We’ve talked much before about the wisdom of St. John Henry Newman, especially when it comes to education. Fr. Nate Davis joins us with more, looking virtue formation and his approach to education through personal encounter.

Guest Info

Fr Nathan Davis is Parochial Administrator of Our Lady of Grace Catholic Community in Covina, California

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells His disciples to go out into the world and proclaim that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. It’s an invitation for us to unite ourselves at the Heart of the Father and center everything on Jesus, the true King. Marcus has more.

As an Eastern Catholic deacon, Father Deacon Robert Klesko has a unique view of unity with Rome and why it is essential. He joins us.

Further Reading

The Church Fathers Explain Why Union With Rome Is Essential

Guest Info

Father Deacon Robert Klesko is an EWTN Theology Advisor, married to Aundrea with five boys and one girl, and is a deacon in the Byzantine (Ruthenian) Catholic Church. He writes from Irondale, Alabama.

The media is reporting that a Dutch doctor euthanized a sick twelve-year-old child with a non-disclosed illness. It is a “first” under a new Dutch law that allows euthanasia for children ages one to twelve. But it’s hardly the first pediatric case we have seen in recent years. Wes Smith has more.

Further Reading

Twelve-Year-Old Euthanized in the Netherlands: Not a First

Guest Info

Wes Smith is the Chair and Senior Fellow at the Discovery Institute’s Center on Human Exceptionalism. He’s also the host of the Humanize Podcast. He’s the author of 13 books including “Culture of Death: The age of Do-Harm Medicine.” Follow him on Twitter @thewesleyjsmith and check out his articles at National Review, First Things and more.

The U.S. Department of Education has announced a major escalation in protecting parents’ rights. In a report published last week, the D.o.E. alleged that a Kansas City school district overstepped major student privacy laws when teachers hid student’s new transgender identities from parents. Theresa Farnan has more.

Further Reading

US DOE Cracks Down on Schools for Hiding Student’s Gender Dysphoria from Parents

U.S. Department of Education Partners with the U.S. Department of Justice to Protect Parental Rights

Person and Identity Project

Guest Info

Theresa Farnan, Ph.D., is a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C., where she co-founded and works on EPPC’s Person and Identity Project. A philosopher who specializes in Christian anthropology, she focuses her work on countering the destructive effects of gender ideology on young people, families, and faith communities. She also writes and speaks in defense of the family, persons with disabilities, and the unborn, and is a staunch advocate of Catholic education.

In an increasingly secular world, Christians are often pulled in two directions. Some urge us to retreat and build insular communities. Others call upon us to wage a culture war, harnessing the government to shore up Christian cultural power. But there is another way—and it’s as old as the church itself. Stephen Presley joins us.

Further Reading

Cultural Sanctification: Engaging the World like the Early Church

Biblical Theology in the Life of the Early Church: Recovering an Ancient Vision

Stephen’s website

Guest Info

Dr. Stephen Presley is an Associate Professor of Church History at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and previously served as the Director of Research Doctoral Studies at the seminary. His teaching and research specialize in early Christian studies, focusing on the development of theology and practice in the life of the early church. Dr. Presley is the author of several books, including Cultural Sanctification: Engaging the World Like the Early Churchand Biblical Theology in the Life of the Early Church.

A Michigan branch of Catholic Charities has filed a lawsuit against the state, after the state stripped its Cristo Rey Counseling Center of its designation as a women’s specialty services organization because of the organization’s religious on abortion and birth control. Jeremiah Galus of the Alliance Defending Freedom has more.

Further Reading

Michigan officials target Catholic ministry serving vulnerable families

Guest Info

Jeremiah Galus serves as senior counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom, where he is a key member of the Center for Christian Ministries. Since joining ADF in 2015, he has represented a wide array of religious ministries, schools, and churches, litigating cases at all levels of state and federal court. He was a key member of ADF’s litigation team in Uzuegbunam v. Preczewski, leading to a U.S. Supreme Court victory ensuring government officials are held accountable for violating constitutionally protected freedoms. Prior to joining ADF, Galus worked as an attorney with a large law firm in Washington, D.C., where he focused on complex civil litigation.

After French star Kylian Mbappé eliminated her country from the World Cup, a progressive senator from Paraguay unleashed a tirade of racist taunts against him on social media. Mbappé criticized her, saying she was a “despicable woman who is unworthy of office,” and in response she accused him of sexism and threatened legal action if he didn’t apologize. The senator’s comments are another example of the silliness and futility of identity politics. Marcus has more.

Further Reading

Paraguayan senator demands apology from Kylian Mbappé, threatens legal action

On this day in 1535, Thomas More was taken from his cell in the Tower of London to his execution. He spent his final months on this earth extensively writing, especially on the topic of death. We look at his advice for living and dying well with Stephen Smith.

Further Reading

The Last Riddle: Advice on Living and Dying Well from the Imprisoned Saint Thomas More

The Essential Works of Thomas More

Thomas More video series

Guest Info

Stephen Smith is the author most recently of The Last Riddle Advice on Living and Dying Well from the Imprisoned Saint Thomas More. He is Temple Family Chair of English Literature at Hillsdale College. He teaches Renaissance literature, with a focus on the works of Thomas More, William Shakespeare, and John Milton. With Gerard Wegemer, Smith serves as codirector of the Center for Thomas More Studies and coeditor of The Essential Works of Thomas More (Yale University Press, 2020). He has also written on More, Dante, and Shakespeare in The Wall Street Journal. Smith and his wife, Laura, live in Hillsdale, Michigan, and have four children and four grandchildren.

Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift, who were married this weekend, reportedly signed one of the most elaborate prenups ever written. The practice of prenups has skyrocketed in recent years, and there are popular arguments for their use. But they also lay the groundwork for the marriage to fail. Marcus has more.

Further Reading

Taylor and Travis, a Prenup Won’t Protect Your Marriage