Respect Life Radio

In this episode of Respect Life Radio, we reflect on Ann Burns' insightful article, "Mary’s Fiat, the Choice of New Freedom," from Crisis magazine. Burns beautifully illuminates how Mary's "yes" to God’s will—the Fiat—represents not only a moment of obedience but a radical embrace of freedom. By choosing God's plan for her life, Mary shows us the path to true freedom, which is found in living fully in His will. Her example challeng...

In his recent article, "Now is the Time to Focus on Religious Liberty in Your State," Riley Kane emphasizes the critical importance of defending religious freedoms at the local level. As local governments across the country take action that can either protect or undermine these rights, Kane calls on individuals to actively engage in shaping policies that safeguard religious liberty in their own communities. From school boards to ci...

In his thought-provoking article Live Your Life With an Eye on Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell, Father Jeffrey Kirby offers a powerful reflection on how the awareness of our ultimate end can shape the way we live today. Drawing from Catholic teaching, Fr. Kirby encourages readers to maintain a constant mindfulness of the four last things—Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell—as a means to live with purpose and clarity. He highlights ...

Rebecca Hopersberger shares her concerns, desires, and hopes for parents across the country on this week’s Respect Life podcast episode. In her recent article, Where Are The Grown-ups?, Rebecca dives into her experience as an educator and as a mother to call on parents to invest in their children’s education and experience the fullness of their vocation. Emphasizing , “The primary purpose of education is to know God to the extent o...

As the current editor of American Life League’s Celebrate Life Magazine and executive editor of ALL’s Culture of Life Studies Program – a pre K-12 Catholic pro-life education organization, Susan Ciancio dedicates her work on advocating for life. In her recent article, Susan highlights a recent report investigating on the increased statistics of ER visits connected to complications from the abortion pill over the past 15 years. With...

As an author, editor, and researcher, Michael Lichens has a passion to highlight overlooked aspect of the Catholic faith. In his new book, Weird Catholic Handbook, Michael does not just a collection of odd stories but invites us to see the profound truths and spiritual lessons embedded in the peculiar. He offers a refreshing perspective on the faith that involves curiosity that leads to deeper devotion. Diving into the lives of sai...

In reflection of our relationship with the Holy Trinity, Ralph Martin dives deeper into the importance to embrace The Holy Spirit. In his new book, A Life in the Spirit: A Memoir, Dr. Martin gives testimony of the seasons of challenge, breakthrough, and life on mission for Jesus Christ. Everyone is called to live a life with radical trust and surrender to God’s plan. Learning how to hear His voice and grow in communion with others,...

In today’s episode we conclude the third segment of three-part series based on the Ten Commandments with Ed Van Buskirk. Each human life is good and is worth upholding seeing that God created us in His likeness and image. The importance of understanding how our words and actions directly impact how others are affirmed in their dignity directly stems from the state of our relationship with God. In the exploration of the last seven c...

With the holidays fast approaching, most children are focused on the joys associated with Christmas. But, for some who have lost a close family member, the holidays can be very hard. In Anthony DeStafano's newest children's book, Christmas in Heaven, children find comfort in the theological virtue of hope - a hope that will assist them throughout their lives. A young boy saddened by his grandmother’s passing asks his grandfather wh...

"For too many of us, life is harder than it needs to be. We have forgotten the ancient system of “super habits” — a specific set of habits for making decisions, managing our emotions and dealing with other people that fosters lives of greater ease, happiness and power," writes Dr. Andrew Abela in his new book Superhabits: The Universal System for a Successful Life." Abela highlights:

• How super habits make life easier — because ...

"The Ten Commandments are all about relationships. The first three commandments pertain to our relationship with God...and the next seven pertain to our relationships with one another," explains Ed Van Buskirk, Founder and President of If U Love Me. Established in 2018 by Ed, If U Love Me is a nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring the truth and wisdom of God's Ten Commandments in a world of confusion. As a Catholic apostola...

"Reducing babies to one among various competing goods—a child, a yacht or a house—reinforces our society’s disinclination to value them as ends," writes Emma Waters in her new article called "Pro-Natalism is Not Enough" on the First Things website. "Civilization depends on individuals recognizing that building a family and nurturing children is an essential part of the human journey. Promoting marriage, which is consistently the be...

"Our Lady faced so many more trials and sorrows than we will ever face in our lives," Ruth Berghorst shares, drawing from her personal devotion and insights from her latest book, Contemplating the Seven Sorrows of Mary, co-authored with Dr. Joseph Hollcraft. Ruth explains how devotion to Mary’s sorrows reveals a path to overcoming temptations and trials. The book explores the spiritual practice of mental prayer, with guidance on th...

"The teaching that best describes St. Ignatius of Antioch....is that the only way to find yourself is if you're prepared to lose yourself and to give everything over to God," explains Dr. Regis Martin. Drawing from his latest book, March to Martyrdom: Seven Letters on Sanctity from St. Ignatius of Antioch, Dr. Martin highlights three key themes from St. Ignatius’ writings: the embrace of impending martyrdom, the call for unity in t...

"God doesn't ask us to do anything we can't do. But that doesn't mean He won't give us some challenges along the way," says Phil Lawler, editor of Catholic World News (CWN). Phil is also the author and editor of 12 books on political and religious topics, with his essays, book reviews, and editorial columns featured in over 100 newspapers across the United States and internationally. In his recent article, Martyrs in Training, Lawl...

"They act like we're the evil ones, the subversive ones," says Anne Hendershott, Professor of Sociology and Director of the Veritas Center for Ethics in Public Life at Franciscan University of Steubenville, OH. "They call us the bad people, the evil people when they are the ones promoting evil." Dr. Hendershott is the author of The Politics of Envy (Crisis Publications, 2020). In her new article Keeping Catholicism Weird in Crisis ...

"We are unapologetically Catholic and we bring our faith with us to every interaction with patients, their families and neighbors," said Vicki Owens, MS, BSN, RN is a nurse and has provided exceptional health care in the Denver area for over 42 years. Vicki is currently the Chief Executive and Nursing Officer for Emmaus Catholic Hospice in Denver, Colorado. The mission of Emmaus Catholic Hospice is to provide Catholic home hospice ...

Jim Valois holds a B.A. in Theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville. His articles and book reviews have been featured in The Wanderer Newspaper, Soul Magazine (World Apostolate of Fatima, USA), and Catholic Life Magazine. He is the author of Our Lady's Prophecies and reverted to the Catholic faith from Evangelicalism while studying at Franciscan University. Jim is a husband and father of two adult children. He has worked...

"Early primers for learning how to read included the 10 Commandments... but in 1980, someone had a problem with it and raised it to the Supreme Court, which ruled that the 10 Commandments should not be part of the public space. Now there's something really critically missing now," said Ed Van Buskirk, the Founder and President of If U Love Me, a Catholic apostolate dedicated to teaching the wisdom of the Ten Commandments. "Now in o...