Ave Maria in the Afternoon

In today’s First Reading, we hear the account of Lydia, who was baptized by Paul along with her household and asked Paul to stay in her home. This and the other readings today compel us to ask whether our personal hearts, our families, and our households have been opened up to not just Christ’s messengers, but also to Christ Himself. Is He Lord over every facet of our existence? And if He is not,...

This year is the 250th anniversary of the American founding. Is our country fulfilling the dream its founders laid out? Some critics on both sides of the political spectrum say the founding of America was flawed from the start. Was it? Dr Jerome Foss joins us. Guest Info Dr. Jerome C. Foss is Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs and Core Curriculum at St Vincent College, where he also serv...

This Sunday’s Gospel addresses the vision of the Christian life. If we love Jesus, we will keep His commandments – and Jesus will come to help us. We unpack the readings with Rob Corzine. Guest Info Rob Corzine is the Vice-President of Programs for the St Paul Center for Biblical Theology. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus epi...

Dr. John Grabowski discusses Jesus’ lordship over all areas of life. Guest Info Dr. John Grabowski is a native of Wisconsin and earned his B.A. in theology at the University of Steubenville and his Ph. D. at Marquette University. For the last twenty-six years he has been on the faculty of the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. where he is currently Associate Professor of Moral Theo...

All of the areas of our human existence fall under the auspices of Christ’s Lordship and Godhead. And therefore, we cannot seek to compartmentalize Christ’s Lordship into segments - our political life, our personal life, our profession life, and so on. Marcus has more. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit avemaria...

As a child, Santonio Hill dreamed of playing in the NFL and he was even offered a scholarship to play college football. But God had other plans and it soon became clear He was calling Santonio to the priesthood. Today, he is a Catholic father and speaker. He shares his story. Further Reading Santonio’s website Follow Santonio on Instagram Guest Info Santonio Hill is a dynamic speaker driven by a p...

Pope Leo met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio today to discuss US-Vatican relations and the Iran war. Matthew Bunson gives us an update. Further Reading Pope Leo meets U.S. Secretary of State Rubio amid tensions with President Trump Pope Leo XIV says violence is a last resort, rejects Trump’s claim about supporting nuclear weapons Trump: Rubio’s message to Pope Leo XIV should be ‘Iran cannot ha...

All of us – regardless of our position or place in life, are called to be saints. And there’s no place we can go where God hasn’t preceded us. The Lord is already at work in our world and He wants us to join Him in mission. Marcus reflects with Billy Kangas. Guest Info Billy Kangas is the CEO of Ave Maria Communications. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscr...

We’re excited to be broadcasting this week from the Catholics at the Shore Conference in New Jersey. Chris McMahon tells us more about the event and how the culture is rediscovering the Eucharist. Further Reading Catholics at the Shore Conference Guest Info Chris McMahon is the founder of Catholics at the Shore. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or...

When Sean Corcoran was in college, his girlfriend told him she was pregnant. Despite offers from his family to adopt the child, she chose to have an abortion. She went on a downward spiral, and the school counseling office offered to help her. But when Sean sought out the same help, he was rejected – because abortion “wasn’t a man’s problem.” He’s now devoted his life to fighting that lie, and he...

Today’s readings begin with the Church’s first council, recounted in Acts 15, which addresses the question of circumcision. This presented a major covenantal question for the early Church. And from there, the Gospel recounts Jesus inviting us to abide by the Father’s laws and Remain in His love. Marcus reflects on the readings. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other...

In 2020, Jason Shanks contracted a severe case of Covid-19. Doctors told him he would need to be sedated and there was a chance he would never wake up. He spent the next several minutes writing farewell messages to his children and leaving instructions to his family on how to access his life insurance and other matters. The weeks he spent in the ICU changed him deeply, leading to a very different...

The Supreme Court handed down one of the most consequential First Amendment rulings in years Wednesday, and it did so without a single dissent. It ruled in favor of First Choice Women’s Resource Center, finding that it could not be forced to disclose information about its donors. Andrea Picciotti-Bayer has more. Further Reading You May Have Missed This, But A Notorious American Lobby Lost Big In C...

