in our home once we

333

realize we have that responsibility like

We actually begin to do things and we

334

don't think just like, Oh, the priest

on Sunday will raise my family in the

335

faith, you know, hopefully my kids will

get something out of the homily or like,

336

hopefully, like, you know, we'll just talk

about the faith after like on the drive

337

home from church and that'll be good.

338

No, once you really realize, like, the

home is truly where faith is, like,

339

fostered and nurtured and developed.

340

You.

341

Begin to recognize the weight

of, like, what it looks like

342

to really have a Catholic home.

343

Like, what are different ways that I

can actually foster this in my home?

344

And so, um, there's, there's so

many different ways to do that.

345

And like you said, uh, physically, like,

decorating for sure is 1 way that we

346

love to bring the church into our home.

347

Um, but.

348

Very simply like having a, like a

home altar or like a prayer space

349

because that firstly nurtures you like

our marriage and our family is being

350

nurtured through prayer in the home.

351

And so, whether that's like, we have our

own spaces where we like to pray or having

352

a crucifix up on a wall where we like to

pray or prayer cards or a prayer candle.

353

You can have it spread out around the

house, but, like, we really recommend,

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like, having a good place that, like,

you consistently go pray to and kind of

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foster that environment, kind of like

you would go sit in a chapel or a church.

356

Um, and as well as, uh, like.

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spiritually fostering those practices

as a family, like having set aside time

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to pray and fostering like different

ways to pray with each other or to

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have spiritual conversations, whether

that be maybe reading the Sunday gospel

360

together or doing a family rosary or

just discussing, you know, topics of

361

the faith over dinner or something.

362

Those are little practical ways that

you begin to bring the essence of the

363

faith and the church into your home so

that like your family and your, like the

364

spiritual environment of your family is

being fostered primarily in the home.

365

They're being like, their cups are being

filled in the home so that when they go

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out, it's clear that they're Christians.

367

It's clear that they're Catholics

and they're, they're going out into

368

the world from a place of like, Being

nourished spiritually and being formed

369

in their faith And they can stand

firmly in their faith when they go out

370

into the world um I want to give you

all a space to talk because i'm like

371

I could keep going but keep going.

372

I want to know your

thoughts Brendan, go ahead.

373

You got anything?

374

Yeah.

375

Well, I was My mind went to Genesis

for some reason, uh, where it

376

reminded me that, okay, you know, St.

377

Therese says, you know, the earth is,

is thy ship, not thy home, you know,

378

or, but my mind went to, okay, in

Genesis, actually the picture of the

379

garden of Eden and the whole universe,

the cosmos is in, is temple imagery.

380

Actually God's dwelling,

which is ultimately the

381

temple and the holy of holies.

382

It's where God dwells Genesis It's where

man and God walked with one another

383

and so the whole universe understood

biblically is Should be the dwelling

384

place the most high God kind of And

then you take that to like a city, like

385

how we should order architecture, like

food and, uh, society just as a whole

386

should have everything orient ourselves

to communion with God and vice versa.

387

And my professor was, is just mad at

the architecture that most people are

388

building nowadays, because it's just.

389

It all has to do with the dollar and

efficiency and, uh, you know, so all

390

that being said, so my mind went to

Genesis, the universe, cities, and

391

architecture, and then it went to the

home of like, okay, you said it's the

392

domestic church, which is a mini church

that ultimately it's, it's a place where,

393

uh, The family communes with God and

God communes with the family and then

394

my mind went to theology the body stuff

Okay, what's the marriage bed the holy

395

of holies of the the house, you know,

it's it That's just where my brain goes.

396

But and then I'm thinking like oh

does that you know should should

397

You know the bridal chamber be

decorated in a way that's more holy.

398

I don't know.

399

That's where my mind was

going No, I love that.

400

I don't I mean, but here's maybe a

question that that I have for you guys

401

Is you know my mom In her home has

crosses everywhere, like everywhere.

402

Like you go into the kitchen and there's

crosses circling the whole entire walls.

