Kresta in the Afternoon

There is no greater trauma a parent can experience than the loss of a child. But for a variety of reasons, a father’s grief often fades into the background when his child dies. Patrick O’Hearn and his wife have lost two children to miscarriage. He’s joined other grieving dads to create a resource for anyone experiencing this deepest of pains. Patrick joins us.

The Jew-hatred on display at some campus protests corresponds little with attitudes toward Jews in America. How should Catholic leaders and institutions respond to this moment, beyond carefully worded statements that neither offend nor teach? One instructive precedent, perhaps surprisingly, is the medieval papal bull Sicut Judaeis, which condemned antisemitic violence and even authorized excommuni...

Have you ever found yourself struggling to pray? Or even with wanting to pray? This “wanting to want to pray” is the first touch by God, because even desiring to desire can be an expression of love. David Fagerberg joins us with more.

At graduation ceremonies across the country this weekend, students staged walkouts in protest over the Israel-Hamas war. This included Duke University, whose keynote speaker Jerry Seinfeld has been a vocal supporter of Israel. We look at the roots of these protests with Paul Kengor.

What does it mean to be evangelical? What does it mean to be Catholic? Can one consider oneself both simultaneously? Francis Beckwith has wrestled with these questions personally and professionally. He was baptized a Catholic, but his faith journey led him to Protestant evangelicalism. How did he Return to Rome? He joins us.

The Feast of Pentecost is one of the most noteworthy celebrations in the Liturgical year, and it has Old Testament roots that are often overlooked. Marcus discusses.

Today we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima, and tomorrow we celebrate the Feast of St. Matthias – the man who replaced Judas. We dive into these feasts with Steve Ray.

This weekend, Fr. Charles Trullols will lead a Eucharistic procession through the heart of the nation’s capital as we gear up for election season and the Eucharistic Revival. He joins us.

At the Synod on Synodality last year, Australian theologian Fr Ormond Rush spoke on Joseph Ratzinger’s theology of revelation and faith, in light of his commentary on Dei Verbum. Eduardo Echeverria helps us understand it.

There’s been a recent resurgence of interest in ancient Stoicism, because it provides some of the Christian benefits without – so people think – the Christian dogmas. The Stoics, in fact, had their own fundamental dogmas, starting with the benevolence of the Divine Nature. Do many modern Stoics believe in that? Robert Royal joins us with more.

The Vatican’s doctrine office will publish a new document next week on discerning Marian apparitions and other supernatural events. Matthew Bunson joins us with more on this and other Church news.

In Sacramentum Caritatis, Pope Benedict XVI wrote that “The substantial conversion of bread and wine into his body and blood introduces within creation the principle of a radical change, a sort of “nuclear fission,” to use an image familiar to us today, which penetrates to the heart of all being, a change meant to set off a process which transforms reality, a process leading ultimately to the tran...

Joseph Ratzinger once defined belief as “entrusting oneself to that which has not been made by oneself and never could be made and which precisely in this way supports and makes possible all our making.” In order to do and understand anything, we have to first take a stand on some ground, which is what the Hebrew word amen signifies. David Bonagura joins us.

In 1925, Pope Pius XI published an encyclical on the Kingship of Jesus. Marcus takes us on a deep dive.  

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.

This Sunday’s Gospel contains the story of the Ascension and what is known as Jesus’ Priestly Prayer. We open up the Scripture with Peggy Stanton.

What is civilization without the Eucharist? The answer is all around us, and it is a terrible thing to see. Jason Craig joins us.

The first three chapters of Genesis form the foundation for all that follows in salvation history. Without Genesis 1-3, one cannot properly settle into the Biblical vision of reality. Genesis 1-3 places the human person in his cosmic setting and reveals his sacred origin, majesty and wonder as well as his flaw, his chronic rejection of God’s wisdom. Humanity needs a Savior and, from the start of G...

President Biden recently signed legislation overwhelmingly passed by Congress potentially banning TikTok in the United States. The bipartisan law imposes a nationwide ban on the app unless its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, divests completely within the next nine months. Michele Exner, senior adviser for Parents Defending Education, joins us with more.

Philosophy is the reflective attempt to illuminate our human experience and integrate it into a unified vision of reality. Catholic philosophy comes in many forms and schools of thought, but it cannot deconstruct the ultimate truths of the faith. We explore the thoughts of four Catholic philosophers with Richard Spinello.

Our culture seems to gravitate between two extremes: we either despise waiting, grumbling to ourselves and fidgeting with our phones as we sit in line at a red light or the bank - or we revel in laziness, embracing the down time as an entitlement. Waiting is a recurring theme in the Bible - Noah waited for the waters to recede, Abraham waited for a son, the Israelites waited to enter the Promised...

Jake and Heather Khym’s ministry Life Restoration helps awaken disciples of Christ by connecting them to Jesus, their authentic self, and Kingdom living. Through human and spiritual formation, they join Jesus in bringing the Kingdom of God into our everyday lives.

This month we celebrate the Month of Mary. We look at the history of Marian devotion and her role in the renewal of Church life with John Cavadini.

With the fall of Roe vs Wade, new voices and strategies are needed in the Pro-Life movement. Michael Kenney of the Pro-Life Partners Foundation is organizing two webinars in the coming days. He joins us with the details.

Last week the House of Representatives passed a bill adoption the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of Antisemitism. Critics say the bill hampers free speech, with one claiming that it defines “the basic Biblical Truth that the Jews killed Jesus Christ as ‘classic antisemitism.’” But does the Church hold the Jews accountable for Christ’s death? We talk with Andre Villeneuve...