Segment 1: AOC Claims of “Modern-Day Lynching”

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has publicly claimed that there has been a recent onslaught of “modern day lynchings,” citing several cases of Black Americans found hanged. However, investigations have found that most of these tragic cases were suicides, while others are still unresolved. Lynching has a specific history. Treating that word as a rhetorical synonym for every suspicious death involving a minority cheapens the historical reality and peddles undue social unrest. Marcus has more.

Segment 2: Is college still worth it?

Catholic families are asking important questions about the cost, culture, and value of higher education. Will it prepare students for a meaningful career? What kind of community will students find? And will their faith be strengthened along the way? The Newman Guide Virtual College Fair will help Catholic parents and high school students explore those questions while connecting directly with colleges recommended in The Newman Guide. Kelly Salomon has more.

Segment 3: A Church in Dialogue – but with Whom? (2 segments)

The Second Vatican Council’s Pastoral Constitution defines the responsibility of the Church to respond to perennial questions which men ask about the present life. We explore what it means to have a Church in dialogue with Randall Smith.

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Segment 1: The central symbol of the Christian life

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. The Cross is the central symbol of the Christian life. It is the place where all of history reaches its divinely intended goal. Those who embrace the cross long for the salvation that comes from it. Marcus has more.

Segment 2: Alzheimer’s Patients in the Crosshairs of Self-StarvationAdvocates of so-called Death with Dignity have harnessed the understandable fear of dementia to argue that patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or other degenerative impairments receive medical help in committing suicide by intentional self-starvation and dehydration. We talk about it with Wes Smith. Segment 3: A Blindspot in Catholic Social Teaching? (2 segments)

Search the Catechism, the Compendium of Catholic Social Doctrine, indeed the entire Vatican website – search all you want – for teaching about what we call the “national debt.” You will not find it. You can find teaching about the debt that poorer nations owe to wealthier nations, “foreign debt,” but not about the debt that a government accumulates through financing deficits. But it is nevertheless an important facet of social justice. We talk about it with Michael Pakaluk.

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Segment 1: “How often must I forgive?” (2 segments)

The readings this Sunday are dominated by themes of mercy and forgiveness. “Wrath and anger are hateful things,” we hear from Sirach. “The Lord is kind and merciful” we say in the Responsorial Psalm. And in the Gospel, Jesus tells Peter he must forgive his brother seventy-seven times. We unpack the readings with Rob Corzine.

Segment 2: Can America Reunite? (2 segments)

If there was a silver lining to the horrors of the September 11 terrorist attacks, it was how the nation came together. Americans understood that they shared a brotherhood that went beyond race or political affiliation. Stores sold out of American flags for weeks. Today, such a climate seems like something out a different life. Can we ever recover this? Peter Laffin joins us.

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Segment 1: “Never Forgetting” 9/11 means being honest about its cause

When the Jewish people celebrate Passover, they recite a millennia-old question: “Why is tonight different from all other nights?” Commemorating important events is an essential part of preserving our heritage. When the attacks happened on September 11, Americans swore to “never forget.” But Never Forgetting means being honest about the attacks and what caused them. Marcus has more.

Segment 2: Serving at the Pentagon’s 9/11 Memorial Fr. Vincent Ferrer Bagan grew up in a small Minnesota town and was in high school on the day of the 9/11 attacks. He never imagined he’d be working at the Pentagon someday, but that is where he now serves part time at a chapel memorializing the people who died there on 9/11. He joins us. Segment 3: The Catholic Heroes of 9/11

In any tragedy or act of evil, there are also acts of heroism. There are stories of people who answered the call to put themselves at risk for the sake of others. 9/11 was no exception – and there are many stories of Catholic heroism on that day. Tom Hoopes joins us to talk about some of them.

Segment 4: How 9/11 ushered in a new world disorder

Shortly after the horrific events of September 11, 2001, George Weigel was having dinner at the papal apartments with John Paul II. The pope was somber – his hopes of a “new springtime of the human spirit” had seemingly been thwarted. George said that we were at a turning point in world history. A quarter century later, how do these predictions hold up? He joins us.

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Segment 1: Confusion at the Catholic Biblical Association? (2 segments)

The Catholic Biblical Association has announced a conference exploring issues of women and gender. With topics like “Queering Resistance at Masada” and “Sarai and Eve as Intercessors in Apocalyptic Imagination,” it seems to be presenting some confusion takes on a Biblical view on gender. Matthew Bunson has more on this and other Church news.

