Ave Maria in the Afternoon Segments

For 30 years, Kermit Gosnell operated out of an abortion clinic with conditions so disturbing it was nicknamed the “house of horrors” after law enforcement raided the clinic that had gone unchecked. We talk more about his crimes with Monica Miller.Further ReadingKermit Gosnell, ‘America’s biggest serial killer,’ dies in prison‘Face to face with evil’: The story of how we met abortionist Kermit GosnellBook: Gosnell: The Untold Story of America’s Most Prolific Serial KillerBook: Abandoned: The Untold Story of the Abortion WarsGuest InfoDr Monica Miller is the Director of Citizens for a Pro-Life Society and the author of many books including “The Authority of Women in the Catholic Church,” “Abandoned: The Untold Story of the Abortion Wars” and “Theology of the Passion of the Christ” Check out prolifesociety.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

Some Protestant thinkers will tell you that Mary was not “special” - God could have chosen any other young woman to be the mother of Christ. Some will go as far as to say Mary was merely an “incubator” for Jesus. But the Divine choice was infinitely deeper. Mary was never a random girl who stepped into a vacant role. 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

Science needs the guidance of faith to present to it the wisdom necessary for its end goal. Christopher Baglow has more.Further ReadingBeyond Conflict: Faith and Science in Catechesis and Evangelization, Part 1Guest InfoChristopher Baglow is Director of the Science & Religion Initiative of the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame. He is the author of Faith, Science and Reason: Theology on the Cutting Edge and is the co-recipient of the 2018 Expanded Reason Award in the Teaching category. Articles 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 Rising from the Ashes Revival, taking place this summer in Detroit, seeks to root the faithful in the Eucharist and empower them to bring the Good News to the world. It will feature keynote speakers like Fr. John Riccardo and Jeff Cavins, with performances by Matt Maher and Sarah Kroger. Fr. Joe Mallia tells us more.Further ReadingPray, praise and serve: Rising from the Ashes Revival will be a chance to help othersLearn more about the RevivalGuest InfoFr. Joe Mallia is a priest of the Archdiocese of Detroit serving at St. Kieran Parish in Shelby Township and as moderator of the North Macomb 1 Family of Parishes. Along with a dedicated team of clergy and lay leaders, Fr. Mallia is leading the organization efforts for the Rising from the Ashes Revival, which will take place July 22, 2026. 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

March 21 is World Down Syndrome Day. As more and more countries in the developed world march toward “eradicating” Down Syndrome by abortion babies with the condition, we talk with Mark Bradford. Further ReadingCatholics Fight ‘Together Against Loneliness’ on World Down Syndrome DayIndispensable: A Catholic Guide to Welcoming Persons with Intellectual and Developmental DisabilitiesLet Us Pray: Catholic Prayers for All AbilitiesGuest InfoMark Bradford was appointed Fellow for Persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities at the beginning of 2023. For over twenty years, he has been blessed to serve in leadership positions in various church ministries, including as the founding president of the Jerome Lejeune Foundation in the U.S. Mark and his wife Denise are parents to Thomas, their sixth of seven children (and first son), who happens to have been gifted with an extra 21st chromosome. Mark is a passionate advocate for those born with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. He especially advocates against the threat of abortion following a prenatal diagnosis at every opportunity. He is the author of Let Us Pray: Catholic Prayers for All Abilities and the editor of Indispensable: A Catholic Guide to Welcoming Persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (both published by Word on Fire). The Bradfords reside in the Philadelphia suburbs. 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

Holy Week is upon us, and on Monday St. Michael’s Church in Livonia will feature a special exhibit of relics from our Lord’s passion, including a fragment of the True Cross, a thorn from Christ’s crown, and replicas of the nails. Fr. Joseph Marquis has more.The relics will be on display at 7:00 pm on Monday, March 30 St. Michael the Archangel Church11441 Hubbard, Livonia, MI 48150Guest InfoFr Joseph Marquis is the Pastor of Sacred Heart Byzantine Catholic Church in Livonia. 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