403

And everyone knows that about my mom

and my mom loves to decorate their, the

404

home is also a place to welcome people

who aren't Catholic at all or not.

405

Don't believe in God at all.

406

You know, it's also a

place of evangelization.

407

So.

408

Is there a way where you can go too

far with how you catholify your home

409

that makes people uncomfortable?

410

Or, you know, like how, I don't,

Is there a middle ground of

411

where, where it's welcoming and

they, they, they feel welcome.

412

They feel, Oh, there's

something attractive here.

413

Um, to where, uh, they, they're

not feeling comfortable.

414

You're, you're overdoing it.

415

You're hyper spiritualizing your home.

416

You know, I don't know if you

guys have any thoughts on that.

417

That is an interesting question.

418

My first thought was,

yes, you could overdo it.

419

But then, I'm thinking of like the,

the beautiful cathedrals all across the

420

world, especially in Europe, the ones

that are older and that are like huge

421

tourist destinations, like millions

of people who don't believe in God are

422

going into those hyper Catholic spaces.

423

That are beautiful and like there is

a reality I mean this is what you love

424

to talk about like that beauty and what

you talked about at the beginning is

425

that beauty leads us to God and there

is a reality that the beauty of those

426

Spaces and these beautiful churches

are leading people to christ um and and

427

people whether they believe in god or

not objectively know These are beautiful

428

sacred spaces and that's why they're

going all around the world to visit

429

them And yeah, and I think a lot of them

would probably like Recognize there's

430

something different about this space

and maybe if they're not religious, they

431

won't be able to put like a finger on it.

432

But like, even our one friend like

walked into, I've had this happen to two

433

different friends that, um, I think, I

mean, they do have faith, but they like

434

walk into a Catholic church and they're

like, Something is different here.

435

I don't, I can't really like put a finger

on it, but like, I do recognize that

436

there is a difference here and we're like,

well, it's just the presence of Christ.

437

Those were Protestant friends who

walked into a Catholic church and

438

specifically said that they're

like, I just feel different when

439

I walk in to a Catholic church.

440

And I was like, well, the beauty

one leads us to that transcendental

441

of heaven to the Eucharist is here.

442

So, so to answer your question, like

you maybe could, if it's like, You

443

could maybe overdo it and maybe you

have thoughts on that specifically for

444

like decorating, but I think it's, it's

more so the people inside the home.

445

Like, are they, is their personality,

is the way that they're interacting

446

with the people walking into their home

is like, is that overdoing it where

447

they're over spiritualizing everything?

448

They're like kind of shoving the

faith down somebody's throat.

449

It's like, that is way different.

450

Of an experience.

451

And I think the people in the

home will make the experience

452

more or less overbearing, uh,

than the actual home itself.

453

But I don't know.

454

You have thoughts.

455

Yeah.

456

Well, I, I love the, um, concept of

like evangelizing with your home.

457

And I mean, that's the essence

of everything we do at West

458

Coast Catholic and our products.

459

Um, something that we, we don't use

as like an official tagline, right.

460

But it's kind of like, it's not your

grandma's Catholic home, you know,

461

it, it's, it's, It's designed in

a way that is kind of a modern day

462

aesthetic while keeping the rich beauty

of tradition of the Catholic church.

463

Um, And this is for people, you know,

young families of today so that they

464

can evangelize with their home so they

can build their domestic church in a

465

way that they resonate with in the way

that's attractive and beautiful to them.

466

And although there is an innate beauty

to these more traditional Catholic

467

items, and some people, some young

people today, like that might be their

468

style still that that's totally fine

and beautiful for that to be your style.

469

Um, But we do have a more modern aesthetic

in what we do in our brand, precisely for

470

this reason, for people to resonate with

it, that are young Catholics of today

471

and to spark those conversations with the

people you welcome into, into your home.

472

So.

473

I'm going to talk about a lot of

things and I'm going to hit all your

474

points, but I'm going to get there.

475

Um, so with these items, I mean, what

we've seen is, you know, you have, we

476

have a beautiful like concrete candle

that's, uh, kind of the modern version

477

of your classic, like Guadalupe candle.

