Shadowing Practice: SEEK26 - Sr. Mary Grace, SV Full Keynote - Learn English Speaking with Video

Tanya Cushman Reviewer

Well, as an Aussie, plane rides to get anywhere are always a long haul,

which is why at airports I developed a huge appreciation for good coffee.

So recently, a sister and I were given vouchers for vanilla lattes.

And we were at the airport one day, and I said, Sister, today's the day.

And so I went up to the barista, and they asked my name, and I just said, Sister.

I kept it simple.

And not long after, I heard her call out, Sister.

And exactly at the same time, another woman and her daughter approached the counter.

But just as I reached out in desperation for my two coffees, she interrupted me and said,

excuse me what's your order and I in defense said two vanilla lattes

puzzled she said sister what's your religious order absolutely humiliated I said we're the sisters of life we love God

and we love you bye God is calling your name tonight.

You know, even in the midst of a crowd, he calls in a way and a tone that is only known to you alone.

We can get confused and caught up, right, on why we matter, what's life all about.

But for Christ, it has and always will be crystal clear.

You are his idea.

And he has never ceased calling you into life even now God wants you to hear him tonight

and in a new way he's inviting you to take a new step

so recently we were getting groceries at a checkout

and the worker didn't look up at us so we introduced ourselves

and said sir what's your name

and he said to us I don't have a name

and sister said really and he started to share about how he once had faith

but after so many sufferings and disappointments

and setbacks in his life he'd been given to give up

on anything getting any better don't you watch the news sister he said

and we said no we don't have TVs

but then she began to remind him of another news feed not just the good news

but the real reality and the greatest story

that never stops going about a God who has not stopped saving

and concluding your story in mind especially when we don't see it

when we don't get it and this big tough guy looked up at sister

and said my name is Steve God cares about you

thought of you before your parents planned for you

and he's present to you even when his presence isn't evident

and praying for each one of you tonight the gospel passage

that God led me to is Luke 13 10 where the

sound of his call caused a conversion Jesus was teaching in a synagogue

and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for 18 years bent over

and couldn't stand up straight at all literally face down only

able to see the ground not able to look up look ahead look around perhaps tempted by discouragement or cynicism

doubting whether the good news applies to her condition anymore.

Now, I don't know about you, but whenever I've imagined this scene, I've always thought of this crippled woman of 18 years to be old and bent over,

you know, from decades of hard living and long suffering.

But as I prayed for you, I saw someone much younger, maybe 18 or a couple of years older.

And I realized that a lot of us have been carrying stuff, right? dark thoughts or lies, hard memories or weighty worries,

things that maybe at one stage in our life felt small and insignificant with no major impact on our lives,

so we just soldiered on, dragging them with us.

Lies that are spoken to us, suggested to us, maybe posted somewhere online, or maybe we agreed to it when we sinned or failed.

Lies like, I don't have what it takes

or I'm never quite enough I'm a fraud or dirty

or ugly or no one understands me I'm inadequate or bad

and lies that haven't left us cripple us

and cause a downcast vision of life you know late one

night we heard a knock at our front door in our convent

and we were just finishing Eucharistic Adoration and

so we invited this young woman in but when I looked back at the chapel Kirsten I'll call her was crying.

You know, she wasn't okay.

But it was kind of surprising because she had a great smile, you know, supportive family.

She had a boyfriend, a job, hobbies that others would have been impressed by.

But inside she was miserable.

And she couldn't understand it either.

But what she did remember was the thought

that she had as a little girl that had stuck around amidst all her success.

It wasn't complicated, but it bothered her, especially when life got quiet.

and the thought was God doesn't like you and so she resolved

that God is angry with me and day after day year after year

that small suggestion unreasonable and completely untrue grew into a debilitating weight

that was literally breaking her back carrying affliction for 18 years we can easily realize easily resolve

that this is the way it is for us you know

that circumstances aren't going to change

that God's not interested I'm not material for a miracle maybe

a burden to be punished instead you know it wasn't until

I experienced sudden death the confrontation of death in my life

that I began to hear the sound of shame inside of me

but I did not pick up on it at first you

know what it what at first felt like guilt like I wasn't enough didn't do enough took a spin for the worst.

I am not enough.

But the enemy is a bully and shame is his first language.

Even guilt, like realizing we've done something wrong, can be twisted into a claim on our identity.

You are wrong.

Tempting us with sin, but first destabilizing us in shame.

And bullies are weakness experts, which means they come to the same place, discouraging us with the same stories, repeating the same chorus.

