We read in the second chapter of The Letter to the Hebrews:

¹⁴ Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same nature, that through death he might destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, ¹⁵ and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage.

Notice that we as sinners are subject to lifelong bondage “through fear of death.” Fear takes many forms and sizes in our lives. It’s a part of human nature, even though we are exhorted many times in the Bible to “be not afraid.” One of the worst kinds of fear is that which more or less stops us in our tracks and makes simply living daily life an immense chore. This is often referred to as “paralyzing fear.” Have you experienced it? Does it still assail you? What have you done to manage or overcome it. Your take could change countless lives Monday with Jerry and Debbie.

The stigmata, bilocation, reading hearts, prophecy, levitation, sweet fragrance and incorruptibility are just some of the gifts God has given holy men and women during their lifetime.  Padre Pio is one saint that manifested many spiritual gifts bestowed by God.  Not all of the gifts are pleasurable, some actually are physically painful. So what does this tell us about the road to sainthood?  Are these gifts an indication of the closeness of God?  What could be the purpose of these gifts?  Are these mystical realities, that defy science and nature, a sign from God that He desires a deep relationship with us? Let’s unlock the keys to this supernatural phenomena by discussing it on Friday’s Take 2 with Jerry and Debbie.  1-800-585-9396

So many times we plan and take a vacation with little thought about going to church, praying or focusing on God.  Somehow we think that a vacation means time away from God.  This is a very misguided thought process with potentially a missed opportunity for profound spiritual growth.  God is the refresher of our souls.  He is the giver of all gifts and vacations can be considered a gift.  Why not recharge our batteries, rest and relax all while growing in faith and receiving the blessings of God for taking Him on vacation.  Give us your take on this by calling, 1-800-585-9396.

As Jesus replied to Satan when He was tempted in the desert: “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” Throughout human history, mankind has pushed the limits of what is possible, never shrinking from the next great immortal challenge. Today, there are activities like skydiving, bungee jumping, running with bulls, swimming with sharks or alligators, even many thrill rides at amusement parks. Are we “testing” God when we do these things? Or are we simply being “human” and seeing how far our natural gifts and abilities will take us? If you had a choice and the opportunity what daredevil thing would you do? Share your take on Wednesday with Jerry and Debbie at 800-585-9396.

As Christians, perhaps especially Catholics, we have a fully developed sense of “redemptive suffering.” In a nutshell, that means that every bit of discomfort and suffering we experience can be handed over to Jesus for Him to do great things with it. No suffering should ever be wasted. But does that mean we have to be happy with our sufferings, to eagerly welcome them, to do nothing to remove them? Fleeing from suffering is a very natural, human reaction. And the Church would be the first to say that we in no way have to think of our pain in a masochistic way, nor that we should do nothing to alleviate it. Do you sometimes have a problem in your conscience if you do seek to get out of suffering at virtually any cost? Does that give you the feeling that you are not doing the right thing and “offering up” your suffering? Let’s drill deeply into this topic on Tuesday.

It’s so easy to take for granted the wonderful things that happen to us in life. Especially in today’s “hurry up” world. We can lose sight of the fact that God brought us the most awesome spouse, helped our child gain a full scholarship, gave you the grace to ace the bar exam, led you to complete your flying lessons and become a licensed pilot, that you overcame a major illness or injury, or any number of other incredible things. What would you say to complete the sentence, “I still can’t believe…” Share your inspiring take with Jerry and Debbie – and the world – on Monday!

Friday’s show is our Unscripted for June. Unscripted is just that, an informal show with no set topic just what is on your heart.  So please ask us anything, make suggestions or comment on past shows.  This is a great time for us to get to know one another a little bit better and also to keep the conversation going.  We want Take 2 to be a part of your life, so your participation is key to the success of this mission.  Call in 1-800-585-9396.

We promised to post some resources for Julie, who wishes to mentor a fellow teacher who has little or no faith and is concerned because people have told her she is going to hell because she is not baptized. Here are a few that we recommend:

Why Be Catholic? by Patrick Madrid – https://store.patrickmadrid.com/why-be-catholic/

Rediscover Jesus by Matthew Kelly – http://dynamiccatholic.com/rediscoverjesus/

Rhythm of Life: Living Every Day With Passion and Purpose by Matthew Kelly – https://cart.dynamiccatholic.com/Rhythm-of-life-Matthew-Kelly-p/rol-hc.htm

We also mentioned to Peter the “spiritual communion” prayer for those who desire to receive Jesus in the Eucharist but are unable for various reasons. This is taken from the EWTN website:

Everyone needs to love and to be loved. Without love, life would be unnatural and incomplete. One form of love is romantic, or marital, love. If you feel called to that vocation it must seem only right that by a certain point in your life you will have met that perfect person and settled down. Yet, many people pass through their twenties, their thirties and even later in life and still have not “found” Mr. or Mrs. Right. Does that mean the saying is false that “there’s someone for everyone,” or does it mean you have to keep being patient? Are you someone who feels that love has passed you by, that your “window of opportunity” is now closed? Let’s talk about this Thursday at 800-585-9396.

On Wednesday, join Jerry and Debbie and share your take on what your kids are up to this summer. A lot of children run around aimlessly when school is out. Others are provided with choices by their parents. Let’s discuss positive and healthy activities that kids are involved in this summer. Things like faith or Bible camps, part-time jobs, etc. Other parents will learn a lot of great new ideas from what you share on the program. And don’t forget you can now watch the show on EWTN’s Facebook page and YouTube channel!

In years gone by people might have saved their important files and documents – typically in paper form – for a few years, after which they would shred them or get rid of them in some similar fashion. Today, with so much storage space available on computers, external hard drives and “in the cloud,” we not only don’t think of downsizing our electronic collection of photos, documents and other files, but it has created a new mindset along the lines of, “I’m sure I’ll need this someday. And it’s so easy to store on my computer or in the cloud.” It’s time for a little honesty: do you “keep” everything you ever handle electronically? Do you think that one day this or that file or photo will come in handy? Do you have a ton of files that you haven’t handled in, say, years? Share your experience with Jerry and Debbie on Tuesday.