Ave Explores

4th Week of Lent: The Cross is Humbling with Meg Hunter-Kilmer

March 14th, 2026  |  Season 32  |  34 mins 54 secs

ali hoffman, ave explores, ave maria press, fr. gregory pine, fr. jerónimo espinosa, fr. patrick mary briscoe, katie mcgrady, laura fanucci, lenten journal, lenten video and podcast series, mary lenanburg, meg hunter-kilmer, op, pete burak, witness

Crucifixion was meant to be a humiliating death, a public sign of defeat. Yet Jesus transforms the Cross into the place of ultimate victory. In this episode of Ave Explores, Meg Hunter-Kilmer reflects on how gazing upon the Cross humbles us—revealing both the depth of Christ’s love and the saving power found in what once seemed like failure.

3rd Week of Lent: Suffering with Christ featuring Mary Lenaburg

March 7th, 2026  |  Season 32  |  38 mins

ali hoffman, ave explores, ave maria press, fr. gregory pine, fr. jerónimo espinosa, fr. patrick mary briscoe, katie mcgrady, laura fanucci, lenten journal, lenten video and podcast series, mary lenanburg, meg hunter-kilmer, op, pete burak, witness

When we stand at the foot of the Cross, we encounter true compassion—literally, “to suffer with.” Mary Lenaburg knows this compassion intimately. Having experienced profound sorrow and deep joy, she understands that suffering is not a season to escape but a place to remain with Christ. While her life has not been a perpetual Lent, she has learned how to walk through it—standing beside Jesus at the Cross and discovering there a love that redeems every trial.

2nd Week of Lent: Friendship at the Cross with Fr. Jeronimo Espinosa and Ali Hoffman

March 2nd, 2026  |  Season 32  |  48 mins 23 secs

ali hoffman, ave explores, ave maria press, fr. gregory pine, fr. jerónimo espinosa, fr. patrick mary briscoe, katie mcgrady, laura fanucci, lenten journal, lenten video and podcast series, mary lenanburg, meg hunter-kilmer, op, pete burak, witness

Lent invites us to stand at the foot of the Cross—but never alone. The Christian life is meant to be lived in communion, alongside companions who help draw us closer to the Lord. In this episode, Fr. Jerónimo Espinosa and Ali Hoffman reflect on how friendship and community have shaped their faith over the years. Through their shared journey, they reveal the beauty of growing in intimacy with Jesus through genuine relationships and the transformative grace that comes from encountering the Lord together.

1st Week of Lent: Dignity at the Cross with the Sisters of Life

February 21st, 2026  |  Season 32  |  48 mins 36 secs

ali hoffman, ave explores, ave maria press, fr. gregory pine, fr. jerónimo espinosa, fr. patrick mary briscoe, katie mcgrady, laura fanucci, lenten journal, lenten video and podcast series, mary lenanburg, meg hunter-kilmer, op, pete burak, witness

Rooted in their mission to uphold the dignity of every human person, the Sisters of Life witness to the truth that no one is beyond God’s love and mercy. During Lent, we are invited to stand at the foot of the Cross and encounter the Lord’s loving gaze, even in his suffering. Sr. Cora Caeli and Sr. Magnificat Rose share how they live Lent as religious sisters, reflecting on why the cross is not something to avoid but to embrace—especially as we repent, convert, and cling to Christ throughout these forty days.

Ash Wednesday: Starting Lent with a Plan with Fr. Patrick Mary Briscoe, OP, and Tommy McGrady

February 17th, 2026  |  Season 32  |  50 mins 43 secs

ali hoffman, ave explores, ave maria press, bishop andrew cozzens, fr. gregory pine, fr. jerónimo espinosa, fr. patrick mary briscoe, katie mcgrady, laura fanucci, lenten journal, lenten video and podcast series, meg hunter-kilmer, op, witness

Lent invites us to trust God’s providence—but it also calls for intention. In this episode, Fr. Patrick Mary Briscoe, OP, author of Witness, joins Katie and her husband, Tommy, to reflect on approaching the season with purpose. Fr. Patrick shares how writing a Lenten reflection journal helped him contemplate the Cross more deeply and why we’re invited to stand at its foot—ready to receive all the grace the Lord desires to give through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

NEW SERIES: Not a Fan of Lent? You’re Not Alone with Fr. Gregory Pine, OP

February 12th, 2026  |  Season 32  |  42 mins 22 secs

ali hoffman, ave explores, ave maria press, bishop andrew cozzens, fr. gregory pine, fr. jerónimo espinosa, fr. patrick mary briscoe, katie mcgrady, laura fanucci, lenten journal, lenten video and podcast series, meg hunter-kilmer, op, witness

In this teaser episode of Ave Explores: Lent with Fr. Patrick Mary Briscoe, OP, host Katie McGrady sits down with Fr. Gregory Pine, OP, to name a familiar tension: many of us resist Lent, even while longing for the work God wants to do in us. Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving aren’t ends in themselves—they’re pathways into deeper participation in the divine life and a renewed ability to recognize God in the ordinary.

Fr. Gregory invites us to begin simply, with an honest prayer: Lord, I need you.

This conversation sets the tone for our Lenten series inspired by Fr. Patrick Mary Briscoe’s book Witness. Throughout Lent, we’ll walk alongside those who encountered the Passion firsthand, with weekly videos featuring Fr. Patrick and companion podcast episodes with guests including Bishop Andrew Cozzens, Meg Hunter-Kilmer, Ali Hoffman, Fr. Jerónimo Espinosa, Laura Fanucci, and more.

This Lent, don’t get stuck in what you dislike about the season. Let God meet you where you are—and lead you where he is calling you to go.

Get your copy of Witness today, with a foreword by Jonathan Roumie from The Chosen.

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.