478

It's like the vertical, like tall

candle that usually has like all

479

these like bright colors, which is

very like traditional and like the

480

Mexican culture and everything.

481

Um, and I mean, you can find these candles

like at the store for like a dollar.

482

Um, but it's like that

iconic Catholic candle.

483

Um, if you're more like me and you

like a little bit more like muted

484

neutral style, we made this candle in a

beautiful like concrete material that's

485

kind of like a cream color and it's

got the same vertical shape as that

486

prayer candle and it has an imprint

of our Lady Guadalupe on the front.

487

People walk in and they're like, Oh

my gosh, that candle is so beautiful.

488

Like, what is it?

489

And you have an opportunity to be

like, Oh, like this is a prayer candle.

490

This is Our Lady of Guadalupe.

491

Like we light it when we pray a

family rosary, or have you heard

492

of the incredible story of the

tilma at Our Lady of Guadalupe?

493

Um, those items allow for like these

like sparks of conversation about

494

the faith to enter the conversation.

495

In a very easy and natural way where

you're not necessarily always the

496

one opening the conversation of like,

Would you like to talk about the

497

miraculous apparition in guadalupe?

498

Like That's kind of weird and so one

yes, like there's so many beautiful ways

499

to evangelize with our home and I do

think that as catholics like Somebody

500

who's not catholic should walk into your

home and know These people are Catholic.

501

Again, like we are Christians and

we are set apart and we're not

502

supposed to blend in with the world.

503

We're not supposed to like hide

ourselves and mask ourselves to

504

be relatable like everybody else.

505

We are supposed to stand out and have

kind of like a higher standard of like the

506

way that we live and the way that, um, we

foster and nurture the faith in our homes.

507

So I do think that like you should walk in

and you should know it's a Catholic home.

508

Now your question of

like, can you overdo it?

509

I think that honestly, like in my

heart, I feel like the pri Mary, the

510

primary choice is like to nurture

your family and to foster your family.

511

And the home is more than just like

a structure of like four walls.

512

It's really like the sacred

space where family life happens.

513

And if you're like, Usually the father

of the home, the father provides like

514

protection and the mother like, you know,

uh, gosh, there's like a saying like

515

you provide protection and I like bring

like love into the home or whatever.

516

It's like he provides and she like

makes it beautiful, makes it a

517

beautiful space to be in and to gather.

518

And so like, if the mother of the home

or the wife of the home has like chosen

519

to, Create this environment in that way

like your mom like putting the crosses

520

like all across The kitchen or i've seen

people have like the the crucifix walls

521

and they buy a crucifix wherever they go

And this is like giant mural of crucifix.

522

That was my mom Yeah, you haven't seen it

because that was before we did a remodel

523

but in the kitchen there's like one huge

wall That was just covered with And I

524

think like if that's the choice I don't

want to, I don't want to say like you're

525

overdoing it because it's coming from a

place of genuine faith and love and like

526

wanting to express that in the home.

527

Um, but I love what Trey was saying

about like, how, how is your posture

528

and your interactions with people

around you that aren't Catholic?

529

How is that like, being inviting

while still being strong in your

530

Christian faith at the same time?

531

How are you opening conversation in just

very normal ways, very casual ways that

532

then give you opportunities to build

trust, to build friendship, to lead into

533

Sharing about what your experience was

at mass on Sunday and what you, what you

534

got from the homily or sharing what your

prayer life has been recently, or maybe

535

like a God moment that you had while you

were like, trying to discern something

536

and make a decision, building those

relationships, establishing that trust

537

and that friendship, I feel like it's

really important when you're evangelizing

538

because it's going to be received.

539

So much better, um, and so much

less of like skepticism that you

540

just have an agenda, but instead

you're like, Oh, I love this person.

541

I understand that like, the faith

is really important to them.

542

So like, I'm gonna, I'm gonna hear

what they have to say about it

543

because it's important to them.

544

And I love this person as a friend.