Jesus famously tells Peter that he must forgive not just seven times, but seventy-seven times. But what does it really mean to forgive? Dr Greg Popcak joins us.Further ReadingCatholic Households on MissionGuest InfoDr Greg Popcak is the founder and director of CatholicCounselors.com, a group pastoral telecounseling practice providing faithful help to Catholics dealing with personal, emotional and relationship problems. He is also the former chair of the Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies program at Holy Apostles College and Seminary and an adjunct professor of psychology and graduate theology at Franciscan. Together with his wife, Lisa, he is the author of over 20 books integrating insights from counseling psychology and the timeless wisdom of our Catholic faith. They are also the developers of the CatholicHOM app, a resource helping Catholic families thrive.Dr. Greg and Lisa are the hosts of More2Life, a call in advice program airing weekdays at 10am E and produced by Ave Maria Radio and carried across the EWTN Global Catholic Radio Network. 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

Notorious abortionist Kermit Gosnell has died in prison at the age of 85. For 30 years, Gosnell operated out of an abortion clinic with conditions so disturbing it was nicknamed the “house of horrors” after law enforcement raided the clinic that had gone unchecked. But his life is simply the product of a sexualized culture gone awry. 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

Among St. Thomas Aquinas’ most important contributions is his discourse on faith and reason. For Aquinas, the foundation of all human intellect is the presence of a rational soul – so what would he say about a soulless AI program’s ability to reason? Mike Schramm joins us.Further ReadingAquinas Articulates Artificial IntelligenceFollow 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. He has written for Busted Halo, Homiletic and Pastoral Review, and the Voyage Comics Blog. 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 British appeals court has ruled against a hospital that withdrew life-sustaining treatment from a patient without family approval. Andrew Kubick has the details.Further ReadingHospital broke the law in withdrawing patient’s life support over family’s objections, court rulesBook: Transplanting the Womb: A Catholic Bioethical AnalysisGuest InfoAndrew Kubick is Senior Research Fellow for Public Policy at the Catholic Health Care Leadership Alliance and Ethics Consultant at the National Catholic Bioethics Center.” 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 Gospel, Jesus is confronted with the woman caught in adultery. He tells the crowds about to stone her that anyone who is without sin may cast the first stone, then invites the women to go and sin no more. We talk more about the reading with Doug Keck.Guest InfoDoug Keck is the emeritus President and COO of EWTN and the host of EWTN Bookmark. 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

We live in a time of astounding scientific breakthroughs and unprecedented medical marvels. Yet modern man has not yet found a way to overcome the one thing that is inevitable for every person, regardless of their social status, income, or lifestyle: death. We discuss the inevitability of death and the hope of the Resurrection with Carl Olson.Further ReadingThe reality of death and the Trinitarian “science” of salvationGuest 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. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @carleolson. 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 UK’s House of Lords has approved an amendment to British law that effectively allows for abortion up to birth. Joanna Bogle joins us from London with more.Further ReadingUK bishops, pro-life leaders react to vote decriminalizing women who end their own pregnancies‘A Tragic Moment for Our Nation’: UK Catholic Leaders Condemn Up-to-Birth Abortion VoteGuest InfoJoanna Bogle is a journalist in the United Kingdom. Her book Newman’s London is published by Gracewing Books. 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 last week has seen the deaths of two men who represented two very different forms of masculinity. Chuck Norris was the archetype of the “man’s man” whose characters defended the weak and stood up for justice. Meanwhile, OnlyFans owner Leo Radvinsky raked in nearly $2 million each day from his website, which was largely driven by pornographic content – a drop in the bucket of the mutli-billion dollar porn industry. Marcus looks at these forms of masculinity and our cultural priorities. 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 best movies are the ones that, in some way or another, draw us closer to God – and there are many that make for great Lenten viewing. Monica Miller has some suggestions.Further ReadingFour Great Films for Your Lenten JourneyGuest InfoDr Monica Miller is the Director of Citizens for a Pro-Life Society and the author of many books including “The Authority of Women in the Catholic Church,” “Abandoned: The Untold Story of the Abortion Wars” and “Theology of the Passion of the Christ” Check out prolifesociety.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

Biblical scholars often point to the Gospel of John as the one that most clearly portrays Jesus’ divinity. But in his recounting of the raising of Lazarus, John portrays Jesus in some of the most deeply human moments of His ministry. We unpack the Sunday 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

