Ave Maria in the Afternoon Full Hours

``This is the King of the Jews.`` This Sunday we conclude the Church year with the Solemnity of Christ the King. Ironically, the Gospel reading celebrates the Kingship of Christ by telling the story of His death. We unpack the readings. The Theology of Christ’s Kingship The New Testament is saturated with language about Christ’s Kingship and how it fulfills the prophecies of the Old Testament. It...

Marcus’ Monologue: Christ, the King of American Catholics The Feast of Christ the King can sound awkward to a nation that was founded on the rejection of earthly kingships. But accepting Christ’s kingship over our lives can actually make us better citizens. Marcus has more. Marcus’ Monologue: The Failures of Modern “Kings” On social media yesterday, President Trump posted that a group of Democrati...

Why the lower courts matter for religious liberty Most religious liberty battles never reach the Supreme Court, so it’s important to pay attention to what is happening in the lower courts. Cases currently under review in the federal courts of appeal will have immediate impact on the lives of many Americans and can offer important legal roadmaps for courts addressing similar issues in the future. A...

Confronting the False God of Addiction Addiction is much more than a psychological or physical problem – it is a spiritual problem, because in our addictions we create an altar for a false god. Dr Greg Popcak joins us with advice for confronting this problem. Studio Spotlight: Hope and Healing for Addiction We all know people who are bearing the cross of addiction, but there is hope. Keaton Dougla...

Marcus’s Monologue: America First? America Only? The slogan “America First” has a long and tangled history. It’s been revived in recent years, and is being taken as far as “America Only” as voters feel their country’s policies have served everyone except themselves. What does Catholic Social Teaching have to say about this approach? The answer may surprise you – Marcus discusses. I Chased Everythi...

The Primacy of Christ Another Church year is already coming to a close and this Sunday we will celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King. At times of such political and cultural upheaval, it’s a blessing to have this reminder that Christ remains on the Throne, holding primacy over all. Doug Keck joins us. How to be “REVIV3D” in Christ Feeling overwhelmed? Want to be Revived in Christ? The REVIV3...

Marcus’s Monologue: Jesus Christ, Lord of History Somewhere along the way, our culture lost sight of the most basic truth – that Jesus Christ is the lord over history. Thinkers like Christopher Dawson have been champions of this truth. Marcus has more. Catholic university faculty must uphold Catholic values The University of Notre Dame has updated its staff values, which no longer include “accepta...

Unpacking the Readings As we near the end of the Church year, our readings at Mass are focusing on the end of life and resurrection of the body. Rob Corzine joins us. (Please note – due to a miscommunication, the readings discussed in this segment are not for this Sunday. We apologize for the mixup.) Listen to this Segment A Hebrew Catholic Perspective on Acts The Book of Acts is widely recognized...

Marcus’s Monologue: Restoring Wonder On November 14, 1889, a young journalist named Nellie Bly set off on a voyage to circumnavigate the world in less than 80 days, following in the footsteps of Jules Verne’s Phileas Fogg. At the time, limitations in technology made the world feel much bigger than it does today. And today we’ve lost much of our sense of wonder for the world around us. Marcus has m...

Bishops conclude annual Fall Assembly The USCCB has concluded its annual Fall Assembly. Matthew Bunson reports from Baltimore. Links for this Segment U.S. bishops pass directive forbidding transgender surgeries at Catholic hospitals Sister Mary Michael, last of Mother Angelica’s founding nuns, dies at 94 America’s bishops express opposition to indiscriminate mass deportations Bishop Rhoades electe...

Marcus’s Monologue: The Certainty of Death and Taxes Benjamin Franklin famously declared that nothing in life is certain except for death and taxes. It’s an appropriate quote for our modern day, when our overabundance of choice makes it feel like nothing is certain at all. Marcus has more. 10 Battles Every Catholic should Know – The Dreadful Day at Manzikert Throughout history, battles have been f...

Nigerian schoolgirl Leah Sharibu still captive 7 years later Leah Sharibu is a young Nigerian girl who was kidnapped by Boko Haram militants in February 2018. Nearly eight years later, she is still in captivity, because she has refused to renounce her Christian faith. Andrea Picciott-Bayer has more on her story. Links for this Segment Nigerian schoolgirl Leah Sharibu still captive 7 years later: W...

Marcus’s Monologue: Nick Fuentes and the rise of the Woke Right The continued popularity of figures such as Tucker Carlson, Nick Fuentes and Candace Owens and the growing faction known as the “Woke Right” is one of the strangest spectacles in contemporary public discourse. What began as a resistance to identity politics has curdled into its own version of extremism. Marcus has more. Links for this...

