Ave Maria in the Afternoon Full Hours

Segment 1: Compassionate Problem Resolution The way we’re disciplined as kids tends to impact the way we handle interpersonal conflict as adults. Greg Popcak encourages parents to employ “Discipleship Discipline,” in which parents calmly work and pray with the child to identify the intention behind their actions and then teach more appropriate ways to meet those intentions – and this rolls over in...

Segment 1: Rescuing the sheep gone astray Today’s Office of the Readings includes a sermon by St Augustine on Ezekiel 34. He observes how the world is full of sheep who have gone astray, desperately searching for a leader. God promises that He will search for His sheep, and He will chastise the shepherds who let them go astray. Marcus reflects on the reading. Segment 2: Vanity of Vanities, all is...

Segment 1: “Live in a manner worthy of the call you have received” On this Feast of St Matthew, St Paul tells us to “live in a manner worthy of the call you have received.” Marcus unpacks what this means for our lives as Christians. Segment 2: The distressing rise of family estrangement (3 segments) A new form of relationship estrangement is afoot. Whereas, in the past, relationships tended to rup...

Segment 1: Benedict Arnold’s Anti-Catholicism On September 21, 1780, Continental Army officer Benedict Arnold met with British leaders and advanced his conspiracy to surrender West Point. Today, he is remembered as a traitor – though if the British had won the war, he might be remembered as a hero. What is sometimes forgotten, however, is his hostility towards Catholicism. Marcus has more. Segment...

Segment 1: “Seek the LORD while he may be found” (2 segments) In this Sunday’s First Reading, Isaiah invites us to seek the Lord and call on His name. We unpack the readings with Rob Corzine. Segment 2: What the “$20 Burrito” Debate Really Tells Us (2 segments) Fast food burritos are the latest controversy to consume social media. A viral post pointing out that a fast food burrito now costs nearly...

Segment 1: Why do so many Pastoral Plans fail? (2 segments) Peter Andrastek has worked for the Church at the parish and diocesan levels for nearly twenty years, and in all that time he has never seen a parish pastoral plan produce the wide-spread transformative fruit its authors hoped for. While there are certainly exceptions, why do so many of these strategies fall short? Peter joins us. Segment...

Segment 1: The Day I Met Fulton Sheen Matthew Bunson was a seven-year-old boy living in Hawaii the day his family hosted Fulton Sheen for dinner. He shares some memories. Segment 2: The enduring power of the Constitution On September 17th, citizens of the United States celebrate Constitution Day. The Constitution has extraordinary durability. It’s encouraged generations to quote it reverently. But...

Segment 1: What forgiveness demands In today’s Gospel, Jesus meets a sinful woman, who anoints his feet with oil. Jesus tells her that her sins are forgiven. Forgiveness is far deeper than the mere “cancellation” of sin. And receiving forgiveness from Jesus changes what we are capable of giving to others who’ve wounded us. Marcus has more. Segment 2: Matthew’s Gospel – the Key to Jesus (3 segments...

Segment 1: Chicago Nuns exempt from assisted suicide law The Archdiocese of Chicago and a group of Catholic religious sisters won a temporary reprieve against Illinois’s assisted suicide law this week, with a federal judge ordering the state not to enforce the law against the Catholic objectors while a federal lawsuit continues. Andrea Picciotti-Bayer has the details. Segment 2: A Firsthand Look a...

Segment 1: The Corrective Role of Religion Pope Benedict XVI is well known for his profound teachings on Faith and Reason, and pointed out that religion plays a “corrective role” in the pursuit of Reason. Marcus has more. Segment 2: UK Parliament rejects assisted suicide The UK Parliament has voted not to legalize assisted suicide in the nation, a move many are calling an unexpected victory for th...

Segment 1: The Difference between Guilt and Scrupulosity Guilt can serve a healthy purpose and can even become an important part of living a healthy and abundant life. But it can also cause problems when it transforms into scrupulosity. We talk about it with Dr. Greg Popcak. Segment 2: Sorrowful Sanctification One of the strange ironies of the Christian life is that sorrow and suffering are to be...

Segment 1: Love: It’s more than a feeling Pope Leo recently reflected how love is much more than a fleeting feeling. Our hearts long for love, and this longing reminds us that our very nature was created for love. Marcus has more. Segment 2: The Unknown Sorrows of Mary (3 segments) Today we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. Mary suffered far more than the traditional Seven Sorrows that w...