Wounds, or places we've been hurt, love withheld from us left uncared for can be the places where these lies get loudest

and shame can seemingly shackle us it's interesting you know the

the woman in Luke was a believer she was shown up to church

and after almost two decades of no answers lacking clarity

and the worst worsening she responds by stepping forward to the sound of the Savior

and Luke reveals three steps

that Jesus takes before he asks one from her it says Jesus saw her Jesus called her

and Jesus spoke to her

when Christ calls our name the crippled parts of our hearts can never remain the same

when Kirsten who came for out to our front door

that night she had never been inside a convent

but she'd been running to anything you know

that would distract her from her darkness and

so can we from overuse of screen time to flicks

and food to gyms and games rooms but that night she was done

100

and so she said to us on

101

that night what every brave heart admits to

102

when on the brink of a breakthrough I'm here I need a change I can't change myself

103

but I'm willing to take a step today the Lord prompted me to tell her she was good

104

and at first I thought it was a little bit sentimental maybe too simple

105

but he persisted and

106

so in between tears I said Kirsten you are good the

107

deepest part of you is good God wants you to exist

108

looking at me like a ghost she said I've never heard

109

that before but hearing the truth of God's irrevocable goodness

110

that was given from him she asked for something I did

111

not see coming next she said sister can I have mass she wasn't even Catholic

112

but persisting she said I don't just want meaning about my life

113

she knew that she wanted to meet God in her life

114

and that she knew the Eucharist is

115

that encounter why st. Faustina asked Jesus why do you keep coming down to be with us

116

and Jesus said because love has brought me here

117

and love keeps me here there is one step

118

that shame cannot stop even the crippled from taking and

119

that is trust in Jesus it is shame

120

that came from the serpent from the start always downplaying God's

121

goodness in your life doubting the imprint the Savior has made on you overwhelming us with our own worthiness

122

and denying the gifts that God has already given you

123

but Jesus sees you Jesus is still calling you

124

and you can still come to him because trust touches Christ

125

when the crippled woman came Jesus intervened in her condition

126

and not after it and

127

when Jesus put his hands on the woman it says immediately she straightened up

128

and praised God Jesus said should not this woman bound for

129

18 years be set free from her infirmity Jesus longs to see you stand up straight tonight why

130

so you can look back at the God who is already looking at you with endless mercy

131

and infinite kindness to the gaze that sets us free from all

132

that cripples us tonight you know I didn't I didn't know God could get personal that all

133

that he even really wanted to I grew up in a Catholic family went to Catholic school my whole life

134

and kind of made a living out of checking all the good kid boxes.

135

I thought my life was blessed so long as I keep God impressed.

136

You know, did the right things, make something good of my life.

137

But it kind of felt more like a field that I had to perform on and only the perfect made it.

138

I always believed that God called me into life when he created me, but I had no idea that God was calling me into life at every moment of my life.

139

Even when I couldn't hear it, couldn't understand it, or I was running in the opposite direction.

140

God was still calling.

141

You know, there's a false hope out there that if you try hard enough, make the right choices and maintain control, things might work out for you.

142

But every accomplishment is followed by another benchmark to make, another test, another job.

143

Nothing ever satisfies.

144

And so we keep climbing, right?

145

We keep hoping that someday I'll reach it and take a breath, but it never comes.

146

Until we experience the limits of our life.

147

You lose a friend.

148

Or you keep stumbling over the same addiction.

149

Or the darkness does not go away.

150

Or you fail to live up to the unrealistic expectations of others.

151

Or you make it, but then you're left wondering whether there is more.

152

What keeps you from looking up?

153

You know, it could be an interaction you had 18 years ago or 18 minutes ago.

154

Perhaps your desires were squashed at a young age, your dreams disapproved of.

155

Maybe your innocence was interrupted by porn or you were mistreated.

156

Or perhaps you grew up too fast and concluded that it's too late or you're too far gone.

157

all suffer shame from a young age weighed down

158

but we still show up to church to seek to life without being able to really look up

159

but these are not places to run from they are the places that Christ comes to C.S.

160

Lewis said that There is no prison that Christ cannot preach to.

161

So I just wanna share a story I heard of a woman I'll call Carla, who taught me that even in the worst Christ still calls.

162

She said that she felt like a misfit in her life for as long as she could remember.

163

You know, finding friends wasn't easy.

164

Getting along was hard.

165

She wasn't popular and most of the time felt more like a loser.

166

You know, believing these truths can seem simple, right?