Religion and Violence are often cited as going hand-in-hand. But in the twentieth century alone we saw example after example of violence perpetrated by governments committed to extreme forms of secularism. We review the history of secularist violence with Thomas Howard.Further ReadingBroken Altars Secularist Violence in Modern HistoryGuest InfoDr. Thomas “Tal” Howard is the author of Broken Altars: Secularist Violence in Modern History. He is Professor of Humanities and History and Chair of Christian Ethics at Valparaiso University. 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

Thinking is good, but overthinking is not. It warps our sense of “what is” and it perseverates when we should let go. We talk more with Tod Worner.Further ReadingThe hell of overthinkingGuest InfoTod Worner is a practicing internal medicine physician, serves as Managing Editor of Evangelization & Culture, the Journal of the Word on Fire Institute, and hosts The Evangelization & Culture Podcast. 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

GK Chesterton once observed that we are perishing not from want of wonders, but from want of wonder. Scientism, the claim that empirical science is the only real form of knowledge, has led to a deeply dehumanized worldview. 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 original vision of the civil rights revolution was to ensure all Americans were protected from illegal discrimination. Unfortunately, it was derailed by the left’s misbegotten “disparate impact” approach. Are we trending back towards an era of civil rights sanity? Thomas Powers joins us.Further ReadingA New Era of Civil Rights Sanity?American Multiculturalism and the Anti-Discrimination Regime: The Challenge to Liberal PluralismGuest InfoThomas F. Powers is a visiting lecturer at the Center for Civics, Culture, and Society at Cleveland State University and the author of American Multiculturalism and the Anti-Discrimination Regime. 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

Nearly six months after publicly criticizing Cardinal Blase Cupich’s plan to give a “lifetime achievement” award to a pro-abortion-rights senator, a long-serving lay member of the Catholic Conference of Illinois board of directors is being involuntarily phased out of his role. Matthew Bunson has more on this and other church news.Further ReadingLay Leader Who Criticized Cardinal Cupich Phased Out of Catholic Conference BoardVatican Court Orders Partial Retrial in ‘Trial of the Century’ Finance CasePope Leo’s Return to the Papal Apartment Corrects an AnomalyThe Lebanon Sideshow Could Be Worse Than the Iranian Main EventIs the ‘Revival’ of Faith in Gen Z Real?Guest 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

What does it mean to be a man of faith? The Lord has gifted us with hundreds of saints that exemplify true Catholic masculinity. We look at some of their lives with Paul George.Further ReadingHoly Grit: A Saintly Guide to Becoming a Man of VirtuePaul’s websiteGuest Info 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

Although no direct words of Joseph’s are recorded in Scripture, it is from Joseph’s own lips that the name of Jesus is first announced publicly among the people of Israel. The fatherhood of Joseph, though not natural fatherhood, is an imitation of the fatherhood of God. Stephen White joins us with more.Further ReadingFatherhood and St. JosephGuest InfoStephen P. White is executive director of The Catholic Project at The Catholic University of America and a fellow in Catholic Studies at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. 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 March 19th, 1859, Charles Grenoad's Faust received its premiere at the Théâtre Le Cric in Paris. It tells the story of a man who makes a pact with a demon; his soul in exchange for unlimited worldly knowledge and pleasure. It’s the mirror opposite of the “Terror of Demons,” St. Joseph, who we celebrate today. 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

There is an assumption commonly shared on both sides of the theistic and atheistic debate that is a major obstacle to dialogue – the misconception that all theists believe in “basically the same thing” and that all atheists believe (or don’t believe) in “basically the same thing.” What do the terms actually tell us? Pat Flynn joins us.Further ReadingNot All Theists, Not All AtheistsThe Best Argument for GodPat’s websiteGuest InfoPat Flynn is a writer, philosopher, podcaster, and speaker living in Wisconsin with his wife, five children, and St. Bernard. He hosts Philosophy for the People and The Pat Flynn Show. 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

