Take 2 with Jerry & Debbie

October 1 was the Feast of St. Therese, The Little Flower. She proclaimed before her death that she would “spend her heaven doing good on earth.” So many people have turned to her for her intercession, often receiving a tangible sign from her in the form of a rose. We’ve also recently celebrated the feasts of a number of other popular and favorite saints. Have they helped you from their glorious place in heaven? Many people do not understand or appreciate how our older brothers and sisters in the faith can assist us from heaven. So, having this conversation could change the way we all seek and receive their help from above. Share your take on Thursday’s show.

There were many calls, e-mails and social media comments that we didn’t get to on Tuesday, so we’re going to continue the conversation on Wednesday about overcoming challenges to conceiving and bearing children with the help of God and the intercession of the saints, especially St. Gerard, patron of expectant mothers and those having difficulty conceiving. If you didn’t make it on the air on Tuesday, be sure to give it another try on Wednesday!

Jerry’s mother could not conceive for many years. She made many sacrifices and prayed unceasingly to St. Gerard. After conceiving and bearing his sister, Mary, Jerry was next to come along. In thanksgiving, his parents named him after St. Gerard, a patron of expectant mothers and those having difficulty conceiving children. It’s a painful reality that in God’s mysterious design some couples never achieve pregnancy, in spite of an ardent desire and rigorous attempts to find a solution to their infertility. Others, also by God’s unfathomable providence, seem to receive help from above, often after praying to St. Gerard or many of the other saints. On Tuesday, tell us about your experience of receiving what might only be considered a “miraculous” conception.
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We are exhorted by Scripture and our faith to pray unceasingly. It doesn’t set down any guidelines on what exactly we should and should not pray for. Obviously, we always want to pray for important things – faith, health, family, employment, peace, our Church and government leaders, persecuted Christians – the list is a mile long. But what about seemingly insignificant things? Should we pray as we approach the grocery store that we will find a choice parking spot? Or that there will be no one else using the equipment we want to use today at the gym? Do you think God cares enough about little things like these to hear and answer our prayers? Are they even things we should lift up to Him? Let us hear from you on Monday.
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It’s a football Friday night across the country, when high school stadiums will be packed with screaming fans cheering on their favorite teams. Now that the school year is well underway, most of us have kids who are involved in one sport or another. In today’s culture, this can become like a religion for some families. Even to the detriment of family life and a fervent practice of the faith. How do you support your children’s involvement in sports and other school activities, while at the same time making sure that they don’t shove more important things to the periphery of your lives? Share your take on this important topic on Friday’s show.

Ron from Hopedale, MA, called to share that he has ten kids, each of whom is on their bike racing team that raises awareness for Cystic Fibrosis. Here is the website he mentioned.

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!

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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