Ave Maria in the Afternoon Segments

A quote popularly attributed to St Anthony of the Desert identifies three ways Satan tries to steal our joy:1) Regretting the Past2) Fearing the future3) Being ungrateful for the present.While we couldn’t find documentation of this precise quote, its wisdom remains. Marcus shares some more thoughts. 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

There is a hunger inside all of us that the world cannot satisfy. Yet it remains – that quiet ache for something real, something lasting, something holy. Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen knew that hunger well. He spent more than sixty years assuaging it in the best way: on his knees, in silence, before the Blessed Sacrament, in what he called his daily Holy Hour. From that secluded hour flowed everything – his preaching, his books, his television ministry that reached millions, and his spiritual fire that made him one of the most compelling voices of the twentieth century. We talk about it with Allan Smith.Further ReadingThe Soul of a Disciple: Fulton Sheen’s Meditations on the Cross, the Eucharist, and the Christian LifeArchbishop Sheen’s Book of Sacraments: An AnthologyLord, Teach Us To Pray: A Fulton Sheen AnthologyGuest InfoAl Smith is the founder and director of the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Mission Society of Canada and editor of the best-selling book The Cries of the Jesus from the Cross: A Fulton Sheen Anthology. He has served the Church for many years as a Catholic evangelist, radio host, writer, Internet broadcaster, and retreat director and has served on the board of directors of the Archbishop Fulton John Sheen Foundation in Peoria, Illinois, promoting the cause of Sheen’s canonization. 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

Catholic Answers President Christopher Check will be speaking at St Matthew’s Catholic Church in Flint tomorrow about why the world needs more ghost stories. He gives us a preview.Learn more about the eventGuest InfoChristopher Check is president of Catholic Answers. A graduate of Rice University, for nearly two decades he served as vice president of The Rockford Institute. Before that he served for seven years as a field artillery officer in the Marine Corps, attaining the grade of captain. He lectures on Church and military history. He and his wife, Jacqueline, have four sons. The Checks show and breed Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, famed companions of the Stuart kings, under the kennel name Top Meadow Cavaliers, named for G.K. Chesterton’s Beaconsfield estate. 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

Today’s Office of the Readings includes an excerpt from Thomas à Kempis’ Imitation of Christ. He warns us of a very dangerous spiritual illusion – the assumption that just because we were faithful yesterday, we will automatically be faithful tomorrow. The Christian life depends on waking up every day and seeking the grace of God to sustain us in fidelity. Marcus has more. 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

On December 16, 2002, Ken Craycraft made an impulsive decision that changed the course of his life. He gathered the liquor bottles from around his house and poured them down the sink – and he has not taken a drink since. Ken and Marcus speak about their experiences as alcoholics, bearing the cross of addiction, and what they want the loved ones of alcoholics to understand. Further ReadingStaying Sober One Story at a TimeFollow Ken on XKenneth Craycraft, an attorney and theologian, holds the James J. Gardner Family Chair in Moral Theology at Mount St. Mary's Seminary and School of Theology, the seminary for the Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati. He hosts Driving Home the Faith on Sacred Heart Radio and holds the J.D. from Duke University School of Law and the Ph.D. in theology from Boston College. He is the author of The American Myth of Religious Freedom (Spence, 1999) and Citizens Yet Strangers: Living Authentically Catholic in a Divided America (Our Sunday Visitor, 2024). He is a columnist for Catholic World Report, The Catholic Herald, OSV News, and The Catholic Telegraph, for which he has won multiple Catholic Media Association awards, including first place for general commentary.This is the beginning of a longer interview which can be found for free on the Ave Maria Radio YouTube Channel or at the link below. 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

What does it mean to say that the Lord our God is a jealous God? And how does that relate to the doctrine of the Eucharist? Jared Staudt joins us.Guest InfoJared Staudt is Assistant Director of the institute of Catholic Culture. He is author of Words Made Flesh: The Sacramental Mission of Catholic Education (CUA Press, 2024), How the Eucharist Can Save Civilization (TAN), Restoring Humanity: Essays on the Evangelization of Culture (Divine Providence Press) and The Beer Option (Angelico Press), as well as editor of Renewing Catholic Schools: How to Regain a Catholic Vision in a Secular Age (Catholic Education Press). He and his wife Anne have six children and he is a Benedictine oblate. 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

