Just about everyone has a fear of something. For some it might be heights. Others might cringe at the thought of touching a spider or a snake. Many people have a fear of flying in airplanes. Are these phobias rational or might they be the product of something we have experienced in our lives? Share your take on Monday with Jerry and Debbie at 800-585-9396.

RESOURCES:
Understanding Scrupulosity by Fr Santa

NCR: 6 Tools for the Scrupulous

There are occasions in life when we are out in public and we see people who could use a hand-up. They could be homeless or just someone you discern could use a helping hand. Maybe you secretly told your waiter or waitress that you would pick up the check for a family at a restaurant. Perhaps someone in the grocery line in front of you was a couple bucks short of what they needed and were going to have to go home and scrounge up enough money to make a return trip to the store. Share with Jerry and Debbie on Friday when you have offered a random act of kindness.

Thursday marks the second anniversary of Take 2 With Jerry and Debbie. You’ve gotten us to this wonderful milestone. Thank you so much! On our anniversary broadcast, we’ll invite your takes on how the show has helped you (we hope it has!), what topics you’d like to suggest for future shows and what you think will make the show better. We want to let you help shape the future of the show so that it reaches its maximum potential as part of the EWTN lineup. Be sure to call early at 800-585-9396.

The Catholic Church is the steward of the fullness of the Christian faith. She is safeguarded by the Holy Spirit from ever teaching as truth something that is in fact false in the areas of faith and morals. This doesn’t mean it’s always easy to accept what the Church teaches infallibly. And it doesn’t even touch upon the fact that the Church puts forth for the faithful many wise statements that leave room for people of goodwill to disagree on. Has there ever been a time in your life when you struggled to embrace something the Church officially teaches? Maybe you once dissented strongly from one or another of her teachings. Or do you find yourself occasionally in conversations about issues that have not been defined as doctrine or dogma where you disagree with someone else’s position? Let’s have a frank discussion about this on Wednesday.

In today’s world nothing should “shock” or “surprise” us. Virtually every aspect of our lives are experiencing scenes we would not have even imagined a generation ago. Is there something you’ve come across recently that had you saying, “I thought I’d seen it all!”? Share your take with Jerry and Debbie, by calling 1-800-585-9396.

In Jeremiah 20:7 the prophet cried out, “O Lord, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived; thou art stronger than I, and thou has prevailed.” He was referring to His call to be a prophet. We don’t know what the Lord did to “dupe” Jeremiah, but the prophet made a decision to follow and serve the Lord before He knew what the stakes were. Sometimes we all feel that way. We might think something like, “Lord, this isn’t what I signed up for,” or, “If I had known it was going to be like this I would have given it a lot more thought before jumping in.” How did the Lord’s persuasive power coax you into enthusiastically following Him? And have there been times when – like Jeremiah – you have lamented to God about the cost of serving Him? Share your take with Jerry and Debbie on Monday.

RESOURCES:
MOTHER ANGELICA’S- SUFFERING  & BURNOUT

Our lives as Christians are saturated with the Scriptures. At least, they should be. There are the daily and weekly readings at Mass. And we should also spend time reading, studying and praying over the entire Bible. We know that every word in Scripture was written to a certain audience at a certain time in history. Still, it’s all meant for people of all ages. Is there a verse or passage that you especially like and that you believe applies in a special way to your life today? Share your take on Thursday with Jerry and Debbie.

We know that the Catholic Church is universal. That means that the Church is one and that the faith is the same wherever we go. But within that unity there is a lot of room for legitimate diversity. Nationalities, cultures, languages and means of practicing and expressing the faith can vary from country to country. If you’ve traveled to any parts of the world, what has been your experience of joining in the celebration of our faith with people from those regions?

St. Teresa of Avila once said, “There are more tears shed over answered prayers than over unanswered prayers.” What in the world could she have meant by that? Exactly what she said. God has a perfect will for our lives. Do our prayers change His will? That’s a good question. But we often pray for what we think is in our best interests, when God has something else completely in mind for us. As a loving Father, he will at times give us what we ask for. On occasion, we live to regret making those requests. Has this ever happened to you?

How many times in life do we think we’re going through something that no one else can relate to? We may know intellectually that countless people have walked the road we’re currently traveling. But that may not make it easier to deal with our own situation. Yet, many times the Lord will bring someone into our lives – or us into their lives – precisely to aid them in making sense of something difficult. Has there been an occasion when you were able to turn your personal life experience into help for someone who was going through exactly what you did? Or were you the beneficiary of someone else’s painful ordeal? This is one of the most beautiful ways that we’re all interconnected in life. Share your take on this on Thursday with Jerry and Debbie.