Take 2

There are many challenges that a child faces growing up. It could be a tough time in school, bullying, a dysfunctional family or a broken home. Sometimes children are forced to move from place to place due to a financial situation or a parent’s work requirements, i.e. military. Kids face many challenges growing up, and as we mature into adulthood, those obstacles became defining things for us in our behavior and character. On Friday, let’s talk about the most challenging things we faced growing up. It may be an opportunity for some of us to have an “aha” moment and take another step toward healing and wholeness.

October 1 was the Feast of St. Therese, The Little Flower. She proclaimed before her death that she would “spend her heaven doing good on earth.” So many people have turned to her for her intercession, often receiving a tangible sign from her in the form of a rose. We’ve also recently celebrated the feasts of a number of other popular and favorite saints. Have they helped you from their glorious place in heaven? Many people do not understand or appreciate how our older brothers and sisters in the faith can assist us from heaven. So, having this conversation could change the way we all seek and receive their help from above. Share your take on Thursday’s show.

There were many calls, e-mails and social media comments that we didn’t get to on Tuesday, so we’re going to continue the conversation on Wednesday about overcoming challenges to conceiving and bearing children with the help of God and the intercession of the saints, especially St. Gerard, patron of expectant mothers and those having difficulty conceiving. If you didn’t make it on the air on Tuesday, be sure to give it another try on Wednesday!

Jerry’s mother could not conceive for many years. She made many sacrifices and prayed unceasingly to St. Gerard. After conceiving and bearing his sister, Mary, Jerry was next to come along. In thanksgiving, his parents named him after St. Gerard, a patron of expectant mothers and those having difficulty conceiving children. It’s a painful reality that in God’s mysterious design some couples never achieve pregnancy, in spite of an ardent desire and rigorous attempts to find a solution to their infertility. Others, also by God’s unfathomable providence, seem to receive help from above, often after praying to St. Gerard or many of the other saints. On Tuesday, tell us about your experience of receiving what might only be considered a “miraculous” conception.
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We are exhorted by Scripture and our faith to pray unceasingly. It doesn’t set down any guidelines on what exactly we should and should not pray for. Obviously, we always want to pray for important things – faith, health, family, employment, peace, our Church and government leaders, persecuted Christians – the list is a mile long. But what about seemingly insignificant things? Should we pray as we approach the grocery store that we will find a choice parking spot? Or that there will be no one else using the equipment we want to use today at the gym? Do you think God cares enough about little things like these to hear and answer our prayers? Are they even things we should lift up to Him? Let us hear from you on Monday.
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It’s a football Friday night across the country, when high school stadiums will be packed with screaming fans cheering on their favorite teams. Now that the school year is well underway, most of us have kids who are involved in one sport or another. In today’s culture, this can become like a religion for some families. Even to the detriment of family life and a fervent practice of the faith. How do you support your children’s involvement in sports and other school activities, while at the same time making sure that they don’t shove more important things to the periphery of your lives? Share your take on this important topic on Friday’s show.

Ron from Hopedale, MA, called to share that he has ten kids, each of whom is on their bike racing team that raises awareness for Cystic Fibrosis. Here is the website he mentioned.

Into every life a little grief will come. Or a lot of grief. It is a difficult and almost unavoidable reality for each of us. It is said that there are stages of grief, but those stages don’t always unfold in a linear, predictable fashion. There are grief counselors, grief support groups and many people who have walked that challenging road to help those of us who are going through it. If you have, how did you navigate that journey? Did you experience the traditional stages of grief? Who or what helped you get to a place of acceptance and peace? There are any number of things that can introduce grief to our lives. Share your experience, which will help others make sense of what they’re going through.

Deacon Rick sent the following resources for those caring for loved ones with illnesses like dementia:

www.Caregiver.org

http://www.brainandlife.org