Belarus pardons 2 Catholic priests after talks with Vatican Two Catholic priests in Belarus will be released from prison in an act of “goodwill” after national leaders engaged in talks with the Vatican. Matthew Bunson has the details on this and other Church news. Links for this Segment Belarus pardons 2 Catholic priests after talks with Vatican World’s tallest Our Lady of Fátima monument inaugura...

Marcus’ Monologue: Nuremberg and the Meaning of the Law The Nuremberg trials began on this day in 1945. After years of devastation at the hands of the Axis powers, something more than vengeance was required. No civil code at the time was sufficient – so the Allies relied on something greater. Marcus discusses. The Church as an Antidote to Despair Bishop Robert Barron and Cardinal Gerhard Muller re...

Marcus’ Monologue: A Loving, Truth-Centered approach to LGBT Ministry St. Mary Student Parish in Ann Arbor will reportedly host an “LGBT Yoga” retreat soon. What is a loving, faithful response when Church officials misrepresent what the Church teaches? Marcus discusses. German Identical Twins Receive Death on Demand Alice and Ellen Kessler, German twin sisters and dancers who were famous across Eu...

U.S. bishops elect Archbishop Paul S. Coakley as USCCB president The USCCB has elected Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City to serve as its next president, with Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsville, Texas serving as vice-president. Coakley has a history of promoting a culture of life, opposing gender ideology, and supporting migrants. Matthew Bunson joins us with a live report from Baltimore. H...

Marcus’s Monologue: The Mayflower Compact’s Catholic Worldview As the Mayflower lay at anchor in Cape Cod, Pilgrim leaders signed the Mayflower Compact, the first governing document of Plymouth Colony. This short document is laden with profound truths about the role of religion in the world. Marcus has more. Sing a ‘News’ Song unto the Lord Secular newscasts continue to overlook or ignore the spir...

Pope Leo Warns of Online Addictions In a special video message on Friday, Pope Leo warned about how excessive internet use is fueling the continued rise of addictions such as pornography and gambling. Doug Keck joins us with more. Marcus’s Monologue: Vatican Conference Explores the Benefits and Dangers of AI Last week Marcus attended a conference at the Vatican where scholars and theologians gathe...

Marcus’s Monologue: ``Remember, Remember the Fifth of November`` Every year, British citizens celebrate Guy Fawkes Day, in commemoration of the failed Gunpowder Plot to blow up Parliament. For generations after Fawkes’ execution, English identity was centered on opposition to Rome – with disastrous results. Marcus has more. The Emergence of the Post-Liberal Catholic Priest A major recent survey su...

Jesus Cleanses the Temple In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus famously drives the salesmen and money-changers out of the Temple, and then says that if the Temple is destroyed, He will raise it up. We unpack the readings with Rob Corzine. Why Contraception is Evil Before one can fully understand why the Church teaches that contraception is intrinsically evil, one must first comprehend the true meaning o...

What St Paul says about the Church and the Jews Regardless of how we feel about political talking points, the Church has made clear where she stands on her relationship with the Jewish People. We talk more about what the Church has said, from St. Paul to Nostra Aetate, with Andre Villeneuve. The Ethical Implications of Artificial Intelligence Pope Leo has already made AI a focus of his papacy and...

Marcus’ Monologue: The Catholic Answer to the Jewish Question The Vatican II document Nostra Aetate is the hinge of Catholic reflection on Judaism and clarifies what Scripture has always said about the Church’s relationship with the Jewish people. Marcus reflects more on what it says. Listen to this Segment The Roman Empire and the Rise of the West The classic saying “all roads lead to Rome” still...

Fr Jim Rolph Reflects on Discipleship and Suffering Fr Jim Rolph is a dynamic young priest in the Diocese of Lansing who has embraced the Cross of Jesus, yet radiates the joy of the Lord. He shares his story of discipleship and suffering. Listen to this Segment Rise Up to become the man you were made to be Like so many men, Jonathan Edwards vowed to be a better person, husband and father time and...

Parenting as a Spiritual Exercise As parents, our primary goal is to help our kids grow in their faith and become the person God created them to be. But in doing so, we should also grow in our own relationship with God. Dr. Greg Popcak has more. Listen to this Segment Faith of the Fathers: A History of Civil War Chaplains More than one hundred Catholic priest-chaplains served during the American C...