In summer 2021, Ave Maria Radio hosted a celebration of our 25th anniversary. Much has happened since then, most notably the death of Al Kresta in 2024. This year, Dr. Marcus Peter assumed the role of our new President, and Dr. Billy Kangas took over the role of CEO from the retiring Mike Jones. We will celebrate this fall with the SENT Gala and would love to have you join us! Marcus and Billy have the details.Learn more about the SENT GalaGuest InfoBilly Kangas is the CEO of Ave Maria Radio. 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

Dolly Parton holds a unique spot in American culture as one of only a handful of artists whose appeal crossed political, religious, and generational lines. What role did her faith play in her life? How did she deal with her massive stardom? We look at her life with east Tennessee native Terry Mattingly.Further ReadingCrossroads: Was Dolly a none of the above believer?Guest InfoTerry Mattingly is the former editor of Get Religion. He is a journalist and professor who writes at the Rational Sheep blog and has written the nationally-syndicated On Religion column since 1988. Follow him on X @tweetmattingly. 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

Dr. Steve Rouhana grew up praying the Rosary, but often found his mind wandering despite his best efforts to focus on the prayers. He has discovered a new method of praying the contemplative Rosary, which places a special focus on the events in Jesus’ life we are commemorating. He joins us.Further ReadingA Rosary for Religious and Restless Minds: The Structured Contemplative Rosary Guest InfoDr Steve Rouhana is the author of A Rosary for Religious and Restless Minds. He’s a husband, father and grandfather who now serves in several parish ministries and is on the faculty of the Catholic Biblical School of Michigan. 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

In his Confessions, St Augustine reflects on three losses that transformed his life – the death of a friend, the death of his mother, and the death of his son. In reading his account of these deaths, we see a change in his understandings of what death is and how he should respond to it. We look at what Augustine wrote about grief with Abigail Jorgensen.Further ReadingSt. Augustine’s Grief Journey: Shifting Coping MechanismsA Catholic Guide to Miscarriage, Stillbirth, and Infant Loss: Compassionate Answers to Difficult QuestionsAbby’s website Abby’s blog Guest InfoDr. Abigail Jorgensen is an assistant professor of sociology with an appointment in health care ethics at Saint Louis University and a birth and bereavement doula. She is the author of the recently published A Catholic Guide to Miscarriage, Stillbirth, and Infant Loss: Compassionate Answers to Difficult Questions. 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

Facing the English justice system and knowing his life was on the line, St. Thomas More refused to back down, insisting he could not set his private judgement against “the general council of Christendom.” He would not sever himself from the living body of the Church in history. Nearly five centuries later, society has forgotten that lesson. The West has not simply drifted from Christianity. It has, in a profound way, orphaned itself. We talk about it with Brendan Towell.Further ReadingThe Cut Flowers of a Fatherless WestGuest InfoBrendan Towell is the Director of Spirituality and Mission for Secondary Schools and Schools of Special Education in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, where he lives with his family. His interests include Augustinian Studies, Ressourcement Theology and the theological legacy of Pope Benedict XVI. His website is BrendanTowell.com. 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

In this Sunday’s Gospel, Peter tells Jesus he will not let Him be killed. In response, Jesus says “Get behind me, Satan!” He then lays out the cost of discipleship – we must deny ourselves and take up the Cross. We unpack the readings with Rob Corzine. 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

George Orwell’s classic Animal Farm, published just over 80 years ago, has been adapted into an animated film starring a bevy of Hollywood stars. Perhaps not surprisingly, it falls short of the novel and the points Orwell was trying to make. As the Rotten Tomatoes consensus notes, “All Animal Farm adaptations are equal, but some Animal Farm adaptations are more watchable than others.” We talk about it with John Rodden.Further ReadingSome Artists Are More Equal than Others: Updating Orwell and Downgrading ArtAnimal Farm at 80Becoming George Orwell: Life and Letters, Legend and LegacyGuest InfoJohn Rodden has taught at the University of Virginia and the University of Texas at Austin. His books include The Cambridge Introduction to George Orwell, The Politics of Literary Reputation: The Making and Claiming of “St. George” Orwell, and Becoming George Orwell. 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

