Kresta in the Afternoon

What would be going through your mind if you went to your eye doctor for a checkup, and instead of giving you new contacts he rubbed mud in your eyes? Yet that’s what Jesus does in this Sunday’s Gospel. Why did Jesus’ disciples assume the man’s affliction was a result of someone’s sin? Why were the Pharisees so scandalized that Jesus healed on the Sabbath? We dive into the reading with Peggy Stanton.

On March 10, California’s Silicon Valley Bank failed after a bank run. It was the second-largest bank failure in US history and the largest since the 2008 financial crisis, and is one of three banks to fail this month. What does it mean when a bank fails? What happens next? Robert Whaples joins us.

There are two heroic Catholics who have become the face of Christian persecution in the world today. One is Bishop Rolando Alvarez, who has been sentenced to 26 years in prison in Nicaragua. This week, Nicaragua also severed diplomatic ties with the Vatican. And the other is Jimmy Lai, who has been jailed by Chinese authorities for his advocacy of democracy and human rights. Ambassador Joe Cella joins us with more.

Virtue has by no means disappeared. It’s as much in public view as ever. But it’s been strung up by the heels. Virtue is upside down. Virtue is uncomfortable. Virtue looks ridiculous. All the change and the house keys are falling out of Virtue’s pants pockets. Our culture has rejected virtue. We’ll talk about it with Jonathan Last.

How should you respond when someone asks for help in discerning God's will? How can you go about discerning God's will for your own life? It can be a daunting task, but you don't need to be intimidated. You can draw from the rich Ignatian discipline to form a foundation for understanding the will of God. Fr. Timothy Gallagher joins us.

Albert Einstein, whose birthday is March 14, is best known for his work on the Manhattan Project and theory of relativity. But his work encompasses much more. We'll explore his ideas on cosmic religion, the bomb, social justice and more with Don Howard.

How many of you began the new year resolving to strengthen your family prayer time? And how many have already found yourselves falling short of your goals? The good news is, you don’t have to be a saint to have awesome family prayer time – and it all begins with a relationship. Dr. Greg Popcak explains how.

We've all heard the expression "Rome wasn't built in a day," and it applies to every aspect of our spiritual, personal and physical lives. It shouldn't surprise us, then, that the same principle applies to building the Church - it's not going to happen overnight. What are some habits we can form to help bring about this renewal? Tim Glemkowski joins us.

The 1965 hit song "It's My Life," performed by the Animals, expressed the angst of a generation, proclaiming "It's my life and I'll do what I want. It's my mind and I'll think what I want." For composer Carl D'Errico, it's a deeply personal statement that reflects a crucial step on his journey from despair to Christian hope. Carl shares his story with us.

In today’s Gospel we hear the parable of the unforgiving servant, who tormented a fellow servant over a small debt just after his master forgave him of a much larger debt. It’s easy to be disgusted at his actions, but we must be careful lest we make his mistakes ourselves. Al reflects further on this passage.