The Christian life means nothing if it doesn’t mean putting others before ourselves. St. Paul writes in Romans 12:10 that we should “outdo one another in showing honor.” Unfortunately, in every age there are people who are looking out for themselves before they look out for the welfare of others. So, when we defer to others, and do our best to put them above ourselves, they can take advantage of us. Have you had this experience? Maybe it’s happened to you over and over again. A co-worker who asks you to handle their appointed tasks. An irresponsible family member who turns to you for financial help all the time. A friend who asks to borrow your car all the time instead of taking public transportation. It’s great to help all of these people. But how much is too much? Do you ever get the sense that others are using you? That you’re letting yourself be used? It’s important to establish boundaries that are appropriate in all of your interpersonal relationships. Have you managed to do that successfully, while still being generous to those in need? Share your take on this topic on Wednesday.

As we go through life, we are influenced by so very many people. A lot of them go unnoticed. Others, we are very aware of. Maybe it was your mom or dad. Perhaps an educator. Perhaps a coach or a neighbor. Has there been someone – maybe more than one person – in your life who said or did something that you now look back on and realize that his or her “fingerprints” are on everything you accomplish? It’s like tossing a pebble on a pond. The “ripple effect” is noticeable. Virtually every human interaction we have makes its mark on who we become and the influence we have in the world. So, again, here’s the question: Whose fingerprints are on the legacy you’re leaving as you live your life?

The days seem to be long gone when mom or dad sat down each child and had “that talk” about the birds and bees. As the first and primary educators of your children, you have to be sensitive to presenting them with age-appropriate information about human sexuality. Do you do that? Or do your own past mistakes make you feel unequipped to impart to your children lessons about chastity and purity? Or, worse yet, do you learn the things they’re involved in and cringe at the thought that you never would have done that when you were young? We have to maintain a grip on this most crucial and sensitive area of our children’s development. If we don’t, guess who will? Their peers. Their social media contacts. Magazines like Teen Vogue. As a parent, it’s unimaginable that you would want that to happen. Share your take Monday on how and when you guide your children in the proper ways of understanding and appreciating God’s plan for human sexuality. 

Friday’s

Life moves on for all of us. We’re born, we grow up and we enter into careers. Before we know it, we’re staring at the end of our working lives. For some, that comes earlier and easier than it does for others. But for all people, there is no substitute for planning and preparation. It can be a form of stewardship to have a reliable plan in place for your retirement years. Depending on your field and your earning abilities, your retirement can take a variety of different forms. How have you prepared for yours? Have you embraced a somewhat frugal lifestyle in order to have enough resources when you stop working? When did you get started saving for retirement? Was it early enough that you are in good shape? Maybe you got a late start and are faced with the prospect of working later in your life than you would like. What advice were you given by your parents or others about this? Did you follow that advice? What types of investments did you make to set yourself up for retirement? Some people see their investments collapse and it jeopardizes their retirement. If that’s happened to you, what are your plans now? As always, your take on Friday’s show could have a far-reaching impact on many who are still in the workforce.

There are as many reasons why people leave the Church as there are people who leave her. It’s nothing new. Jesus faced this during his earthly ministry. If he experienced it, why should we be surprised or scandalized when people today walk away from the fullness of the Christian faith and the means of salvation? Of course, we can never judge motives or hearts. Only God can determine the spiritual state of one who chooses to leave the Church. Our role is to pray for them, that they will one day soon find their way back. On Thursday, Jerry and Debbie will field your takes on what you believe may have been a reason why someone you know or love has left an active practice of the faith.

AUDIO ARCHIVES:

In the Christian life there can be what’s known as the “honeymoon phase.” When we initially come to faith, there is often a newfound joy, zeal and vibrancy. You might call it a renewed bounce in our step. We’re in love. We’re on fire. All is more than “right” with the world. Many people want to go to Mass more often, receive the Eucharist more devoutly, start praying the Rosary and other devotionals, go to Confession more frequently, read the Bible, attend prayer meetings, and so forth. This is all because we’ve “tasted and seen” that the Lord is good. We are convinced that life will never be the same, that we will be on this “high” forever going forward. Much like Peter, James and John felt on the mountain when Jesus was transfigured. We all know well the suggestion Peter made to build tents for Jesus, Moses and Elijah, and that they all remain on the mountaintop. That’s what we can experience in the Christian life. We want to hold on to the glory and the euphoria of what we’ve come to experience. Yet, just like Peter, James and John, we, too, will eventually be invited by Jesus to accompany Him into the Garden of Gethsemane. Does Jesus give us the mountaintop moments so that we will not turn away from Him during the Gethsemane moments? It’s our belief that that’s exactly why we have these two accounts in the Bible involving Peter, James and John. The same three apostles to whom Jesus showed His glory in a blinding way are the same three apostles to whom He revealed His suffering humanity in the garden. Have you experienced both of these in your life? Have you been on the mountaintop with Jesus? Has He also led you into a garden of difficulty and suffering, asking you to accompany Him in those moments? Tell us how you were able to hold onto what you knew about your faith, and to Jesus, when the going got rough. Remember, there will be people listening on Wednesday who find themselves trying to make sense of the suffering of life. You could help them to remain steadfast and to cling to Jesus.

