As we near All Hallows Eve, aka Halloween, we ask how should Catholics approach it.Jerry and Debbie talk with Father Steve Grunow as he responds with everything you ever wanted to know about Halloween and its Catholic roots.
Fr. Steve will talk about the origin and traditional customs associated with Halloween. Learn more with TAKE 2 with Jerry and Debbie Thursday at 12pm ET on EWTN radio.
Email: take2@ewtn.com
Call – 1- 800-585-9396 or 205-271-2985
Twitter: @take2show

LINK: IT’S TIME FOR CATHOLICS TO EMBRACE HALLOWEEN by Fr. Steve Grunow

The Bible has many seeming contradictions within its pages. For example, the four Gospels give four differing accounts as to what was written on the sign that hung on the cross. What did they give Christ to drink on the cross? Was it vinegar or wine with myrrh ?  What was the color of the robe placed on Jesus during his trial? Was it scarlet or purple?  These and many other Bible contradictions will be covered by our guest on Wednesdays show  – JIMMY AKIN.

Jimmy Akin

Join the conversation with TAKE 2 with Jerry and Debbie at 12pm ET on EWTN radio:

Email: take2@ewtn.com
Call – 1- 800-585-9396 or 205-271-2985
Twitter: @take2show

That’s a pretty strong statement to make. But a lot of people find the circumstances of their lives difficult in many ways. Some even get to the point where they truly believe they “hate” their very existence. On Tuesday, Jerry and Debbie will discuss this important issue, and will welcome your takes on the plight of people who find themselves in such circumstances – perhaps even you. Join us at Noon and Midnight ET!

On Monday, we will have a conversation on how we experience God’s grace in marriage.  The Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 1642 and 1648, states how Christ is the source of grace in the sacrament of Matrimony.  Christ within the marriage gives each spouse the strength to take up their crosses… to forgive…to love one another…

Call in at 1-800-585-9396.  Share your take on this topic or maybe share if you have witnessed seeing a sacramental marriage is action… My husband and I (Debbie) saw the sacrament showing with an elderly couple at Mass this past Sunday…I will share what I witnessed that brought me to tears.

Here is the 8ft banner we promised to post.  The EWTN Radio Conference in Birmingham, Alabama was truly AMAZING!!!

On Friday, Jerry and Debbie will take a fresh look at the pros and cons of using technology. While there are many hazards to avoid, we all know that gadgets can be used to bring glory to God and help lead souls to salvation. What’s your take? Would you live without the technological advances we’ve made in recent years for the sake of eliminating their potential for evil? How best can we use computers, smartphones and the like to spread God’s Word? Join us at Noon and Midnight ET!

In the gospel, Jesus asks His disciples a critical question: Who do you say that I am? It was important for them to understand His true identity, who He really was (and is). The disciples’ replies to Jesus proved that there were a number of different ideas making the rounds about who He was. But the only thing that mattered was that those closest to Him – including those of us who follow Him today – knew that He was the Messiah, the Son of God. In today’s world, so many of us struggle with our own identity, largely because we have been told who we are, or are supposed to be, by a fallen world. A parent who said, “You’ll never amount to anything!” A teacher who ridiculed you for not getting a correct answer on an exam. A co-worker who spread falsehoods about you to gain an employment advantage. These and so many other wounds can cause us to see ourselves, not as God sees us, but as individuals with little or no worth or dignity. However, God sees us as created in His image and likeness, part of a creation which he called “very good.” God’s love for us cannot and will not ever be diminished. But are we able to receive His love and blessings? Share your take today as we turn the question around and ask Jesus: “Who do you say that I am?” The only thing that matters is what Jesus thinks of us.

The suicide rate has been climbing for years, especially among young people. Why is this happening? What can be done about it? How does the Church view suicide, especially in light of advances in understanding mental health issues over the past few decades? Have you lost a loved one to suicide? Today’s show will addresses many of these issues, and we welcome your takes as we delicately make our way through what remains a very tragic and difficult subject.

Taken from: http://www.ncregister.com/info/confession_guide_for_adults

EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE

1. I am the Lord your God. You shall not have strange gods before me.
-Do I give God time every day in prayer?
-Do I seek to love Him with my whole heart?
-Have I been involved with superstitious practices or have I been involved with the occult?
-Do I seek to surrender myself to God´s word as taught by the Church?
-Have I ever received communion in the state of mortal sin?
-Have I ever deliberately told a lie in Confession or have I withheld a mortal sin from the priest in Confession?
-Are there other “gods” in my life? Money, Security, Power, People, etc.?

