Most married couples have a unique story about how they met, what attracted them to the other spouse, and, ultimately, why they chose to marry that person. We want to hear your reasons for choosing to marry the man or woman you’re with today. Maybe you saw his or her outward beauty. Perhaps it was because you met in a Church group and saw that the other was deeply committed to the faith. Sometimes people are initially attracted to someone because they have a sense of humor or are involved with serving others. On Monday, share your take with Jerry and Debbie about what first attracted you to the one you married, and how that deepened over time. And be sure to ask Debbie what she saw in Marty that made her want to marry him (see picture below)!

On Friday, Jerry and Debbie welcome your takes on parenting your youth and teenagers. In particular, what is your household philosophy about letting them be out late at night, even on weekends? Do you require that they call or text if they’re going to be late? What about asking them to let you know where they’re going ahead of time? Do you believe they are completely honest with you about their late-night activities? Let’s have a constructive and uplifting conversation about this.

Hebrews 9:11 says, “But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the Holy Place…” We know that we are called to be “in this world, but not of this world.” In reality, we have one foot on earthly soil, the other striving for heaven. We’re not “pie in the sky” children of God who pay no attention to the temporal things of earth. But when it comes to the legitimate accumulation and management of wealth and temporal goods, we can sometimes lose sight of the preeminence of heavenly things. Instead of looking first to the tabernacle that houses our spiritual food, we place more trust and dependance on tabernacles made with human hands – safe deposit boxes, stock portfolios, property, possessions, etc. How good are you at keeping the right focus? What advice would you give to the rest of us to ensure that we do not “gain the whole world, but lose our souls” in the process? Share your take with Jerry and Debbie on Thursday.

We know that God creates every single one of us for a specific purpose, one that only we can uniquely fulfill. For most, that calling is to be married and raise children. For some, it’s to follow the Lord’s voice to a priestly or religious vocation. In either case, bringing children into the world is supposed to include on the part of parents an understanding and generosity that they belong first and foremost to God, and that they (parents) are to guide them carefully toward the fulfillment of their calling. It’s not always easy for a mother or father to “let their child go” when he or she senses a calling to priesthood or religious life. Have you gone through this with a son or daughter? Were you able to actively encourage them on that path? Or was that more difficult for you for any particular reason? Jerry and Debbie look forward to your takes on this topic Wednesday.

Animals have been kept as pets virtually forever. They can provide companionship and support in a variety of ways. The Church recognizes this and even has an order for the blessing of animals in the Book of Blessings. This often takes place on October 4 – the Feast of St. Francis. There are amazing stories of how pets have made people’s lives better. Do you have a take to share with Jerry and Debbie? Call and join the conversation on Tuesday.

On Monday, Debbie is back on the show with Jerry. They will welcome Bai Macfarlane to the program to talk about the harmful effects of no-fault divorce. Bai is the founder of Mary’s Advocates, an organization that upholds true marriage and provides helpful resources to those who are seeking to counter the negative impact of no-fault divorce. Call with your takes and questions for Bai on Monday.

Do you talk to yourself? If so, do you do it out loud or just internally in your mind? Has anyone ever overheard you talking to yourself? What was their reaction? Were you embarrassed? While some people fear that an individual talking to himself is a sign of psychological or spiritual problems, recent studies have actually shown that certain types of self-communication are not only beneficial, but are signs of a high intellectual capacity. This is the topic on Friday’s show. And, unless you call in, Jerry will have to spend the hour talking to himself LOL, because Debbie will be traveling with her husband, Marty. So, be sure you spare Jerry a very lonely hour and call with your takes about this interesting topic!

The Church has a beautiful practice of providing sponsors for those who are inquiring into becoming Catholic. We’ve just entered the final phase of preparation for many of those people, who will be baptized or received into full communion with the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil celebration. Are you presently helping someone on this joyful journey? Have you done so in the past? What motivated you to take a significant amount of your personal time to walk alongside someone as they learned about Catholicism and made the important decisions that are part of experiencing the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults? How was your own faith deepened by being a part of this program? Would you do it again? This is what we’ll talk about – as always, with your takes leading the way – on Thursday. Be sure to join us!

The great spiritual masters in the history of the Church have always made sure to keep their earthly mortality in front of their eyes. Some have done this by keeping a skull on their desk or near their bed, and taking time each day to meditate on the fact that soon they would die and face judgment. This doesn’t have to be a morbid thought, especially since no one who is born will get out alive. We all will exit through the same door. So, the question for our listeners is: Do you ever spend even a little bit of time thinking about your mortality and the short time we have here on this earth?