Segment 1: Päivi Räsänen’s ongoing free speech battle (2 segments)

Päivi Räsänen, a Finnish Christian politician who had been barred from entering the United Kingdom to give a talk on free speech at a Northern Ireland church conference last week, was eventually granted a visa to enter the country — but it arrived too late. Matthew Bunson has more on this and other Church news.

Segment 2: The Perennial Wisdom of the Church Fathers (2 segments)

Mike Aquilina’s new book The Church Fathers for Our Time reveals what mattered most to the early Christians—morally, politically, theologically, and spiritually. But it also provides strikingly pertinent insight into the issues of the present day. He joins us with a look.

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Segment 1: St. Monica’s Tears

Today is the Feast of St Monica. And on this day last year, his nephew was born with serious complications and passed away. Marcus and the baby’s parents prayed fervently for a miracle, but the miracle they desired did not come to pass. But Christians have every reason to hope. We have a Lord who conquered the grave. Marcus has more.

Segment 2: St. Monica: Hope for All Mothers (2 segments)

Before St. Augustine became one of the most influential theologians of the Catholic Faith, he spent a period of time running from God. During this period, his mother prayed continuously for his conversion – and God answered her prayers! We celebrate her feast today and talk with Patti Maguire Armstrong about how she is a hope for any parent who is praying for their child.

Segment 3: No, Sharia and Canon Law are not the same

In a recent interview on Fox News, Michigan Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, a practicing Muslim, said “Nobody is trying to push sharia law on anyone else…Just like I hope nobody is trying to push canon law on anybody else.” Setting aside El-Sayed’s political positions, the statement shows a blatant misunderstanding of what Canon law means. Marcus has more.

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Segment 1: Daniel Ortega: A Warning on the Limits of Political Power

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. His crackdown on Catholics shows why religious freedom is not a gift from the state — and why Americans should never take it for granted. Andrea Picciotti-Bayer has more.

Segment 2: “We are all just prisoners here, of our own device”

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. Marcus has more.

Segment 3: Into the Fire: A Life of Adventure in the Spirit (2 segments)

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.

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Segment 1: Mother Teresa’s “Other” Anthropology

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.

Segment 2: Erasing Lindsay Clancy’s Children

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, the Clancy tragedy shows how quickly an online community can turn a vicious crime into a shared emotional narrative. Dr. Anne Hendershott has more.

Segment 3: “If a Man does not work…” (2 segments)

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.

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

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. 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

Segment 1: What Nobody Knows about the Theology of the Body

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.

Segment 2: “Hold fast to the traditions that you were taught.”

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.

Segment 3: How We Know That Jesus is the Messiah (2 segments)

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.

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

Segment 1: The Culture that Mocks Chastity

Our culture’s worship of sexual liberation did not begin in a vacuum - it arrived after decades of intellectual shifts. Marcus looks at how it happened.

Segment 2: McKenna West saga exposes the flaws of surrogacy

A court battle is playing out in Texas after surrogate mother McKenna West refused to abort the child she was carrying after the baby was found to have a treatable birth defect. The couple who had planned to raise the child wanted McKenna to terminate the pregnancy, saying there was a clause for this situation in their contract. This entire mess exposes the flaws of the surrogacy industry. Josh West has more.

Segment 3: Mercy in Action: Join in a Day of Service

For ten years, the people of Southeast Michigan have come together to put God’s Mercy into action. There are many ways to take part, and Southeast Michigan is hungry for an experience of God’s mercy like never before. This year’s Catholic Charities Day of Mercy is on October 17, and Deacon Fred Billotto has the details.

Segment 4: Marcus’ Monologue: Pervert Worship, Annihilate Culture

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.

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Segment 1: Baptism and the Social Life of the Church (2 segments)

The Sacrament of Baptism saves us on an individual level. But it also goes beyond that – it is a vehicle to union with those who need God’s love. Mike Schramm joins us.

Segment 2: Everything you Need to Know about Angels (2 segments)

Since the beginning of time they have attended the Holy Trinity with unending praise, and at the Bible’s pivotal moments they were present. They convey God’s saving messages and assist in his continual ordering of the cosmos. Some are hell-bent on our damnation; others intercede tirelessly for our salvation. They are the Angels – and Fr Mike Driscoll joins us to talk about them.

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Segment 1: “Here is a true child of Israel”

If you read the Gospel readings today, you’ll see one of those deceptively brief encounters in the Gospel narratives, this one between Jesus and Nathanael. but There’s deep meaning behind the language that’s going forth here. Marcus takes a closer look.

Segment 2: Flourish Fundraiser for Arbor Woman Health

The Flourish Fundraiser to support Arbor Woman Health will take place on September 10 and you can be there! The evening includes delicious food, live music, and a keynote address by Dr. Kristin Collier. Dr. Rusty Chavey has the details.

Segment 3: On this Rock I will build my Church (2 segments)

Carl Olson grew up in strongly anti-Catholic home with a father who believed that Catholics “worship the pope” and “think the pope can’t sin.” The papacy is one of the biggest obstacles Protestants face when considering the Catholic faith. But the teaching is built solidly on the Scripture. Carl joins us with more.

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Segment 1: “Who do people say that I am?” (2 segments)

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.

Segment 2: Is Reading Gone for Good? (2 segments)

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 13-year-olds who said they rarely or never read on their own for fun jumped from 8% to 29%. Is the age of reading over? David Bonagura 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