Ave Maria in the Afternoon Full Hours

Segment 1: “A Sower went out to Sow”(2 segments) In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus tells the famous Parable of the Sower. Rob Corzine joins us to unpack the readings. Segment 2: Spiritual Fatherhood and the Cost of Discipleship (2 segments) Bishop Jerry Vinke of Salina, Kansas joins us to share his experiences of spiritual fatherhood and how he has seen the Holy Spirit transform lives as we continue...

Segment 1: The Significance of the Scopes Monkey Trial On July 10, 1925, the Scopes Monkey Trial began. The state of Tennessee accused John Scopes, a high school teacher, of violating the Butler Act, which prohibited teaching human evolution in a state-funded school. The trial brought national attention to the Fundamentalist-Modernist Controversy, a debate over the compatibility of Scripture and m...

Segment 1: Pope Leo XIV Continues Reform of Diocese of Rome (2 segments) Pope Leo XIV has named the first moderator of the curia for the Diocese of Rome, as the pontiff continues to reform the diocese’s central organization in the wake of administrative upheaval. Matthew Bunson has more on this and other Church news. Segment 2: Placing Scripture at the Heart of our Lives (2 segments) We must never...

Segment 1: How does the Gospel transform us? (2 segments) It feels perfectly natural to tell friends – and even strangers – about our favorite movie, why our favorite team keeps coming up short, or a new restaurant we just discovered. So why does it sometimes feel so unnatural to share the transforming story of the Gospel? Pete Burak joins us. Segment 2: What is God’s Plan for your Life? (2 segmen...

Segment 1: The Quiet Potential of the Daily ‘Examen’ Do you ever find yourself out sorts doing the summer months, once you get out of the regular routine of the school year? Andrea Picciotti-Bayer has felt this way, and found that incorporating the Examen into her evening routing helped her to find order in the chaos. She joins us. Segment 2: Washington’s Warning to America Benjamin Franklin famou...

Segment 1: The Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells His disciples to go out into the world and proclaim that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. It’s an invitation for us to unite ourselves at the Heart of the Father and center everything on Jesus, the true King. Marcus has more. Segment 2: The Educational Vision of St. John Henry Newman We’ve talked much before about the wisd...

Segment 1: Dept. of Education Cracks Down on Schools for Hiding Students’ Gender Dysphoria from Parents The U.S. Department of Education has announced a major escalation in protecting parents’ rights. In a report published last week, the D.o. E. alleged that a Kansas City school district overstepped major student privacy laws when teachers hid student’s new transgender identities from parents. The...

Segment 1: World Cup spat shows the futility of Identity Politics After French star Kylian Mbappé eliminated her country from the World Cup, a progressive senator from Paraguay unleashed a tirade of racist taunts on social media. Mbappé criticized her, saying she was a “despicable woman who is unworthy of office,” and in response she accused him of sexism and threatened legal action if he didn’t a...

Segment 1: The Problem with Pre-Nups Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift, who were married this weekend, reportedly signed one of the most elaborate prenups ever written. The practice of prenups has skyrocketed in recent years, and there are popular arguments for their use. But they also lay the groundwork for the marriage to fail. Marcus has more. Segment 2: Thomas More’s Advice on Dying Well (3 segmen...

Segment 1: A Father Pleads for his Daughter’s Life Today’s Gospel tells us of two dramatic healings. Jesus heals a sick woman simply by virtue of her touching his cloak, and then He raises the daughter of Jairus. Marcus reflects on the covenantal theme of the readings. Segment 2: Fulani militia now ranked as Nigeria’s deadliest terror group A new six-year report has challenged the widespread belie...

Segment 1: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” (2 segments) In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus promises that we will find rest in Him, for His yoke is easy and His burden is light. We unpack the Sunday readings with Rob Corzine. Segment 2: The Greatest Political Experiment in History (2 segments) The founding of the United States was the greatest political exper...

Segment 1: The Covenantal View of the Founding Fathers The American experiment was, at its root, a bold political covenant—a sacred pledge under God, in view of posterity, that a free people, guided by divine law, could govern themselves according to justice and truth. Marcus has more in this commentary. Segment 2: American History for Kids (2 segments) Tara Ross has written two new books about th...