167

Until we experience what seems to be the opposite in our life.

168

And then these truths can seem irrelevant even distant

169

but the pain for her was unbearable so she started binging on food

170

and then regretting it she would make herself sick

171

and it didn't fix a problem but it gave her somewhere to run to

172

and numb the pain by the time she was in her teens she went to stronger things like drug

173

and alcohol you know we all suffer on the inside you know when gossip stings us

174

or teasing makes us feel insignificant

175

or a lack of connection makes us feel unwanted even rejected

176

and we can be lonely even if we still smile

177

but there is something deep inside of us

178

that says I was made for more everything shifted one morning

179

for color she woke up on cold tiles in a bathroom

180

floor hung over shaking holding a positive pregnancy test she'd never been more unready in her life than

181

that day she couldn't take care of herself how could she take care of a child it seemed impossible

182

and definitely never part of her plans but on those tiles without trying hard

183

or praying perfectly a new thought came to her you are

184

invited to life God never stops calling us even especially

185

when we're bent

186

or we feel out of shape inviting us just to take

187

one more step we don't earn the call the call is

188

what qualifies us your existence itself is evidence of your worthiness

189

he looks at you even now whether we are crushing life

190

or feel crushed by life you are worthy of an invitation to more

191

and when Jesus when he looked at that crippled woman he didn't critique

192

and correct her what does Jesus do

193

when he comes he shifts our view to look up to

194

him shame is a character in every one of our stories

195

but it never has the right to be the narrator without a major moment Carla made a choice

196

and it didn't end her pain in an instant, didn't cure her awkwardness or miraculously finish her papers.

197

She made the first of many courageous steps that altered the direction of her journey.

198

She said, quote, that day I decided to show up, just show up to climb out of my dark,

199

individual, controllable world and out into a bright, big, messy one.

200

You know, no one in this room can claim to know what's coming next in our lives

201

and we can plan we can dream we can hope

202

but the greatest freedom not comes from knowing

203

that your God has a plan for you dreamt of it first

204

and he knows how to lead you through it you remember

205

that that gentleman Steve at the grocery store another bloke right

206

when we were praying we were praying with him Andrew this

207

guy covered in tats came up was curious about all the man tears.

208

And sister leant over and offered him a medal of Mary.

209

And he said, no, with a glare.

210

And she said, okay, I respect that.

211

But as sister turned away, she heard God say in her heart, don't give up on this one.

212

And so she turned back and she said, well, can you at least carry our bags?

213

And after loading the bags in the car, she turned to him and said, Andrew, can I ask you something?

214

He grunted.

215

She said, can you try and help me understand why you would say no to someone who loves you?

216

He said, my mom was Catholic and she was nasty.

217

My father, he wasn't Catholic, but he was better.

218

But I want nothing now to do with religion in my life.

219

And sister said, Andrew, I'm so sorry.

220

They did not know how to love you.

221

And he went on.

222

He said, sister, I've had to find my way my whole life.

223

I'm still trying to find my own way.

224

Always trying to be something else for others.

225

But I don't think that's right. And Andrew was right.

226

It's not right that there is wrong in the world.

227

It's not okay that bad things happen to you.

228

It's not fine that people fail to love you.

229

In the way that God created you to be loved at every moment.

230

you know our hearts tell us first

231

that it's not enough to live for less than real love

232

and I'm not gonna I'm not gonna stand here and say

233

that if you take another step

234

that everything in your life is going to go smoothly for you life is tough the cross is real

235

but if you take another step after

236

that next step God will not fail to bring meaning out of every misery

237

that you face in your life

238

because going with Christ will truly enable us to go through anything

239

because resilience it's not about how much we can handle it's

240

about how much we rely on the risen one this is

241

the secret of life with Christ he takes every setback

242

and makes it another starting point we have an opportunity tonight

243

to literally let Christ see us let him call our name

244

and come to him allowing him to touch our lives just one more time.

245

You know, after Andrew was being listened to by sister and sharing his pain, sister asked him, Andrew, could today be a new day for a mother to love you?

246

And looking back at her for the first time in her eyes, he said, yes.

247

Today could be a new day for me.

248

And this massive guy with big shoulders opened up his tattooed arms, picked up sister and gave her the biggest man hug she's ever had.

249

Every surrender consists of two elements, letting go and leaning in.

250

Tonight in confession, God saves and he releases us from lies.

251

The enemy's tactic is to divide you from Christ and distract us from him.

252

I'll never forget when a priest said to me after confession, he said, Sister, it sounds like you're looking for rest in a lot of other places.