Segment 2: The problem with dating apps (it’s not what you think) (2 segments)

There are now hundreds, if not thousands, of dating apps on the market. About half of American young adults have used them – not just for hookups, but to find a serious relationship. But most of them are unhappy with the entire dating culture. The roots of the problem life far deeper than an app, and no algorithm will solve them. We talk with Dr. Marianna Orlandi.

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Segment 1: God dwells among His people

Today’s Office of the Readings reflects on what it means to dwell in the House of the Lord. It can be easy to take for granted how radical an idea this is – to have a God who wants to dwell among His people. But this was a historically novel concept – the God who created the universe didn’t only appear when He had received enough sacrifices. Marcus has more.

Segment 2: Charlie Kirk, One Year Later

It’s been one year since Charlie Kirk was assassinated in Utah. One of the most disturbing aspects of this story has been some people’s ability to turn the murder of a husband and father into a continued source of digital entertainment. Marcus looks at the problem.

Segment 3: How Baptism saves us (2 segments)

When Marcus was in the Assemblies of God, he wasn’t sure what to believe about baptism. It brought you into the church. It was an ordinance of the church. But it didn’t save you. Karlo Broussard joins us discussing Jesus’ Born Again discourse with Nicodemus and what it means to be born again of water and spirit.

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Segment 1: Florida’s Catholic School Vaccine Fight Doesn’t Need a Winner and a Loser

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier’s clash with the state’s Catholic bishops over vaccine policy in Catholic schools threatens the eligibility of Catholic schools to participate in Florida’s universal school choice program. Andrea Picciotit-Bayer believes this case does not need a winner or a loser - Florida can respect the bishops’ authority over Catholic schools while preserving a workable path for parents with vaccine objections. She joins us.

Segment 2: The Passion of the Christ returns to theaters

It’s been more than 20 years since the Passion of the Christ swept across theaters worldwide, and the film continues to impact people all across the globe. Joe Condit is bringing the film back to theaters for one week only, starting tomorrow September 10. He joins us with the details.

Segment 3: Your Unique Call to Holiness

Adam Wright has been battling cancer for several years. After “ringing the bell” following a successful surgery in late 2025, doctors found new evidence of disease in February. He joins us talking about the value of suffering and how we are all called to holiness.

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Segment 1: “Blessed are They...” - The Promises of the Beatitudes

In today’s Gospel, we hear from the Beatitudes. Blessed are those who suffer, for they will be comforted. When we suffer for Jesus, He sees that suffering and will reward us in the next life. The Father in Heaven wants you to consecrate every fiber of your being to Him. So ask yourself right now, what is the 10%, the 20% that you’re holding back from Him? What is that part of your life that is hard for you to let go, that you’re grappling with giving Him full control and authority? Marcus has more.

Segment 2: “The King is Dead - Long Live the Christ!”

Church bells tolled across Norway last week following the death of King Harald V, a gesture church leaders say signaled “the presence of God on earth and the hope of life after death.” Regardless of what happens in this life, Christ’s kingship is eternal. Marcus has more.

Segment 3: The Cost of becoming Catholic (2 segments)

Gavin Ashenden is a former Anglican bishop whose life was turned upside-down when he decided to convert to Catholicism. He shares his story and gives us a special insight into what he has learned about Marian devotion.

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Segment 1: A Catholic Guide to Postpartum Depression (2 segments)

Postpartum depression affects about one in seven new moms. The good news is that, with proper treatment, research shows that the vast majority of mothers make a full recovery. Dr. Greg Popcak joins us with a look at some things that Catholic moms (and the people who love them) need to know about postpartum illness.

Segment 2: National Day of Remembrance for Aborted Children (2 segments)

On the National Day of Remembrance for Aborted Children we visit the burial places of the unborn victims of abortion and other memorial sites dedicated to them. Join us at a prayer vigil near you. Monica Miller has the details.

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Segment 1: The “most boring passage in the Bible” - isn’t

Today’s Gospel for the Nativity of Mary traces the Genealogy of Jesus all the way back to Abraham. At first glance, it may seem to be one of the more boring passages in the Gospels. But this meticulously detailed list is key to understanding Jesus’ identity as Messiah. Marcus has more.

Segment 2: Happy Birthday, Blessed Mother!

Today we celebrate the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, nine months after the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Marcus reflects on the celebration.

Segment 3: Unboxing the Catholic Faith (2 segments)

What is the Church? If you ask a liberal secularist, they’ll say it’s an archaic dictatorship. The “nones” will tell you it’s some sort of club and just not for them. And even faithful Catholics might explain that it’s a religion. But the Church doesn’t fall into these convenient “boxes.” Andrew Petiprin helps us free the Church from the containers we try to put it in.

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