Ave Maria in the Afternoon

On Saturday we celebrated the Feast of St. Mark. He was a man of the Gospel, a man so devoted to apostolic preaching they called him the son of Peter. He was a missionary to the nations and he was a servant whose evangelical written witness still helps souls engage and encounter Jesus. Marcus has more. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access...

Jesus’ first words to the disciples after his resurrection were “Peace be with you.” This was the fruit of Easter, resolving the two greatest threats to our peace — the internal discord of sin and the existential threat of death itself. Yet, war remains on the earth. Many people have held this up as proof against the coming of the true Messiah. If we look more deeply, however, the peace of Christ...

UK pro-life groups are hailing a great victory as an assisted suicide bill has failed. Despite being billed as inevitable by much of the British media, the legislation stalled in the House of Lords last week. Joanna Bogle joins us with more. Further Reading UK Pro-Life Groups Hail ‘Great Victory’ as Assisted-Suicide Legislation Fails Guest Info Joanna Bogle is a journalist in the United Kingdom. H...

In today’s Gospel, Jesus assures us that He is the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep. He gathers together every soul who wants Him into one household, through the power of the Holy Spirit and the gift of repentance. 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 avemariapm.substack.com

Cardinal Reinhard Marx of Berlin has instructed priests in his archdiocese to introduce a handout “Blessing gives strength to love” as the basis of pastoral care. Pope Leo was asked about the measure on his return from his trip to Africa. We look at the situation with Carl Olson. Further Reading Tenuous unity and problematic blessings in an age of bourgeois love German cardinal instructs priests t...

In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus says he is the gate that leads sheep to pasture. A thief only comes to steal and destroy, while Jesus came to provide us with Abundant life. 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 o...

God’s omnipotence is one of the great mysteries of our faith, hard for human minds to understand. How do we explain this mystery? Even if God’s power is unlimited, doesn’t it seem like there is still something here that calls for explanation? Pat Flynn joins us. Further Reading Does the Demand for Explanation End with God? Book: The Best Argument for God Guest Info Pat Flynn is a philosopher and t...

Human Rights activists in China report that the Chinese Communist Party is increasing its pressure campaign on underground Catholics to join the “official,” state-sanctioned Church. Reggie Littlejohn has the details. Further Reading China Pressures Underground Catholics to Join State Church, Rights Group Says The High Cost of Faith in Xi’s China Today Women’s Rights Without Frontiers Guest Info Re...

Today’s First Reading takes us down the road to Damascus, where Saul – en route to arrest new Christians – is thrown to the ground and confronted by a voice. In this radical encounter, Saul became Paul – a great evangelist for the Church. Saul needed to be conquered by Christ in order to preach Christ. Marcus has more. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscrib...

Michael Pakaluk and his wife live as communists. But they don’t extend that practice outside of their marriage. He explains what that means. Further Reading My Wife and I are Communists Guest Info Michael Pakaluk, an Aristotle scholar and Ordinarius of the Pontifical Academy of St. Thomas Aquinas, is Professor of Political Economy in the Busch School of Business at the Catholic University of Ameri...

In the Gospel of John, Chapter 20, we read that Jesus’ works and miracles were recounted so that we may believe He is the Son of God. Some may think that this faith and belief is simply a matter of trusting in the Lord. But John means it to be more than that. David F. Sherwood is our guest. Further Reading Faith in the Gospel of John as the Content of Truth Guest Info David Francis Sherwood is an...

Today’s readings are bound together by the theme of a father drawing us through His Word into the family. They begin when Philip meets an Ethiopian Eunuch who is studying the Scriptures in search of the Messiah. Marcus has more on what these readings mean. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit avemariapm.substack.c...

For too many of us, life is harder than it needs to be. We have forgotten the ancient system of “super habits” — a specific set of habits for making decisions, managing our emotions, and dealing with other people that fosters lives of greater ease, happiness, and power. Andrew Abela has more. Further Reading Dr. Abela’s blog Book: Superhabits: The Universal System for a Successful Life Guest Info...

There is a lot of discourse on divorce within the Church today, but so much of it exists on the “culture war” plane, either defending or dissenting from Church teaching. Important as these discussions are, divorced Catholics themselves often get lost in the tussle, becoming mere tokens in an ideological back and forth. Philip Campbell has experienced this firsthand, and he joins us. Further Readin...

For many Americans, adulthood no longer follows the predictable flow it once did. CDC data shows overall births falling, but the real concern is a decline in marriages — a trend with profound implications for the life of the Church. Marcus has more. Further Reading The Marriage Crisis Driving America’s Fertility Decline This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscri...

In 1989, the National Infertility and Family Building Association launched an initiative with the stated goal to “empower you and change the conversation around infertility. The annual campaign, now known as National Infertility Awareness Week, is aimed at educating the public, reducing the stigma of infertility, and removing barriers those with infertility face in their journey toward parenthood....

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us that He is the Bread of Life, and whoever believes in Him will never hunger or thirst. How do we respond to this invitation? 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 avemariapm.substack.com

The Supreme Court will take up a case out of Colorado asking whether a state may exclude a religious school from a universal preschool program because the school declines to abandon its beliefs on human sexuality and identity. The case, known as St. Mary Catholic School v. Roy, could shape the place of religion in American life for years to come. Andrea Picciotti-Bayer unpacks it for us. Further R...

This week Donald Trump read from 2 Corinthians 7:14 as part of the America Reads the Bible project. It’s a verse that has long been recognized in American public religion as a national call to prayer, repentance, and healing. And it’s a verse that few modern politicians of any particular persuasion seem to understand. Marcus unpacks the meaning behind the verse. This is a public episode. If you wo...

What does it mean to be human? A simple enough question, right? Until one tries to answer it, or pays careful attention to the host of competing answers in our world. We talk with Thomas Doran. Further Reading Mythology and what it means to be human Guest Info Thomas M. Doran is the author of the Tolkien-inspired Toward the Gleam (Ignatius Press, 2011), The Lucifer Ego , and Kataklusmos (2020). He...

The late Pope Benedict XVI said that “art and the saints are the greatest apologetic for our faith.” This is because they both have the same basic root—beauty. It was the Russian Orthodox novelist and prophet, Fyodor Dostoevsky, who famously said that “beauty will save the world.” This can only be true if there is some essential connection between beauty and the One whom both Benedict and Dostoevs...

Like it or not, Artificial Intelligence is developing on a breakneck pace. But used and developed properly, it still has potential for good use. Marcus has more. Further Reading Taylor Black Sees Endless Possibilities in AI — but Not Without Well-Formed Humans This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit avemariapm.substa...

Last week Gallup released the results of a new poll that finds a significant upsurge in religiosity among young men. While there remains much work to be done, this is also encouraging news - because if we want to create strong, faith-filled fathers who teach Catholic and pro-life beliefs and values to their children, we must first create strong and faith-filled young men. Michael New has more. Fur...

When you hear that Christians are called to build the kingdom of God, what do you think that means? The primary way we build God’s kingdom is not by doing “big things for Jesus,” but rather by working to build strong marriages and family lives. Dr Greg Popcak joins us. Further Reading Catholic Households on Mission Guest Info Dr Greg Popcak is the founder and director of CatholicCounselors.com, a...

In today’s First Reading we hear of the martyrdom of St. Stephen. Before his execution, he boldly addressed the elders in the Temple and provides us with a standard of what Christian witness should look like. 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 avemariapm.substack.com