If you’ve listened to Take 2 With Jerry and Debbie even occasionally, you know that prayer is a huge part of what we like to do. Debbie keeps a book with the names of family members – living or deceased – of so many of you who have called the show. We lift those people up to God every day. We also have the prayer wall on Jerry and Debbie’s website – http://www.jerryanddebbie.com/prayer-wall. On Wednesday, we’re going to invite you to call with any intention you’d like and we’ll save a few minutes at the end of the show to pray for all of them by name. We look forward to joining you in praying for what’s important in your life!

At some point, almost everyone’s faith is going to be shaken. The apostles experienced this. Many of the great saints have as well. Mother Teresa lived for decades in a spiritual dryness that only her will allowed her to endure. Many things can contribute to a weakening of one’s faith, including laxity in prayer, infrequent reception of the sacraments, habitual sins, the temptations and allurements of the world, family members or friends challenging your faith, etc. Even God testing our faith can cause this to happen. Share with Jerry and Debbie if you have had a crisis of faith sometime in your life, and how you dealt with it and overcame it.

Most of us take after our father or our mother. Perhaps not exclusively but in some predominant ways. Is it true that boys take after their fathers, and girls take after their mothers? Which of your parents do you most strive to emulate? Or do you tend to exhibit the traits of one of them more than the other? Share your take Monday with Jerry and Debbie.

While it’s not something we often think about, the influence of our great Catholic saints in everywhere we turn. Some of us live in a city or a county named after a saint. Others live on a street that bears the name of a saint. If you do, wouldn’t it be appropriate to ask for the intercession of that saint to bring you God’s graces or to keep your street or city safe? This may be a lot more common than you think. Call and share your take with Jerry and Debbie on Friday’s show.

The Beautiful Hands of a Priest

We need them in life’s early morning,
We need them again at its close;
We feel their warm clasp of true friendship,
We seek them when tasting life’s woes.

At the altar each day we behold them,
And the hands of a king on his throne
Are not equal to them in their greatness;
Their dignity stands all alone;

And when we are tempted and wander,
To pathways of shame and of sin,
It’s the hand of a priest that will absolve us–
Not once, but again and again.

And when we are taking life’s partner,
Other hands may prepare us a feast,
But the hand that will bless and unite us–
Is the beautiful hand of a priest.

God bless them and keep them all holy,
For the Host which their fingers caress;
When can a poor sinner do better,
Than to ask Him to guide thee and bless?

When the hour of death comes upon us,
May our courage and strength be increased,
By seeing raised over us in blessing–
The beautiful hands of a priest.

Author unknown
from an old prayer card

Sometimes the social media feel like a battleground. Many use it for unhealthy purposes, including to lead people away from God and the faith. Others take advantage of its robust ability to reach the multitudes to spread a positive message that all can benefit from. What’s really cool is seeing our clergy and religious using social media to proclaim the gospel. One such priest is Fr. Joshua Wagner of the Diocese of Columbus, Ohio. His website – http://www.fatherwagner.com – is loaded with good stuff. And he makes full use of social media as well. On Wednesday, Jerry and Debbie will welcome Fr. Joshua to the show and will get his personal take on how he spreads the faith in a global manner. We look forward to hearing how you do likewise, and if your parish priest has a social media presence!

Jesus suffered in many ways. All of his life was spent knowing that He was ultimately headed to the Cross. That must have been a burden that He carried throughout His life. He also suffered in many ways once His passion began. This included looking out over Jerusalem, seeing Mary, the agony in the garden, His betrayal by Judas, the abandonment by His disciples, being arrested, spending a night alone before His trial, the trial itself, the scourging, crowning with thorns, carrying His cross, the crucifixion, etc. Which part of Jesus’ suffering do you think was the most difficult? Which do you most resonate or identify with? Which would you console Him in if you had the chance? Call Jerry and Debbie with your take on Holy Thursday.

Jesus said in the gospel that temptations are sure to come. He added, “Woe to the one through whom they come.” In other words, life cannot be lived without temptation. When we think about it, giving in to temptation leads us away from God. Resisting temptation helps us build our spiritual muscles and grow in virtue. Thus, temptations, while no one loves or welcomes them, can be our “friends.” Do you view them this way? Or do you feel helpless in the face of temptations? Do you feel if you’ve experienced temptation that you’ve sinned? There is a distinction between the two. Share your take on Wednesday with Jerry and Debbie.

James 3:9 says, “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing.” One of the most difficult human disciplines is holding back words when we’re inclined to say something. When have you exercised this patience and caution, and quickly realized that what you didn’t say could have injured someone else or your relationship with that individual? Share your take on this with Jerry and Debbie on Friday’s show.

In 1 Peter 4:8, our first pope writes that “love covers a multitude of sins.” He’s referring to how our love for others is pleasing to God and can help to atone for our sins. The Ten Commandments also “cover” a multitude of sins, but in the sense that there are countless sins that fall within the parameters of each of the commandments. This is so important to know, so that we can be aware of how serious certain actions are, and can work to eliminate them from our lives. Join Jerry and Debbie – and their guest, Fr. Thomas Petri, O.P. – for a discussion about this on Thursday.