Transfiguration passage is in Matthew 17

Gethsemane passage is in Matthew 26

The history of the Church has known many “victim souls.” These are men and women who have been given particular afflictions by God to endure for the sake of others. Some have made themselves available to God to take on specific sufferings. Have you ever said, “God, if it will lead (name of loved one) closer to you, I will gladly accept any trial you wish to send to me?” Or, maybe you have simply embraced some suffering with your whole heart, knowing that it would lead to the salvation of others. This requires a heart of great love, not only for Jesus, but for souls. The difficulty is in taking our eyes off ourselves and seeing the “bigger picture.” That’s the view Jesus had from the cross. How are you at accepting – or even asking for – suffering to aid in the salvation of souls?

A lot of people today feel alone, isolated, with no support group around them. Even if they interact with hundreds of people a day. There can still be the crippling sense that they’re alone and that no one truly has their interests at heart. Is this the fruit of experiences earlier in life? Is it a matter of the individual having no close family members or friends? Can it translate into a belief that God is no longer with them, either? Do you sometimes find yourself feeling lonely? Maybe that’s your experience a great deal of the time. Do you know someone who often expresses that they feel alone and without anyone who loves and cares for them? This can be a very difficult cross to bear. What’s behind this feeling? It can certainly be the case that a person has little or no interaction with others. But you might have a sense of loneliness even if you are around people all the time. Have you delved into this to try to find the root of it? How have you attempted to comfort and console another person who is lonely? If you’ve overcome this in your own life, what kinds of things did you do or add or delete from your life to change things? Share your take on Thursday’s show.

For perhaps many reasons, suicide is a growing problem in our world. According to an entry on Wikipedia, suicide is the third leading cause of death for young people ages 15 to 24. It is also the second leading cause for those ages 15–34. From 1999 to 2010, the suicide rate among Americans aged 35 to 64 increased nearly 30 percent. On Wednesday, Jerry and Debbie welcome Dave Muth to the program. His daughter, Madeline, died by suicide on October 4, 2015. She was part of a an ideal Catholic family. She received all the sacraments. She had loving parents and a younger brother. She went to Catholic schools. She was part of the parish choir. So, what went wrong? We’ll try to unpack this with her father, Dave. And we want you to weigh in with your takes and questions about the unfortunate issue of suicide. There is hope even in its aftermath. Dave and his family are living proof of that. Yet, it continues to wreak havoc on families everywhere. Don’t miss this impactful episode of the program!

http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/education/2017/05/18/high-teen-suicide-coachella-valley/306525001/?cookies=&from=global

RESOURCE:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
1-800-273-TALK (8255)

Listen in to the show here! – 

Listen in to our “Short Take” here! – 

In 1 Kings 19, God reveals Himself, not in an earthquake or other “big” ways, but in a small whisper. Too many times in life we get caught up in trying to find God in the spectacular events and happenings. How have you paused and thanked God after seeing His hand at work in something relatively “little” or “mundane? 

If you’re a man or woman of faith, it’s usually easy to see the hand of God in your life when something major happens. It could be a healing from an injury or illness, a relationship restored, surviving a horrific accident with minor injuries, an answer to a financial crisis. It’s likely that you are filled with gratitude and acknowledgement of God’s hand in those circumstances. But what about those little ways in which He blesses you? Maybe a family member or friend calls on a day when you’re really having a tough time. Or you get a letter or an e-mail offering a word of encouragement. Perhaps there’s been something you’ve been wanting or needing to fall into place, and all of a sudden, there it is. Tell us about a moment in your life when you had to pause, take a breath and say, “Wow, that was really cool. Thank you, God.”