Paul R. Ehrlich, the biologist and author whose “Population Bomb” book sparked a hysteria about overpopulation, died last week. His philosophy is part of a greater movement that manifests itself in various ways that devalue the human person. In many countries today, we see nearly all children with genetic deficiencies aborted in the womb. As today is Trisomy-18 Awareness Day, Marcus ties it all together. 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

Critical Theory has become firmly entrenched among modern political and social thinkers. The greatest challenge we have as Christians in confronting this philosophy is the social sins of the past and CT’s seductive promise to eradicate all injustice by destroying hierarchies of dependency. Michel Therrien has more.Further ReadingCritical Theory and the Politics of Divine Love, Part 1Critical Theory and the Politics of Divine Love, Part 2Wounded Witness: Reclaiming the Church’s Unity in a Time of CrisisGuest InfoMichel Therrien is President of The Preambula Group. He is host of The Wise Guys podcast and author of The Catholic Faith Explained (Sophia Institute Press, 2020) and Wounded Witness: Reclaiming the Church’s Unity in a Time of Crisis(Three Keys Publishing, 2023). 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

Studies are showing that gratitude is on the decline in the developed world. We have lost our sense that good things come from something beyond ourselves. Marcus discusses the effects of gratitude on society.Further ReadingThe Death of Gratitude in the American Classroom 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 University of Sussex has published a “toolkit” to enable political and legal action to grant “rights” to trees. This is consistent with the radical environmentalist activism seen in many universities, such as Harvard Law, which is now teaching “nature rights” principles and strategies to students. Wes Smith has more.Further Reading University Pushes ‘Tree Rights’Humanize PodcastCulture of Death: The Age of Do Harm MedicineFollow Wes on XGuest InfoWes Smith is the Chair and Senior Fellow at the Discovery Institute’s Center on Human Exceptionalism. He’s also the host of the Humanize Podcast. He’s the author of 13 books including “Culture of Death: The age of Do-Harm Medicine.” Follow him on Twitter @thewesleyjsmith and check out his articles at National Review, First Things and 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

For Andrea Picciotti-Bayer, raising daughters in today’s culture has reinforced a lesson that no policy document can capture: Girls flourish when they are known, loved and accompanied by the people closest to them. No school counselor, no government agency and no ideology can replace the presence of an attentive and loving parent. She joins us.Further ReadingParental Rights Are a Cornerstone of American LawFollow Andrea on XGuest 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

Ireland’s patron saint has long been shrouded in legend, but the true story of St. Patrick is far more inspiring than the myths. Philip Freeman joins us to bring the historic Patrick and his world vividly to life.Further ReadingSt. Patrick of Ireland: A BiographyGuest InfoPhilip Freeman is professor of humanities at Pepperdine University’s Seaver College. He is the author of St. Patrick of Ireland: A Biography. 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

Ed Clancy of Aid to the Church in Need has an update on how the war in Iran is impacting the area’s Christian population.Guest InfoEdward F. Clancy is the outreach director of Aid to the Church in Need-USA 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

It’s easy for Catholics in the West to take for granted the myriad of resources available to them, and their freedom to worship and to express and grow deeper in their faith. During his time in Taiwan, Marcus encountered people who grew up in a society dominated by the Chinese Communist Party, where the human person is merely a cog in the administrative machine. He shares more. Further ReadingWhy I’m in Taiwan Right NowApostles of the Digital ContinentJesus is the Only Answer to Our Global DecayThe Global Hunger for Bold EvangelistsMarcus’ Taiwan Videos 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

Every Archbishop of New York has been Irish by either birth or heritage. Each in their own way, these “sons of Saint Patrick” have been saints and sinners, politicians and pastors, and movers and shakers who have shaped the city and the nation. George Marlin joins us with their stories.Further ReadingSons of Saint Patrick: A History of the Archbishops of New York, from Dagger John to TimmytownAmerica and the Sons of St. PatrickGuest InfoGeorge J. Marlin is Chairman of Aid to the Church in Need U.S.A. A former Executive Director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, he is a contributing editor to the Catholic Thing, and the author or editor of several books including Sons of Saint Patrick A History of the Archbishops of New York, from Dagger John to Timmytown. 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

