Segment 1: How Guilt can Set us Free

It has become a popular trope to criticize or mock Catholics for being “preoccupied” with guilt. But there is a distinction between healthy Catholic guilt and hopeless shame. Properly understood, guilt can set us free. Dr Greg Popcak has more.

Segment 2: Meet England’s new Catholic Prime Minister

Andy Burnham was officially named the leader of Britain’s governing Labour Party on July 17, paving the way for him to become the United Kingdom’s first prime minister to enter office publicly identifying as a Catholic. Joanna Bogle tells us more about him.

Segment 3: Proclaiming Jesus to Our Jewish Friends (2 segments)

The entire Christian faith is an overflow of a tree that began with a true Abrahamic heritage: the Hebrew people. In his letter to the Romans, St. Paul prophesies of us that the deliverer will come from Zion and that the gifts and call of God are irrevocable. And therefore, there is an onus of evangelization of our Jewish brothers and sisters. Tom Nash has more.

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Segment 1: Who were Jesus’ “brothers?”

Today’s reading from the Gospel of Matthew includes one of the most misunderstood passages in the Bible. Matthew says that while Jesus was speaking, “his mother and his brothers appeared outside.” Given this verse, why do Catholics insist that Mary had no other children? Marcus explains.

Segment 2: The First Step to Increasing Vocations In 2026, the Church in the United States saw 9% fewer priestly ordinations than it had 10 years earlier. Despite widespread decreases in priestly vocations, some diocese have seen steady or even growing numbers of vocations. Jack Figge joins us with a look at where things are working, and why.

Segment 3: Why “Calvin and Hobbes” Still Matters (2 segments)

Bill Watterson retired his comic strip Calvin and Hobbes more than thirty years ago, but its legacy endures. The young boy and his tiger friend regularly escaped the confines of reality to explore matters of philosophy, ethics, theology and more.

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Segment 1: The Tates’ Warped Masculinity

The Tate brothers have become a defining symbol of “masculinity” in today’s culture. And their popularity shows that our culture is hungry for true, Christ-centered masculinity – it just doesn’t know where to look. Marcus has more.

Segment 2: Can Catholic Colleges be Saved?

Since March 2020, over 70 public and private nonprofit colleges and universities have closed entirely, with nearly 50 more merging with other institutions. Other statistical trends suggest the future of Catholic colleges is unstable at best. Dr Randall Smith joins us with more.

Segment 3: Sacrifice and the Natural Law (2 segments)

The concept of blood sacrifice, so prevalent in the Old Testament, can be shocking to our modern eyes and ears. But it is deeply rooted in the Natural Law. We explore it with Michael Pakaluk.

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Segment 1: We are not isolated believers

There’s a common theme in today’s Office of the Readings – the way we are all in communion with the covenant body. God does not form us to be isolated believers. Marcus has more.

Segment 2: Hilaire Belloc, Culture Warrior July 16 marks the death of Hilaire Belloc, the French writer and political activist who died in 1953. Along with G.K. Chesterton, he was hugely influential in the growth of the Catholic presence in the wider culture. Joseph Pearce has more on his life and work.

Segment 3: America’s Shining City (2 segments)

The United States represents the most successful, most extraordinary experiment in religious liberty the world has ever known. Religious freedom is a big part of America’s story, but for that reason, America is also part of Christendom’s long story. Rachel Lu joins us with more.

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Segment 1: What is the Kingdom of Heaven? (2 segments)

In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus uses several short parables to illustrate the meaning of the Kingdom of Heaven. Marcus unpacks the readings

Segment 2: What we learned from President Trump’s Speech (2 segments)

In a much-hyped address on Thursday night, President Trump presented documents which he claimed were proof of foreign interference in the 2020 election. We look at his comments with Peter Laffin and discuss other matters related to our political climate.

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Segment 1: The Witness of the Martyrs of Compiègne

Today is the feast of the Martyrs of Compiègne, French nuns who were executed during the Reign of Terror. They bravely walked to the guillotine singing hymns and offering their lives, “so that peace may be restored to the Church and the State.” Marcus honors their memory.

