March 16, 2026 - Hour 1

Segment 1: March Madness and the MessiahThe NCAA Men’s basketball tournament tips off this week, and millions of people have joined the quest for the “Perfect Bracket.” The odds of guessing all 65 matchups correctly are astronomical – roughly 1 in 9 quintillion if you flip a coin on every game, and about 1 in 120 billion if you are knowledgeable about college basketball. But the odds that Jesus “accidentally” fulfilled every Messianic prophecy are even longer. Marcus explains.Segment 2: Stop trying to change the Church’s teachingsIn its second interim report issued last month, a Synodal study group continued to talk about a “paradigm shift … in continuity with Vatican II” and labeled homosexuality as an “emerging issue.” Catholic teaching on issues of morality cannot change – so why do some people try to? Richard Spinello joins us.Segment 3: Aristotle Clarifies the Christian Faith (2 segments)When Christians of any age or denomination debate the nature of the good life, the soul, or free will, their thought process is based on Aristotelian principles. Though not a Christian himself, Aristotle made full use of general revelation to arrive at deep truths about the nature of God, human identity, and the universe. We explore his thought with Louis Markos. 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