The COVID pandemic has taken its toll on everyone. Whether you have had the virus yourself, know someone who has (or does), or have cared for someone during the crisis. Virtually all of us are feeling beat up by the whole thing. Our question for you on Monday will be, “How are you taking care of yourself?” Are you making sure you get enough sleep and rest? Eating healthy? Finding time for exercise and recreation? If we don’t do these things, we run the risk of eventually being of no help to anyone. Join us as we start next week off with this discussion.

Have you ever thought God was ignoring your prayers? Or waited and waited until He answered? There’s a saying that, “God is never late.” But sometimes it can seem like he is not listening to us, or is not going to answer our prayers. Have you been through this experience? Did you finally receive the answer from God that you were hoping for? Share your take on Friday’s show.

Parents everywhere are trying to navigate the ever-changing waters of what the coming school year will look like for their children. Some areas say that are simply going to reopen schools so that all kids can return. Others say classes will all be online. While still other areas are examining various hybrid possibilities. All the while, many teachers’ groups and parents are threatening to sue if they are forced to go back to school during the pandemic. Caught in the middle of all this are our children. On Thursday, share your thoughts on all of this with Jerry and Debbie. Do you even have a sense of how your kids will be educated this coming year? This should be a lively conversation.

A sad part of life is that we’re all human, and we can do things to damage our interpersonal relationships. This can happen between husband and wife, parent and child, between siblings and extended family members, and even with co-workers or casual friends. When this happens, at some point one party or the other has to make the first move toward reconciliation. Are you currently experiencing a strained relationship? Perhaps voicing your pain or discomfort on global radio will help you develop a way forward. That’s what we’re talking about on Wednesday’s show. Don’t miss it!

Has this ever happened to you? If so, you’re far from alone. Countless people – including many saints – have dozed off while spending time in prayer to the Lord. It’s been said that your guardian angel will finish any prayers you intended to pray before falling asleep. So, while it’s certainly not a sin to catch a few winks during the time you set aside to pray, if it’s happening with any regularity, you may want to consider praying at a different time of the day. Some argue that the earliest hours of our day are the best times to pray, as we’re often more refreshed, and haven’t put in a busy day already. On Tuesday, let’s have a robust conversation about this. As always, we hope to come away a little closer to God, which is what prayer is all about!

Mentioned by caller Regina on Tuesday’s show:

https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/prayers-of-saint-bridget-9117

When we ponder all of the things that can help us get to heaven, there is one thing that rises above all the rest: doing the will of God. For proof of this we need only look to Matthew 7:21, where Jesus says:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my father, who is in heaven.”

Doing the will of God in our daily lives unleashes torrents of grace for ourselves and for others. But we’re wounded people, burdened with the weight of original sin. However, that can be overcome through prayer and self-discipline.

On Friday, call and share how you strive to do the will of God in everything you do. We may fall short on many occasions. But it’s getting up and trying again that counts!

An article on http://www.aleteia.com on Wednesday anticipates The Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel on Thursday, when Jerry and Debbie will invite you to share your love of Our Blessed Mother as expressed through the wearing of a scapular:

“Sacramentals are objects set apart and blessed by the Church for the purpose of sanctifying our lives and leading us to the sacraments. They are sacred signs and a channel of grace (spiritual help) through the intercession of the Church. One of the most popular sacramentals in the Church is the brown scapular. A devotional scapular (from the Latin word for “shoulders”) is a miniaturized version of the poncho-like garment worn by many monks and nuns. It consists of two small squares of cloth, to which printed religious images have been sewn, suspended from a ribbon and worn — usually under the daily clothing — so that one square rests in front and one in back. Attached to the devout use of a scapular are certain graces that God offers; these heavenly graces are dependent on the faith of the person wearing the scapular and are not automatic.”

There are many different colors of scapulars, from which a wearer can choose depending on his or her devotion to the meaning of that particular version. Join us on Thursday as we talk about this.

Life is full of decisions and choices. We make them everyday. Some we look back on and wish we had decided or chosen differently, for whatever reason. On Monday, we’re revisiting a topic that elicited amazing takes from you when we did it a couple of years ago. We’ll ask you to answer the question, “What is one thing you would do over if you were given the chance?” Give it some thought and prayer over the weekend, and be sure to share your take live on Monday’s show.

Most of us have received the Sacrament of Confession (also known as the Sacrament of Reconciliation). Most likely numerous times. It’s an awesome gift given by Jesus to His Church, administered through the ministry of Her ordained priests, who act In Persona Christi, or, in the Person of Christ. It’s easy to take this gift of God’s unending mercy for granted. On Friday, as we commemorate the suffering and death of the Lord, which He endured to bring us forgiveness and salvation, Jerry and Debbie want to hear from you about how you have truly experienced the power of Confession in your life. Maybe there have been times when you were so burdened by your sins that you became discouraged or despondent. But after going to Confession, you emerged a new man or woman, elated that Jesus promises us forgiveness, not once, not twice, but seventy times seven times. As always, what you share on the show could be just what many need to hear in order to return to the sacrament they left behind some time ago.

Throughout the Church’s history, there have been countless men and women who have laid down their lives for the sake of Jesus and His Church. This, of course, goes all the way back to the earliest days of Christianity. Wednesday (July 8) is the day the Church celebrates the memory and glorious martyrdom of seven sisters of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, who, according to http://www.catholicsaints.info were all beheaded on July 9, in one of the periodic crackdowns against foreign missionaries in China. The sisters were sent to the Shanxi diocese to serve the poor in hospitals, and care for the unwanted or others who were destitute in orphanages. They were

• Anne-Catherine Dierks
• Anne-Francoise Moreau
• Clelia Nanetti
• Irma Grivot
• Jeanne-Marie Kuergin
• Marianna Giuliani
• Pauline Jeuris

Is there someone whose devotion to the faith led them to give up their earthly life in an act of martyrdom. There are lots and lots of them, so you shouldn’t have difficulty calling and sharing who that is (or who they are) on Wednesday’s show.