On this day in 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Martin Luther King, Jr delivered one of the most famous speeches in American history. But many people don’t know that the most iconic part of the speech was not in his original speech. As King paused in his delivery, Gospel vocalist Mahalia Jackson shouted to him to “Tell them about the dream!” The rest, as they say, is history. Marcus has more. 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

Mike Aquilina’s new book The Church Fathers for Our Time reveals what mattered most to the early Christians—morally, politically, theologically, and spiritually. But it also provides strikingly pertinent insight into the issues of the present day. He joins us with a look.Further ReadingThe Church Fathers for Our TimeGuest InfoMike Aquilina is author of more than seventy books on Catholic history, doctrine, and devotion. He is co-founder, with Scott Hahn, of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, based in Steubenville, Ohio. Mike serves as contributing editor of Angelus News and general editor of the Reclaiming Catholic History series published by Ave Maria Press. He has hosted eleven television series on EWTN and is past editor of New Covenant magazine and The Pittsburgh Catholic newspaper. He is also a songwriter whose works have been recorded by Dion, Paul Simon, Van Morrison, Bruce Springsteen, Jeff Beck, Amy Grant, Carlene Carter, Peter Frampton, and many others. 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

Päivi Räsänen, a Finnish Christian politician who had been barred from entering the United Kingdom to give a talk on free speech at a Northern Ireland church conference last week, was eventually granted a visa to enter the country — but it arrived too late. Matthew Bunson has more on this and other Church news.Further ReadingUK Grants Finnish MP a Visa Too Late for Her EventCardinal Bo Urges Lawmakers to Reject the ‘Automated Slaughter’ of Autonomous WeaponsHundreds of faith leaders urge Trump administration to extend TPS for El SalvadorIsraeli Court Acquits Nun’s Attacker, Orders Up to 6 Years in Psychiatric CareGuest InfoMatthew Bunson is Vice President and Editorial Director of EWTN News and a Senior Fellow at St Paul Center for Biblical Theology. He’s the author or co-author of more than 50 books including the first English-language biography of Pope Francis and The Encyclopedia of Catholic History. Follow him on twitter at MattBunson. Register Radio airs Saturdays at 4 pm and Sundays at 11 am on Ave Maria Radio 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

In a recent interview on Fox News, Michigan Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, a practicing Muslim, said “Nobody is trying to push sharia law on anyone else…Just like I hope nobody is trying to push canon law on anybody else.” Setting aside El-Sayed’s political positions, the statement shows a blatant misunderstanding of what Canon law means. Marcus has more. Further Reading Muslim Senate candidate faces backlash for comparing sharia law to canon law 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

Before St. Augustine became one of the most influential theologians of the Catholic Faith, he spent a period of time running from God. During this period, his mother prayed continuously for his conversion – and God answered her prayers! We celebrate her feast today and talk with Patti Maguire Armstrong about how she is a hope for any parent who is praying for their child.Further ReadingWhat Would Monica Do?Guest InfoPatti Maguire Armstrong hosts the TV talk show Ladies of Another View. Her books include What Would Monica Do and Holy Hacks. Patti also writes for the National Catholic Register and other publications. In 2019, she received first place for blogging from the National Catholic Press Association. Patti and her husband, Mark, raised their ten children in North Dakota. 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

Today is the Feast of St Monica. And on this day last year, his nephew was born with serious complications and passed away. Marcus and the baby’s parents prayed fervently for a miracle, but the miracle they desired did not come to pass. But Christians have every reason to hope. We have a Lord who conquered the grave. Marcus has more. 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

When Fr. Patrick Gonyeau was 27, he felt like his life had hit a dead end. He was struggling with addiction, felt like life had no meaning, and began plotting his suicide. He shares how he encountered the love of God and found a new life in the Spirit.Further ReadingInto the Fire: Intimacy, Mission, and Miracles: The Life of Adventure in the Holy SpiritGuest InfoFr. Patrick Gonyeau is the author of Into the Fire: Intimacy, Mission, and Miracles: The Life of Adventure in the Holy Spirit. He is a missionary of the Precious Blood living and serving in the US province. 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

Daniel Ortega has told Nicaragua to forget about elections. Nobody who has watched his regime work should be surprised. What should alarm Americans more is what Ortega and his wife, co-president Rosario Murillo, have already done to the one institution in Nicaragua they cannot fully control: the Catholic Church. Andrea Picciotti-Bayer has more.Further ReadingOrtega’s War on the Church Reveals the Limits of Political PowerGuest InfoAndrea Picciotti-Bayer is a legal analyst for EWTN News. She also directs the Conscience Project. Follow her on Twitter @bayerpicciotti and visit conscience-project.org. 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

