Ave Maria in the Afternoon Full Hours

Ave Maria in the Afternoon Year in Review Segment 1: Pope Francis’ Funeral: A View from Rome The biggest Church news story of the year was, by far, the death of Pope Francis and election of Pope Leo. We look back on our conversation with Matthew Bunson, who was reporting from Rome as thousands of pilgrims prepared for Pope Francis’ funeral. Segment 2: Marcus’ Monologue: Even Death Bows before a Ch...

Segment 1: Fr Jim Rolph Reflects on Discipleship and Suffering (2 segments) Fr Jim Rolph is a dynamic young priest in the Diocese of Lansing who has embraced the Cross of Jesus, yet radiates the joy of the Lord. He shares his story of discipleship and suffering Segment 2: The Power of Everyday Holiness (2 segments) Christian sanctity is far nearer and far more beautiful than we think. From mothers...

Ave Maria in the Afternoon Year in Review Segment 1: From maintenance to mission: A bishop’s vision for the Church Although we have seen some signs of resurgence in Church attendance, overall numbers are still on the decline. The Church needs to shift its mindset from one of maintenance to one of mission, taking cues from St. Paul and the early disciples. Bishop Robert Gruss of Saginaw has more. S...

2025 Ave Maria in the Afternoon Year in Review Segment 1: Facebook Employees Compare Themselves to Drug Pushers Recently unsealed court documents show employees at Facebook’s parent company Meta were aware of the adverse effects social media has on kids’ mental health, calling Instagram a “drug” and referring to themselves as “pushers.” Marcus has some thoughts. Segment 2: Matthew’s Gospel – the K...

2025 Ave Maria in the Afternoon Year in Review Segment 1: The Blood of a Fallen Patriot Charlie Kirk’s murder did not happen in a vacuum. He died because he stood for truths that our culture increasingly rejects. Marcus has more. Segment 2: Making Sense of Sirach (3 segments) In the grand scheme of Scripture, the Book of Sirach is often overlooked. But it is a treasure trove of enduring wisdom tha...

Segment 1: The Body Reveals the Person: A Catholic Response to the Challenges of Gender Ideology Bishop Daniel Thomas of Toledo has released a document that will help teachers and parents understand and respond to the issue of gender ideology. He joins us to discuss it. Segment 2: My child is an addict – what can I do? (3 segments) Addiction is a sickness that touches us all. Whether it be alcohol...

Segment 1: Israel’s Right to Exist The Jews are history’s most unlikely survivors. For centuries, different empires have tried to eradicate the Jewish people – but to no avail. Marcus looks at the story through the lens of accusations of Genocide in Gaza. Segment 2: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald (3 segments) This year marks the 50th anniversary of the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, a...

2025 Ave Maria in the Afternoon year in review Segment 1: Life in Afghanistan under the Taliban (2 Segments) The Taliban have set up a ministry for the “propagation of virtue and prevention of vice” in Afghanistan. The rules include dozens of standards for dress code and how women may conduct themselves in public, with severe punishments for violating the rules. Luma Simms joins us to discuss the...

2025 Ave Maria in the Afternoon Year in Review Segment 1: “Shopping for Sperm” (2 segments) A recent Newsweek cover story entitled “shopping for sperm” explores an online “baby boom” being created by an unregulated sperm market. Single women and same-sex couples are pursuing pregnancy through people they find online. We take a look at this strange story with Andrew Kubick. Segment 2: Four lies tha...

2025 Ave Maria in the Afternoon Year in Review Segment 1: The Limits of “Cultural Catholicism” (2 Segments) There are plenty of countries, especially in the West, that would be considered “culturally Catholic.” Their citizens know the basic tenants of the faith and observe the major feasts. But their practice of the faith does not have a transforming effect on their lives. Such cultural Catholicis...

Segment 1: The Christmas that Changed America: Washington’s Surprise Attack On a freezing Christmas night in 1776, General George Washington led a bedraggled group of soldiers across the Delaware River before a surprise attack on a garrison of Hessians at Trenton. This pivotal victory saved the fledgling Revolution and changed the course of American Independence. Marcus has more. Segment 2: A Cult...

Segment 1: Me First” and the Collapse of American Values (2 segments) For most of American history, putting family first was not just a private choice; it was a deep expression of American identity. But that seems to have changed. A new survey of more than 90,000 correspondents found that only 48% of Americans ranked family as a top-five value in their lives, and only 11% ranked it as their top pr...

Segment 1: Pope Leo calls for a “more missionary” curia In an address today to the Roman Curia, Pope Leo called on Church leaders to be “more mission-oriented” and cautioned against the “forces of division” that can take root in the Church. Doug Keck joins us to discuss his comments. Segment 2: Bethlehem Then and Now: Christmas in Context (3 segments) Bethlehem is more than a name on the page. It...

