April 8, 2026 - Hour 1

Segment 1: “Were not our hearts burning within us?”In today’s Gospel, we meet Jesus on the Road to Emmaus. His disciples spent hours speaking with Him about the Scriptures, but did not fully recognize Him until dinner, when He broke the bread. The sermon prepared their hearts for the Eucharistic act which unveiled their eyes. Marcus has more.Segment 2: What Surviving a Syrian Prison taught me about the ResurrectionSam Goodwin has traveled to all 193 countries in the world, and spent nine weeks in a Syrian prison. And it’s during that time that he discovered a lot about gratitude, controlling what you can, and viewing uncertainty as an opportunity. He joins us.Segment 3: The Cosmic Liturgy of Space ExplorationThe Artemis II space flight is scheduled to end with a splashdown in the Pacific on Friday. Space exploration remains one of humanity’s greatest scientific achievements – and we must not overlook the Vatican’s continued contribution to the field. Daniel Gallagher has more.Segment 4: A Cease-Fire in Iran?Last night President Trump announced a two-week cease fire in Iran, backing off on threats he made early Easter Sunday. We look at the latest developments with Peter Laffin. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit avemariapm.substack.com