Ave Maria In The Afternoon

In October 2006, Richard Dawkins published his book “The God Delusion.” As one of the “Four Horsemen” of the New Atheism, Dawkins envisioned a world that had freed itself from the shackles of organized religion. Does his vision have staying power? Louis Markos joins us.

Archbishop James Golka of Denver has asked Father Chad Ripperger to take a yearlong break from public speaking and interviews. Matthew Bunson joins us with a look at this and other Church news.

The stigmata is one of the strangest phenomena in the Catholic faith. Visionaries who have experienced the stigmata are living crucifixions, vividly portraying before the world Christ’s atoning death. We dive into their history with Paul Kengor.

Bishop Mark Beckman of Knoxville, Tennessee has ordered priests to stop praying the St Michael prayer at the end of Mass, saying it is not appropriate to add additional prayers to the liturgy. Marcus discusses the story.

The headlines this weekend brought news of two sudden, shocking deaths. A priest in Ecuador died while celebrating Mass when the crucifix fell of the wall and struck him – just moments after a homily in which he preached about how we prioritize our time. And a member of the US Air Force fell from the rafters during a pregame demonstration at a college football game, later dying of his injuries. If this doesn’t remind us of the fragility of life, nothing will. We must always “memento mori” – remember our deaths. Marcus has more.

In this Sunday’s Gospel, the Pharisees attempt to trick Jesus, asking if it is lawful to pay the taxes to Caesar. Jesus answers that they should “render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” We unpack the readings with Rob Corzine.

In today’s First Reading, St. Paul writes to the Ephesians about how all of Salvation history, culminating in the Death and resurrection of Jesus, was envisioned by God from the beginning. And so when Paul declares that believers were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world, he’s revealing the eternal horizon of the covenantal purposes that were first disclosed through Israel as a nation. Marcus has more.

Under the Levitical law, the priests were obligated to keep a fire perpetually burning on the altar of sacrifice. We discuss the theology of the temple flame with Mark Giszack.

Steve Ray is heading there on a pilgrimage, and you can join him! He joins us to talk more about the Biblical significance of the area.

Some are celebrating Canada’s government “indefinitely suspending” legalizing euthanasia for mental illness as a great victory for life – but Wes Smith thinks there are still reasons to be concerned. He explains why.

In a culture that talks constantly about love, while often reducing it to an emotion, feeling or personal preference, what, exactly, is love? We explore this essential question with Dr. Maria Fedoryka.

In 1976, pro-life Representative Henry Hyde sponsored an amendment to the annual Labor and Health, Education, and Welfare Appropriation Act to prevent taxpayer funding allocated in the bill from covering elective abortions. The Hyde Amendment has been passed every year since then and has saved an estimated 2.7 million lives from abortion. We look at its impact with Michael New.

On this Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, we talk with Dominican Chad Meyer about the meaning of this special prayer and how to incorporate it into your life.

Two recent stories encapsulate the ongoing prevalence of “cancel culture” on the internet. Last week, the Portland Trailblazers introduced Braiden Bell as their newest play-by-play announcer – and then fired him a few hours later for offensive social media posts he made as a teenager – in 2012. And a viral video of a couple at a baseball game – the wife holding a sleeping baby while her husband ate a hot dog – led people on the internet to rush to judgment about the couple’s marriage. Cancel Culture allows us to be modern-day Pharisees. It collapses the distinction between “you did something wrong” and “you are permanently the wrong kind of person.” Marcus has more.

When people do us wrong, Jesus instructs us to turn the other cheek and forgive – 70 times 7. It’s easier said than done. Jennifer Hubbard experienced the ultimate horror on December 14, 2012, when her six-year-old daughter Catherine was killed in the Sandy Hook shooting. She joins us to share how she learned to forgive.