253

that comment still causes my conversion as I keep realizing places

254

I can go to Jesus first you know it is

255

that it is Christ that awaits you in confession to drop the weight

256

and lean into his love

257

that gives true rest you know he's not surprised by our

258

sins even the repeats he died to untie you from them

259

but he waits on your permission first

260

so I invite you just to ask the Holy Spirit what

261

is holding me back you know is it a lie

262

that you have agreed to that's burdening you a habit

263

that you just can't stop sins

264

that you bring maybe for the first time you know sometimes the most courageous thing to confess is the sin

265

that you constantly sin in God is not your critic is

266

your creator he refuses to give up on the goodness

267

that he sees in you you know servant of God Don DeLingo shared

268

that one Christmas Jesus came to him

269

and he said the refuge I want is your heart the difference between our lives being miserable

270

and meaningful lies in one question will I surrender to Jesus again

271

and perhaps will I surrender to Jesus for the first time in my life DeLingo says

272

that one act of trust is more than a thousand fasts tonight in adoration

273

Christ makes himself small enough in the Eucharist so

274

that we know we are enough in his eyes the Eucharist

275

is the eternal effort of the father to elicit our faith this is the miracle of every Eucharist the soul

276

that surrenders becomes the cradle

277

that carries Christ every act of trans of every act of

278

surrender transforms our miseries into manges fit for a king God

279

has already made his mind up about you it's why you're here

280

and it's why you're here tonight Christ has already decided to show up

281

and wants to meet you in the moment that you're in

282

so as we turn to Jesus I just want to finish with the final story about

283

when God calls us to something new in our lives

284

so you know when the chosen people were journeying through the desert from Egypt, which represents slavery, sin, everything that holds us back,

285

and into the promised land, which symbolizes life with God and living in his plans, God gave a group a mission.

286

He told them, go ahead of the pack and check out the land I promise I'll give you.

287

And they went and they found a justed God had promised, full of fruit, rich in resources.

288

But they saw other things too.

289

They saw the enemy.

290

They saw people that were big and intimidating.

291

And they grew afraid and they started comparing themselves.

292

And they said, we can't go.

293

Why?

294

Because they are stronger, they said.

295

Forgetful of the one who sent them and the promises that he's already made them, they looked down to themselves and they lost confidence.

296

We all have fears.

297

Fear of our future, fear of what will come or won't come, fear about our past, what we missed out on, scared of what we get or we don't know.

298

But when we get fixated on our fears,

299

our sight is downcast and we get forgetful of the call and who is calling us and who has remained with us.

300

You know, God is not asking you to figure it all out tonight.

301

He's inviting you to come to the sun.

302

God qualified you by creating you.

303

To trust him in your fears, not by toughening up, not because of anything you've done or haven't done,

304

but with the confidence that comes from believing that Christ called you first and he's calling you in a new way tonight.

305

If you and I judge ourselves of our own strength, our own efforts, or in comparison to others, we'll hesitate and we'll turn back.

306

But you were not created to be held back in fear.

307

God has already decided to save you even before he created you.

308

And not just save you or simply be around you, but be discovered from within you.

309

do not fear the heights to let go

310

and to lean into love tonight without pre expectations for what tonight should look like

311

or feel like but with the expectation

312

that you will be unconditionally loved jesus sees you jesus is

313

calling your name jesus says to you tonight be set free from your infirmity.

314

And so Jesus, we just turn our hearts to you.

315

You are on our side.

316

Jesus, you deemed us worthy of life.

317

You have good plans for us, plans for today, plans for tomorrow, and plans for the day after that.

318

It was you who first called us into life, and it's you who keep calling us even today.

319

When you put your hands on the crippled woman, she straightened up and she praised God.

320

So Jesus, we ask, send your Holy Spirit to touch us, that we may praise you tonight.

321

Praise in certainty, praise in uncertainty, praise where we see your wonders, and praise where we wonder where you are.

322

Because Jesus, you always see the one when you see the crowd.

323

Send us your Holy Spirit that we may stand in your sight.

324

Fill us with courage that we may claim the call with confidence

325

because your love is everything we need and you are the answer to every ache.

326

Jesus, you did not call us into slavery or to be crippled by any spirit but to live in freedom.

327

And so we invite you into this room, we invite you into this altar, and we invite you into our hearts.

328

And Holy Spirit, keep our hearts open in these last moments as we await the entrance of Jesus.