2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
-Have I used God´s name in vain: lightly or carelessly?
-Have I been angry with God?
-Have I wished evil upon any other person?
-Have I insulted a sacred person or abused a sacred object?

3. Remember to keep holy the Lord´s Day.
-Have I deliberately missed Mass on Sundays or Holy Days of Obligation?
-Have I tried to observe Sunday as a family day and a day of rest?
-Do I do needless work on Sunday?

4. Honor your father and your mother.
-Do I honor and obey my parents?
-Have I neglected my duties to my spouse and children?
-Have I given my family good religious example?
-Do I try to bring peace into my home life?
-Do I care for my aged and infirm relatives?

5. You shall not kill.
-Have I had an abortion or encouraged or helped anyone to have an abortion?
-Have I physically harmed anyone?
-Have I abused alcohol or drugs?
-Did I give scandal to anyone, thereby leading him or her into sin?
-Have I been angry or resentful?
-Have I harbored hatred in my heart?
-Have I mutilated myself through any form of sterilization?
-Have I encouraged or condoned sterilization?
-Have I engaged, in any way, in sins against humanlife such as artificial insemination or in vitro fertilization?
-Have I participated in or approved of euthanasia?

6. You shall not commit adultery.
-Have I been faithful to my marriage vows in thought and action?
-Have I engaged in any sexual activity outside of marriage?
-Have I used any method of contraception or artificial birth control in my marriage?
-Has each sexual act in my marriage been open to the transmission of new life?
-Have I been guilty of masturbation?
-Do I seek to control my thoughts and imaginations?
-Have I respected all members of the opposite sex, or have I thought of other people as mere objects?
-Have I been guilty of any homosexual activity?
-Do I seek to be chaste in my thoughts, words,actions?
-Am I careful to dress modestly?

7. You shall not steal.
-Have I stolen what is not mine?
-Have I returned or made restitution for what I have stolen?
-Do I waste time at work, school, and home?
-Do I gamble excessively, thereby denying my family of their needs?
-Do I pay my debts promptly?
-Do I seek to share what I have with the poor?
-Have I cheated anyone out of what is justly theirs, for example creditors, insurance companies, big corporations?

8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
-Have I lied? Have I gossiped?
-Do I speak badly of others behind their back?
-Am I sincere in my dealings with others?
-Am I critical, negative or uncharitable in my thoughts of others?
-Do I keep secret what should be kept confidential?
-Have I injured the reputation of others by slanders?

9. You shall not desire your neighbor´s wife.
-Have I consented to impure thoughts?
-Have I caused them by impure reading, movies, television, conversation or curiosity?
-Do I pray at once to banish impure thoughts and temptations?
-Have I behaved in an inappropriate way with members of the opposite sex: flirting, being superficial, etc.?

10. You shall not desire your neighbor´s goods.
-Am I jealous of what other people have?
-Do I envy the families or possessions of others?
-Am I greedy or selfish?
-Are material possessions the purpose of my life?

A GUIDE TO CONFESSION

How to go to Confession

1. You always have the option to go to confession anonymously, that is, behind a screen or face to face, if you so desire.

2. After the priest greets you in the name of Christ, make the sign of the cross. He may choose to recite a reading from Scripture, after which you say: “Bless me Father for I have sinned. It has been (state how long) since my last confession. These are my sins.”

3. Tell your sins simply and honestly to the priest. You might even want to discuss the circumstances and the root causes of your sins and ask the priest for advice or direction.

4. Listen to the advice the priest gives you and accept the penance from him. Then make an Act of Contrition for your sins.

5. The priest will then dismiss you with the words of praise: “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good. You respond: “For His mercy endures forever.” The priest will then conclude with:”The Lord has freed you from your sins. Go in peace.” And you respond by saying: “Thanks be to God.”

6. Spend some time with Our Lord thanking and praising Him for the gift of His mercy. Try to perform your penance as soon as possible.

PRAYER BEFORE CONFESSION
O most merciful God! Prostrate at your feet, I implore your forgiveness. I sincerely desire to leave all my evil ways and to confess my sins with all sincerity to you and to your priest. I am a sinner, have mercy on me, O Lord. Give me a lively faith and a firm hope in the Passion of my Redeemer. Give me, for your mercy´s sake a sorrow for having offended so good a God. Mary, my mother, refuge of sinners, pray for me that I may make a good confession. Amen.

On Monday’s show Jerry & Debbie are taking a fresh look at the sacrament of confession. We should not be afraid or ashamed during confession. Take 2 will explore how we should also be open and honest when confessing and that we are really doing damage to ourselves when we forego receiving the sacrament. 

Give us your ‘TAKE”  at 1-800-585-9396

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