Ave Maria in the Afternoon helps Catholics cut through the noise of modern life by giving them clear, thoughtful conversations that illuminate faith, culture, and the issues shaping our world. We guide listeners toward deeper understanding and confident discipleship through engaging segments, expert guests, and resources that help them live the Gospel with clarity and hope. avemariapm.substack.com
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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 Reading Into the Fire: Intimacy, Mission, and Miracles: The Life of Adventure in the Holy Spirit Guest Info Fr. Patrick Gonyeau is the…
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 Reading Ortega’s War on the Church Reveals…
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 Info Dr. Charlie Self is an author, adviser, pastor and professor with more than 40…
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,…
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…
Meta has settled in a lawsuit alleging its platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, were designed to be addictive to kids. Smartphones are not a morally good or morally bad thing – they are a morally neutral tool, and it is up to us to decide how we use them. But we must be cautious with a device that has the potential for so much misuse, lest we be unable to break free of the digital leash.…
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 Reading Book: Evidence for Christ- How…
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 Info Dr. Greg Popcak is the founder of…
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…
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…
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 Info Rob 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…
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 Reading Will the Temple Be Rebuilt? Guest Info Tom Nash has served the…
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 Reading Behold Your Mother: A Biblical and Historical Defense of the Marian Doctrines This is a public episode.…
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…
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 Reading Toy Story 5 and the Vanishing America of Toy Stores and Churches Guest Info Paul Kengor is Editor of The American Spectator…
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 Reading Archbishop of San Antonio Announces Laicization of Priest for Schism and Disobedience to the Pope In a First, Jewish Scholar Elected to…
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 Reading U.S. bishops urge Supreme Court to require 12-person juries for criminal cases Guest Info John Czarnetzky is Chief…
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…
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 Reading Learn more about the film The…
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 Info Dr. 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…
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…
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.…
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 Reading Opinion: Why it is significant HHS decertified an organ procurement organization Guest Info Joseph M. Eble, MD, is Vice President of Fidelis Radiology and…
On a recent trip to Yemen, David Pinault sat down with Yahya Sayfallah, a spokesman for the Houthi militant group. Upon learning David was an American, he stated the Houthi slogan: “Allah is great. Death to America and Israel. May the Jews be cursed. Victory belongs to Islam.” David shares more about the meeting. Further Reading Islamist persecution, Christian survival, and encountering the…
Social Media is abuzz following the trial of Lindsay Clancy, a mother who has admitted to murdering her three young children in January 2023 but claims she was incapacitated by postpartum depression. Thousands of people online are rushing to her defense and accusing her ex-husband of committing the murders, while thousands of others call her a monster who deserves nothing less than execution.…
A new survey by CatholicTV suggests widespread emotional distress among US Catholics, raising questions about how mental health may shape parish life and Mass attendance. Dr. Greg Popcak joins us. 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 her 250 years as a nation, America has produced several remarkable canonized saints. But there are also hundreds of “little s” saints who have left holy footprints all over the land. We talk about some of them with Peggy Stanton. Further Reading The United “Saints” of America: On Pilgrimage with Our Mother Mary from Sea to Shining Sea Guest Info Peggy Stanton was the ABC Television network’s…
In today’s Gospel, Jesus says it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. There have been different interpretations of “eye of a needle” over the centuries – Marcus looks at the verse and what it means for us. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes,…
Today is the birthday of the late Pittsburgh Pirate outfielder Roberto Clemente. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Clemente was also a devout Catholic who died in a plane crash while delivering emergency supplies to earthquake victims. His faith motivated his entire life, and Marcus looks at how he is an example for all of us. This is a public episode. If you would like…
Archaeologists in Turkey believe they’ve made a groundbreaking discovery, possibly uncovering the remains of a church they believe hosted the First Council of Nicaea, one of the most pivotal events in the history of Christianity. Steve Ray has more. Guest Info Steve Ray leads pilgrimages to the Holy Land, Rome and other sites. He converted to Catholicism in 1994 and is the author of “Crossing the…
A federal high court in Nigeria has restrained authorities in the country’s Kano state and the Islamic religious police, known as Hisbah, from arresting a 22-year-old woman because she converted from Islam to Christianity and rejected a forced marriage. Ed Clancy tells us more. Further Reading Nigerian court bars Islamic police from arresting Christian convert over faith, marriage refusal Guest…
On August 16, 1896, gold was discovered in the Yukon Territory of Canada, and the Klondike Gold Rush was on. More than 100,000 prospectors migrated north with dreams of striking it rich, but only a few thousand succeeded. It’s a warning for all of us today – where does your treasure lie? Marcus has more. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get…
In the last two centuries, there are three examples of the Church Developing her doctrine: the definition of the Immaculate Conception in 1854, the First Vatican Council’s clarification of Papal infallibility in 1870, and Pius XII’s definition of the Assumption in 1950. Michael Pakaluk joins us with a closer look at the Assumption and what the feast tells us about how doctrine develops. Further…
