Kresta in the Afternoon

President Joe Biden has lost ground among Catholics since the 2020 election, according to the findings of a new EWTN News/RealClear Opinion Research poll, and faces a lack of confidence among Catholics that his administration will be able to deal effectively with inflation over the next year. Matthew Bunson joins us with analysis of this and other church news.

In this Sunday’s Gospel, we hear the story of when Jesus visited Martha and Mary. Peggy Stanton opens up the Scriptures and the Catechism to examine what this story can tell us about contemplative prayer.

The writings of John Paul II are almost beyond count, and among them is a recently-discovered series from his years as the Archbishop of Krakow. Based on St Paul’s sermons to the Athenians, he presents a framework for articulating the faith for a skeptical and often unbelieving world. We look at what he says about faith, truth and the human person with Eduardo Echeverria

“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.” So says Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew. Al helps unpack the teaching.

Most priests are devout men who have sincerely committed their lives to Christ and His Church, but they are also human beings with faults and failings. Some are cranky and stern, and others can be weak or indifferent. Some grapple with sins of the flesh, and others are controlled by money. We’ll talk with Fr Mitch Pacwa about how Christ anticipated these struggles and how to deal with them spiritually emotionally, rationally, and practically.

In his letter to the Philippians, St Paul is in chains – and those chains are marks of his union with the suffering Christ. We look at St Paul’s persecution and the joy of the Philippians with Fr Richard Cassidy

Jesus opens the 14th Chapter of John by comforting his Disciples: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me. In my Father’s house there are many rooms…” What lessons can we take from this today? Al discusses.

July 14 is celebrated in France as Bastille Day, when revolutionaries stormed the infamous Paris prison. It’s regarded as the start of the French revolution. How does the French revolution differ from the American Revolution? What were their philosophical foundations and what kinds of societies did they seek to create? We talk with Michael Miller.

As America moves away from Christianity, it increases its focus on new social and political religions. Archbishop José Gomez reflected on this in a recent talk, and Al weighs in.

Every year, the United Nations publishes a “World Happiness Report” to rank each country based on its citizens’ happiness. European countries, particularly in Scandinavia, have dominated the list in recent years. But other surveys show that the West overall is facing a happiness crisis, and less than a quarter of American adults say they are “very happy.” Why is true happiness so hard to define, much less obtain? J. Budziszewski is our guest.