Kresta in the Afternoon

Pope Benedict was born on April 16, 1927. He’s recognized as one of the great theologians of the contemporary Church, but we must not overlook his massive contributions to our understanding of the Scriptures. Matthew Ramage joins us.

From the beginning of his papacy, Pope Benedict showed us that truth does not change and is found in Jesus. He emphasized that he would not be pursuing his own vision for the Church but would strive to enact God’s vision. Yesterday would have been his birthday, and we remember him with Louise Merrie.

When we face challenges in life, it’s a common practice to “offer it up” to God. Does this mean God “likes” to see us suffer? Jeremy Duo joins us.

Next Tuesday Renewal Ministries and Ave Maria Radio will host Andy Comiskey of Desert Stream for a talk on Kingdom Clarity and Sexual Identity. The talk begins at 7:00 pm at Christ the King in Ann Arbor. Peter Herbeck joins us with the details.

When, as Christians, we’re asked for the source of one of our beliefs, we often point to the Scriptures. But how do we know this source is reliable? Lydia McGrew joins us with simple, yet concrete answers to the age-old question “Why should I believe what the Bible says about the life and teachings of Jesus?”

Through her long career as a lawyer and diplomat, Mary Ann Glendon has worked closely with the Vatican under three different popes. She was a Vatican representative to a UN conference on Women under John Paul II, served as US Ambassador to the Vatican while Benedict XVI was pope, and then was named by Pope Francis as a member of the Pontifical Commission of inquiry into the Vatican bank. And the stories only begin there. She joins us.

Understanding America’s past and the uniqueness of the American Experience in history is crucial to understanding America’s present and future. Unfortunately, most American students lack basic proficiency in understanding their own history. A new report from Arizona State’s Center for American Institutions helps us quantify the problem. Dr. Donald Critchlow joins us.

When you look at the clothes people wear and the bumper stickers they put on their cars, it's easy to see where their allegiance lies - to Nike or Adidas, the Yankees or the Red Sox, the Democrats or the Republicans, and so on. But how can people tell when our allegiance is to Christ? Al shares some thoughts and we hear from Fr John Riccardo.

The Book of Leviticus isn’t exactly the most exciting book in the Bible, and it’s one we often find ourselves skimming through or skipping altogether. But it’s in these verses that we find crucial details for the construction and use of the Tabernacle, which in turn deepens our understanding of the Gospel. Gary Anderson joins us with more.

Every day, the same Mass is celebrated all over the world. As members of the Church universal, we are united in the liturgy by hearing the same readings and reciting the same prayers. Daniel Markham went on a journey across the US to experience the Mass in every state. He shares his experience with us.

When Elvis Gutierrez was growing up in New York City, his father was often absent for long periods of time. He was enamored by hip-hop culture and his friends ranged everywhere from honors students to drug dealers. He joins us sharing his long journey to the faith, which included working as an EMT on 9/11 and losing a close friend to cancer.

There are two cases before the Texas Supreme Court that demonstrate the need for clarification for abortion bans that have exceptions for fetal abnormalities or risks to the health of the mother. Disabled people are a protected class under United States law, and this protection must extend to people in the womb. Rachel Roth Aldhizer has more.

In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus appears to His followers and asks them why they are troubled and shows them His hands and feet. Peggy Stanton joins us for our weekly discussion.

We tend to imagine the events of the Gospels through the eyes of Christ, or through the eyes of an uninvolved third party. Scott Hurd re-imagines these scenes through the eyes of Christ's closest companions, who were with him throughout his ministry. By exploring the Eucharistic references throughout the Gospels, he helps us to better contemplate the mystery present in the Eucharist. Scott joins us.

In the Book of Ephesians, St. Paul writes that ministers are given to us “to prepare God’s people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” We’ll look more at the passage with Dr. Peter Williamson

When we talk with listeners, one concern rises about the rest: how they can help their kids and grandkids keep the faith into adulthood. The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate has just concluded the Future Families Project, which analyzes data from Catholic adults to see what was different about the faith environment in which they were raised. Dr Greg Popcak joins us with more.

