Ave Maria in the Afternoon Full Hours

Segment 1: “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” (2 segments) In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus invites us to trust in Him and not let our hearts be troubled. He promises us that there is a place being prepared for us in Heaven. We unpack the readings with Rob Corzine. Segment 2: Catholic Converts in light of History (2 segments) There’s a lot that’s unique about modern converts, but in many ways the...

Segment 1: Finding our Sonship in Jesus In today’s readings, we can trace a line from the Book of Acts to the Psalms to the Gospel of John and find an abundant theme of sonship. We become partakers in the Divine Nature by the death, resurrection, enthronement, and return of the Son of God. Marcus has more. Segment 2: Is the Catholic Revival leaving anyone behind? There’s been a lot of excitement a...

Segment 1: DOJ issues new report on eradicating anti-Christian bias in federal government (2 segments) The Department of Justice released a new report on April 30 detailing allegations of anti-Christian bias from former President Joe Biden’s administration. Matthew Bunson has more on this and other Church news. Segment 2: Evangelizing through Myth (2 segments) With so many resources for apologetic...

Segment 1: Jesus Answers the Problem of Sin Today’s readings are connected by Jesus’ covenant promise. The blood of Jesus ultimately answers the problem of our Sin. In the First Reading, Paul lays the foundation for God’s plan, which culminates with the bringing forth of Jesus as the promised savior. Marcus has more. Segment 2: Giving Everything to God The average United States Catholic probably c...

Segment 1: U.S. Supreme Court Allows Pregnancy Center to Protect Donor Info The U.S. Supreme Court said a New Jersey faith-based pregnancy center may challenge a state subpoena demanding donor information. Andrea Picciotti-Bayer has the details. Segment 2: The Death of the Culture of Death? From Iceland to the wider West, falling birthrates and the elimination of the ‘unfit’ reveal a civilization...

Segment 1: The Word of God Grows through Worshipping Disciples The Word of God grows through disciples engaging in liturgical worship. They are then sent by the Holy Spirit so that every nation may walk in the light of Jesus Christ. This theme appears throughout today’s readings, and Marcus shares some thoughts. Segment 2: Pope Leo, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Limits of Dialogue Pope Leo...

Where does our Identity lie? Marcus talks with Deacon Harold (full hour) Marcus and Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers have been on a speaking tour this week, preaching the Gospel across the Midwest. They both find their identities as sons of God and as husbands and fathers – but they also both happen to be black. But the faith they profess in Christ is devoid of color. Deacon Harold joins Marcus for an i...

Segment 1: Are we hearing the voice of the Shepherd? Today’s readings contain an overarching theme of the nations being gathered together by the voice of the Shepherd. How will we respond to the call? Marcus has some thoughts. Segment 2: Surprise, Surprise: Married People are Happier Recent social science data challenges the long-standing cultural and media narrative that married people, especiall...

Segment 1: Alleged White House Dinner Shooter’s Manifesto Reveals Plan Cole Allen, the man who charged a security checkpoint at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday, wrote in a manifesto that he planned to target Trump administration officials “prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest.” Doug Keck joins us to talk about it. Segment 2: “That They May Be One” highlights Christian Unit...

Segment 1: “I am the Good Shepherd” In today’s Gospel, Jesus assures us that He is the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep. He gathers together every soul who wants Him into one household, through the power of the Holy Spirit and the gift of repentance. Marcus has more. Segment 2: Assisted Suicide Bill Fails in UK UK pro-life groups are hailing a great victory as an assisted suicide...

Segment 1: “I came that they might have Abundant Life” (2 segments) In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus says he is the gate that leads sheep to pasture. A thief only comes to steal and destroy, while Jesus came to provide us with Abundant life. We unpack the readings with Rob Corzine. Segment 2: Pope Leo responds to Germans on Same-Sex Blessings (2 segments) Cardinal Reinhard Marx of Berlin has instruc...

Segment 1: Saul is Conquered for Christ Today’s First Reading takes us down the road to Damascus, where Saul – en route to arrest new Christians – is thrown to the ground and confronted by a voice. In this radical encounter, Saul became Paul – a great evangelist for the Church. Saul needed to be conquered by Christ in order to preach Christ. Marcus has more. Segment 2: China Pressures Underground...