545

Um, So I hope that kind of answers the

questions like, yes, super important

546

to have items in your home that

express your Catholic faith and that

547

welcome a conversation and evangelize

almost without you having to do much.

548

But then at the same time, I think

the way that you interact with

549

people that you're inviting into

your home almost matters more.

550

What comes to mind with when

you're saying that is the tool

551

will never replace the action.

552

Like the tools that you're using

in your home, the decorations

553

are never going to replace the

action of evangelizing like that.

554

That is done human to human.

555

Um, so there are tools that are

helpful, but they can't replace.

556

Yeah.

557

Yeah.

558

Do you guys have like, well, the,

the one thing I loved what you

559

said, Maury was, you know, people

should know just by walking into

560

your home, this is who they are.

561

They're they're Catholic.

562

And so often, um, You know, I remember

back in like high school, it's like,

563

I wouldn't do the sign of the cross at

when I'm having lunch or, you know, why,

564

because, well, someone's going to make

a comment, someone's going to judge me.

565

And, you know, I think that's something

we all should reflect on is like, is my

566

social media accounts is do my classmates.

567

Do, do people know just by how I present

myself that this is who they are and

568

what they're about and especially the

home, you know, are people walking in

569

and not, whoa, this person's radical

or uncomfortable, get uncomfortable,

570

but okay, there's something welcoming,

but yes, I know that they're Catholic.

571

Do you guys have like, do you

guys have an example or a story?

572

Maybe it's just even between

yourselves, whether it's something

573

that you've done within your home to.

574

To cultivate that Catholic identity or

ultimately to cultivate that union with

575

God, like whether it's like a crucifix,

maybe, maybe you're going to bed at night

576

and you're tired, you feel desolate, and

you saw the crucifix in your home, and

577

all of a sudden it gave you hope and.

578

Or was there someone who maybe you

invited a friend into your guys's home

579

and just how you guys have arranged

your house and who you are, where

580

it actually, um, aided in a deeper

encounter with that person's faith.

581

Do you guys have any, any example

or story that you could share?

582

Yeah, or you share a story.

583

I'm just gonna share a separate story.

584

That is, I'm not related to us, but when

we first moved to this neighborhood,

585

we were meeting our neighbors

across the street and somehow

586

it came up pretty naturally.

587

They probably asked us what we

do for work and then it's like,

588

okay, well, now you're Catholic.

589

Yeah.

590

So that's just a funny side note.

591

Like anytime anybody asks us

what we do for work, then they'll

592

immediately know we're Catholic.

593

It's like impossible.

594

Oh, what do you do?

595

We own a Catholic lifestyle brand.

596

Yeah.

597

It's impossible for us to hide that

we're Catholic anyways, because

598

everything we do is related to the faith.

599

But anyway, so the neighbor is

like, learns that we're Catholic.

600

He's like, Oh, like you're going

to like the neighbors, like.

601

Three houses down that way.

602

Like they were like one day I saw so

much smoke coming out of their house

603

that I called the fire department on them

because I thought their house was on fire.

604

And so like I ran over there to check to

make sure that their house wasn't on fire.

605

And it turns out they were just doing

like a house blessing, but we're going

606

hard on the incense for the house.

607

Like so much incense.

608

Could you imagine the amount of incense

that had to have been in that house

609

for it to come out of like the windows.

610

Where the neighbor ran over to check

to make sure everything was okay.

611

They're Filipino Catholics.

612

And I think I, I don't know where

we heard this and this may be true,

613

may not be true, but that like,

that's pretty common in like Filipino

614

Catholic household blessings.

615

Like they do, like, I think he said

like black incense, like it was like

616

intense incense, but so anyways, they

obviously, you can, you know, that

617

that house, the whole neighborhood.

618

Yeah, it was pretty funny.

619

Um, what I was going to

say, yes, a few experiences.

620

One, I love the crucifix.

621

And this is just because the

past few years, the Lord has

622

taught me in a whole new way.

623

What suffering is.

624

And I never in my life really

had experienced suffering.

