Kresta in the Afternoon

These first weeks of Advent focus more on the Lord’s second coming in glory than on His first coming at Bethlehem. The Gospel clearly states that we must always be prepared, for at an hour we do not expect, the Son of Man will come. “Ready” is the key word. But how should we be ready? We talk with Msgr Charles Pope.

How did the ancient Christians know who Messiah would be? One sign was detailed in the first chapter of Malachi: "From the rising of the sun to its setting my name is great among the nations, and in every place incense is offered to my name, and a pure offering; for my name is great among the nations, says the LORD of hosts." We talk with Mike Aquilina about how the early church was defined by Mal...

The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople recently stated that conversations are ongoing between Catholic and Orthodox churches to agree on a common celebration of Easter in 2025. Pope Francis has expressed interest and has gone as far as to say he is ready to accept any proposal that is made together. Matthew Bunson fills us in.

When John U Bacon played hockey for the Ann Arbor Huron High School River Rats, he never scored a goal. But years later he was asked to coach the team – which at that point hadn’t won a single game in over a year. They were proud to be called the worst team in America – and John turn them into winners. He tells us how.

Do you see your work as simply a job – or does it change who you are as a person on mission? Al discusses

For a large part of American history, it was widely believed that one could not be a good Catholic and a good American, as you would have to choose between loyalty to country and loyalty to the pope. Catholics play an important role in the American story - but we often make the mistake of seeing them as one, cohesive unit. In fact, Catholic immigrants from Ireland, Germany, Italy and other nations...

The Pilgrims' celebration of the first Thanksgiving is a keystone of America's national and spiritual identity. But is what we've been taught about them or their harvest feast what actually happened? And if not, what difference does it make? We talk with Robert Tracy McKenzi

In a consumer-drive culture, it's easy to forget about the importance of gratefulness. Sure, we're encouraged to take a few minutes at Thanksgiving to "count our blessings," but it doesn't go much further. Secular writers may explore the benefits of gratitude, but they fail to explore the much deeper spiritual meaning of gratitude. We'll talk with Susan Muto about the development of Christian grat...

We all know the story of Thanksgiving. Or do we? This uniquely American holiday has a rich and little known history beyond the famous feast of 1621. Melanie Kirkpatrick takes us on a journey through four centuries of American History, giving a vivid portrait of our nation's best-loved holiday.

In October 1789 President Washington issued a proclamation that the upcoming Thursday, November 26 would be “devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is or that will be.” Al reflects on this proclamation.

In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus tells us again what will happen at the coming of the Son of Man. There will be eating and drinking and marriage, and we should stay awake for we do not know when the Lord will come. Peggy Stanton helps us connect the reading to the Catechism.

CS Lewis died on November 22, 1963. When he began the Chronicles of Narnia, he dedicated the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe to his goddaughter, Lucy, writing "I wrote this story for you, but when I began it I had not realized that girls grow quicker than books. As a result you are already too old for fairy tales, and by the time it is printed and bound you will be older still. But some day you wi...

God gives us freedom to do as we ought, but we’ve redefined it to do as we want. What is the true purpose and nature of freedom, and how did it get so twisted? This was the focus of a book by the late David Schindler, who died last week. We look back on the conversation today.

Last week the German bishops visit the Vatican for their ad limina visit, a regular procedure for diocesan bishops to keep the Vatican updated on the local church. Fr Raymond de Souza has described the meeting as “devastating for the unity of the Church” and likened it to a crash on the autobahn. Al discusses.

“Step by step, I retreated from God and went forth to meet the world, the flesh, and the devil. . . . I’d join the devil himself. . . . There is no doubt that I traveled with him at my side and that he extorted a great price for his company.” These are the words of Bella Dodd as she reflected on her long battle with atheistic Communism. Paul Kengor joins us with her story.

In 2019, four pro-life advocates entered an abortion facility in Flint, Michigan and refused to leave. Last week a judge sentenced these Red Rose Rescuers to 45 days in jail. Monica Miller shares their story.

The sudden bankruptcy of FTX and resignation of its founder, Sam Bankman-Fried, is a shocking story for anyone who has followed the rise of cryptocurrencies. The whole concept of Crypto can be hard to understand. What should Catholics keep in mind? Philip Booth joins us.

The film The Day After aired on television in November 1983 and imagined what a full-scale nuclear war between the US and the USSR would look like. The debates over nuclear war are an example of how politics can distort others' beliefs. Al shares some thoughts.

Jesus instructed his followers to drop everything, take up their cross and follow him. Such a task is not easy and it is often marked with hardship, but it's also an adventure. We look at this adventure of discipleship through the lenses of the great adventures of fiction as we discuss responding to the call of discipleship with Daniel Keating.

The Vatican II document Dei Verbum, or Word of God, contains a promise of Scripture - the Word of God is not just given to us to reveal God’s plan, it is a disclosure of God Himself. Al discusses.

A recent Final Jeopardy question is sparking controversy. The clue read “Paul’s letter to them is the New Testament epistle with the most Old Testament quotations.” The supposed answer – Hebrews – has caused outcry because most scholars dispute that Paul was the author. We’ll talk more with Kevin Clarke.

The U.S. Senate voted 62-37 Wednesday to pass a bill that would federally recognize same-sex marriage and provide legal protections for interracial marriages. We talk about it with Nathan Schlueter.

Many disenchanted young adults are professing a growing interest in the ‘weird’ aesthetics and beauty of traditional Catholicism. If history is any indication, the Holy Spirit may be leading them to something deeper. Stephen Adubato joins us.

Over many centuries, Christians have lost sight of the heart of the Eternal Covenant: our nuptial union with God in Jesus as members of his Body and Bride. This has fueled a growing crisis of Christian identity and witness. Only by rediscovering the depth and beauty of our salvation in Christ will we be drawn to share more fully in his life and saving mission. We talk with Fr. Timothy Vaverek.

At first glance, Archbishop Fulton Sheen, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and Rev. Jerry Falwell don’t seem to have much in common – but you might be surprised. They were dominant religious figures in different eras of the 20th century and used contemporary media to great effect as they tried to change how Americans understood the nature and purpose of their country and the relationship between religion...