Segment 1: Philip Meets the Eunuch Today’s readings are bound together by the theme of a father drawing us through His Word into the family. They begin when Philip meets an Ethiopian Eunuch who is studying the Scriptures in search of the Messiah. Marcus has more on what these readings mean. Segment 2: The Theme of Faith in John’s Gospel In the Gospel of John, Chapter 20, we read that Jesus’ works...

Segment 1: America’s Fertility Crisis is a Marriage Crisis For many Americans, adulthood no longer follows the predictable flow it once did. CDC data shows overall births falling, but the real concern is a decline in marriages — a trend with profound implications for the life of the Church. Marcus has more. Segment 2: 5 Things Divorced Catholics Want You to Know There is a lot of discourse on divo...

Segment 1: A Historic Chance to Strengthen Religious Rights The Supreme Court will take up a case out of Colorado asking whether a state may exclude a religious school from a universal preschool program because the school declines to abandon its beliefs on human sexuality and identity. The case, known as St. Mary Catholic School v. Roy, could shape the place of religion in American life for years...

Segment 1: AI must be founded on a well-formed mind Like it or not, Artificial Intelligence is developing on a breakneck pace. But used and developed properly, it still has potential for good use. Marcus has more. Segment 2: Can True Beauty save the world? The late Pope Benedict XVI said that “art and the saints are the greatest apologetic for our faith.” This is because they both have the same ba...

Segment 1: The First Martyr’s Final Witness In today’s First Reading we hear of the martyrdom of St. Stephen. Before his execution, he boldly addressed the elders in the Temple and provides us with a standard of what Christian witness should look like. Marcus has more. Segment 2: How the kingdom of God originates in the home When you hear that Christians are called to build the kingdom of God, wha...

Segment 1: How Rome Paved the Way for Christianity Legend states that on this day in 753 BC, Romulus founded the city of Rome. Roman religion from its earliest phases relies heavily on the concept of discerning the will of the gods. Once again, you’ve got these pre-Christian appeals to divine providence, the hand of God. Marcus has more thoughts. Segment 2: Walking the Path of Infertility This wee...

Segment 1: The Pope, The President and the Catholic divide While en route from Cameroon to Angola this weekend, Pope Leo said that an extended debate with President Trump is “not in my interest at all.” President Trump for his part recently said that he has “nothing against the pope.” We talk more about this with Doug Keck. Segment 2: A Dialogue between Mother Angelica and Adolf Hitler Today is th...

Segment 1: The Food that Endures for Eternal Life In today’s Gospel, Jesus promises us a bread that will endure for Eternal life. But to receive this bread, we must accept the grace of Jesus and faithfully follow Him. We cannot receive the Eucharist if our lives are not fully conformed to the truth of Christ in his church. Marcus has more. Segment 2: Bioethicists Argue That an Unborn Baby Is Merel...

Segment 1: “Were not our hearts burning within us?” (2 segments) In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus meets two disciples on the road to Emmaus. And the other readings this week are equally rich. We unpack the readings with Rob Corzine. Segment 2: How Sexual Liberation Hurts Us All (2 segments) The sexual revolution offered happiness and great sex—but Americans are increasingly lonely and unhappy, and t...

Segment 1: American Catholic? Or Catholic American? As Christians, we can be serious and faithful citizens of the United States or any other nation- but we can never be political idolaters. We can vote with good discernment and speak the truth, but we must remember that Caesar will die and Christ is the king that remains eternal. To forget this runs the risk of moving from patriotism to overt nati...

Segment 1: Pope Leo continues Africa visit as Trump’s Comments Spark Global Reaction (3 segments) The two biggest Church news stories of this week have been the clash between President Trump and Pope Leo, and the papal trip to Africa. Matthew Bunson has the latest on these and other stories. Segment 2: Happy Birthday, Pope Benedict! Today is Pope Emeritus Benedict’s 99th birthday, and Catholics ar...

Segment 1: Serious Reflections on a very Silly Week If there were ever a week that summed up the state of our public discourse, it’s this one. Following the backlash over the image President Trump posted a few days ago, talk show host Joy Beher claimed that Jesus never actually claimed to be the Messiah – her determination to portray Trump as a narcissist was so strong she ignored basic historical...

Segment 1: Conversions Highlight Our Catholic Moment At a moment when trust in institutions is at historic lows and the public square rewards noise over substance, one question keeps pressing itself forward: What actually produces people of genuine character? The Catholic Church in America has been working on that question in earnest — and the results are becoming visible. Andrea Picciotti-Bayer h...