Ave Maria in the Afternoon

Christians have every cause to find unity during Holy Week, especially when we remember Jesus’ high priestly prayer that we all may be one. There is no greater unifying reality that identifies a Christian more than our belief in the Passion, Death and Resurrection of our Lord. Charlie Self has more. Guest Info Dr. Charlie Self is an author, adviser, pastor and professor with more than 40 years of...

A 25-year-old woman was recently euthanized in Spain over the objections of her parents. This should come as a stark warning to us in the US. Do you have a plan for your loved ones and yourself? Dr. Kristin Collier will be speaking on this matter next month at OLGC in Plymouth. She joins us with more. Further Reading Murder is Not “Death with Dignity” Over Parents’ Objections, 25-Year-Old Woman Eu...

On Tuesday of Holy Week, Jesus walked back into Jerusalem, and along the road, the disciples saw the fig tree mentioned in yesterday’s readings dried up and dead. It’s why the Tuesday of Holy Week is known as Fig Tuesday. The fig tree matters because in scripture, Israel is often described through vineyard and fig imagery. Marcus has more. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss thi...

The moral tradition of the Church has always held that there are certain acts that by their nature are sinful. No circumstance can justify them. Questions arise in situations like Chapter 8 of Pope Francis’ Amoris Laetitia. Was he recommending situational exceptions to moral norms or a more sympathetic pastoral approach to people who find themselves in these situations? Richard Doerflinger joins u...

March 27 marked the 10th anniversary of Mother Angelica’s death on Easter Sunday, 2016. We remember her with Doug Keck. Guest Info Doug Keck is emeritus president and COO of EWTN and the host of EWTN Bookmark. 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

We all know the story of Christ’s Passion. But have we ever really stopped to think about the people and places that appear in the story? What did they look like? What is the significance of details we hear about the Agony in the Garden or the trial before Pilate? We take a virtual tour of Christ’s Passion with Steve Ray. Further Reading Jesus Was Crucified Naked Do the Gospels Conflict? How Long...

On the Monday after Palm Sunday, Jesus rose from Bethany and he went again into Jerusalem. What he did that day was priestly and he began enacting his Messianic vision. 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

In his Palm Sunday homily, Pope Leo condemned war and the use of religion to justify violence, and stated that Jesus “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them, saying: ‘Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen: Your hands are full of blood.’” His comments deserve a careful and nuanced response; Marcus unpacks the viral moment. This is a public episode. If...

Fulton Sheen’s beatification is finally moving forward. He’s well-known for his extensive writings and teachings, but one contribution that is sometimes overlooked is his refutation of Communism. We’ll look at the book with Paul Kengor. Further Reading A Pope, a President and a Bishop: John Paul II, Ronald Reagan and Fulton Sheen Communism and the Conscience of the West Guest Info Paul Kengor is E...

This Sunday we enter into Jerusalem with Jesus and follow His paths through Holy Week down the road to Calvary. They’re among the most important readings of the year, and we’ll unpack them with Rob Corzine. Guest Info Rob Corzine is 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 acce...

Schools across the country are increasingly limiting students’ access to smartphones, or banning them altogether, as studies show the negative impacts phones have on mental health and classroom performance. But there is another reason we should limit kids’ access to smartphones: their effect on our political culture. It is looking increasingly like smartphones and social media are leading our cult...

Was the American founding an Enlightenment invention or organic development of liberty? Liberal or conservative? Secular or Christian? American conservatives traditionally answered “both” to these questions. More recently, new movements on the Right-from national conservatives to neo-integralists to post-liberals to Christian nationalists-have challenged this conviction. Some even dismiss the foun...

Two recent stories out of Europe highlight just how far the Continent is going down the road to Secularism. In Finland, a Christian member of Parliament has been convicted for expressing her Christian beliefs on marriage. And in Belgium, a radio host said his countrymen wouldn’t be offended by the smashing of a Marian statue because “we’re not a very religious country.” Marcus has more. Further Re...