The First Reading today comes from the end of Paul’s Second Letter to the Thessalonians and includes the passage about if anyone is unwilling to work, they should not eat. It’s become a heavily politicized passage – how can we balance this with our need to care for the poor? We talk with Dr. Charlie Self.Guest InfoDr. Charlie Self is an author, adviser, pastor and professor with more than 40 years of experience connecting Faith and the Common Good. He is the author of several works including Flourishing Churches and Communities (published by Acton) and his new co-authored work, Life in 5-D: A New Vision of Wholeness. He is the visiting professor of church history at the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary. Visit him at drcharlieself.com 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

The internet, and especially TikTok, has been at the root of one social contagion after another. The Lindsay Clancy case, however, has resulted in the most depraved version yet. Across TikTok, thousands of women around the world are posting videos in which they claim that they, too, could have killed their own children. Hundreds of women have rallied in support outside the courthouse. In the end, the Clancy tragedy shows how quickly an online community can turn a vicious crime into a shared emotional narrative. Dr. Anne Hendershott has more.Further ReadingErasing Lindsay Clancy’s Children by Sacralizing the Mother Who Killed ThemThe Politics of EnvyGuest InfoAnne Hendershott is Professor of Sociology and Director of the Veritas Center for Ethics in Public Life at Franciscan University of Steubenville, OH. She is the author of The Politics of Envy. 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

Today is the birthday of St. Teresa of Calcutta. In a world bereft of wisdom, she offers another anthropology. She warned that the hunger for love can prove more difficult to satisfy than physical hunger. She met people in the poorest parts of the world who had a satisfaction that people who had everything they thought they wanted longed for. Marcus has more. 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

Who was this man named Jesus? A prophet, maybe—or a fraud? Some say he was only a “wise teacher” whose followers later deified him. Still others think his very existence is a myth. For Christians, he is the true Messiah: the one sent by God to fulfill Jewish prophecy and save the world from sin and death. But how do we know He is? Jimmy Akin joins us.Further ReadingBook: Evidence for Christ- How We Know That Jesus is the MessiahGuest InfoJimmy Akin is an internationally known author and speaker. As the senior apologist at Catholic Answers, he has more than thirty years of experience defending and explaining the Faith. Jimmy has an extensive background in the Bible, theology, the Church Fathers, philosophy, canon law, and liturgy. He is a weekly guest on the national radio program Catholic Answers Live and a popular blogger and podcaster. He is best known for Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World and The Jimmy Akin Podcast. His personal website is JimmyAkin.com.Jimmy Akin is an internationally known author and speaker. As the senior apologist at Catholic Answers, he has more than thirty years of experience defending and explaining the Faith. Jimmy has an extensive background in the Bible, theology, the Church Fathers, philosophy, canon law, and liturgy. He is a weekly guest on the national radio program Catholic Answers Live and a popular blogger and podcaster. He is best known for Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World and The Jimmy Akin Podcast. His personal website is JimmyAkin.com. 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

In today’s First Reading, St Paul instructs the Thessalonians to ”stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours.” Marcus unpacks today’s readings. 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

John Paul II’s Theology of the Body is about much more than sex and chastity, and contains two other major themes. It’s St John Paul’s attempt to lay the foundation for a comprehensive approach to lay holiness in response to the Second Vatican Council, and it’s a plan for human flourishing that’s meant to evangelize the world. Dr. Greg Popcak has more.Guest InfoDr. Greg Popcak is the founder of CatholicCounselors.com Together with his wife Lisa, he’s the author of over 20 popular books, and the host of More2Life, heard each day at 10am E on EWTN radio. Greg and Lisa are also the founders of the CatholicHOM app that provides couples and parents with the coaching and resources they need to build strong domestic churches. 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

The modern West finds itself in the throes of unprecedented crisis. Politicians scramble for solutions, educators devise new pedagogies, and social engineers craft endless schemes. Yet all of this is a fool’s errand. For the very heart of our civilization has been abandoned: the altar of the living God. Marcus explains the problem. 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

