 I'm Patrick Coffin, host of Catholic Answers Live Radio Show, and Catholic Answers Focus podcast, and the co-founder of Immaculate Pictures Independent Film Company. I was born and raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in Canada. Went to Franciscan University as a grad nontrad back in the previous millennium, and it's just fantastic to be here back at my alma mater, sharing what I've learned here and hopefully encouraging and affirming people who come to the conference to get engaged with what it means to be a Catholic today on purpose. The initial relationship with Christ is kind of like the initial first date with someone that you think maybe this could go places. Everyone is at a different threshold in their faith journey, and as Christians we're supposed to, yes, obey 1 Peter 3.15, always have a ready reason for those who ask you of the hope that's in you, and not only just do it with gentleness and reverence, but don't do anything until you're asked a question. So many Catholics, when they begin that initial burst of love for Christ, they feel like they want to tell everyone. It's very understandable. But our Lord through Scripture wants us to be more focused on Him, more getting to know Him before we send the message to other people, because it's that classic phrase you can't give what you don't have. So that initial threshold of relationship is very, very important because it's like divine candy. You want to go for the feast, and this is the first little blush of divine romance. Some people, like the parable of the seed that falls on rocky ground, when the first sign of trouble comes, maybe they go away from a conference, and they experience what family conflicts is like, or they got a problem with their boss, or that some loved one is sick, and because God doesn't wave a magic wand, they figure, well, maybe this was just a subjective emotional experience. That is a fatal mistake, and it's something that happens a lot to beginners, that they identify the gifts of God, like the experiences of consolation and presence, with the giver, and it's the giver that we have to keep our eyes on. He's the prize, so in the sports metaphor, keep your eyes on the ball. He's the ball, not the things that come along with having a relationship with the ball. And so I think that initial relationship with Christ, that first seed, is very important to lead us to the next stage of spiritual development. All the masters of prayer talk about three stages of the spiritual life. The first stage of the way of the beginner, which is the first feelings of love, then the next step in discipleship, sometimes it's called the way of the proficient, or the illuminative way, where you really get mystical graces in prayer. You really have a strong sense of God's presence. But you're also attached to sin, and all the way to the third stage, which is the way of the perfect, and that's the mystical marriage, which the saints have, and they die in that mystical marriage. But that initial seed relationship with Christ, that first beginning one, that is very, very critical, and not just because it's the beginning of, hopefully, as the last line of Casablanca says, this can be the beginning of a beautiful relationship or friendship, but because it needs to be protected. And so for people who are newcomers to the spiritual life, you have to get linked with other people, hopefully people who are further along than you, those of you who golf out there know that the best way to play a better game of golf is to play with better players, because you see the gap between what you are and where you want to be, how much more so with a relationship with Christ, that we want to rub shoulders with people, hang out with them, see how they live as Christians in the warp and wolf of their daily life. And the best way to teach the faith is to catch it. It's a glorious infection of divine grace. And the more we fill ourselves with what's beautiful, with what's holy, with what's pure, with what's fun and energizing, the less likely we'll stick attached to our sins, which as Scripture says, clings so closely. So very important to find a mentor. No one wins an Olympic gold medal without a coach. Likewise, no one can win the prize of eternal life without some kind of direction, some kind of model or coach or inspirer to give us that kick in the baptismal that we all need.