Tomorrow is the Feast of St John Vianney, known as the patron saint of all priests. Matthew Bunson joins us with a look at Vianney’s life and why all priests can look to him.

Further Reading

Sts. John Vianney, John Eudes and the Priestly Profile to the Visitation

Canonized 100 Years Ago, St. John Vianney Still Converts Hearts

Guest Info

Matthew Bunson is Vice President and Editorial Director of EWTN News and a Senior Fellow at St Paul Center for Biblical Theology. He’s the author or co-author of more than 50 books including the first English-language biography of Pope Francis and The Encyclopedia of Catholic History. Follow him on twitter at MattBunson. Register Radio airs Saturdays at 4 pm and Sundays at 11 am on Ave Maria Radio

We once again find ourselves approaching election season. In his Rules for Radicals, Saul Alinksy famously recognized the founder of the modern revolutionary spirit as “the first radical known to man who rebelled against the establishment and did it so effectively that he at least won his own kingdom – Lucifer.” As a secular Jew, Alinsky did not believe in a personal devil – but his analogy does give us an enlightening look at the state of our politics. Francis Maier has more.

Further Reading

An EZ Guide to Modern Politics

True Confessions: Voices of Faith from a Life in the Church

Guest Info

Francis X. Maier is a senior fellow in Catholic studies at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. He is the author of True Confessions: Voices of Faith from a Life in the Church.

In recent years, organizations like the Nonhuman Rights Project have sought to obtain legal personhood for animals like chimpanzees and elephants. And while these cases have failed so far, they seem to be gaining momentum and sympathy within the legal system. Wes Smith joins us with a look at a recent case.

Further Reading

Michigan Courts: Chimpanzees Not ‘Persons,’ but One Justice Dissents

Follow Wes on Twitter

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.

In today’s Gospel, we read of how the disciples were out in their boat when a massive storm arose. They suddenly saw Jesus walking across the water toward him, and Peter tried to walk out to him. As long as Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, he was able to stay above the waves – but when he was distracted, he began to sink. The same goes for our lives – when we take our eyes off Jesus and look to the chaos of the world, we begin to sink into despair. Marcus has more.

In his timeless work The Screwtape Letters, CS Lewis exposes how subtle distractions, small compromises, spiritual pride, and misplaced fears erode a Christian’s faith and trust in God. We take a deep dive with Andrew Swafford.

Further Reading

Wiser Than Serpents: Unveiling the Truth of Sin and Sanctity with C. S. Lewis’s The Screwtape Letters

Guest Info

Andrew Swafford is a professor of theology at Benedictine College and the author of Lunatic, Liar, or Lord: Unveiling the Truth of Catholicism with C. S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity and Next Stop: The Afterlife: Unveiling the Truth of Heaven and Hell with C. S. Lewis’s The Great Divorce. He is also the coauthor of A Catholic Guide to the New Testament and, with his wife Sarah Swafford, Gift and Grit: How Heroic Virtue Can Change Your Life and Relationships. Swafford holds a doctor of sacred theology degree from the University of St. Mary of the Lake and a master’s degree in Old Testament and Semitic languages from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He has spoken at numerous conferences, including the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC), the National Eucharistic Congress, the RENEW Toronto conference for young adults, and the Defending the Faith Conference in Steubenville, Ohio. He has also been featured on Fox News and NewsNation’s CUOMOwith Chris Cuomo. Swafford is an editor of and a contributor to the Great Adventure Catholic Bible and a contributor to the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible. He lives in Atchison, Kansas, with Sarah and their children.

This Sunday’s Gospel features one of Jesus’ most well-known miracles: the Feeding of the 5000. 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.

What ministries are avaialble for parents mourning the loss of a child in the womb? Tragically, there are not as many as we need. With the continued rise of IVF, the need is greater than ever. Rebecca Anderson joins us.

Further Reading

Respect Life Committee

Guest Info

Rebecca Anderson is the co-host of Life Talk Northwest on Sacred Heart Radio in Washington state, where she also works as a community outreach coordinator. She volunteers with 40 Days for Life and is active in the pro-life movement.

Dr. Robert Collins was a young, agnostic doctor, quietly enjoying life. But when a “quiet little quasi-mystical experience” jolted him awake, everything changed. He shares his story.

Further Reading

Book: You Visited Me: Grace and Healing in the Modern Medical Center

Guest Info

Robert Collins, MD, is a professor of internal medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, where he specializes in blood cancers. He directs the Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy Program and the Combined Adult and Pediatric Stem Cell Transplant Program. He is a recipient of the Watson Award, the institution’s highest honor in clinical medicine.

A professor teaching summer classes at Alcorn State University this year suspected his students were using Artificial Intelligence in their essays - so he set a trap. In an essay prompt he included a hidden set of instructions, asking for a random, nonsensical reference to the nation of Madagascar. Any student who submitted the prompt to an AI bot without proofreading the results would be vulnerable to the trap. And 32 of the 35 students in his class fell for it. Marcus has more on this story.

Further Reading

A Professor Created a Trap in His Midterm to Catch Students Using AI. Nearly All Made the Same Mistake

Christopher Nolan’s film The Odyssey has surpassed $700 in the global box office, with numbers continuing to rise. But how does it compare to Homer’s original vision? Louis Markos joins us.

Further Reading

From Aristotle to Christ: How Aristotelian Thought Clarified the Christian Faith

From Plato to Christ How Platonic Thought Shaped the Christian Faith

The Myth Made Fact: Reading Greek and Roman Mythology through Christian Eyes

Guest Info

Louis Markos is the author most recently of From Aristotle to Christ: How Aristotelian Thought Clarified the Christian Faith. He is professor of English at Houston Christian University, where he also holds the Robert Ray Chair in Humanities. His other books include Atheism on Trial and From Plato to Christ: How Platonic Thought Shaped the Christian Faith.