Ave Explores

Fourth Sunday of Advent: The Wonder of the Journey with Fr. Patrick Mary Briscoe, OP

December 19th, 2025  |  Season 31  |  41 mins 20 secs

advent with behold the wonder, ave explores, deacon jason bulman, eliza monts, fr. patrick mary briscoe, katie cavadini, katie mcgrady, matt maher, op, rachel bulman

In the final days of Advent, Fr. Patrick Mary Briscoe, OP, reflects on Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem—sudden in appearance, yet deeply intentional and necessary. Their path invites us to consider our own journeys during this liturgical season and throughout life, and to recognize the deeper purpose meant to be received with wonder.

Third Sunday of Advent: Joy in the Chaos of Advent with Rachel and Jason Bulman

December 12th, 2025  |  Season 31  |  40 mins 50 secs

advent with behold the wonder, ave explores, deacon jason bulman, eliza monts, fr. patrick mary briscoe, katie cavadini, katie mcgrady, matt maher, op, rachel bulman

With six kids, busy schedules, and long to-do lists, Deacon Jason and Rachel Bulman understand what it means to try and slow down in the Advent season, and how even best laid plans to slow down are often thwarted. In today's episode, they share how Jesus actually finds us in that chaotic family life, is present to us, and shows us his tenderness and brings joy even when we feel like everything is moving too fast.

2nd Sunday of Advent: A Peaceful Aesthetic with Eliza Monts

December 4th, 2025  |  Season 31  |  41 mins 38 secs

advent with behold the wonder, ave explores, deacon jason bulman, eliza monts, fr. patrick mary briscoe, katie cavadini, katie mcgrady, matt maher, op, rachel bulman

Walk into any Target or Home Goods and you'll see nothing but perfectly curated Christmas décor selling you the right kind of holiday aesthetic, all in pursuit of a perfect Instagram post. Eliza Monts, a popular Substack writer and Instagram influencer, shares how we can't let perfect be the enemy of good while pursuing peace and harmony in the Advent season.

1st Sunday of Advent: Finding Wonder in Advent with Katie Cavadini

November 28th, 2025  |  Season 31  |  45 mins 22 secs

advent with behold the wonder, ave explores, deacon jason bulman, eliza monts, fr. patrick mary briscoe, katie cavadini, katie mcgrady, matt maher, op, rachel bulman

The season of Advent can become far busier than we'd like it to be, if we aren't careful. Author of Behold the Wonder, Katie Cavadini, offers insights into how incorporating lectio and visio divinia and allowing ourselves to be immersed in the moments of the nativity story throughout the season can provide us numerous opportunities to behold the wonders the Lord wants to show us in this season of hopeful anticipation.

NEW SERIES! Teaser: The Advent of Christmas with Matt Maher

November 19th, 2025  |  Season 31  |  37 mins 33 secs

advent with behold the wonder, ave explores, deacon jason bulman, eliza monts, fr. patrick mary briscoe, katie cavadini, katie mcgrady, matt maher, op, rachel bulman

Matt Maher takes Advent seriously, not only because he spends the season touring cathedrals across the country leading evenings of prayer and praise, but because Advent invites us to remember the gift and majesty of Mary’s “yes.” In this conversation, Matt reflects on how her courageous response shapes our own call to live the faith with renewed trust, hope, and openness each day.

Week Six: Monks, Nuns, and Their Habits with Fr. Patrick Mary Briscoe, OP

October 30th, 2024  |  Season 25  |  56 mins 38 secs

ave explores, ave maria press, fr. patrick mary briscoe, jonathan roumie, katie mcgrady, matt maher, meg hunter-kilmer, mike aquilina, peculiar stuff catholics do, sonja corbitt, steffani aquila

Religious orders wear a wide variety of habits, from brown robes reminiscent of Jedi attire to white robes with black capes similar to Gandalf’s. With so many distinct styles, it’s hard for anyone to keep track of them all.

Beyond their attire, religious communities are diverse, unique, and an enriching part of the Church—though they may seem a bit unusual at first. Fr. Patrick Mary Briscoe, a Dominican of the Eastern Province in the United States, shares insights into the vows, rituals, and histories of these orders, highlighting their profound and beautiful impact on the Church.

Week Five: A Baptist Becomes Catholic Because of the Bible with Sonja Corbitt

October 23rd, 2024  |  Season 25  |  46 mins 42 secs

ave explores, ave maria press, fr. patrick mary briscoe, jonathan roumie, katie mcgrady, matt maher, meg hunter-kilmer, mike aquilina, peculiar stuff catholics do, sonja corbitt, steffani aquila

Catholic author and speaker Sonja Corbitt embraced Catholicism after a lifetime of being a Southern Baptist, and she did so because of the Bible. Her entrance into the Church, which included a deep study of some of the stranger teachings of the Faith, became a source of both inspiration and consternation in her own family, and her love of her faith today is even deeper as a result. Sacred scripture can sometimes seem odd or contradictory, but it reinforces all our weird Catholic beliefs. Sonja explains how in today’s episode.

Week Four: Big Honkin' Candles and Fun Feast Days with Steffani Aquila

October 16th, 2024  |  Season 25  |  1 hr 3 mins

ave explores, ave maria press, fr. patrick mary briscoe, katie mcgrady, matt maher, meg hunter-kilmer, mike aquilina, peculiar stuff catholics do, sonja corbitt, steffani aquila

Why do we bake cakes for Shrove Tuesday or use chalk to mark our doors on the Epiphany? Why do we crown statues of Mary with flowers or sing hymns to the biggest candle of them all, the Paschal Candle, on Easter Vigil? Steffani Aquila, author of Festive Faith, walks us through the liturgical year and explains some of the most cherished, and oddest, liturgical living traditions and practices to help us embrace living a festive faith in our somewhat odd Church.

Week Three: The Oddities of the Early Church with Mike Aquilina

October 9th, 2024  |  Season 25  |  48 mins

ave explores, ave maria press, fr. patrick mary briscoe, jonathan roumie, katie mcgrady, matt maher, meg hunter-kilmer, mike aquilina, op, peculiar stuff catholics do, sean pilcher, sonja corbitt, steffani aquila

When we declare that Catholicism is two thousand years old, we must do so knowing that this means the earliest days of the Church were, at times, peculiar and challenging. The liturgy had to be developed, sacramental practices clarified, disputes settled, and the life of the Church established as we now know it.

Mike Aquilina, Catholic scholar and prolific author, discusses the unusual practices of the Church's first few hundred years and how they led to some of today's most cherished traditions.

Week Two: Unveiling the Mystery of Relics with Sean Pilcher and Sharing Holy Stories with Jonathan Roumie

October 2nd, 2024  |  Season 25  |  1 hr 11 mins

ave explores, ave maria press, deacon david keene, jonathan roumie, katie mcgrady, matt maher, meg hunter-kilmer, mike aquilina, peculiar stuff catholics do, relics, sacra, saints, sean pilcher, sonja corbitt, steffani aquila, the chosen

Sean Pilcher, from Sacra, an apostolate focused on the restoration and recovery of relics, shares the meaning and importance of relics for all Catholics. Sean discusses how relics are verified, what it looks like to restore relics that have been damaged, and offers insight into how relics impact our spiritual lives.

Then, in a special bonus Ave Explores exclusive, Katie sits down with Jonathan Roumie, award winning actor from The Chosen and executive producer of the new film Heart of a Servant: The Father Flanagan Story to discuss how the joy of his Catholic faith guides him in his career and helps him discern good projects to work on, and he tells the story of meeting Pope Francis, who called him “Jesus.”