The Best of the Week

A Family’s Prayer for Healing (Family Rosary Across America)

On the Family Rosary Across America, Laura called in to share a difficult update about her daughter, Jessica. After previously submitting a prayer intention during the Walk to Mary, Laura had hoped to offer a praise report. Instead, she received news that same day that Jessica had been diagnosed with follicular lymphoma, a slow-growing form of cancer. With the weight of the diagnosis still fresh, Laura turned to the Relevant Radio family for prayer. “We would love a miracle if it's God's will,” she said, asking for prayers not only for Jessica’s healing, but also for Jessica’s 7-year-old daughter, Evelyn, who is facing the uncertainty that comes with a loved one’s illness. Fr. Rocky immediately assured Laura that she would not carry this burden alone. “We're going to pray for complete and speedy recovery for your daughter,” he said. In moments of fear and suffering, families often discover the strength of a praying community. Laura’s call was a powerful reminder that no intention is too heavy to bring before the Lord and that hope remains alive when we place our trust in Him. ---------------------------------------- The best way to listen to the Best of the Week is on our #1 Free Catholic App. It’s free, and always will be! To get and share the Relevant Radio app, check it out here [https://relevantradio.com/listen/get-the-app/].

The Journey from Wall Street Finance to Catholic Media (The Tim Glemkoswki Show)

What does it take to leave a successful career in finance and step into Catholic media? For Mark Swartzberg, the answer begins with a desire to help people see the truth. Joining The Tim Glemkowski Show, Mark shared with Tim his reflections on the years he spent as a Wall Street analyst, including one memorable stock call that put him at odds with legendary investor Warren Buffett. After carefully researching changes in the beer industry, Mark downgraded a major company’s stock despite widespread confidence in its future. When the stock later fell significantly, his analysis proved correct. But while Mark enjoyed success in finance, something deeper was stirring. “I always had a passion for helping people see things as they are,” he explained, recalling his earlier work as a high school math teacher. That passion eventually led him to Relevant Radio. After years as a listener, Mark received an unexpected suggestion: Have you ever considered being a talk show host? The idea resonated. As an analyst, he had spent years communicating ideas and defending what he believed to be true. Now, he saw an opportunity to use those gifts in service of something even greater. “The story of hope is just a story that's intrinsic to us as humans,” Mark said. What excites him most about his new role as the host of The Mark Swartzberg Show [https://relevantradio.com/listen/our-shows/the-mark-swartzberg-show/] is hearing from listeners and giving them a chance to share their stories of faith, perseverance, and God's grace at work in their lives. As he begins this new chapter, Mark's journey is a reminder that God often uses our experiences, talents, and even unexpected opportunities to lead us exactly where He wants us to be. ---------------------------------------- The best way to listen to the Best of the Week is on our #1 Free Catholic App. It’s free, and always will be! To get and share the Relevant Radio app, check it out here [https://relevantradio.com/listen/get-the-app/].

Speaking the Truth With Love After Abortion (The Patrick Madrid Show)

When a Delaware caller named Jennifer called in to The Patrick Madrid Show, her heart was heavy. Her 25-year-old niece – and goddaughter – had recently gotten an abortion. Now Jennifer was wrestling with a difficult question: How do you speak to someone you love after such a tragic decision? Patrick acknowledged both the gravity of the situation and Jennifer’s unique role in her niece’s life. As a godmother and aunt, she is in a position to offer something her niece desperately needs: truth spoken with love. Patrick encouraged Jennifer to pray first, asking God for the right words at the right time. He reminded her that while abortion is a grave sin, God’s mercy is always greater than our failures. “You’re not there to judge her,” Patrick explained. “But you can lovingly tell her the truth.” Rather than lecturing, Patrick suggested asking gentle but meaningful questions: Is she ready to seek forgiveness? Does she want to be reconciled with God? Those questions may linger in the heart long after the conversation ends. Patrick also pointed to the parable of the Prodigal Son. Just as the father waited patiently for his son to return home, God waits for every repentant sinner with open arms. No one is beyond His mercy. The conversation served as a powerful reminder that authentic love never abandons the truth. Sometimes the most loving thing we can do is accompany someone through their darkest moment while helping them see the path back to God. ---------------------------------------- The best way to listen to the Best of the Week is on our #1 Free Catholic App. It’s free, and always will be! To get and share the Relevant Radio app, check it out here [https://relevantradio.com/listen/get-the-app/].

