Kresta in the Afternoon

In many ways the world of St Catherine of Siena mirrors our own. The Church was shaken by scandals of clerical abuse and division and the world had been changed forever by the bubonic plague. But out of this chaos arose a newly inspired and empowered laity. Yesterday was her feast day; we’ll celebrate her life with Fr. Thomas McDermott

What does Plato have to do with the Christian faith? Quite a bit, it turns out. In ways that might surprise us, Christians throughout the history of the church and even today have inherited aspects of the ancient Greek philosophy of the man who learned from Socrates and taught Aristotle. Louis Markos helps us understand.

A key element dividing Catholics and Protestants is the claim of “Sola Scriptura” – the idea that the Scriptures are the sole infallible source of authority for the Christian faith. What’s the problem with this argument? Al offers his thoughts.

Generation Z is more likely to describe themselves as not having a religion than any other American generation on record. To fill the gap previously held by religion, many are turning to astrology and neo-paganism, or binding themselves to increasingly tribal social causes that effectively become their very identities. Could we take a lesson from Henri de Lubac on reaching them? Dr. Sara Hulse Kirby joins us.

This morning Columbia University issued a warning to students in the “Gaza Solidarity Encampment,” warning activists that they must leave the area or face disciplinary action. Meanwhile, protestors at George Washington University broke down police barriers and changed “globalize the intifada.” We get an update on the chaos with Jay Greene.

On April 27, we celebrated the 10th anniversary of the canonization of Pope St. John Paul II. It’s hard to believe that it’s already been a decade since the beloved pontiff, along with Pope St. John XXIII, was raised to the dignity of the altar. We cannot talk about his life without discussing his love for the Eucharist. Fr. Jeffrey Kirby joins us to discuss this and other reflections on the popes.

An independent review of gender-related medical care for minors and young adults submitted to the U.K.’s National Health Service found that previous studies on the topic are of “poor quality” and there is “very limited evidence on the longer-term outcomes” associated with medicalized transition. Jennifer Roback Morse joins us with more.

In his Second Letter to the Corinthians, St Paul assures us that as Christians, we are “always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested.” The same power that converted the world in the first century is still converting the world today. Scott Hahn joins us with more.

Today it is widely accepted that Shakespeare was raised in a devoutly Catholic family at a time when the practice of the Faith was illegal. Blessed John Henry Newman wrote that Shakespeare had “so little of a Protestant about him that Catholics have been able, without extravagance, to claim him as their own.” As this week marks the anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth, death and baptism, we’ll take a look at how he expressed his faith. Joe Pearce joins us.

A new survey finds that just 37% of Christian pastors in the US profess a “Biblical Worldview.” What does it mean to have a Biblical worldview and why is it so essential for the Christian message? Al discusses.

Despite the efforts of some transhumanists, all of us are going to die someday. In his letter to the Philippians, St. Paul writes that for him “to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” This idea that death could be a gain is foreign to our society and even to many Christians. This discomfort with death might be why the Anointing of the Sick tends to be an underappreciated sacrament. Roger Nutt is here to re-introduce us to the gift of this sacrament.

Michelle Paine was raised in a devout Christian home, and outside of the Christmas season she didn’t give Mary much thought. That began to change when she spent a year studying Art History in Italy, where Marian imagery was everywhere. She shares how encountering Mary through art helped her find her way to the Church.

On this day in 1999, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold murdered 12 students and a teacher at Columbine High School. In his journal, Harris wrote "My belief is that if I say something, it goes. I am the law, if you don't like it, you die." Al looks at his beliefs and how they led to such a tragedy.

Matthew Bunson has just returned from a visit to Singapore, where he met with Cardinal William Goh. He shares his observations with us on the state of the Church in Asia.

Saint Joseph stands close to Jesus and Mary at the heart of the gospel story. Yet he remains largely in the background, silent and steady. Not surprisingly, Christians throughout the ages have pondered deeply this mystery that is Joseph. We look at their stories with Paul Thigpen.

Faith in Jesus Christ is unlike any other belief system in human history. The entirety of the Christian message essentially demands that you and I surrender our whole lives, our entire selves, to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And we are called to do this as a response to the fact that He has already poured out His entire self for us. Marcus discusses.

The visible horizon of our universe is a giant ball billions of light years across, and billions of years old. It is so vast, so dark, and so mysterious that a common reaction is to wonder whether human life itself is meaningless. We explore our place and purpose in the cosmos with Dr. Timothy Kearns.

Nine pro-lifers who participated in a Rescue in 2020 are about to be sentenced to prison. In addition to charges under the FACE act, they are also facing charges of “conspiracy to interfere with civil rights” and could spend up to 11 years in prison. Monica Miller is encouraging all to write to the judge and voice their support. She joins us.

Andrew Comiskey founded Desert Stream/Living Waters Ministries in 1980, when he and his wife responded to their pastor’s call to start a healing/support group for men and women seeking Jesus in light of unwanted same-sex attractions. The one group became several groups, and Andrew began to develop what is now the Living Waters program. Andy and associate director Marco Casanova join us.

Just as Job was tried, all of us are tested by suffering. It comes in many different forms: grief about the past, pain in the present, and sadness about what might have been. We explore personal dimensions of suffering with Mark Giszczak.

When Aquinas addressed the best arguments against God in his masterwork, the Summa Theologica, he listed only two. The first was the problem of evil: How can God ― who is perfectly good ― exist alongside that which is against Him? His second: Is God really needed to explain the world? We address those objections and more with Pat Flynn.

Sr Miriam James entered college on a volleyball scholarship with the dream of one day working for ESPN. She had been raised Catholic, but never truly understood Christ's love and pursued love in other places. Feeling empty and broken, she eventually rediscovered her faith and found her vocation. She joins us with her story.

Is anger always bad? After all, wrath is one of the Seven Deadly Sins. But, used properly, anger can be a useful emotion. It is our anger at injustice and evil that can lead to change; our anger at the loss of souls that leads us to evangelize. We'll talk with Bert Ghezzi.

On this day in 1993, FBI tanks smashed into the ramshackle home of the Branch Davidians outside Waco, Texas. After the FBI collapsed much of the building atop the residents, a fire erupted and 76 corpses were dug out of the rubble. Unfortunately, the American political system and media have never faced the lessons from that tragic 1993 day. James Tabor was there on that fateful day, and he was there again for the 25th anniversary a few years ago. We look back on our conversation.

Mother Angelica dedicated her life to directing the gaze of her viewers and listeners toward Heaven. We sit down with Doug Keck to learn from her on how we can grow in our own holiness.

We discuss the meaning and nature of pilgrimage with Brad Bursa.

Conversions come in many forms, and there are many paths people take on their way to finding Jesus. We look at some stories with JonMarc Grodi.

In this Sunday’s Gospel, taken from the 10th Chapter of John, Jesus describes Himself as the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep. Peggy Stanton joins us with more.

After the Fall of Man, God developed a divine economy of salvation – the work of bringing about our salvation. Sin was never a part of God’s plan, so He sent Jesus for our redemption. Marcus discusses more.

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.