Segment 1: AOC Claims of “Modern-Day Lynching” Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has publicly claimed that there has been a recent onslaught of “modern day lynchings,” citing several cases of Black Americans found hanged. However, investigations have found that most of these tragic cases were suicides, while others are still unresolved. Lynching has a specific history. Treating that word as...

Segment 1: The central symbol of the Christian life Today we celebrate the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. The Cross is the central symbol of the Christian life. It is the place where all of history reaches its divinely intended goal. Those who embrace the cross long for the salvation that comes from it. Marcus has more. Segment 2: Alzheimer’s Patients in the Crosshairs of Self-Starvati...

Segment 1: “How often must I forgive?” (2 segments) The readings this Sunday are dominated by themes of mercy and forgiveness. “Wrath and anger are hateful things,” we hear from Sirach. “The Lord is kind and merciful” we say in the Responsorial Psalm. And in the Gospel, Jesus tells Peter he must forgive his brother seventy-seven times. We unpack the readings with Rob Corzine. Segment 2: Can Americ...

Segment 1: “Never Forgetting” 9/11 means being honest about its cause When the Jewish people celebrate Passover, they recite a millennia-old question: “Why is tonight different from all other nights?” Commemorating important events is an essential part of preserving our heritage. When the attacks happened on September 11, Americans swore to “never forget.” But Never Forgetting means being honest a...

Segment 1: Confusion at the Catholic Biblical Association? (2 segments) The Catholic Biblical Association has announced a conference exploring issues of women and gender. With topics like “Queering Resistance at Masada” and “Sarai and Eve as Intercessors in Apocalyptic Imagination,” it seems to be presenting some confusion takes on a Biblical view on gender. Matthew Bunson has more on this and oth...

Segment 1: God dwells among His people Today’s Office of the Readings reflects on what it means to dwell in the House of the Lord. It can be easy to take for granted how radical an idea this is – to have a God who wants to dwell among His people. But this was a historically novel concept – the God who created the universe didn’t only appear when He had received enough sacrifices. Marcus has more....

Segment 1: Florida’s Catholic School Vaccine Fight Doesn’t Need a Winner and a Loser Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier’s clash with the state’s Catholic bishops over vaccine policy in Catholic schools threatens the eligibility of Catholic schools to participate in Florida’s universal school choice program. Andrea Picciotit-Bayer believes this case does not need a winner or a loser - Florida...

Segment 1: “Blessed are They...” - The Promises of the Beatitudes In today’s Gospel, we hear from the Beatitudes. Blessed are those who suffer, for they will be comforted. When we suffer for Jesus, He sees that suffering and will reward us in the next life. The Father in Heaven wants you to consecrate every fiber of your being to Him. So ask yourself right now, what is the 10%, the 20% that you’re...

Segment 1: A Catholic Guide to Postpartum Depression (2 segments) Postpartum depression affects about one in seven new moms. The good news is that, with proper treatment, research shows that the vast majority of mothers make a full recovery. Dr. Greg Popcak joins us with a look at some things that Catholic moms (and the people who love them) need to know about postpartum illness. Segment 2: Nation...

Segment 1: The “most boring passage in the Bible” - isn’t Today’s Gospel for the Nativity of Mary traces the Genealogy of Jesus all the way back to Abraham. At first glance, it may seem to be one of the more boring passages in the Gospels. But this meticulously detailed list is key to understanding Jesus’ identity as Messiah. Marcus has more. Segment 2: Happy Birthday, Blessed Mother! Today we cel...

Segment 1: A Family-Focused Approach to Consumption (2 segments) Our consumption decisions should be focused on the needs of our family members. This requires attention to unglamorous factors such as budgets and nutritional requirements, instead of being up-to-date with the brands and campaigns that purport to solve the world’s problems by selling us products. Clara Piano discusses what this means...

Segment 1: “Too many non-working holidays?” A 2025 Truth Social post from President Trump resurfaced in the lead up to Labor Day this year. In the post, he writes that America has “too many non-working holidays.” He’s not the first to express such a sentiment – some people, even well-meaning Catholics, can fall into the trap of thinking that a work-rest balance is a sign of sloth. Marcus looks at...

Segment 1: “If your brother sins against you” (2 segments) In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus lays out the steps for how we should respond when someone does us wrong. We unpack the readings with Rob Corzine. Segment 2: The Real Legacy Of Gloria Steinem (2 segments) Glowing obituaries are pouring in after the death of feminist icon Gloria Steinem, It is hard to overstate her influence upon Western wome...