For ten years, the people of Southeast Michigan have come together to put God’s Mercy into action. There are many ways to take part, and Southeast Michigan is hungry for an experience of God’s mercy like never before. This year’s Catholic Charities Day of Mercy is on October 17, and Deacon Fred Billotto has the details.Click Here to learn moreGuest InfoDeacon Fred Billotto is Associate Director of Evangelical Charity at the Archdiocese of Detroit and a Volunteer manager for Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan. 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

A court battle is playing out in Texas after surrogate mother McKenna West refused to abort the child she was carrying after the baby was found to have a treatable birth defect. The couple who had planned to raise the child wanted McKenna to terminate the pregnancy, saying there was a clause for this situation in their contract. This entire mess exposes the flaws of the surrogacy industry. Josh West has more.Guest InfoJosh Wood is the Executive Director at Them Before Us. Visit thembeforeus.com 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

Our culture’s worship of sexual liberation did not begin in a vacuum - it arrived after decades of intellectual shifts. Marcus looks at how it happened. 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

The Sacrament of Baptism saves us on an individual level. But it also goes beyond that – it is a vehicle to union with those who need God’s love. Mike Schramm joins us.Further ReadingThe Other Way Baptism SavesFollow Mike on SubstackGuest InfoMike Schramm lives in southeastern Minnesota with his wife and seven children. There, he teaches theology and philosophy at Aquinas High School and Viterbo University. He earned his MA in theology from St. Joseph’s College in Maine and an MA in philosophy from Holy Apostles College. You can find his writing at Busted Halo, Homiletic and Pastoral Review, Catholic Insight, Catholic Exchange, and the Voyage Comics Blog. He is also the managing editor of the Voyage Compass, an imprint of Voyage Comics and Publishing, and co-hosts the Voyage Podcast with Jacob Klatte. 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

Carl Olson grew up in strongly anti-Catholic home with a father who believed that Catholics “worship the pope” and “think the pope can’t sin.” The papacy is one of the biggest obstacles Protestants face when considering the Catholic faith. But the teaching is built solidly on the Scripture. Carl joins us with more.Further ReadingThe Papacy and Sacred ScriptureGuest InfoCarl E. Olson is editor of Catholic World Report and Ignatius Insight. He is the author of Did Jesus Really Rise from the Dead?, Will Catholics Be “Left Behind”?, co-editor/contributor to Called To Be the Children of God, co-author of The Da Vinci Hoax (Ignatius), and author of the “Catholicism” and “Priest Prophet King” Study Guides for Bishop Robert Barron/Word on Fire. His recent books on Lent and Advent—Praying the Our Father in Lent (2021) and Prepare the Way of the Lord (2021)—are published by Catholic Truth Society. The Most Asked Questions about Faith, Reason, Jesus, and the Bible, co-authored with Fr. Robert Spitzer, S.J., will be published by Ignatius Press in Fall 2026. He is also a contributor to “Our Sunday Visitor” newspaper, “The Catholic Answer” magazine, “The Imaginative Conservative”, “The Catholic Herald”, “National Catholic Register”, “Chronicles”, and other publications. 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

The Flourish Fundraiser to support Arbor Woman Health will take place on September 10 and you can be there! The evening includes delicious food, live music, and a keynote address by Dr. Kristin Collier. Dr. Rusty Chavey has the details.Learn More about the Event Guest InfoDr. Rusty Chavey is the founder of Emmaus Health in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He is also Professor Emeritus in the Department of Family Medicines at the University of Michigan. 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

If you read the Gospel readings today, you’ll see one of those deceptively brief encounters in the Gospel narratives, this one between Jesus and Nathanael. but There’s deep meaning behind the language that’s going forth here. Marcus takes a closer look. 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

A recent longform piece in The Atlantic asks how Civilization can survive the postliterate area. It’s inspired by several recent studies showing a steady decline in American literacy. In one 2024 nationwide exam, only 35% of high school seniors ranked “proficient” in analyzing complex themes in fiction or the effectiveness of an essayist’s argument. From 1984 to 2025, the percentage of 13-year-olds who said they rarely or never read on their own for fun jumped from 8% to 29%. Is the age of reading over? David Bonagura joins us.Further ReadingThe Age Of Reading Is OverThe End of Reading Is HereDavid’s website Guest InfoDavid G. Bonagura, Jr. is the author, most recently, of 100 Tough Questions for Catholics: Common Obstacles to Faith Today, and the translator of Jerome’s Tears: Letters to Friends in Mourning. An adjunct professor at St. Joseph’s Seminary and Catholic International University, he serves as the religion editor of The University Bookman, a review of books founded in 1960 by Russell Kirk. 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

