(LifeSiteNews) — Joining me on this episode of The John-Henry Westen Show is Dr. Pat Castle, founder of LIFE Runners. We discussed the spiritual benefits of running, the bold pro-life witness of the LIFE Runners, plans for the upcoming 2025 A-Cross America Relay, and more.

After briefly discussing Castle’s background and how he got into running, he emphasized how the sacrificial nature of running can help the faithful build a closer bond with God.

“The fact that (while running) you’re uniting yourself with God as the creator, creator of us, the creator of all things, and the fact that by nature, running is pretty sacrificial,” he said. “It’s hard for most people, including me, but … it’s very Catholic that you take something sacrificial and you make it redemptive. You align it with your prayers.”

“My most potent prayers are when I’m out there running, doing a hard mile (under) difficult conditions,” he added. “(Running) gives you that quiet time to just listen to God, because it’s hard to talk when you’re running, and it’s easier to listen.”

A bit later, Castle noted that one of the greatest impacts the roughly 25,000 LIFE Runners across 50 nations have on our culture is their witness by wearing the LIFE Runners t-shirt, which boldly has the Blessed Trinity on the front and says “Remember the Unborn” on the back.

READ: Thousands of pro-lifers to form massive cross in LIFE Runners’ A-Cross America Relay

“(We’re) quite literally picking up our cross, a four-ounce t-shirt cross, and wearing our witness, carrying our cross, and following Christ, doing the things he asked us to do, which were proclaim the kingdom of God, heal the wounded, and help deliver people from evil,” he said. “And there’s no greater evil imaginable than dismembering, ending the life of a precious, innocent child made in the image of God that’s destroyed within that child’s mother’s womb.”

I jumped in to note that while some of us have no problem wearing a t-shirt with a Catholic or pro-life message, others often feel shy or uncomfortable wearing something in public that could lead to them getting “weird looks.” I asked Castle what he would say to encourage people to wear the LIFE Runner or a similar shirt that bears witness to the truth.

Castle reminded viewers that people often have tattoos and other markings that allow them to stand out for a cause, and these t-shirts aren’t any different. He further stressed the powerful witness of a simple shirt, citing studies that have shown that if post-abortive women had just one person or just seen one sign encouraging them to choose life, they wouldn’t have gone through with that abortion.

READ: America’s largest pro-life event is an epic 5,000-mile relay race

“We know from … social science studies, that upwards of 82 percent of post-abortion women reported that if one person or if one sign had encouraged them to choose life, they would not have chosen abortion, death for their child,” he said.

“So let’s get out there and imagine that somebody quite literally could have a birthday today. Their life could be saved today because of what you wore to the grocery store,” he added. “You wore something encouraging, and anything that is of God is encouraging. Evil is discouraging; evil is despair. God is encouraging, hope-filled, merciful, compassionate, loving, joyful, peaceful. Those are the attributes of the winning team, God’s team.”

To hear more from Dr. Pat Castle, tune in to this episode of The John-Henry Westen Show.

For more information about LIFE Runners or to sign up for this year’s A-Cross America Relay, click HERE.

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