Kresta in the Afternoon

Some Biblical scholars like to question how much the New Testament can tell us about the Blessed Mother. She doesn't appear much and speaks on limited occasions. Is there really reason to believe what we do about Mary? We talk with Ed Sri.

Jesus wants to speak to you—365 days a year. Each day, he meets you right where you are. Through Jesus, you are reminded that God is good, that he provides for you, and that he longs to speak to the deepest desires of your heart. Lucy Scholand joins us with thoughts on how we can meet Jesus every day.

The Berlin Wall fell in 1989, but communism didn’t. One hundred years after the Bolshevik Revolution, one-fifth of the world’s population still lives under single-party communist regimes in China, Cuba, Laos, North Korea, and Vietnam. And in the West, more and more people are expressing favorable attitudes towards communism and socialism. In times such as this, we must remember the stories of the...

December 6 was the anniversary of the explosion of the Mont-Blanc,  a World War I munitions ship, in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It was the largest non-nuclear, manmade explosion in recorded history and devastated the entire town. But from this tragic story arose incredible stories of heroism. John U Bacon joins us.

Protests have swept Iran in the months since the death of Mahsa Amini at the hands of Iran’s Morality Police and the Iranian soccer team has reportedly faced backlash for showing support for the protests before their World Cup match. Reports surfaced over the weekend that the country would be abolishing the Morality Police – are they? What are the implications if they do? Michael Rubin is our gues...

Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Nicholas of Myra, also known as Nicholas the Wonderworker. Considering how famous he is, it’s surprising how little we actually know about him. How did he become the inspiration for the modern-day Santa? And did he really punch a heretic? Dr. Ines Murzaku joins us.

Do you love Christmas music, but feel like you’ve heard the same few albums a thousand times? Scythian has the solution. Their new album Christmas Out at Sea combines classic Christmas songs with traditional sea shanties for an experience like no other. Dan Fedoryka tells us about it.

For the second year in a row Nigeria has been left off of the U.S. State Department’s list of countries that engage in or tolerate the world’s worst religious freedom violations, despite regular reports of kidnappings and killings of Christians. We talk with Ed Clancy, who also gives us a view of the lives of Christians in Qatar.

Oral arguments have begun in the case of a Christian wedding website designer who has refused to design a wedding website for a same-sex couple. Much like the bakers cases of years past, she says that forcing her to do so is a violation of her free speech, since her work is an artistic expression. Andrea Picciotti-Bayer joins us.

This time of year, many of us are setting up Nativity scenes or other artistic depictions of Christ’s birth. How has this art evolved over the years? We talk with Liz Lev.

In reading the New Testament, it quickly becomes obvious that the events occurred in a world that is much different from ours today. What were the attitudes and values of the people at the time? How was it influenced by the Greeks, Romans and other cultures?  And how does the universal message of the New Testament apply to that audience and to ours? We talk with NT Wright.

“Preach the Gospel at all times. If necessary, use words.” So goes one of St. Francis’ most popular sayings. But wait – he never said it! And while the saying can be well-intentioned, it’s not even faithful to what Christ taught about evangelization. We’ll talk with Trent Horn about other popular misquotes from the saints.

Al looks at the sacrifice of a priest who gave his life saving others during the Pearl Harbor attacks. We'll also look at the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who died on December 5, 1791.

When most people think of Maria von Trapp, they think of the character from the Sound of Music. But her story extends far beyond the film. As a mother, she developed traditions for her family that created a warm and inviting Catholic atmosphere for all.   Karen McClelland joins us with a look at the traditions and little ways your family can get the most out of Advent and other liturgical sea...

What lessons can we learn about the modern church from a short story written before the Civil War? Al looks at Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Birthmark to explain.

Advent is an ideal time to study and reflect on how Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies. In his Gospel, Matthew declares Christ to be Emmanuel, linking him to passages throughout Isaiah and other Old Testament books. We’ll talk about it with Dr Leroy Huizenga.

While social norms and political movements are rapidly changing, the truth of the Catholic faith stands firm. Fr Carter Griffin helps us defend these truths by addressing their most common objections.

A Federal Appeals Court has blocked a Biden admin mandate that could have forced Christian doctors to perform abortions, even if it meant violating their conscience. Clare Kosmalski has this story and other pro-life news.

Have you ever tried to have a close, loving relationship with someone you don’t know? It’s not easy. Most would never dream of attempting such intimacy with a human stranger, yet many of us try to do just that with God! But just as with people, if we don’t know God, we can’t love him. Luckily, we can find help in the writings of Thomas Aquinas. Kevin Vost joins us.

If John the Baptist appeared today and began preaching on a street corner, what would people say? The wiry, wild-looking man shouting for people to repent would turn more than a few heads and raise more than a few eyebrows. This Sunday's Gospel tells his story, and we take a look with Carl Olson.

For Dr. Brent Robbins, who was raised Catholic and became an atheist, the problem of evil and suffering was a big reason why he stopped believing in God. And while he never found a simple answer to why a good God would allow suffering, he did come to understand that there were more layers to that question than he'd initially realized. He shares his story.

In a recent interview with America Magazine, Pope Francis was asked what he would say to a woman serving the Church who felt she was called to the priesthood. He unequivocally stated that women cannot be ordained as priests but emphasized the important role they have to play in the life of the Church. We break down his answer with Monica Miller.

What does Plato have to do with the Christian faith? Quite a bit, it turns out. In ways that might surprise us, Christians throughout the history of the church and even today have inherited aspects of the ancient Greek philosophy of the man who learned from Socrates and taught Aristotle. Louis Markos helps us understand.

Protests erupted across China this weekend against the country's ongoing extreme Covid Lockdowns, and China analyst Ben Rogers estimates they are the biggest protests in the country since the Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989. Today, two cities announced they would be easing restrictions. Is this a sign of things to come? Michael Cunningham joins us.

Advent is officially underway, and it’s a great opportunity for us to grow in our relationship with Jesus. The path of following Jesus is an ancient and storied spiritual tradition. Yet many believers are not familiar with the three major forms of prayer and the three stages of spiritual growth that exist to bring them closer to God. We’ll explore them with Brant Pitre.