Kresta in the Afternoon

The Vatican’s doctrine office will publish a new document next week on discerning Marian apparitions and other supernatural events. Matthew Bunson joins us with more on this and other Church news.

In Sacramentum Caritatis, Pope Benedict XVI wrote that “The substantial conversion of bread and wine into his body and blood introduces within creation the principle of a radical change, a sort of “nuclear fission,” to use an image familiar to us today, which penetrates to the heart of all being, a change meant to set off a process which transforms reality, a process leading ultimately to the transfiguration of the entire world, to the point where God will be all in all.” We unpack the meaning of this with Dan Philpott.

Joseph Ratzinger once defined belief as “entrusting oneself to that which has not been made by oneself and never could be made and which precisely in this way supports and makes possible all our making.” In order to do and understand anything, we have to first take a stand on some ground, which is what the Hebrew word amen signifies. David Bonagura joins us.

In 1925, Pope Pius XI published an encyclical on the

Over many centuries, Christians have lost sight of the heart of the Eternal Covenant: our nuptial union with God in Jesus as members of his Body and Bride. This has fueled a growing crisis of Christian identity and witness. Only by rediscovering the depth and beauty of our salvation in Christ will we be drawn to share more fully in his life and saving mission. We talk with Fr. Timothy Vaverek.

This Sunday’s Gospel contains the story of the Ascension and what is known as Jesus’ Priestly Prayer. We open up the Scripture with Peggy Stanton.

What is civilization without the Eucharist? The answer is all around us, and it is a terrible thing to see. Jason Craig joins us.

The first three chapters of Genesis form the foundation for all that follows in salvation history. Without Genesis 1-3, one cannot properly settle into the Biblical vision of reality. Genesis 1-3 places the human person in his cosmic setting and reveals his sacred origin, majesty and wonder as well as his flaw, his chronic rejection of God’s wisdom. Humanity needs a Savior and, from the start of Genesis, there is the promise that history has a meaningful direction: A savior is coming. We discuss these passages with Monica Miller.

President Biden recently signed legislation overwhelmingly passed by Congress potentially banning TikTok in the United States. The bipartisan law imposes a nationwide ban on the app unless its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, divests completely within the next nine months. Michele Exner, senior adviser for Parents Defending Education, joins us with more.

Philosophy is the reflective attempt to illuminate our human experience and integrate it into a unified vision of reality. Catholic philosophy comes in many forms and schools of thought, but it cannot deconstruct the ultimate truths of the faith. We explore the thoughts of four Catholic philosophers with Richard Spinello.