Today on "Kresta in the Afternoon" - January 5, 2012

Talking about the "things that matter most" on Jan. 5

4:00 – What Mary Means to Christians: An Ancient Tradition Explained
Do Catholics actually worship Mary? What exactly is her role in Catholic Spirituality? How do Catholics justify their beliefs, some of which don t seem to have biblical attestation? Theologian Fr. Peter Stravinskas is here to provide concise but extremely thorough explanations of every aspect of the Marian tradition, including some interesting facts that Catholics themselves might not be aware of. He points out how the ancient tradition of devotion to the Blessed Mother is not just proper to Catholicism, but to the entire Christian tradition.

4:40 – Accredited theology degrees, certificates, and diplomas without leaving the comfort of home.
Since the close of the Second Vatican Council, the Church has proclaimed Christ's invitation to share actively in His mission and respond as mature adults to the universal call to holiness. A deep hunger exists for the truth of Jesus Christ as transmitted by and through the Catholic Church. Many of us are searching for the Truth, for authentic teachings of the Church but doing so within the context of our particular life situations. In many cases, this limits our ability to utilize a traditional educational format. At this crossroads between a desire for authentic teaching of the Church and the various limitations of our life situations, stands The Catholic Distance University. We talk with Dr. Marianne Mount, President of CDU.

5:00 – Redeemed: Stumbling Toward God, Sanity, and the Peace That Passes All Understanding
After decades of living on the edge, Heather King settled into sobriety, marriage, and a financially lucrative but unfulfilling career as an upwardly mobile lawyer. As someone who had reached middle age “never believing in much of anything,” she found herself in the last place she thought she’d end up: the Catholic Church. She tells us her unforgettable, fervent, funny tale of an ongoing, stumbling conversion.