This is something that you can keep in mind when you're talking to somebody who's challenging

you or the Catholic Church.

Just remember that although it's not necessarily the case, it's entirely possible that

that's actually a smokescreen for something deeper that's going on.

Or somebody who's angry at the church and is constantly taking pot shots at the church.

I've met people like this. I've met people like this.

I've known people like this.

Chances are you have two.

And one of the sad realities of human nature is we sometimes find ourselves lashing out

because we're trying to cover up something in ourselves.

And so be aware that when your coworker or your

brother-in-law or somebody is giving you a hard time about X Y or Z there may be a

deeper reason involved let me tell you a story about that I was speaking in Florida

and I was at a big conference. So multiple speakers and I had given my talk and I was

back at my book table, signing books and meeting people and such. And I noticed out of the corner of

my eye there was this woman, younger woman, probably mid-30s maybe. And she was sort of scowling at me. She stood about 10 or 15 feet off to my left. And every so often as I'm signing books and saying hello to people, I kind of glance up and she'd still be there and she was kind of scowling at me. And I realized she was waiting to talk to me. She was waiting until the last person left, but she did not look happy. So when the time

came, I smiled at her and I said, hello. And her response to me was, don't even try it. What?

I said, hello. What do you mean, don't even try it? She says, I know what you do. She says, I know

that you're all about trying to get

people to become Catholic. She said, well, I'm an ex-Catholic. And I hate the Catholic Church, and there's no way I would ever go back to the Catholic Church. And I'm thinking to myself, well, why are you even here then? And she anticipated that question. She says, I'm only here because my husband, who's a Catholic, Like he dragged me here, and I don't want to be here.

And, you know, I'm just, I here, and I don't want to be here.

And, you know, I'm just, I've had it up to here with the Catholic Church.

...