Kresta in the Afternoon

The mystery of death strikes at the core of the human soul. We instinctively recoil at the pain of losing loved ones, and as we grapple, we are quick to seek remedies to console ourselves. There is no one better suited to assuage our grief than the translator of the Bible, St. Jerome, who wrote extensively to friends who were suffering the loss of loved ones. We take a look at them with David Bonagura.

Christianity is very upfront about the reality and inevitability of suffering. Yet, far from being a pessimistic worldview, Christianity sees in suffering a deeper spiritual significance. The deeper spiritual significance of suffering can be, broadly speaking, looked at in two ways: ethically and metaphysically. Cole DeSantis joins us with more.

When John U Bacon played hockey for the Ann Arbor Huron High School River Rats, he never scored a goal. But years later he was asked to coach the team – which at that point hadn’t won a single game in over a year. They were proud to be called the worst team in America – and John turn them into winners. He tells us how.

Do you see your work as simply a job – or does it change who you are as a person on mission? Al discusses

George Whitefield was one of the most famous and influential men in Colonial America, but most people today have never heard of him. He was a leading evangelical figure of the age and his writings continue to influence American Evangelical Christianity. Thomas Kidd joins us with a look at America’s Spiritual Founding Father.

This Sunday concludes the Liturgical Year with the Solemnity of Christ the King. In the Gospel, Jesus warns us of what will happen when the King comes again in Glory – the separation of the sheep and the goats. We talk more about the reading with Peggy Stanton.

The Pilgrims' celebration of the first Thanksgiving is a keystone of America's national and spiritual identity. But is what we've been taught about them or their harvest feast what actually happened? And if not, what difference does it make? We talk with Robert Tracy McKenzie

In a consumer-drive culture, it's easy to forget about the importance of gratefulness. Sure, we're encouraged to take a few minutes at Thanksgiving to "count our blessings," but it doesn't go much further. Secular writers may explore the benefits of gratitude, but they fail to explore the much deeper spiritual meaning of gratitude. We'll talk with Susan Muto about the development of Christian gratitude over the centuries and how it applies today.

We all know the story of Thanksgiving. Or do we? This uniquely American holiday has a rich and little known history beyond the famous feast of 1621. Melanie Kirkpatrick takes us on a journey through four centuries of American History, giving a vivid portrait of our nation's best-loved holiday.

In October 1789 President Washington issued a proclamation that the upcoming Thursday, November 26 would be “devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is or that will be.” Al reflects on this proclamation.