Ave Maria in the Afternoon

Pope Benedict XVI had a lot to say about Israel. For example, n his poignant address at the Reichstag in Berlin, he highlighted the Church’s “great closeness to the Jewish people” and the “special bond” we share with them as “beloved brothers.” We take a closer look with Dr. Matthew Ramage. Further Reading What Benedict XVI taught us about Israel—and why it matters now Guest Info Matthew J. Ramage...

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 another battle – the War on Advent, when premature Christmas celebrations overshadow the Advent season. He joins us. Links for this Segment The War on Advent Book: Staying Human in an Era of Artificial I...

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has signed a bill legalizing assisted suicide in the state. Wes Smith has the details. Further Reading Assisted Suicide Legalized in Illinois Center on Human Exceptionalism Book: Culture of Death: The Age of Do Harm Medicine Wes’s Humanize Podcast Follow Wes on X Guest Info Wes Smith is the Chair and Senior Fellow at the Discovery Institute’s Center on Human Exception...

The Protestant Reformation did not arise on a whim or in a vaccuum. It was the result of more than a century of cultural and intellectual upheavel. And in the wake of this turmoil, Mary appeared to a young peasant in Guadalupe, Mexico. 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 this Sunday’s Gospel, the imprisoned John the Baptist sends messengers to Jesus to inquire if he is the Messiah. We unpack the readings 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 access to bonus episodes, visit avemariapm.substack.co...

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. Guest Info Bishop Daniel Thomas serves as the 8th bishop of the Diocese of Toledo. He chairs the USCCB’s Pro Life Activities Committee. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access t...

For thousands of years, the sacrifice of Isaac has challenged readers of Scripture to reconcile the God who commands “Thou shalt not kill” with the God who commands Abraham to kill his own son. Can the God who condemns the killing of the innocent be the same God who orders the innocent to be killed? How could God command such a morally abhorrent action? Monica Miller joins us. Guest Info Dr Monica...

A vineyard owner in California has paid tens of thousands of dollars to clone his dog. The cloned animal shares completely identical genetics with the original dog, and it displays an almost eerie physical resemblance. However, it behaves in distinct ways, unique to itself. The story is an example of how we are limited in our ability to control the entire world around us. Marcus has more. This is...

Jacques Maritain was regarded as one of the most prominent Catholic intellectuals during his lifetime and was a spokesman for the Thomistic revival. His philosophy was also essential in the development of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We look at his thought with Jason West. Further Reading Book: The Christian Philosophy of Jacques Maritain Follow Jason on Twitter Guest Info Jason L.A....

As an OB-GYN in training, Dr. John Bruchalski considered abortion to be health care. But that changed when, one night, he was caught between trying to save the life of one unborn baby — and ending the life of another. Our Lady of Guadalupe plays a key role in his story, and he joins us today. Further Reading Book: Two Patients: My Conversion from Abortion to Life-Affirming Medicine What Our Lady o...

Like many medieval Catholic theologians, St. Thomas Aquinas offers a fundamentally ambiguous take on Judaism and the Jewish people. He’s clearly committed to both the importance of the Jews in salvation history, and to the fundamentally flawed practices of Judaism after the coming of Christ. Bruce Marshall joins us with more. Further Reading Book: From Sinai to Rome: Jewish Identity in the Catholi...

America is supposedly a secular country, with separation of church and state, free exercise of religion, and so on. Yet we find ourselves in the middle of what amounts to a religious war. How could this be? John Daniel Davidson joins us. Further Reading America’s Conflicts Are Not Primarily Political Or Ideological, But Religious Guest Info John Daniel Davidson is a senior editor at The Federalist...

The scandal involving University of Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore is the latest example of a successful, prominent man allowing his life to be ruined by sexual infidelity. Marcus discusses how society has been hurt by a lack of virtuous men. 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 historians study battles, or sports analysts study games, they attempt to identify the “turning point” – the moment when the tides turn. With Advent, we prepare for the biggest turning point the universe has ever seen: the Incarnation of the Son of God. David Bonagura joins us. Further Reading Advent: Turning Point Universe Book: 100 Tough Questions for Catholics David’s website Guest Info Da...

The ideological partisanship that is rampaging through our society today can be traced back partially to our educational system. Some students buy into the ideologies of campus classrooms, while others reject it so harshly they end up embracing other forms of extremism. What should we do? Robert P. George joins us. Further Reading A Solution to Campus Extremism Follow Professor George on X Guest I...

As families gather this holiday season, finding entertainment that is both edifying and enjoyable shouldn’t require a culture-war battle. For years, it has. Here’s the good news: Americans are winning. Andrea Picciotti-Bayer has more. Further Reading This Thanksgiving, Choose Movies That Will Bring Your Family Together Guest Info Andrea Picciotti-Bayer is a legal analyst for EWTN News. She also di...

Advent is profoundly eschatological, a reality that grows more apparent as the season reaches its climax. In these days, Holy Mother Church considers Jesus Christ as the Approaching One, who brings into the middle of time not only the spotless light of the Beginning, but also the awesome glory of the End. Philip Primeau joins us. Further Reading Advent and Eschaton Philip’s blog Guest Info Philip...

The Genocide Convention, signed on December 9, 1948, was the first international legal document to codify genocide as a crime. In commemoration of this convention, Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting is sponsoring a forum examining the state of Human Rights in China. Featured speaker Reggie Littlejohn joins us. Further Reading Women’s Rights Without Frontiers Forced Abortions in China: An Inte...

Today is the anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. The world had staggered out of a period in history in which industrialized nations used their technology to achieve a brutality many would have thought unthinkable. From this, the world reached for a moral vocabulary that would clarify human dignity in a way that no legal system could challenge. Marcus h...

Fulton Sheen emerged as a thinker with a capacity for synthesis that astounded his contemporaries. He combined rigorous philosophy and theology in a manner that revealed the Truth to his listeners. Marcus shares some thoughts. 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

Venerable Fulton J. Sheen was one of America’s great spiritual leaders of the last century. His Emmy-winning television shows reached millions and he was a household name throughout the 1950s and 60s. But his greatest gift was in finding the lost sheep. We’ll talk about it with Cheryl Hughes. Further Reading Book: Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen: Convert Maker Fulton Sheen, Convert-Maker Extraordinaire...

Did you find yourself simply “surviving” the stress, chaos, and family tensions of Thanksgiving? Are you already dreading going through it at Christmas? Or did you have a great time and want to make Christmas even better? Dr. Greg Popcak has some tips. Further Reading Catholic Households on Mission Guest Info Dr Greg Popcak is the founder and director of CatholicCounselors.com, a group pastoral te...

For many who have hit the rock bottom of long-term homelessness, the journey from here to there is a web of complications that can’t easily be fixed by any one program or institution. Rachel Ferguson joins us with a personal story of trying to confront the problem of homelessness. Further Reading Universal Basic Community Now! Book: Black Liberation Through the Marketplace: Hope, Heartbreak, and t...

Last week the Trump administration released its National Security Strategy document, which lays out a vision that is “motivated above all by what works for America—or, in two words, ‘America First.’” What are America’s duties to the world, and to herself? David Deavel joins us. Further Reading Living Within Our Means and Getting What We Want—America’s New National Security Strategy Follow David on...

The United States is collaborating with Mexico and Canada to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and Seattle has been planning an “LGBT Pride” theme for the game it will host in late June, to coincide with the city’s Pride Weekend observances. When FIFA officials revealed the tournament groups yesterday, observers quickly realized that the two teams playing in the pride game are Egypt and Iran. Iranian...