Last week Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat scored 83 points in a single game, the second-highest total in NBA history. When asked to describe the moment, he said “Man, I wish I could relive it twice. I credit God, my family, my teammates, this crowd.” It’s common for athletes to thank God in the big moments – crossing themselves after home runs and pointing to the sky after touchdowns. We talk more with Michael Pakaluk.Further ReadingAthletes Acknowledging GodFollow Michael on Substack Guest InfoMichael Pakaluk, an Aristotle scholar and Ordinarius of the Pontifical Academy of St. Thomas Aquinas, is Professor of Political Economy in the Busch School of Business at the Catholic University of America. He lives in Hyattsville, MD with his wife Catherine, also a professor at the Busch School, and their children. His collection of essays, The Shock of Holiness (Ignatius Press) is now available. His book on Christian friendship, The Company We Keep, is now available from Scepter Press. He was a contributor to Natural Law: Five Views, published by Zondervan last May, and his most recent Gospel book came out with Regnery Gateway in March, Be Good Bankers: The Economic Interpretation of Matthew’s Gospel. You may follow him on Substack at Michael Pakaluk. 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

How did St. Patrick’s Day devolve from a day honoring a heroic missionary to a day associated with binge drinking and debauchery? In his youth, Marcus struggled with alcohol. He reflects on the association St. Patrick’s Day has with binge drinking, what the church says about drinking, and how the real St Patrick can be a virtuous model for us all. 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 Catholic Church teaches that the grounds for our justification is our interior state of holiness, which God brings about within us when we are initially saved. For a Catholic, God reckons a believer to be justified because he has freely and gratuitously brought about interior state of righteousness in the believer. This stands in contrast to the Reformed tradition of Protestantism, which denies that our interior state of holiness is the ground of justification. We take a closer look with Karlo Broussard.Further ReadingYou’re Not Ungodly AnymoreKarlo’s websiteKarlo’s YouTube ChannelBook: Salvation Is From the Catholic ChurchBook: Meeting The Protestant ChallengeBook: Meeting The Protestant ResponseGuest InfoKarlo Broussard, DPhil., a native of Southern Louisiana, left a promising musical career to devote himself full-time to the work of Catholic apologetics. As a staff apologist and speaker for Catholic Answers, and a member of the chancery evangelization team at the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma, he travels the country and the diocese giving talks on apologetics, biblical studies, theology, and philosophy. Karlo is a regular guest on Catholic Answers Live and frequent contributor to Catholic Answers Magazine Online. He is an adjunct Professor of Philosophy at Franciscan University of Steubenville as well as an adjunct Professor of Apologetics at Holy Apostles College and Seminary in Cromwell, Connecticut. 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 Sister Theres Hong Phuoc Tran teaches mental health workshops at Catholic parishes, schools and religious congregations, she uses a simple verse from Scripture – Mark 12:30 – to illustrate the different components of wellness. She joins us to talk about it.Further ReadingAmerica’s Mental Health Crisis and the Religious Sister Who’s Confronting It in CaliforniaLovers of the Holy CrossGuest InfoSister Theres Hong Phuoc Tran was born in Saigon, Vietnam, and immigrated to the United States at age 11. In 2003, she joined the Lovers of the Holy Cross, a predominantly Vietnamese community whose motherhouse is in Los Angeles. Visit lhcla.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

