Ave Maria in the Afternoon

The University of Sussex has published a “toolkit” to enable political and legal action to grant “rights” to trees. This is consistent with the radical environmentalist activism seen in many universities, such as Harvard Law, which is now teaching “nature rights” principles and strategies to students. Wes Smith has more. Further Reading University Pushes ‘Tree Rights’ Humanize Podcast Culture of D...

For Andrea Picciotti-Bayer, raising daughters in today’s culture has reinforced a lesson that no policy document can capture: Girls flourish when they are known, loved and accompanied by the people closest to them. No school counselor, no government agency and no ideology can replace the presence of an attentive and loving parent. She joins us. Further Reading Parental Rights Are a Cornerstone of...

Ireland’s patron saint has long been shrouded in legend, but the true story of St. Patrick is far more inspiring than the myths. Philip Freeman joins us to bring the historic Patrick and his world vividly to life. Further Reading St. Patrick of Ireland: A Biography Guest Info Philip Freeman is professor of humanities at Pepperdine University’s Seaver College. He is the author of St. Patrick of Ire...

Ed Clancy of Aid to the Church in Need has an update on how the war in Iran is impacting the area’s Christian population. Guest Info Edward F. Clancy is the outreach director of Aid to the Church in Need-USA 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

It’s easy for Catholics in the West to take for granted the myriad of resources available to them, and their freedom to worship and to express and grow deeper in their faith. During his time in Taiwan, Marcus encountered people who grew up in a society dominated by the Chinese Communist Party, where the human person is merely a cog in the administrative machine. He shares more. Further Reading Why...

Every Archbishop of New York has been Irish by either birth or heritage. Each in their own way, these “sons of Saint Patrick” have been saints and sinners, politicians and pastors, and movers and shakers who have shaped the city and the nation. George Marlin joins us with their stories. Further Reading Sons of Saint Patrick: A History of the Archbishops of New York, from Dagger John to Timmytown A...

Last week Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat scored 83 points in a single game, the second-highest total in NBA history. When asked to describe the moment, he said “Man, I wish I could relive it twice. I credit God, my family, my teammates, this crowd.” It’s common for athletes to thank God in the big moments – crossing themselves after home runs and pointing to the sky after touchdowns. We talk more w...

How did St. Patrick’s Day devolve from a day honoring a heroic missionary to a day associated with binge drinking and debauchery? In his youth, Marcus struggled with alcohol. He reflects on the association St. Patrick’s Day has with binge drinking, what the church says about drinking, and how the real St Patrick can be a virtuous model for us all. This is a public episode. If you would like to dis...

The Catholic Church teaches that the grounds for our justification is our interior state of holiness, which God brings about within us when we are initially saved. For a Catholic, God reckons a believer to be justified because he has freely and gratuitously brought about interior state of righteousness in the believer. This stands in contrast to the Reformed tradition of Protestantism, which denie...

When Sister Theres Hong Phuoc Tran teaches mental health workshops at Catholic parishes, schools and religious congregations, she uses a simple verse from Scripture – Mark 12:30 – to illustrate the different components of wellness. She joins us to talk about it. Further Reading America’s Mental Health Crisis and the Religious Sister Who’s Confronting It in California Lovers of the Holy Cross Guest...

One of the deepest wounds of modernity is the loss of a sacramental worldview, leading to a society that sees the material world as either meaningless or utilitarian. Marcus discusses. 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

When Christians of any age or denomination debate the nature of the good life, the soul, or free will, their thought process is based on Aristotelian principles. Though not a Christian himself, Aristotle made full use of general revelation to arrive at deep truths about the nature of God, human identity, and the universe. We explore his thought with Louis Markos. Further Reading From Aristotle to...

In its second interim report issued last month, a Synodal study group continued to talk about a “paradigm shift … in continuity with Vatican II” and labeled homosexuality as an “emerging issue.” Catholic teaching on issues of morality cannot change – so why do some people try to? Richard Spinello joins us. Further Reading Why Catholic doctrine on sexual morality cannot change Guest Info Richard A....

The NCAA Men’s basketball tournament tips off this week, and millions of people have joined the quest for the “Perfect Bracket.” The odds of guessing all 65 matchups correctly are astronomical – roughly 1 in 9 quintillion if you flip a coin on every game, and about 1 in 120 billion if you are knowledgeable about college basketball. But the odds that Jesus “accidentally” fulfilled every Messianic p...

The rift between faith and science seems to grow larger by the day, as many view the modes of thinking in opposition to one another. People often feel forced to choose between the two, with no apparent way of reconciling them. However, the experience of wonder might just hold the key that brings these two seemingly contradictory sides back together. Brian Cranley returns to continue discussion how...

In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus heals a man born blind. He explains to the disciples that the man was not blind due to anyone’s sins, and responds to attacks from the Pharisees for healing on the Sabbath. We unpack the readings with Rob Corzine. Guest Info Rob Corzine is the vice president of programs for St Paul Center for Biblical Theology. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss t...

As a spiritual father to an entire congregation, a priest has a different perspective on fatherhood. Fr. Josh Fons has more. Guest Info Fr. Josh Fons is Parochial Vicar of St Patrick Parish in Brighton. This summer he will assume responsibilities as Parochial vicar of St Thomas Aquinas Parish with the St John Student Center in East Lansing. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss th...

“Beware the Ides of March!” It was on March 15 that Julius Caesar was fatally stabbed, memorialized by Shakespeare with his agonized cry “Et tu, Brute?” Marcus discusses the rise the Roman empire played in the rise of Christianity. 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 Sokoto Caliphate fell in Northern Nigeria on this day in 1903. Marcus grew up in a nation where Sunni Islam was the predominant religion and explains the need to understand how Islam views the idea of a Caliphate. 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 today’s First Reading from Jeremiah Chapter 7, we see God speaking plainly. Using direct, relational language like “listen to my voice” and “walk in all the ways I command you,” He speaks to us on a personal level. This covenantal language binds heaven and earth through fidelity in God. Marcus has more. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get ac...

Artificial Intelligence has become one of the great controversies of our time. Will it inevitably try to overthrow us, as is depicted in so many films? It is simply another tool in our toolbox? Or is it somewhere in between? Thomas Williams is our guest. Guest Info Thomas Williams has served as a commentator on faith, religion and the Vatican for several television news networks, including CBS, NB...

Fr. Dave Pivonka joins us for a wide-ranging conversation on his experiences at Franciscan University of Steubenville, looking at the Catholic meaning of grief, education, and more. Further Reading Living Metanoia Guest Info Father Dave Pivonka, TOR, became president of Franciscan University of Steubenville in 2019. The well-known Catholic speaker and author received his bachelor’s from Franciscan...

Nate Kaji is a senior at Fr Gabriel Richard High School who joins us with a young man’s perspective on the crisis of manhood in our culture. It’s part of our conversation at the upcoming Familiaris Consortio conference, which will further explore Catholic manhood. He and president Joe Jordano join us. Further Reading Register for the conference A Man on Purpose: 10 Rules of Life from a Faithful Fa...

What is happening to the world? Why does it seem like everyone has gone insane? Why are so many things that seemingly everyone believed the day before yesterday suddenly held to be retrograde, hateful, or even criminal? And why are things that everyone seemed to view as lunacy the day before yesterday suddenly taught or even required? J. Budziszewski says it’s time we declared a pandemic of lunacy...

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells His disciples that he has “not come to do away with the Law, but to fulfill it.” In doing so, He deliberately places Himself in the grander covenant story of Israel and the drama of Salvation history. Marcus takes a look. 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