Segment 2: Advancing our Knowledge with Aristotle (2 segments)

One of the big questions emerging from the rise of artificial intelligence is what exactly it means to know something at all – and it’s a question that AI cannot answer. Philosophers have explored this question for centuries, and Aristotle recognized three fundamental rules for understanding logic. We talk about them with Mike Schramm.

Segment 3: The Massacre of the Romanovs

In the early hours of July 17, 1918, members of the Bolshevik Revolution executed Tsar Nicholas II and his family. The execution of the Romanovs was a declaration to the entire world that the Bolshevik Revolution was going to do more than transfer political authority. It was going to, by bloodshed, destroy the entire moral and political order grounded in Christianity and natural law. Marcus has more.

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Segment 1: French Bishop: Catholic Lawmakers Who Back Euthanasia Bill Cannot Receive Communion (2 segments)

French Bishop Marc Aillet has declared that Catholic members of France’s National Assembly who voted for the country’s euthanasia and assisted-suicide bill will no longer be able to receive holy Communion. Matthew Bunson joins us to discuss this and other Church news.

Segment 2: What the Founders believed about the Common Good (2 segments)

The Founding Fathers believed the common good consisted in securing a community in which individuals could fulfill their natural duties, duties to God and to their families and to their fellow man. We look at how they expressed this vision with Dr. Phillip Munoz.

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Segment 1: The Rewriting of Junipero Serra

Today marks the anniversary of the founding of the first California mission by St. Junipero Serra. Modern outrage has tried to “cancel” him for being a colonizer and oppressor of Indigenous peoples, but that is not who the historical record actually shows him to be. Marcus has more.

Segment 2: Beware the Cotton Candy Gospel

Many Christians today are suffering from an epidemic of “spiritual sugar.” It looks enormous from a distance, it tastes sweet, but it immediately dissolves into empty air and leaves souls spiritually malnourished. Marcus has more.

Segment 3: How Homeschooling went Mainstream (2 segments)

The popular imagination of homeschooling has rarely aligned with reality. Amidst the COVID lockdowns of 2020 and 2021, the public was forced to reconsider its understanding of what homeschooling really was – and it’s becoming more popular than ever. We discuss how homeschooling went mainstream with Dixie Lane.

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Segment 1: Lawsuit: Colorado discriminates against religious families

For many families, there is a clear answer to the question of who they trust to help them raise their children: a school that shares their mission — a genuine partner in a child’s education. But some families in Colorado are being denied that opportunity, a case the Supreme Court will hear next term. Andrea Picciotti-Bayer has more.

Segment 2: Empowering High School Chaplains

Drew Vilinski has a dream: make sure every high school club, team, intramural group, and other organized activity be guided by the presence and guidance of a designated chaplain. He is hosting a nationwide conference on the idea this fall, and he joins us with the details.

Segment 3: Fr. Raymond De Souza weighs in on Pope Leo (2 segments)

In his first year as leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV has published an Apostolic Exhortation on the poor, promulgated an Encyclical on humanity and technology, made several key appointments, and implemented measured changes in governance. He has also chosen to reflect on the documents of Vatican II during his Wednesday general audiences. What can we learn from Pope Leo’s first year and what implications does it have for promoting a free and virtuous society? Fr. Raymond de Souza joins us.

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Segment 1: Tim Staples made me Catholic

Today, Catholic Answers announced that legendary apologist Tim Staples has retired as senior apologist, though he will continue with regular appearances on Catholic Answers Live. Tim’s book Behold your Mother was instrumental in Marcus’ journey to the Catholic Church. Tim announced his retirement today, and Marcus reflects on the impact he has had.

Segment 2: Confronting the Anti-Humanity of AI (2 segments)

Artificial intelligence poses an existential threat to human freedom. It is already rapidly changing everything from the economy to relationships to attitudes about what it means to be human. Kevin Vallier joins us to look at how the people of the Church can engaged in the governance of AI technologies.

Segment 3: How Twitter Broke Public Discourse

Twenty years ago today, a small social media platform called “Twitter” was launched to the public. Nobody could have foreseen the cultural juggernaut it would become. Driven by algorithms that promote the loudest, punchiest, most controversial statements, Twitter and the larger digital revolution have reshaped our public habits.

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