✨ Recommend Video

542 sentences

“Al-Fatiha Made Me Fall to the Floor Crying” - Christian Pastor Converts To Islam

Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults

42 sentences

Remember The Girl

Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults

274 sentences

Unlock the Secret Power of Generosity

Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students

151 sentences

Psalm 46:5-6 || Reflection

Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults

457 sentences

deen vs dunya - how to detach from this world

Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults

Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This video has 328 sentences and 4037 words to shadow. The speech runs for 26:20. The speaker talks at a natural 153 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 86% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.

Key vocabulary in this video

15 less common words from the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

praise /pɹeɪz/ (verb) — To give praise to; to commend, glorify, or worship.
invite /ɪnˈvaɪt/ (verb) — To ask for the presence or participation of someone or something.
pray /pɹeɪ/ (verb) — To direct words, thoughts, or one's attention to a deity or any higher being, for the sake of adoration, thanks, petition for help, etc.
surrender /səˈɹɛndə(ɹ)/ (verb) — To give up into the power, control, or possession of another.
lean /ˈliːn/ (verb) — To incline, deviate, or bend, from a vertical position; to be in a position thus inclining or deviating.
bend /bɛnd/ (verb) — To cause (something) to change its shape into a curve, by physical force, chemical action, or any other means.
goodness /ˈɡʊdnəs/ (noun) — The state or characteristic of being good.
expectation /ˌɛk.spɛkˈteɪ.ʃən/ (noun) — The act or state of expecting or looking forward to an event as about to happen.
confession /kənˈfɛʃən/ (noun) — The open admittance of having done something (especially something bad).
suffer /ˈsʌfɚ/ (verb) — To undergo hardship.
sin /ˈsɪn/ (noun) — A violation of divine will or religious law.
tear /tɛɹ/ (verb) — To rend (a solid material) by holding or restraining in two places and pulling apart, whether intentionally or not; to destroy or separate.
darkness /ˈdɑɹk.nɪs/ (noun) — The state of being dark; lack of light; the absolute or comparative absence of light.
worthy /ˈwɝ.ði/ (adjective) — Having worth, merit, or value.
conversion /kənˈvɝʒən/ (noun) — The act of converting something or someone.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

come from (verb) — To have as one's origin, birthplace or nationality.
lean into (verb) — To make an effort with; to work hard at; to show determination and perseverance.
look at (verb) — To observe or watch.
look up /ˌlʊk ˈʌp/ (verb) — To have better prospects.
show up (verb) — To appear, arrive, or attend, especially suddenly or erratically.
stand up (verb) — To rise from a lying or sitting position.
straighten up (verb) — To become straight, or straighter.
ask for (verb) — To request; to order.

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 80 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, I'm, didn't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “th” sounds: worthy /ˈwɝ.ði/, bother /ˈbɑðɚ/, breakthrough /ˈbɹeɪk.θɹuː/, smoothly /ˈsmuːðli/
The “sh” and “zh” sounds: expectation /ˌɛk.spɛkˈteɪ.ʃən/, confession /kənˈfɛʃən/, conversion /kənˈvɝʒən/, crush /kɹʌʃ/, translation /tɹænzˈleɪʃən/
Long words — get the stress right: expectation /ˌɛk.spɛkˈteɪ.ʃən/, miserable /ˈmɪz(ə)ɹəbəl/, insignificant /ˌɪnsɪɡˈnɪfɪkənt/, complicated /ˈkɑm.plɪˌkeɪ.tɪd/, interaction /ˌɪn.təˈɹæk.ʃən/

How to practise with this video

Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like praise, invite, pray.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	has never ceased · has not stopped · I've imagined
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	were given · is only known · been given
Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing	experts, which means · someone who loves · one who sent

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

Shadowing Practice: SEEK26 - Sr. Mary Grace, SV Full Keynote - Learn English Speaking with Video

Fr. Mike Schmitz's full speech at the National Eucharistic Congress

One Woman’s Search for Meaning Led Her to AI Delusion

7 Things That Change When You Put God First

She Never Planned to Be a Sister

2026 08 20 Reflection 422

Eric Martin Interview about the song "Amazing Grace"

World Cup tourists hear the gospel in Philadelphia

“Al-Fatiha Made Me Fall to the Floor Crying” - Christian Pastor Converts To Islam

Remember The Girl

Unlock the Secret Power of Generosity

Psalm 46:5-6 || Reflection

deen vs dunya - how to detach from this world

Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

Key vocabulary in this video

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Pronunciation to watch

How to practise with this video

Grammar in this video

What is the Shadowing Technique?