625

And so looking at a crucifix has

a whole like new meaning to me.

626

Like, and truly, I feel like

that is so innate to Catholicism.

627

Like we're often like poked fun at

for like being the ones that are

628

always about suffering, but I'm

like, no, but you don't understand.

629

It's so transformational, like it's good.

630

And so having a crucifix in your home,

in several places in your home, Has

631

honestly made an impact on me personally.

632

I think of two things that come

to mind one in our bedroom We have

633

a crucifix that's on the wall.

634

We're like our our bed is up again so

like right above us and Every morning

635

when I wake up, I open my eyes and I

see the crucifix on the wall And that

636

reminds me to do a quick morning offering.

637

And I noticed sometimes we use that

crucifix for photos cause it's the one

638

that we have in our shop and everything.

639

And sometimes I'll take it down to

like take a quick video and I'll

640

forget to put it up the next day.

641

And I noticed that when I,

when it's not there, I forget.

642

And when it is there, I

wake up and I'm reminded.

643

This like today is the Lord's

day that he's given me.

644

I'm going to offer my day to the Lord.

645

And I thank him for a good night

of rest for another day of life.

646

And I offer my day to the Lord.

647

So a simple reminder of that, my

life is centered around Christ.

648

And that my, when I opened my eyes, the

first thing I see is Jesus on the cross.

649

And then we have a crucifix in

the kitchen, which is helpful for

650

me because I hate doing dishes.

651

And so for me, it's like a

reminder that like our vocation.

652

Is the most beautiful thing and at the

same time it's our cross like our vocation

653

is our path to heaven And just like the

lord opened the gates of heaven through

654

the cross like so Will we reach heaven?

655

Hopefully one day through our own crosses

and your vocation comes through many

656

little ways of dying to yourself when

you're, when you're married of dying to

657

your selfishness and your own desires

and thinking of your spouse before

658

yourself and doing the things you don't

want to do out of love for your spouse.

659

And so putting the crucifix in the

kitchen where so much life happens, where

660

chores are to be done, where cleaning

is to be done, where, um, Conversations

661

happen and just so much is going on.

662

It's a reminder to me of like, my

vocation is dying to myself and

663

serving and loving my husband.

664

And that's like, even just for me, it's

transformational and not even, that

665

wasn't even a story of like somebody

entering my home, but just even for me,

666

that's like very edifying for my faith.

667

Well, I was, I was also going to share,

um, we have a, another neighbor who.

668

Well, maybe cut that out,

because what if she listens?

669

Okay.

670

Cut that part out.

671

We have no, no, no.

672

The part I'm about to where I, where

I just said, we have a neighbor.

673

I'm just going to say we have a friend or

just like a friend entered our home once.

674

Okay, so another story is we have a

friend that, like, has entered our home

675

before who's Protestant and we have these,

like, rosaries around our house, because.

676

We have a lot of rosaries in our house.

677

Um, and yeah, those always kind of

draw attention because there are

678

these like beautiful beads and we

have them displayed like in our

679

coffee table and in our front table.

680

And so often people who aren't Catholic,

like we'll come in, like grab it and she's

681

like, wow, like this is so beautiful.

682

And a rosary is and a

lot of times they don't.

683

And I've had the same experience.

684

Even recently, I went to coffee with

another friend who's Protestant and she

685

saw on Instagram that I did something with

rosaries and she's like, Asked if I had

686

one she like wanted to see it and it's the

same experience every time of like well,

687

this rosary is so beautiful like these

beads like and they're not catholic, but

688

they're like Can I, like, can I pray it?

689

Like, as a Christian, can I pray a rosary?

690

Is that allowed?

691

Like, can I do that?

692

Like, I want one.

693

And so again, I think it just draws that,

that tie of, like, beauty draws us to God.

694

And that's just like a simple example

of how, like, a beautiful rosary in

695

our home or in my purse, um, kind of

drew that connection for someone to

696

Catholicism that maybe, like, wouldn't

have had that connection before.

697

That's awesome.