Jesus has given his followers the words and mission of Eternal Life. We talk about some of those words with Tom Nash.

For years, religious leaders in the U.S. have raised concerns about the rise of the “nones” - people who profess to adhere to no faith tradition. There’s a certain conventional wisdom that young people often fall away from the Church for a time, but return as they become older. But the data suggests otherwise. Brendan Hodge takes a look at the numbers.

In the First Book of Kings, David reminds Solomon what it takes to succeed as king: “Be strong, be courageous, and keep the charge of the Lord your God.” The Hebrew word for courageous is more precisely translated as “be manly.” In other words, David sees masculinity as a necessary component to flourishing in leadership. Only when Solomon forgets David’s advice does his life come to a crooked end. St. Paul gives similar advice to the Corinthians. Society, having forgotten this advice, now has men living in a collective identity crisis, leading many to an unfortunate end. Fr. Etienne Huard joins us with more.

In an increasingly secular world, Christians are often pulled in two directions. Some urge us to retreat and build insular communities. Others call upon us to wage a culture war. But there is another option – and we find it my examining how the very first Christians engaged the Culture. Stephen Presley joins us.

Elon Musk is one of the richest and most celebrated men in the world, yet he also has to be one of the loneliest and saddest, bereft of community, meaning, and love. Auguste Meyrat is our guest.

The Arizona supreme court has ruled that an abortion ban with an exception only for the life of the mother, which was enacted by Arizona’s territorial legislature as part of its 1864 criminal code and never explicitly repealed, remains in force. Michael New has more.

The history of science is filled with faithful Catholics who sought to discover more and more about God’s creation. We get to know a few of them today with Joseph Pearce.

In his years of teaching introductory theology, Dr. Roberto De La Noval has observed that many students don’t understand the basic rationale for studying the subject. Unless the problem of relativism is addressed head on, the mandatory study of theology will be perceived as completely disconnected from the formation in knowledge that students are receiving in their other courses of study. He joins us.

In order to have a faithful Catholic college or university, you need to have a faculty that honors and respects the teachings of the Church both in their teaching and in their behaviors. Anne Hendershott joins us.

Yesterday the Vatican’s top doctrinal office issued a declaration on human dignity that addresses issues such as gender transition, abortion, and surrogacy. We break it all down with Fr. Thomas Petri.

In the case 303 Creative v Elenis last summer, the Supreme Court ruled that the state of Colorado could not compel a wedding website designer to provide her services for same-sex couples. Last month, a federal trial court judge in Colorado entered final judgement in the designer’s favor, a big win for religious liberty. Charles Russo joins us with the details.

Like most wars of attrition, culture wars are wearisome, enervating affairs. Competing and irreconcilable accounts of what it means to be human – and, thus, of what the proper ends of human life and action ought to be – are a source of unrelenting friction, not only in our politics but also within the Church. And to further the problem, few people seem to understand what a “culture” is. Stephen White joins us.

In the weeks leading up to the publication of a new Vatican document on human dignity, some speculated that the text would send shockwaves throughout the Church. But based off the initial reaction to Dignitas Infinita, it seems that something of the opposite has occurred. Shannon Mullen joins us.

As more Americans leave organized religion, they find themselves looking for spirituality in other places. They look to all sorts of everyday activities--from eating and parenting to dating and voting--for the identity, purpose, and meaning once provided on Sunday morning. In our striving, we are chasing a sense of enoughness. But it remains ever out of reach, and the effort and anxiety are burning us out. We talk about it with David Zahl.

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation, which was pushed back from March 25 due to Holy Week. Fulton Sheen wrote extensively on the Feast, and Al reads from his writings today.

We probably all know someone who has struggled with depression. We want to help, but it can be hard to know where to start. Al has experienced this firsthand, as he was hospitalized twice for depression back in the 1980s. He sits down with Dr. Ray Guarendi to recount the story and how he was able to find hope.

This weekend is Divine Mercy Sunday. We believe in a God who is all-Merciful, but is also perfectly Just. Do these qualities contradict each other? Michael Dauphinais is our guest.

