Kresta in the Afternoon

Despite hitting the $31.4 trillion debt ceiling, the government has continued normal operations. What is the purpose of the debt ceiling if hitting it doesn’t stop anything? What are the consequences of a default? Chadd Garcia joins us.

In this Sunday’s Gospel Jesus gives us the Beatitudes. The Catechism tells us that the Beatitudes “depict the countenance of Jesus Christ and portray His charity…they are the paradoxical promises that sustain hope in the midst of tribulation.” Peggy Stanton unpacks them further.

Early in January the FDA announced it will allow pharmacies such as CVS and Walgreens to sell mifepristone, also known as the abortion pill, to anyone with a prescription. Previously the pill could only be sold by certified doctors and clinics. Monica Miller is organizing a protest to get the word out – she joins us with the details.

Few writings have influence the history of Christian thought quite like Paul's Letter to the Romans. Its impact has been seismic and it is a work of special magnificence in which Paul's skills as a pastor, evangelist and theologian are on full display. We'll discuss it with Dr Scott Hahn.

For years, Saul was known as a man fervent in his Jewish faith and a great persecutor of any follower of Christ. But one day, on the road to Damascus, his life was changed forever. We celebrate the feast of that conversion today with Steve Ray.

A common claim in some skeptical circles is that St. Paul never quoted Jesus. A second common claim is that, if he had reliable knowledge of Jesus, he would have quoted him. The conclusion that is drawn from these premises is that St. Paul was not a reliable source on Jesus. Since St. Paul’s letters are among the earliest works of the New Testament, some proceed from there to argue either that his...

In many ways St Francis de Sales was the embodiment of the Catholic reformation. Born into a noble family, he was expected to study law and inherit the family estate. Instead, he decided to go into the world as an evangelist and win converts from Calvinist Geneva. We look at his reforms for clergy and laity with Jill Fehleison.

The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate recently analyzed data from the National Opinion Research Center and found that only about 15% of kids who were raised in Catholic households grow up to be faithful Catholic adults. Why do so many kids who grew up going to Mass and praying before meals abandon these practices? What can parents do? Dr. Greg Popcak joins us.

One of the most popular saint “mis-quotations” is that St. Francis told us to preach the Gospel at all times and, if necessary, use words. Words are an essential part of how we share the Gospel – and they’re also an essential part of Scripture itself. The divine revelation manifested in the written word resides in its message, but Scripture does not limit itself to one unique level of meaning. We...

We used to celebrate Freedom as the right to do what one Ought. Now we celebrate the right to do as one wills. This freedom has become America’s new idol. How did things get so twisted? Al discusses.

On January 19, 2000, a fire raged through Seton Hall University’s freshman dormitory, killing three students and injuring 58 others. Among the victims were Shawn Simons and Alvaro Llanos, roommates from poor neighborhoods who made their families proud by getting into college. They managed to escape, but both were burned terribly. But the story was just beginning. Robin Gaby Fisher joins us with mo...

For more than 250 years, Fr. Jean-Pierre de Caussade’s Abandonment to Divine Providence has inspired those plagued with doubt, anxiety, and fear. Fr. Jeffrey Kirby has firsthand experience with Fr. de Caussade’s spiritual classic and he joins us with his own meditations that can help you let go of what you can’t control and discover a place of deep serenity in God.

What did faith mean to Winston Churchill? Unlike many politicians of his day he was not transparent about his beliefs, did not regularly attend services, and once described himself as “not a pillar of the Church but a buttress.” Still, he did have a sense of faith that contributed to his idea that he was “walking with destiny.” January 24 marks the anniversary of his death, and we’ll talk more wit...

In his letter to the Colossians, St. Paul instructs us to life a life worthy of the Lord and grow in the Knowledge of God? Al describes what this means and how it should affect our lives.

Did you know that Marian Consecration is biblical? With roots stretching all the way back to Genesis? Just as Jesus is the only Way to the Father, the sole mediator between God and man, so Mary is the primary mediator and intercessor before her Son. By virtue of the grace given to her as the Mother of God, she is the “Queen of Heaven and Earth.” Shane Kapler joins us

A little-known 19th-century priest, born into Russian nobility but eventually a Catholic missionary priest in America, lived a life that can be a model for us today. His name is Fr Demetrius Gallitizin, and Paul Prezzia tells us more about him.

The first time Jeffrey Morrow attended an Easter Vigil Mass, he was entering the Catholic Church. If you had told him a few years prior that it would happen, he would say you were crazy. He shares his story today.

What was it like to attend the first March for Life in a post-Roe America? We spoke earlier this afternoon with Clare Kosmalski, who is there with her children

In his book The Garden of God, Pope Benedict XVI addressed our responsibility towards creation. In his writings, he illustrated a biblical vision of man as the center of creation with which we share a bond of kinship and which we are called to wed to its Creator by exercising a dominion of love. Dr. Matthew Ramage joins us with more

Lawyers for Theodore McCarrick say the disgraced former Cardinal is not mentally fit to stand trial for allegedly sexually abusing a teenage boy in the 1970s. Matthew Bunson joins us to discuss this and other Church news.

In this Sunday’s Gospel, we hear Jesus call his first apostles. Four men drop their nets and follow him. In Judaism, it was only permissible to cease the practice of one’s livelihood and break family ties for the sake of the study of God’s word, the Torah,“the law.” We dive deeper into this reading with Peggy Stanton.

We all know that marriage rates are low in the United States. The most recent American Family Survey found that only 45% of Americans are currently married (down from 50% in 2015). Despite the Church’s pro-marriage stance, Catholic marriage rates are not much higher than the general population. We discuss some of the reasons with Rachel Hoover.

The story of Melanie Barrett’s journey to Christ actually begins with her mother, who grew up in a Jewish family in New York in the 1950s. Melanie’s mother passed on to her a desire to find spiritual insights and truth, and she often found herself looking outside organized religion to find it. How did she end up a Catholic? She shares her story with us.

Forgiveness is a great wellspring of personal healing. It can repair shattered relationships. It restores interior freedom to the one who has been hurt, and empowers victims of crime and abuse to recover the dignity and agency they were stripped of by the offender. Since forgiveness restores interior freedom in an individual, can that somehow get bumped up to a more macro level? Is there a way to...

The rich literary patrimony of Western civilization can be daunting. Where to begin? Which books are truly great? Which works of literature have stood the test of time? In Twelve Great Books, Joseph Pearce helps us get started. He joins us.