698

So what, what would you say just to

kind of, To wrap this up, what would

699

you say are like the basics, practical

basics of what a person can do or, you

700

know, parents, couple that they could

do in their home to, it's funny this

701

catholifies now in my head, but to

catholify the home, what are just some

702

basic, uh, practicals, kind of like

step one, this is what, what you need.

703

Mm.

704

Trey, do you want to say anything

or do you want me to just go?

705

This is all you.

706

Okay.

707

This is your dominion.

708

Um, first thing, I would have

your home blessed by a priest.

709

So I would have your priest at the parish,

um, invite them over for dinner one

710

night and invite them to bless your home.

711

Um, and then I would put up a

crucifix and some holy water.

712

Um, it's important to mark our homes

physically with like the statement of

713

whose we are, um, and we are Christ.

714

So come in, bless your home, have holy

water and a crucifix in your home.

715

And I would say like, that's, your bare

minimum that I would say that you need.

716

Um, you can always have

it in multiple places.

717

We have holy water in our entryway table.

718

That's close to the front door.

719

And then we have holy water on our bedside

as well, so that we can pray with it.

720

If we want to bless each other with holy

water before bed, or we're going on a trip

721

or something, and we want to bless our

home or bless our travels or whatever.

722

Um, those are very practical things to do.

723

And then.

724

I mean, if you want to elevate it, next

step I would say is like have a home

725

altar or a prayer space, again, to like

cultivate that personal relationship

726

with God, because that's where you're

going to find that transformation

727

is through that prayer, through

that personal relationship with God.

728

So this can look many different ways.

729

Some people have just like a shelf and

they have a prayer candle and maybe a

730

crucifix or a rosary or an image of Mary.

731

Some people like to do like a little like

table, um, kind of like an altar almost.

732

Like, like a table and they put a little

tablecloth on it and they have all the

733

things, um, you could just do like a

prayer wall, um, where you like, put

734

different pictures up, uh, you can even

put a shelf up on the prayer wall, but

735

you have your Marian image, your statue,

uh, maybe you hang up a rosary, um,

736

having a prayer space where you can go

and be with the Lord is very important.

737

And that will too make

you want to pray more.

738

If you have a spot that you enjoy,

that's like set up for that, it'll

739

encourage you to pray more, practically.

740

Yeah, um, and we recommend having like

a family Bible, um, so like we have a

741

few like big Bibles, um, And I, I mean,

I'm working, I still need to get the

742

little, like, table that I want to do

this downstairs, but I really want to,

743

like, buy, like, a little Bible, like,

display, like, a little, like, stand

744

where you can lay the Bible, like, open.

745

And I think that will also

invite more opportunities to

746

pray with scripture as a family.

747

If you have that, like,

outwardly displayed.

748

So your basics, crucifix, holy water.

749

Marian image, um, Bible and prayer candle.

750

That's five.

751

Well, and yeah, you can have the

rosary sitting out somewhere.

752

In the rosary, yes.

753

Then I'll just remind

you to pray as a family.

754

Yeah.

755

That's great.

756

I want to just share one thing about

holy water because so often I and

757

others, we don't realize the power of

holy water and actually what it has.

758

Especially if you're Catholic,

you dip it in every day.

759

Time you go to mass, Oh, it's just water

that I just do this ritualistic thing.

760

So I have a friend who's spiritual

director, uh, can see, uh, angels and

761

demons, you know, has that, has that gift.

762

And, um, he told her a story about

this young, these young college

763

students were experiencing crazy

things happening in their house.

764

some demonic stuff, you know, whether

it's pictures flying off the walls

765

or, and they called up the priest.

766

Hey father, we need you, your help.

767

Come on.

768

We're scared.

769

We need you.

770

So the priest goes in and he starts

doing holy water in every single room.

771

Yeah.

772

Bedroom, the living room.

773

He goes every single room.

774

The final one is the laundry room.

775

He sprinkles the holy water.

776

A demon shoots by him, do, do,

do, do, do bounces every room

777

and shoots back out the door.

778

And no one else saw it, but him.

