Being attached to material things or even activities can leave us bound, unable to soar in our spiritual life.  Detachment gives us the space to grow in faith, to become spiritually mature.  When we purge the lesser things of life to make room for the magnificent gifts of God, we experience a freedom that is beyond words.  Yet, the art of detachment can be hard to master.  This world and the things of it are very alluring. Our own pride and sinfulness can be a stumbling block when it comes to detaching.  We must make a conscious effort to remove the things that are holding us back from God.  So what is keeping you from soaring?  That is what we will be discussing together on Monday’s Take 2 with Jerry and Debbie.  If you want to be on the show, just call us at 1-800-585-9396.

Jerry is traveling on Friday, so Debbie will be taking your calls for the monthly Unscripted show.  Debbie will be joined by a hometown guest and catechetical leader in the Diocese of Phoenix, Tom Perna.  Unscripted is your chance to revisit past shows, suggest future topics, or just talk about whatever is on your mind and heart.  This open forum moves rather quickly so if you want to be on the show, call in early at 1-800-585-9396.

Almost everyone uses social media. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and countless other platforms. The ways in which people use those media are as varied as the people who use them. We post all kinds of things. But do we sometimes say things that are on our minds and hearts in ways that make it difficult for readers to get the true meaning of what we’re saying? Cryptic messages? Veiled criticism of others? Political or social statements that aren’t easy to decipher? What has been your experience of interacting with your family, friends and colleagues on social media? Do you find that you sometimes have to read between the lines to get the deeper messages that people are posting? Share your take on this topic with Jerry and Debbie on Thursday’s show.

Jerry is on location in New Orleans at this year’s gathering of the National Conference of Diocesan Vocation Directors. He’s here with a couple hundred vocation directors from across the United States and around the world, along with numerous other priests, religious and laypeople dedicated to the cause of promoting priestly vocations. He’ll be joined on Wednesday by Rose Sullivan, Executive Director of the NCDVD, as well as a couple of young vocation directors. You’re invited to call and share what you’re doing to help bring about an increase in vocations in your part of the world. Here is Jerry with Grant Aasen, a seminarian at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans, before Mass on Tuesday. Grant recently decided to forego his final year of eligibility as the punter on Georgia Tech’s football team to become a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Atlanta.

St Augustine said, “Our hearts are restless oh Lord, until they rest in You.” Such a true statement, yet many of us seem to want to fill this void in our hearts by seeking out human love at all costs.  Our need for love is incredibly strong and it is even heightened if, as children, there was a lack of love exhibited.  Co-dependent relationships on the surface appear to fill this strong desire for love and affection.  However, these kinds of relationships tend to lead to destructive patterns and negative outcomes for one or both parties concerned. There is a call to be dependent on one another not just for our temporal needs but for eternal goals.  Our dependency on each other should be healthy and ultimately help us into heaven, as in the case of marriage.  Let’s talk about all forms of dependency with co-dependency being the first we tackle. Share your take on this by calling, 1-800-585-9396.

We have heard it said that women can and should have it all.  The spectacular house, the incredible husband, the bright children and the successful career.  Women are masters at multi-tasking so having it all seems like a realistic goal, but is it?  Maybe you have the career and the husband but adding the kids seems overwhelming.  Maybe you think you have it all, but your spiritual life along with volunteering is basically nonexistent.  Or maybe you became clever in your approach and utilized a team around you to pick up the slack in daily life.  Let’s talk about this notion of attaining it all and see if it really is beneficial to women or not.  Jerry is traveling on Monday so please don’t leave me alone with this topic.  Call in to 1-800-585-9396 and let’s discuss because others are listening and learning.

With all the contentiousness in politics today, it’s hard to imagine anyone with any integrity and a sense of wanting to safeguard their family running for political office. Yet, some people feel a call to try to make a difference in this sphere. Would you allow your family to be dragged through the mud of a political campaign? Would you expose yourself and your loved ones to the red-hot scrutiny of the media? Not to mention the lies? As a devout believer, do you think you could make a difference? Share your insightful take on Friday’s show!

There may have been one marriage in the history of humanity where there were no arguments or disagreements (the Holy Family). In all others, there is bound to be strife. The beautiful side of that is that it provides opportunities for husband and wife to grow closer together through apologies and reconciliation. The opposite side leaves the door open for either spouse waiting for the other to “make the first move” when it comes to apologizing, forgiving, etc. In your marriage, do you believe that you or your spouse is more eager to make up and move on? Maybe it’s a fifty-fifty split? What has been the fruit of you humbling yourself before your wife or husband and, if necessary, even “falling on your sword” in order to keep peace in the marriage and family? Share your experience with Jerry and Debbie – and the world – on Thursday!

The Christian life means nothing if it doesn’t mean putting others before ourselves. St. Paul writes in Romans 12:10 that we should “outdo one another in showing honor.” Unfortunately, in every age there are people who are looking out for themselves before they look out for the welfare of others. So, when we defer to others, and do our best to put them above ourselves, they can take advantage of us. Have you had this experience? Maybe it’s happened to you over and over again. A co-worker who asks you to handle their appointed tasks. An irresponsible family member who turns to you for financial help all the time. A friend who asks to borrow your car all the time instead of taking public transportation. It’s great to help all of these people. But how much is too much? Do you ever get the sense that others are using you? That you’re letting yourself be used? It’s important to establish boundaries that are appropriate in all of your interpersonal relationships. Have you managed to do that successfully, while still being generous to those in need? Share your take on this topic on Wednesday.

As we go through life, we are influenced by so very many people. A lot of them go unnoticed. Others, we are very aware of. Maybe it was your mom or dad. Perhaps an educator. Perhaps a coach or a neighbor. Has there been someone – maybe more than one person – in your life who said or did something that you now look back on and realize that his or her “fingerprints” are on everything you accomplish? It’s like tossing a pebble on a pond. The “ripple effect” is noticeable. Virtually every human interaction we have makes its mark on who we become and the influence we have in the world. So, again, here’s the question: Whose fingerprints are on the legacy you’re leaving as you live your life?