Proposed legislation in California would make assisted suicide available to patients with ‘early and mid-stage dementia,’ while dropping a required waiting period. Wes Smith joins us with more.

In a recent interview, renowned atheist Richard Dawkins said he identifies as something of a “cultural Christian,” though he still thoroughly rejects the theological teachings of Christianity. Dawkins dreams of a world without religion, but still seems to recognize fruits of Christianity. We talk more about the Church’s contribution to civilization with Jared Staudt.

The resurrection theme can be found throughout classic Literature. Marcus discusses how the theme is used in the works of Lewis and Tolkien.

In a new Spanish-language book “The Successor: My Memories of Benedict XVI,” Pope Francis writes that he was “used” in the 2005 conclave in an effort to block the election of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, though he supported the candidacy of the man who soon became Pope Benedict XVI. Matthew Bunson joins us with more on this and other stories.

In this Sunday’s Gospel, the risen Jesus appears to His disciples, but Thomas is not there to see it and later doubts their story. We talk more about the reading with Peggy Stanton.

When faced with the question of why there is so much suffering in the world, the default Christian answer is because of Adam’s sin. But the fossil record shows that animals were dying long before humans inhabited the planet. So what in the Created order changed as a result of Adam’s sin? Matthew Ramage joins us.

In a recent interview, Cardinal Mario Grech, the Secretary General of the Vatican’s Synod of Bishops, described the Church as “a rainbow, with the colors that are not excluded but, together, create harmony.” We talk more about this vision for the Church with Peter Herbeck.

Belief is a central part of human experience. We believe that the sun is the center of the Solar System. We believe (or at least hope) that warm weather will eventually return. And as Christians, we believe that Jesus rose from the dead. But what does this kind of belief mean? David Fagerberg is our guest.

In today’s daily Gospel reading, we are taken on the Road to Emmaus, which is followed by a meal. It is in the breaking of the bread that the disciples realize they are seeing Jesus. We talk more about the reading with Dr. Marcus Peter.

GK Chesterton’s bibliography is extensive, and his crowning achievement is The Everlasting Man. It’s the book that started a young atheist named CS Lewis down his path towards Christianity. But due to its style and obscure references, it’s a book that is often lost on contemporary readers. Dale Ahlquist, the leading authority on Chesterton, helps us understand it.

On Monday, March 25, New York Police Officer Jonathan Diller died in the hospital after he was shot during a routine traffic spot in Queens. His funeral Mass was held on Holy Saturday. Fr. Michael Duffy, who presided over Jonathan’s wedding and his funeral, joins us to share more about him and what it was like to have a funeral as we waited for Easter.

The Resurrection is the single greatest event in human history. Without it, Christianity loses all meaning. Even among skeptics and those who reject Christianity, there are elements of Jesus’ life and Resurrection that are beyond dispute. We’ll talk about it with Justin Bass.

Christians have historically understood that Jesus rose to life in His crucified body, citing his encounter with Thomas. But some scholars now argue that Christ’s Resurrected body was a “spiritual” body “purged of every element of flesh and blood.” How can we square that with reports of Jesus eating with His disciples and inviting them to tough his wounds? We examine it with Dr. James Ware.

The Gospel of John briefly recounts St. Thomas’ encounter with the Resurrected Lord, who insisted that Thomas put his fingers into His wounds – wounds that apparently did not heal, despite His Resurrection. How can these wounds help us connect more to Christ? We talk with Dr. Jonathan Heaps.

Do you remember people talking about the “Three Rs” of education – reading, ‘riting, and ‘rithmetic? They’re the most basic building blocks of education and lay the foundation for everything that follows. What if we apply that principle to the greatest event in human history? We explore the Three Rs of the Resurrection with Carl Olson.

Christ has completed the mission He came to Earth to do – he has been crucified for our transgressions and lies in the tomb. As we await the joy of Easter, Al shares some thoughts on the meaning of this day.

On Holy Thursday we commemorate the first Mass, recognizing Jesus as our Great High Priest. But did Jesus intend for the priesthood to continue, or was it merely a feature of the Old Covenant? John Bergsma joins us with a look at the roots of the priesthood.