In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus asks the disciples who people say that the Son of Man is – and then he confronts Peter “but who do YOU say that I am?” We unpack the readings with Rob Corzine.Guest InfoRob Corzine is the vice-president of programs for the St Paul Center for Biblical Theology 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

As we pray for a just peace in the Middle East, some Catholics and Protestants have been engaging in a different yet related battle—regarding whether the Temple in Jerusalem will be rebuilt, how and when the Antichrist will appear, and God’s plan otherwise for the End Times. We talk about the debate with Tom Nash.Further ReadingWill the Temple Be Rebuilt?Guest InfoTom Nash has served the Church professionally for more than 35 years, including as a theology advisor at the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN). He is a staff apologist for Catholic Answers, and a contributing writer for both the National Catholic Register and Catholic World Report. Tom appears as a periodic guest host for Ave Maria in the Afternoon and has appeared as a regular guest apologist on Catholic Answers Live for more than fifteen years. Tom is the author of The Biblical Roots of the Mass, To Whom Shall We Go?: The Biblical Case for the Catholic Church, and 20 Answers: The Rosary. He is also a contributing author to Catholic for a Reason: Scripture and the Mystery of the Mass, and Faith Facts: Answers to Catholic Questions, Vols. I and II. He is also a regular member of the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars. 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

On Saturday, we celebrate the Feast of the Queenship of Mary. When Marcus was still a Protestant, he detested such celebrations, believing they were proof that Catholics worshipped Mary. Since his conversion, he has come to appreciate Mary as a mother and a queen. He shares more.Further ReadingBehold Your Mother: A Biblical and Historical Defense of the Marian Doctrines 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

Stockholm Syndrome is a term used to describe a bond that forms between a captive and their captors, and was coined after an attempted bank robbery in Stockholm, Sweden in August 1973. While most of us will hopefully never be held hostage, we are all in a “Stockholm Syndrome” relationship with the devil – for we all have sins we have not yet let go of. Marcus has more. 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

The latest entry in the Toy Story franchise features a young girl whose parents buy her a tablet so she can be like the other kids. The story is an illustration of a larger cultural phenomenon – the ubiquity of screens in our society. Paul Kengor joins us.Further ReadingToy Story 5 and the Vanishing America of Toy Stores and ChurchesGuest InfoPaul Kengor is Editor of The American Spectator.Dr. Kengor is also a professor of political science at Grove City College, a senior academic fellow at the Center for Vision & Values, and the author of over a dozen books, including A Pope and a President: John Paul II, Ronald Reagan, and the Extraordinary Untold Story of the 20th Century, The Politically Incorrect Guide to Communism, and Dupes: How America’s Adversaries Have Manipulated Progressives for a Century. 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

Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller of San Antonio has announced that John Mary Foster, a priest of the archdiocese, has been found guilty of schism and has been dismissed from the clerical state. Matthew Bunson has more on this and other Church news.Further ReadingArchbishop of San Antonio Announces Laicization of Priest for Schism and Disobedience to the PopeIn a First, Jewish Scholar Elected to Lead Catholic Biblical AssociationPope Leo Meets Lebanese President; Security Issues at Center of TalksLourdes Bishop Says Shrine Will Cover All Rupnik Mosaics Ahead of Pope’s Visit to FranceGuest InfoMatthew Bunson is Vice President and Editorial Director of EWTN News and a Senior Fellow at St Paul Center for Biblical Theology. He’s the author or co-author of more than 50 books including the first English-language biography of Pope Francis and The Encyclopedia of Catholic History. Follow him on twitter at MattBunson. Register Radio airs Saturdays at 4 pm and Sundays at 11 am on Ave Maria Radio 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

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to require 12-person juries in criminal cases, with the bishops arguing against a Florida policy allowing smaller six-person juries in many cases. We talk more about it with Dean John Czarnetzky.Further ReadingU.S. bishops urge Supreme Court to require 12-person juries for criminal casesGuest InfoJohn Czarnetzky is Chief Executive Officer and Dean at the Ave Maria School of Law. He also serves as a legal adviser to the Holy See’s Mission to the United Nations, representing the Holy See in negotiations, including establishing the International Criminal Court and several international treaties, including one on the rights of persons with disabilities. Dean Czarnetzky is a lay member of the Dominican Order and a third-degree Knight of Columbus. 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