Pope Leo XIV has called for renewed unity in the Church’s liturgical life, urging French bishops to seek “concrete solutions” to include Catholics attached to the Traditional Latin Mass while preserving communion. Matthew Bunson has more on this and other Church news. Further Reading Pope Urges Liturgical Unity, Inclusion of Traditional Latin Mass Faithful Cardinal says Church cannot “continue to...

Do we fully embrace the mysteries of Holy Week? Or are we like the people waving palms, mere bystanders along the Via Dolorosa? We talk more about the meaning of Holy Week with Bishop Daniel Thomas. Guest Info The Most Reverend Daniel E. Thomas is presiding Bishop in the Diocese of Toledo. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus epi...

On the road to Damascus, St. Paul was transformed from one of the most zealous persecutors of Christians into one of the greatest apostles in history. Like all of us, he experienced suffering, weakness, and hardships, but amid these trials during his heroic mission trips, visions, and near-death escapes, he felt the strength of God’s grace sustaining him and urging him forward. We talk more about...

Though the power of the #MeToo movement peaked long ago, the Left’s cancellation machine kicked into gear this past week. After a New York Times article claimed that Cesar Chavez abused women and girls in the 1960s and 1970s, the Left lost no time in immediately covering up or taking down statues, erasing the Hispanic labor leader’s name from monuments and holidays, and calling for schools and str...

Michael Knowles has been widely praised for comments he delivered at a recent Heritage Foundation event, highlighting the many Catholic influences on the thought of the Founding Fathers. He’s certainly right, but when we treat his observations as something novel we betray our own historical ignorance. We must not overlook the Catholic heritage of this nation. Marcus has more. This is a public epis...

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Annunciation. Mary’s simple act of obedience changed the course of world history and is a key part of Marian devotion. We discuss why Mary is important with Rachel Fulton Brown, who also looks at examples of Franciscan devotion to Mary. Further Reading Book: Mary and the Art of Prayer: The Hours of the Virgin in Medieval Christian Life and Thought Rachel’s b...

It’s no secret that we are inhabiting a moment in which digitalization is reshaping our world at an unprecedented pace. Day by day, screens, algorithms, and infrastructures of virtual reality are becoming the dominant frame through which we move through the world. The question is no longer whether technology shapes us, but what kind of human beings it is shaping us into. Matthew Ramage joins us. F...

Catholic leaders in one of India’s most populous states are demanding the repeal of a new law that criminalizes religious conversion — the 13th such measure enacted across the country under the ruling Hindu-nationalist government. We talk more about India’s anti-conversion measures with Chad Bauman. Further Reading Catholic bishops demand repeal of India state’s anti-conversion bill Anti-Christian...

The recent National Catholic Prayer Breakfast was a celebration of Catholicism’s contributions to the nation and liberty. Andrea Picciotti-Bayer was there and gives us a look. Further Reading National Catholic Prayer Breakfast: An Invigorating Respite in a City Rife With Intrigue Guest Info Andrea Picciotti-Bayer is a legal analyst for EWTN News. She also directs the Conscience Project. Follow her...

For 30 years, Kermit Gosnell operated out of an abortion clinic with conditions so disturbing it was nicknamed the “house of horrors” after law enforcement raided the clinic that had gone unchecked. We talk more about his crimes with Monica Miller. Further Reading Kermit Gosnell, ‘America’s biggest serial killer,’ dies in prison ‘Face to face with evil’: The story of how we met abortionist Kermit...

Some Protestant thinkers will tell you that Mary was not “special” - God could have chosen any other young woman to be the mother of Christ. Some will go as far as to say Mary was merely an “incubator” for Jesus. But the Divine choice was infinitely deeper. Mary was never a random girl who stepped into a vacant role. Marcus has more. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with...

Science needs the guidance of faith to present to it the wisdom necessary for its end goal. Christopher Baglow has more. Further Reading Beyond Conflict: Faith and Science in Catechesis and Evangelization, Part 1 Guest Info Christopher Baglow is Director of the Science & Religion Initiative of the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame. He is the author of Faith, Science...