Has this ever happened to you? You’re trying to put the kids to bed, or rush them out the door in the morning, and they decide it’s the perfect time to stump you with a question on the faith. Steven Hemler joins us with short answers to life’s biggest questions. Further Reading Book: The Busy Parent’s Guide to the Catholic Faith: Short Answers to the Big Questions Catholic Apologetics Institute of...

A report in the Wall Street Journal finds that Chinese billionaires are taking advantage of US Surrogacy laws to father dozens of children. We look at the problems at hand with Jennifer Roback Morse. Further Reading Surrogacy Gone Wild Treats Babies Like Orders to Be Filled Guest Info Jennifer Roback Morse, Ph. D., is founder and president of the Ruth Institute, which helps the victims of the Sexu...

This week marks the anniversary of four separate, yet strangely connected historical events. We remember the Hindenburg disaster, the births of Robespierre and Sigmund Freud, and Stalin’s rise to premier of the Soviet Union. And they all highlight humanity’s ambition to baptize itself with the language of progress while removing God from the public sphere. Marcus has more. This is a public episode...

When Cardinal Robert Prevost was introduced as the first American-born pope, he was virtually unknown. From his opening statement “peace be with you,” he has seemingly made it his mission to heal divisions within the Church and the world. Paul Kengor, author of a definitive new biography on the pope, joins us. Further Reading American Pontiff: Pope Leo XIV and His Plan to Heal the Church Calling t...

Earlier this spring, the US National Debt exceeded 100% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product. James Peregoy of the Ave Maria Mutual Funds gives his analysis on this and other economic news and reflects on investing from a Catholic perspective. Guest Info James Peregoy is a co-portfolio manager and trader for Ave Maria Mutual Funds. Learn more at avemariafunds.com This is a public episode. If yo...

Marriage is sacred, but it is sacred for the work it does. Too many people think that they are preserving the sanctify of marriage by not doing the work that marriage asks them to do. As a result, marriage is treated as a holy relic or sacred knick-knack instead of a sacrament imbued with the power to make saints. Dr. Greg Popcak joins us with more. Further Reading Catholic Households on Mission G...

Dr. Robert Collins was a young, agnostic doctor, quietly enjoying life. But when a “quiet little quasi-mystical experience” jolted him awake, everything changed. He shares his story. Further Reading Book: You Visited Me: Grace and Healing in the Modern Medical Center Guest Info Robert Collins, MD, is a professor of internal medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, where he...

While some are trying to explain away the surge of young people entering the Church, none of them seems to have an explanation for why Catholicism, especially traditional Catholicism, is suddenly popular among Gen Z. John Horvat join us with more. Further Reading Why Are So Many Afraid of the Catholic Revival? Guest Info John Horvat II is vice president of the American Society for the Defense of T...

This week marks two interesting historical anniversaries – the death of Napoleon Bonaparte, and the birth of Maximillian Robespierre. These two icons of the French Revolution represent a stark departure from the original heritage of France. It’s a warning to us because it is easy for any nation to lose sight of its identity. Marcus has more. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss t...

As Christ hung on the cross, he famously cried out to God to “forgive them, for they know not what they do.” As followers of Christ, we are also called to forgive those who wrong us. We discuss the science of forgiveness with Dr. Robert Enright. Further Reading Book: Forgiving as Unity with Christ: A Journey for Healing Resentment and Relationships International Forgiveness Institute Guest Info Dr...

What is going on in the Church in America? Are the recent encouraging signs of revival going to last, or is the Church still losing far more than she is gaining? David Deavel looks at the numbers. Further Reading Is the Church dying or reviving? Guest Info David Paul Deavel is Associate Professor of Theology at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, TX, and Senior Contributor at The Imaginative...

Pope Leo was recently asked to address the continued defiance by the German Church and to weigh in on how the German bishops’ decisions are affecting Unity in the Church. But human sexuality is not “simply” a matter of ethics, as human sexuality is connected to ecclesiology—the nature of the Church in union with Christ. Monica Miller joins us. Further Reading Sex and the Unity of the Catholic Chur...