On Tuesday a high school student in the Philippines live streamed himself shooting and killing a fellow student before taking his own life. School officials have urged the public not to circulate images or photos captured during the livestream. Marcus looks at the greater social phenomena. 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

In today’s first reading, the Lord promises that he will give us a new heart and place a new spirit within you. This promise is fulfilled by Christ, who makes us new so we can manifest His glory to the ends of the earth, Marcus has more. 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

As civil war raged across Guatemala, Fr. Stanley Rother assured his parishioners he would not abandon them: “A shepherd cannot run at the first sign of danger.” Now, his story is coming to theaters for two nights only, on August 25 and 26, with a Spanish edition premiering on August 27. Maria Scaperlanda tells us more about the film and his story. Further ReadingLearn more about the filmThe Shepherd Who Stayed: Blessed Stanley Rother’s Life Story Lights Up the Big ScreenThe Shepherd Who Didn’t Run: Blessed Stanley Rother, Martyr from OklahomaGuest InfoMaría Ruiz Scaperlanda is the promoter of the canonization cause for Bl. Stanley Rother. She is also an award-winning Catholic author and journalist whose books have explored the lives of saints, missionaries and other inspiring figures of faith. She is the author of “The Shepherd Who Didn’t Run: Blessed Stanley Rother, Martyr from Oklahoma,” a widely praised biography of the first American-born priest recognized as a martyr by the Catholic Church. 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

Democratic Gov. Maura Healey signed a bill allowing abortion at any point in pregnancy in the state of Massachusetts, making it the 11th state to impose no limits on abortion. Andrew Kubick joins us to talk about it.Guest InfoDr. Andrew Kubick is a Teacher and Faculty Mentor of Bioethics at Saint John Paul the Great Catholic High School, Ethics Consultant at the National Catholic Bioethics Center, Senior Research Fellow for Public Policy at the Catholic Health Care Leadership Alliance, and Adjunct Instructor of Bioethics at the Catholic Institute of Technology and University of Mary. 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

Mary’s Meals is a global movement supported by people from many walks of life and different backgrounds. Their mission is to enable people to offer their money, goods, skills, time, or prayer, and through this involvement, provide the most effective help to those suffering the effects of extreme poverty in the world’s poorest communities. Jennifer Hartley tells us more about their work.Further ReadingMary’s Meals websiteGuest InfoJennifer Hartley is the Executive Director of Mary’s Meals 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

Newly released texts show that Dr. Anthony Fauci privately told colleagues that a reaction some people had after their second COVID-19 vaccine dose “theoretically could be associated with miscarriage in the 1st trimester.” Days later, he told the public that 10,000 pregnant women had received COVID-19 vaccines without any concerning safety signals being detected. “No red flags,” as he put it. Granted, the texts don’t prove the vaccines caused harm. But they do show a gap between what officials knew and worried about privately and what they told the public. All of this makes a court order out of Virginia worth attention. Andrea Picciotti Bayer has more.Further ReadingVirginia’s COVID-19 Vaccine FollyGuest InfoAndrea Picciotti-Bayer is a legal analyst for EWTN News. She also directs the Conscience Project. Follow her on Twitter @bayerpicciotti and visit conscience-project.org. 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

A recent U.S. Department of Health and Human Services investigation revealed that many patients are wrongly determined to be “brain dead” and are unquestionably alive, by any standard. Dr Joseph Eble joins us to talk about it.Further ReadingOpinion: Why it is significant HHS decertified an organ procurement organizationGuest InfoJoseph M. Eble, MD, is Vice President of Fidelis Radiology and former President of the Tulsa Guild of the Catholic Medical Association. He is passionate about end of life care, adoption, and building bridges between persons of different ethnicity. He has authored and co-authored many articles on “brain death,” most recently “Catholics United on Brain Death and Organ Donation: A Call to Action”. He is currently working on a book on “brain death” with co-author D. Alan Shewmon, MD, with particular focus on its reception among Catholics and compatibility with the Catholic faith. 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