Segment 1: Dostoyevsky and the Human Person In 1849, Fyodor Dostoyevsky stood before a firing squad fully prepared for death, only to have his sentence revoked at the last moment. But this near brush with death gave him unique credibility for writing about life. Marcus has more. Segment 2: How the Christmas Truce Defied Assumptions of Warfare On Christmas Eve of 1914, the guns of the Great War’s W...

Segment 1: “And they shall name him Emmanuel” (2 segments) In this Sunday’s readings, we hear multiples stories of people who received direct messages from God and responded. In both the Gospel and the First Reading, we hear of the coming of a baby named Emmanuel. We unpack the readings with Rob Corzine. Segment 2: IVF and the Dangers of “Made-to-Order” Babies (2 segments) The question of IVF rema...

Segment 1: Marcus’ Monologue: Narcissus Marries Himself A young woman in Japan recently made headlines for “marrying” her AI-generated boyfriend. Wearing a wedding dress and virtual-reality goggles, she walked down the aisle and exchanged vows with a virtual image powered by Chat GPT. It’s an example of a culture craving for frictionless affirmation – relationships completely free of challenge or...

Segment 1: Pope Leo appoints new Archbishop of New York (2 segments) Pope Leo has tapped Bishop Ronald Hicks of Joliet, Illinois to be the next Archbishop of New York following the retirement of Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who has served America’s second-largest Archdiocese since 2009. We get to know him with Dr Matthew Bunson. Segment 2: Christ fulfills the Messianic Prophecies (2 segments) The Old T...

Segment 1: The Modern Misinterpretations of the Christmas Story “Mary was an unwed mother.” “Joseph was merely Jesus’ foster father.” “The Holy Family were illegal immigrants in Egypt” You’ve probably already heard these claims in the days leading up to Christmas, as people attempt to fit the story of Christmas into a modern mold. But it doesn’t work that way. Marcus has more. Segment 2: A new app...

Segment 1: Little Sisters of the Poor Return to Court The 14-year legal battle against federal contraceptive mandates will continue, with Little Sisters of the Poor and the federal government seeking to reinstate moral and religious exemptions that were established in 2017. Andrea Picciotti-Bayer has the details. Segment 2: Truthly puts the Faith at your Fingertips Truthly is a groundbreaking Cath...

Segment 1: Marcus’ Monologue: The Beauty of O Antiphons (2 segments) In the final days of Advent, the Church entreats us to the O Antiphons – short chants used during Vespers that are deeply set in Scripture and tradition. Marcus plays them and examines their deeper meaning. Segment 2: What’s happening with the German and American bishops? (2 segments) In his travels, George Weigel has found that...

Segment 1: Jane Austen Revitalizes the Culture (2 segments) Today is the 250th birthday of novelist Jane Austen. We talk about how her beloved characters speak to today’s culture with Henry Russell. Segment 2: The Digital Delusion: How Technology is Hurting our Students (2 segments) Laptops, tablets, smartphones and other tech products were supposed to make learning easier. They would enhance our...

Segment 1: Trump’s Missed Opportunity for Unification In a post reacting to the death of director Rob Reiner, President Trump seemingly linked the murder to Reiner’s political leanings. Reiner was a vocal progressive and frequent critic of Trump, and Trump wrote his death was due to the anger Reiner caused others with his “Trump Derangement Syndrome.” Marcus discusses how this was a missed opportu...

Segment 1: The Bill of Rights and the Source of our Rights The Bill of Rights was ratified on this day in 1791. Doug Keck joins us to discuss the source of our rights Segment 2: Jimmy Lai convicted, faces life in prison Jimmy Lai was found guilty today of multiple violations of China’s national security laws. He has not been formally sentenced, but is likely facing life in prison. Benedict Rogers...

Segment 1: Illinois Legalizes Assisted Suicide Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has signed a bill legalizing assisted suicide in the state. Wes Smith has the details. Segment 2: Winning the War on Advent Cultural commentators frequently speak of the “War on Christmas.” And there certainly is a long trend of secularizing the season, where Christ is replaced by Santa and gifts. But Joseph Vukov sees an...

Segment 1: Advent and Our Lady of Guadalupe Bishop Daniel Thomas from the Diocese of Toledo joins us to discuss growing closer to Christ during Advent as well as Our Lady of Guadalupe and the pro-life mission. Segment 2: “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” (2 segments) In this Sunday’s Gospel, the imprisoned John the Baptist sends messengers to Jesus to inquire if he i...