One of the deepest wounds of modernity is the loss of a sacramental worldview, leading to a society that sees the material world as either meaningless or utilitarian. Marcus discusses. 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 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.Further ReadingFrom Aristotle to Christ: How Aristotelian Thought Clarified the Christian FaithGuest InfoLouis Markos is the author most recently of From Aristotle to Christ: How Aristotelian Thought Clarified the Christian Faith. He is professor of English at Houston Christian University, where he also holds the Robert Ray Chair in Humanities. His other books include Atheism on Trial and From Plato to Christ: How Platonic Thought Shaped the Christian Faith. Follow him on X @loumarkos 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 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.Further ReadingWhy Catholic doctrine on sexual morality cannot changeGuest InfoRichard A. Spinello is Professor of Management Practice at Boston College and a member of the adjunct faculty at St. John’s Seminary in Boston. His most recent book is Four Catholic Philosophers: Rejoicing in the Truth (Jacques Maritain, Edith Stein, Dietrich von Hildebrand, Karol Wojtyła). He has also written numerous books on ethics and the work of St. John Paul II, including The Splendor of Marriage: St. John Paul II’s Vision of Love, Marriage, Family, and the Culture of Life. 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 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. 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 rift between faith and science seems to grow larger by the day, as many view the modes of thinking in opposition to one another. People often feel forced to choose between the two, with no apparent way of reconciling them. However, the experience of wonder might just hold the key that brings these two seemingly contradictory sides back together. Brian Cranley returns to continue discussion how the God of Reason created science in His image.Further ReadingThe Science of God, the God of ScienceBrian’s websiteBook: The Call of Wonder: How the God of Reason Created Science in His ImageListen to our first interview with Brian Guest InfoThroughout his life, Brian Cranley has been fascinated by the intersection of God and the “real world.” This led him to earn a BS in biomedical engineering from Texas A&M University and later a masters of divinity from the University of St. Thomas in Houston. Today, he lives in the Texas Hill Country outside San Antonio with his family. When he’s not writing, you can find him running a thriving medical device business and spending time with his girls outdoors. In his free time, he continues his own search for wonder in the worlds of philosophy, theology, and science. 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 heals a man born blind. He explains to the disciples that the man was not blind due to anyone’s sins, and responds to attacks from the Pharisees for healing on the Sabbath. We unpack the readings with Rob Corzine.Guest InfoRob Corzine is the vice president of programs for 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 a spiritual father to an entire congregation, a priest has a different perspective on fatherhood. Fr. Josh Fons has more.Guest InfoFr. Josh Fons is Parochial Vicar of St Patrick Parish in Brighton. This summer he will assume responsibilities as Parochial vicar of St Thomas Aquinas Parish with the St John Student Center in East Lansing. 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

“Beware the Ides of March!” It was on March 15 that Julius Caesar was fatally stabbed, memorialized by Shakespeare with his agonized cry “Et tu, Brute?” Marcus discusses the rise the Roman empire played in the rise of Christianity. 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 Sokoto Caliphate fell in Northern Nigeria on this day in 1903. Marcus grew up in a nation where Sunni Islam was the predominant religion and explains the need to understand how Islam views the idea of a Caliphate. 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 from Jeremiah Chapter 7, we see God speaking plainly. Using direct, relational language like “listen to my voice” and “walk in all the ways I command you,” He speaks to us on a personal level. This covenantal language binds heaven and earth through fidelity in God. 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

Artificial Intelligence has become one of the great controversies of our time. Will it inevitably try to overthrow us, as is depicted in so many films? It is simply another tool in our toolbox? Or is it somewhere in between? Thomas Williams is our guest.Guest InfoThomas Williams has served as a commentator on faith, religion and the Vatican for several television news networks, including CBS, NBC and Sky News and has appeared on The Today Show, NBC Nightly News, CBS Evening News, Dateline, and other programs. He also starred in and helped produce MSNBC’s ten-part special series The Ethical Edge covering the final illness and death of Pope John Paul II, the 2005 papal conclave, the election of Pope Benedict XVI, the U.S. Papal visit of Pope Benedict in 2008, Benedict’s trip to the Holy Land in 2009, and the papal trip to the UK in 2010. He was appointed by the Holy See as official spokesperson for two Synods of Bishops (1997 and 2001) and is currently Rome Bureau Chief for Breitbart News.Visit his website here 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

Fr. Dave Pivonka joins us for a wide-ranging conversation on his experiences at Franciscan University of Steubenville, looking at the Catholic meaning of grief, education, and more.Further ReadingLiving Metanoia Guest InfoFather Dave Pivonka, TOR, became president of Franciscan University of Steubenville in 2019. The well-known Catholic speaker and author received his bachelor’s from Franciscan University, then earned an MDiv, MA in theology, doctorate in education, and executive juris doctorate. A member of the Franciscan Friars of the Third Order Regular, Province of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, he was ordained a priest in 1996. He served in leadership positions at Franciscan University including as vice president for Mission and Planning. He also served as director of the TOR’s Post-Novitiate Formation and most recently directed the TOR’s evangelistic outreach Franciscan Pathways. 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