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

We all need “stuff” to survive. But how much “stuff?” How much is too much? It’s so easy to get attached to material things. Often it takes us going through trials before we realize that earthly possessions, while perhaps necessary to our survival, are unimportant or insignificant beyond that simple fact. What have you been through that has altered your perception of material possessions, to the point where you can take them or leave them? That is a blessed place to be, but it’s not always easy to get there. Share your take on this with Jerry and Debbie Tuesday.

Happy Are You Poor by Fr Thomas Dubay

The Bible speaks a lot about joy. Jesus says he will give us joy, and that no one and nothing can take it from us. But can we forfeit it ourselves? It’s not easy to maintain joy in today’s world. So many forces and influences work to try to steal it or get us to give it away. Do you struggle with this? If so, what steps do you take to keep from losing joy? If not, what is your secret to maintaining it? Share your take on this topic with Jerry and Debbie on Monday.

Thursday’s show featured so many calls – with so many people left waiting to share at the end – that we are going to present part two on Friday. So, if you didn’t get on the air Thursday to tell us how you were an instrument in the final moments of someone’s transition into eternal life, be sure to call early on Friday!

Audio Archive:

We’ve all surely known someone who has died. A spouse. A family member. A friend or neighbor. A fellow Church-goer. Maybe a complete stranger. There are those rare but beautiful instances when God allows us to play a significant role in a person’s final days or moments on earth, and, God-willing, aid them in attaining eternal life. Have you been in such a situation before? What part did you play in the dying person’s journey? Were you a caregiver? Did you help facilitate their conversion prior to dying? Perhaps you were the one who stepped up to be the “angel” someone needed when no one else would do it. As the Bible says, “God wills that all men be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.” But often he needs our assistance to make sure that happens. If you’ve experienced this, call and tell the world about it on Thursday.

RESOURCES:: Apostolic Pardon Brings Total Forgiveness Before Death

One of the trickiest of all Scriptural mandates is the one that admonishes us not to judge others. It is often thrown in the faces of Christians who simply seek to distinguish between right and wrong actions. The Biblical exhortation would seem to refer, rather, to making an ultimate judgment with regard to another person’s eternal destiny. Or, does it mean that we should put up and shut up when it comes to anything and everything other people do? How do you ensure that you are carefully judging actions, and not the individuals who perform them? Share your take on this Wednesday.

Audio Archive:

As Christians, we know the importance of living a moral, godly life. It requires us to be always striving to be more like Jesus. But, as humans, we are weak and prone to making mistakes along the way. Some people are able to view all of this with peace, even laughing at their shortcomings. This is not to imply that sin is a laughing matter. But we can fall into the trap of perfectionism, to the point where even the basic fact of our fallen nature becomes an unbearable burden for us. God understands that we are going to stumble and fall along the journey of life. While you work at becoming holy, are you able to accept – and even laugh at – the mistakes you have made and the lessons you have learned from them?

AUDIO ARCHIVE::

On Monday, call and share your heartfelt prayer intentions with Jerry and Debbie and the entire world. It’s your latest opportunity to get as much prayer support as possible for the people and things that are important to you.

AUDIO ARCHIVE::

Once a month we come to the show with no set agenda to discuss, rather we open up the phone lines and let you take it away.  You can revisit previous shows, suggest future topics, or you can just share anything that is weighing on your mind.  We will try to answer your questions about the faith as best we can and we will certainly engage in a healthy conversation about things going on in your life.  We love the fact that Take 2 is a peer ministry.  We journey together as a family, learning and growing from one another.  So call in and share whatever you like and we will be here to listen. 1-833-288-3986.

Act of consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

EWTN article on faith and works

It is more common than you think.  We are ashamed to admit it, but probably most of us at Mass, daydream or lose focus at some point during the service. Does that mean we really don’t believe? Are we finding Mass boring? Or is it just part of our natural human behavior that our thoughts may wander.  Maybe, just maybe it can give us a clue about our own spiritual development. Let’s have an authentic discussion about this and see if we walk away with a different perspective about our attention span during Mass. Call us with your experience of losing focus at Mass. 1-833-288-3986.