The Little Things Matter (The Drew Mariani Show)

When marriages begin to struggle, many people assume there must have been a dramatic event: an affair, a financial crisis, or a major betrayal. But according to licensed marriage and family therapist Doug Hinderer, most marriages don't collapse all at once. They weaken slowly, often through years of emotional distance and missed opportunities for connection. Joining Drew on The Drew Mariani Show, Doug reflected on a heartbreaking call from a man whose wife of 32 years suddenly wanted out of the marriage. While every situation is unique, Doug noted that many couples gradually lose sight of one another while managing careers, raising children, paying bills, and navigating life's endless responsibilities. "The marriage starts dying long before it actually dies," Doug said. Drawing on the research of Dr. John Gottman, Doug explained that thriving couples consistently respond to one another's small bids for connection. A shared laugh, a thoughtful question, or a simple act of kindness can strengthen a relationship over time. Ignoring those moments, however, can leave spouses feeling like strangers living under the same roof. A divorce attorney once asked a woman when she knew her marriage was over. Her answer surprised him: "It was the granola." For years, her husband would quietly replace her favorite specialty-store granola whenever it ran low. One day he stopped, and it never returned. To her, that small gesture revealed that his heart had drifted elsewhere. "The little things are really big," Doug said. For couples hoping to reconnect, Doug emphasized the importance of staying close to God through regular confession and remaining in a state of grace. He also reminded listeners that conflict itself is not the enemy. Research shows that many marital disagreements are ongoing and never fully resolved. The real danger comes from avoiding difficult conversations altogether. Healthy marriages aren't built on grand romantic gestures. They're built on daily acts of love: a thank you, a thoughtful favor, a listening ear, or even a bag of M&M's picked up at the grocery store. Because in marriage, it's often the little things that tell the biggest story. ---------------------------------------- The best way to listen to the Best of the Week is on our #1 Free Catholic App. It’s free, and always will be! To get and share the Relevant Radio app, check it out here [https://relevantradio.com/listen/get-the-app/].

God Never Gives Up on You (The Inner Life)

Have you ever wondered whether your past sins have put you beyond God's mercy? On The Inner Life, a caller named Rob shared a moving story. Raised in a deeply faithful family, he drifted away from God later in life and spent years trapped in serious sin. Now nearly 80, Rob has returned to the Church, attends daily Mass, and strives to live faithfully. Yet he still struggles with sadness and he questions whether he is truly on the right path. Fr. John Eckert pointed him to one of Scripture's most hopeful passages: Luke 15. In the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son, heaven rejoices whenever someone returns to God. The focus is not on the wandering. It is on the celebration that follows. “What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it? And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance." (Luke 15:4-7) "The fact of the matter here is, Rob, you came back." Fr. Eckert reminded him that God's mercy is greater than any past failure. The Lord has already lifted him up and welcomed him home. Rather than remaining trapped in regret, Rob is called to live fully in the present, grateful for the gift of reconciliation and the grace found in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Drawing from The Screwtape Letters, Fr. Eckert noted that the enemy wants us stuck in the past through shame or worried about the future through fear. God meets us in the present moment. For anyone burdened by old sins, Rob's story offers a powerful reminder: if you have returned to the Lord, rejoice. His mercy is real, His forgiveness is complete, and His Sacred Heart remains open to all who come home. ---------------------------------------- The best way to listen to the Best of the Week is on our #1 Free Catholic App. It’s free, and always will be! To get and share the Relevant Radio app, check it out here [https://relevantradio.com/listen/get-the-app/].