779

We're just like, Whoa.

780

Yeah.

781

Yeah.

782

It shoots past him and the holy

water made the demon basically like

783

just scatter throughout the whole.

784

And then it's like, Oh, this whole

place is filled with holy water.

785

So they went out the door.

786

Yeah.

787

I remember.

788

I, and then I, uh, I traveled

once with Christopher West for

789

one of his made for more events.

790

I don't think we went to a hotel.

791

I stayed at, obviously I

was in a different room.

792

He was another room and he knocks

on my door at night, right.

793

Before I'm going to bed.

794

And he's like, do you have holy water?

795

And I was like, no.

796

And he had some, he's like, you need it.

797

And he starts spraying it in my room.

798

He's like, you have no idea

what's happened in here.

799

And he starts spraying

it and then he left.

800

And it was like a reminder for me

of like, okay, even if I'm like

801

traveling, like that's something I

should do and what I should have.

802

So that's yeah.

803

Holy water's powerful.

804

But any, any final thoughts from

the both of you before we conclude?

805

Two, two final thoughts, hence why.

806

My number one thing was get your

house blessed as like, if you've never

807

gotten your house blessed or if it's

been a long time since you've gotten

808

your house blessed, like 100 percent

do that because the priest does that.

809

He goes around and he, uh, puts holy

water everywhere and sometimes even

810

like blessed salt, um, which I think

has other meanings, but I don't fully

811

understand the blessed salt yet.

812

Um, and then the other thing

I was going to say was, um,

813

Do you want to talk about it?

814

The holy water spritzer, your genius idea.

815

You can share why though.

816

So great though.

817

Well, okay.

818

For the longest time, Trey had told

me like I was cause Catholic, like we

819

have to launch this, like holy water

spritzer, like a small, like spritzer

820

that you can take holy water with you.

821

And I don't know why I was just like,

I don't know, Trey, like, I don't know

822

if that's going to like do the best.

823

Like, I don't know if like,

that's really going to land well.

824

And, and we did it.

825

And it is one of our top best sellers.

826

It's a small little travel sized.

827

Holy water bottle that look kind of if

you're a woman you would know like like

828

a travel perfume bottle It's got like a

little spritzer at the top And you it's

829

like you can travel with it because it's

less than three ounces Like you can put

830

it in your purse in your car in your

bag And that's like the exact an exact

831

situation when you could use it brendan

where you you're going on a trip And you

832

got to bless your airbnb or your hotel

or whatever Yeah, you go like you put

833

it on like perfume Well, with reverence.

834

Okay.

835

But yes.

836

Um, or like if you're a mom and you're

like spritzing your kids, like with holy

837

water, uh, while they're out the door to

go to school, you know, you do a little

838

sign of the cross, a little holy water go.

839

Um, there's so much power in holy water.

840

And I so resonate with what you said as

Catholics, we just like, we've been around

841

it so much and it's such a mundane thing.

842

I feel like for cradle

Catholics that like, we don't

843

recognize the power of it, but.

844

It is very powerful and highly

encourage you to have it around

845

you in your home and, uh, grab a

holy water spritzer so you can.

846

Travel with it as well.

847

Awesome.

848

So I, I like it.

849

Everyone go check out the Holy water

spritzers and get yourself as a spritzer.

850

So where can, if they, if, if people

want to get involved with what you

851

guys are doing, uh, where would they,

where would you, where would they go?

852

Yeah, so our website is

West coast catholic.co.

853

Um, and then you can find me on

Instagram at mari dot c dot Wagner.

854

That's my personal blog.

855

Or the shop is at West Coast Catholic.

856

And then if you wanna hear more of

my voice, if you're not sick of it

857

yet, you can go tune into the podcast

. It's called The Ever Be Podcast, and

858

it's a Catholic lifestyle podcast.

859

Um, so that is ever be on.

860

Spotify, Apple podcasts,

all that kind of things.

861

And then we have an

Instagram for that too.

862

At ever be podcast.

863

Awesome.

864

Thanks for coming on the heights podcast.