Ave Maria in the Afternoon

In today’s First Reading, Elijah meets a widow who is near starving and asks her to make him a meal. He promises her that her oil jug and flour pot will never run empty. Marcus reflects on the readings. 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

Have you ever seen an adult behaving badly and wondered if they were ever disciplined as a kid? Childhood discipline has lifelong effects – and not just on how we behave. It also predicts the way we resolve conflicts as adults. We discuss Discipleship Discipline with Dr Greg Popcak. Further Reading Catholic Households on Mission Guest Info Dr Greg Popcak is the founder and director of CatholicCoun...

Critical Theory has become firmly entrenched among modern political and social thinkers. The greatest challenge we have as Christians in confronting this philosophy is the social sins of the past and CT’s seductive promise to eradicate all injustice by destroying hierarchies of dependency. Michel Therrien has more. Further Reading Critical Theory and the Politics of Divine Love, Part 1 Critical Th...

No work of Christian theology has left such an impact on the world and biblical interpretation and understanding as St. Augustine’s “City of God.” We who read the Bible do so, often unknowingly, through the eyes of the bishop of Hippo. Paul Krause joins us with more. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit avemariapm...

Social media, the internet and other technologies give us an access to communication and information that our ancestors never could have dreamed of. And yet, we communicate worse than ever. Marcus reflects. 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 book of Genesis is a deeply mysterious work, introducing the entire story of salvation history. Dr Mary Healy joins us to dive into its meaning. 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

Marcus shares some reflections on today’s readings and the Beatitudes. 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

Dante’s Divine Comedy is one of the great works of Western literature. We unpack what it means for today with Bill Cook. 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

Many people will have heard of the French Resistance, the name given to the various underground organizations that fought against the Nazis during the German occupation of France in World War II. Few, however, will be aware of another “French Resistance,” a century and a half earlier, in which around 170,000 people died. This was the Vendée Uprising of 1793. Joseph Pearce tells the story. This is...

On June the 8th of 1949, George Orwell published 1984. Nearly eight decades later, the book is still unpleasantly fresh. It's a diagnosis that was given before our society was even willing to admit it's sick, and much of what he said turned out to be true. 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 avem...

The psalter is the true prayerbook and hymnal of the people of God. Throughout the centuries, its words have ever been on the lips of the faithful. The fathers rightly called it the treasury of David, for it contains precious jewels of piety and doctrine. Today, however, many have difficulty penetrating its meaning. Philip Primeau helps us break down the psalms. Further Reading Read This If You Do...

This Sunday we celebrate the great Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Jesus. Jesus declares that He is the living bread come down from Heaven, causing quarreling and confusion among the Jewish leaders. 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...

We all have that certain person in our families, at work, or in our social circles that just rubs us the wrong way. Dr. Ray Guarendi joins us with helpful tips and practical strategies for navigating these relationships more fruitfully. Further Reading How To Get Along with Almost Everybody Guest Info Dr Ray Gaurendi is the author of many books, most recently How To Get Along with (almost) everybo...

We live in a culture that spent the past 60 years telling women marriage is slavery, motherhood is social death, homemaking is wasted talent, and sexuality should not be restrained. But in recent fiction we are seeing a strange popularity of men who serve, protect, wait, and sacrifice for a woman. Marcus has more. Further Reading Gen Z and Men Who Yearn This is a public episode. If you would like...

Today is the anniversary of two significant events in Marcus’ life: his baptism into the church, and the death of his unborn daughter Cora. He share some reflections on death, rebirth and grief. 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

God created us with restless hearts. We want more than this world can give us –we desire a love that will not fail, a peace that passes all understanding, and a home that cannot be taken from us. Christ opens His Sacred Heart to us to fulfill these desires. Leonard DeLorenzo has more. Further Reading The Rule of the Sacred Heart: Finding Rest in a Restless World Guest Info Leonard J. DeLorenzo, Ph...

Washington archbishop Cardinal Robert McElroy has removed Msgr. Stephen Rossetti from his role as the Archdiocese exorcist following comments Rossetti made linking alleged UFO sightings to demonic activity. Matthew Bunson has more on this and other Church news. Further Reading Archdiocese of Washington removes prominent exorcist over remarks linking UFOs to demonic activity Traditional Latin Mass...

Today marks the anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. For decades, Chinese authorities have successfully censored the events of that day from their citizens, relying on various methods to remove mentions of it from the Chinese internet. But cracks are appearing in the Great Firewall, and more young Chinese people are learning the truth. Marcus has more. Further Reading Despite censors...

As we prepare to celebrate the timely Solemnity of Corpus Christi, we should focus again on how the Eucharist is a spiritual weapon. Tom Nash joins us. Further Reading Eucharistic Adoration: A Neglected Spiritual Weapon Guest Info Tom Nash has served the Church professionally for more than 35 years, including as a theology advisor at the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN). He is a staff apolog...

Catholics who sometimes worry that the Church is no longer sufficiently bold in its preaching of the Gospel might at least derive some comfort from its buildings. Sacred buildings stand a long time and carry on the convictions of those bolder folks who came before us. Michael Pakaluk has more. Further Reading Books in Stone Guest Info Michael Pakaluk, an Aristotle scholar and Ordinarius of the Pon...

Wycliffe Bible Translators recently announced that they have translated the Bible into its 800th language, as translations increase at an exponential rate. In the last five years, more than half a billion people have gained access to the Scriptures in their native language. And no matter the language, God’s truth remains constant. Marcus has more. Further Reading Wycliffe celebrate the 800th langu...

Before the “polarization” and the “fractured republic” reality made it impossible to ignore our present condition, Jean Bethke Elshtain was sounding the alarm in the 1990s. She wrote that “If we have lost the sturdiness and patience to sustain our society over the long haul, then our democracy, as a social world and a culture, is in trouble.” Today we are all familiar with this behavior she descri...

Social media has once again managed to do what nearly every modern invention eventually does – it has turned an ancient human reality into a channel for public validation. In this case, it’s grief. “Grief Tok” has become a prominent subject on Tiktok, with influencers sharing stories of unimaginable loss with their followers. Marcus takes a closer look. Further Reading No One Understood Her Grief,...

In a May 20 settlement that should send shockwaves through every child welfare agency still clinging to gender ideology mandates, the state’s Department of Children, Youth, and Families agreed to a permanent injunction barring officials from denying or restricting foster care licenses based on applicants’ religious beliefs about marriage, gender, or sexual relationships. Andrea Picciotti-Bayer has...

It’s been a little over a year since Pope Leo’s papacy began. Gregory Grimes shares his impressions of what Leo has done and said so far. Further Reading The Spirit of St. Augustine: Reflecting on the Major Themes of Pope Leo’s First Year Guest Info Gregory Grimes is Associate Instructor in Fundamental and Systematic theology at Villanova University. This is a public episode. If you would like to...