Kresta in the Afternoon

The Bodily Resurrection is the most consequential event in history. Countless people over the centuries have given their own lives in defense of this one fact - that the crucified Christ, the Son of God, rose from the dead. Modern society may mock the idea of the Resurrection, but the evidence for it has never been stronger. We talk with Gary Habermas, who has dedicated his life to the study of th...

Christ has completed the mission He came to Earth to do – he has been crucified for our transgressions and lies in the tomb. As we await the joy of Easter, Al shares some thoughts on the meaning of this day.

It’s Holy Thursday, the anniversary of the First Mass. Abbot Jeremy Driscoll joins us for an in-depth look at what happens at Mass, with a focus on the liturgy of the Eucharist, as we prepare to commemorate the Last Supper and Christ’s Sacrifice for us.

On Holy Thursday we commemorate the first Mass, recognizing Jesus as our Great High Priest. But did Jesus intend for the priesthood to continue, or was it merely a feature of the Old Covenant? John Bergsma joins us with a look at the roots of the priesthood.

Few religious films have generated the attention, discussion and controversy as Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ. The film is deeply theological and contains rich Marian Eucharistic and Incarnational Themes. As we begin our journey through Lent, we'll discuss it with Monica Miller.

Is Easter just a rip-off of the pagan goddess Ishtar? Why do the Gospels seem to disagree on how Jesus rode into Jerusalem on his Triumphal entry? And whatever happened to Barabbas? These are the kinds of questions you may encounter in the coming days. Jimmy Akin has the answers.

Why are some Christians skeptical of the “institutional” nature of the Church? If we read St Paul, we see the Graces he refers to are only available to those who are members of Christ’s body. As we approach Holy Thursday and the Institution of the Eucharist, Al discusses the absolute necessity of the Church. 

The Jewish feasts commemorate God’s sovereign deliverance of his people from Egypt and his providential care for them throughout the Exodus. Yet as important as these holy days are for Jews, they are also significant for Christians, for they foreshadow God's plan of salvation for the world in Christ. We take a closer look with Andre Villeneuve.

LoriAnn Mancini grew up in a Christian home, but slowly abandoned her faith in her late teens. She would spend the next several years searching for peace and for answers, and she finally found them in an adoration chapel. She shares her story with us.

Did you find it strange during Sunday’s Gospel that the congregation cried “Hosanna!” and then just a few minutes later demanded that Pilate crucify Jesus? Having these two seemingly contradictory events juxtaposed is entirely appropriate to the nature of Christ’s kingship as well as representative of our own spiritual lives. We’ll talk more about it with Dr. James Merrick.

When we watch The Passion of the Christ, it’s hard not to be impacted by Maia Morgenstern’s performance as the Blessed Mother. And Holy Week is an ideal time to imagine ourselves accompanying Mary on that journey with Jesus and consider how she must have felt watching her son be tortured and crucified. We talk more with Fr. Edward Looney.

Most of us know what we believe as Catholics, but often we're unclear on why we believe it. At a time when vast numbers of Catholics are slipping away from the Faith, God has tasked you and countless other Catholics with understanding it so you will be prepared to defend it. John Martignoni joins us with advice for getting started in apologetics.

In his apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium , Pope Francis laments how the Christian faith is often reduced to a disjointed multitude of doctrines. We can see this problem with how we often overlook the radical connection between the Cross, God’s self-revelation in Christ, and man’s identity as the imago Dei. We kick off Holy Week exploring this with Philip Primeau.

Today, St. Thomas Aquinas is best known for his Summa Theologiae and is regarded as a great exemplar of systematic theology. But if you traveled back in time and told him that, he would probably be surprised, for he likely saw himself more as a teacher of Sacred Scripture. Studying his Scriptural work can be a daunting task, and we take a crack at it with Dr. John Boyle.  

For most of last year, attacks against pro-life institutions went largely investigated and prosecuted. The tide may be starting to turn, as there have been a number of charges filed in recent weeks. Clare Kosmalski has an update and also tells us how you can contact the imprisoned Red Rose Rescuers.

Christ’s Passion was much more than a tragic Roman execution. It was the fulfilment of ancient Jewish prophecies of a wedding, when the God of the universe would wed himself to humankind in an everlasting nuptial covenant. Christ becomes the Bridegroom to his Bride, the Church. We dive into Holy Week and Jewish Tradition with Brant Pitre.

Two Vatican departments issued a joint statement today decreeing that the “doctrine of discovery” – the idea that the discovery of lands by settlers gave the settlers exclusive right to those lands – is not part of Catholic teaching. The statement also affirmed the dignity and rights of indigenous peoples. Matthew Bunson has more.

As Mel Gibson was filming the Passion, Fr John Bartunek had a special role: he was on-set to provide spiritual support and theological insights for the development of the film. He joins us today with his thoughts on the film and reflections on how we can grow closer to Christ this Holy Week.

The indictment of former President Trump brings to mind a lot of important questions. Why do we have the law in the first place? From whence does it come? Why do we say nobody is above the law? What happens when people lose respect for the Law? Al discusses.

Holy Week is nigh and are preparing to commemorate our Lord’s passion and sacrifice for us. Those who have seen Mel Gibson’s film know just how horrific Christ’s final hours were. Dr Tom McGovern joins us to take a close look at what Christ suffered, while also offering rich spiritual insights to help you walk along with our Lord as we prepare to celebrate the Triduum.  

Palm Sunday is upon us already. In the Gospel, we’ll hear Matthew’s account of the Passion and Death of Christ. But we will also hear a reading at the beginning of Mass that focuses on Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, which manifests the coming of the Kingdom that Jesus would accomplish. We talk more with Peggy Stanton.

The tragedy in Nashville breaks our hearts, and everywhere we look we see stories of pain, illness, heartbreak and death. But it is in this environment that we are challenged to form hearts and bring people to Christ. Every Eucharist challenges us to remember who God has created us to be. Al shares some thoughts.

On Ash Wednesday, hundreds of Catholics filled the Holy Cross Parish in the Bronx. They were there to sing, to pray, and to adore the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. They spent the whole night praising God – and that’s only the beginning of the story. Fr. Vincent Druding, the parish’s parochial vicar, tells us more. 

We’re starting to learn more about the tragic shooting in Nashville and it’s becoming clear that the shooter wanted the public to know her motivations. But does the press want to do the leg work? What happens when a member of a community typically seen as oppressed becomes the oppressor? Terry Mattingly is our guest.

The Eucharistic Revival is happening in a world that has heard the Gospel and rejected it. After the shooting at a Christian school in Nashville, some pundits on Twitter mockingly asked if the students simply weren’t praying enough. And a recent survey by the Wall Street Journal found that less than 40% of Americans consider religion to be very important, compared with more than 60% in 1998. Yet,...