Segment 1: Vatican excommunicates SSPX bishops (2 segments) The Vatican has issued a decree declaring that the SSPX bishops consecrated yesterday are excommunicated and the group is officially in schism. Furthermore, Catholic clergy and lay faithful are not to adhere to the SSPX’s schism under penalty of excommunication. Matthew Bunson has more. Segment 2: What the Founding Fathers said about the...

Segment 1: What John Adams wrote on July 3, 1776 On July 3, 1776, John Adams wrote a letter to his wife telling her the colonies had passed a resolution declaring their independence. The letter opens a window into Adam’s convictions and his vision for the nation. Marcus shares some thoughts. Segment 2: Huck Finn’s America Turns 250 America’s 250th birthday has arrived, albeit in a time that is som...

Segment 1: Supreme Court Delivers Victories for Parental Rights, Women’s Sports and Free Speech The Supreme Court has closed its books on a consequential term that delivered significant wins for parental rights and free speech, disappointed prisoners seeking to remedy offenses against their religious liberty, redrew the boundaries of executive power and closed with developments that serve as remin...

Segment 1: Why Jesus cast the demons into pigs In today’s Gospel, Jesus casts demons into a herd of pigs. The pigs are a significant symbol in this story, and it has to do with the Jewish understanding of cleanliness. Marcus has more. Segment 2: Continuing Fulton Sheen’s Legacy Fulton Sheen is the greatest preacher in history on the topic of Adoration and the importance of spending time with the K...

Segment 1: The Christian Vision of a Free Government (2 segments) A free and flourishing society needs two things: the rule of law, and freedom. The purpose of government is to secure those two conditions. But the dominant view today is that freedom and law are in opposition to each other. Dr. Adam MacLeod looks at the Christian vision of a free government. Segment 2: Hamilton and Jefferson’s Scho...

Segment 1: What made this nation possible? We are reaching the celebration of the semi-quincentennial anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, and at this crossroads in history we must ask a question. What made this nation possible? Marcus shares some thoughts. Segment 2: Retiring Fijian Priest reflects on healing and mission Fr Kusi Cobona is a Fijian priest who is retiring after more than...

Segment 1: Robert Nisbet: Conservative and Communitarian (2 segments) Though he was not a Christian, Robert Nisbet was closely allied to Christian Humanists and the Christian Humanist movement throughout his life. Dr Brad Birzer looks at his core ideas--of community and conservatism. Segment 2: What would CS Lewis say about Politics? (2 segments) The conventional wisdom has it that C.S. Lewis disd...

Segment 1: Peter, Paul, and the Two Wings of Truth Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. They represent two essential roles of the Church – Peter, the magisterial authority, and Paul the evangelical mandate of the Gospel. The Catholic Church is unique in how she unites the understanding of both these saints as necessary parts of our baptism. Marcus has more. Segment 2: What it...

Segment 1: “Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (2 segments) “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.” These striking words from Jesus are the focus of this Sunday’s Gospel. We unpack the readings with Rob Corzine...

Segment 1: Why can’t a layperson preach the homily? This week the Vatican officially rejected a request from the German bishops to allow laypeople to preach the homily at Mass. Marcus looks at the liturgical significance of the homily and why it is reserved for the clergy. Segment 2: Fusionism – What it Is and What it Isn’t Fusionism is a political philosophy, rooted in the Cold War, that attempts...

Segment 1: SSPX issues declaration of faith (2 segments) The traditionalist Society of Saint Pius X has issued an open letter and a declaration of faith to Pope Leo XIV and the College of Cardinals. The accompanying declaration contains 154 statements defending traditional Church teachings, including on the sacraments, the Virgin Mary, and fidelity to the Traditional Latin Mass. Matthew Bunson loo...

Segment 1: Obedience Shows our Faith In today’s readings, the theme of obedience appears again and again. As the faithful, we are called to a life of moral obedience. In the Gospel, Jesus warns us that “only the one who does the will of my Father” will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Marcus has more. Segment 2: Does Capitalism Destroy Culture? One of the most enduring critiques of capitalism is that...

Heal, Not Harm: The Importance of Free and Virtuous Medicine (2 segments) The First Amendment guarantees the right to express one’s religious convictions both privately and publicly. Naturally, public expression extends to professional life - we mustn’t check our conscience at the door to our workplace. Yet, that is precisely what is expected of many health care professionals. This expectation har...