The Wise Guys Podcast

Is that perfection even possible? It is, but we must also have a proper understanding of what Jesus means by this. Join us as we discuss this rather challenging teaching and learn the difference between a human understanding of perfection and Jesus’ understanding. Perfection is possible but only if we first learn to receive from the Father of all goodness.

St. Paul describes a struggle that we all have—doing the very thing we hate or know we shouldn’t do (Romans 7). He describes a war that goes on between our conscience and the desires of our flesh for earthly pleasure. Join us as we explore this all-too-common challenge we face as human beings. Together we lay out our own personal challenges and discuss how Lent helps us overcome our divided hearts through the grace of Christ.

Four great traps capture our hearts today: consumerism, identity politics, idealism, and the victim mindset. Join us as we discuss how our culture holds our spirit captive and what we can do about it as followers of Jesus. Christ can never be held captive, which is why we his followers can be free even with so many ways for our souls to be ensnared.

These two phrases from Scripture—in both the Old and New Testaments—can leave a deeply negative impression on the people of God. Is God wrathful and does He want us to live in fear of Him? Join us as we delve deeply into the meaning of these phrases and discover why they do not mean what we might think they do.

Have you ever wondered what wisdom is? The world seems to lack it. Yet the Old Testament has entire books dedicated to this mysterious attribute of God. Scripture tells us that we should pursue wisdom if we want to live a Godly life.  But what does that even mean? Join us as we delve into the Book of Wisdom and Sirach and seek answers about this gift of the Holy Spirit and deeply spiritual mystery of our faith.

The Church is a treasury of wisdom on the importance of formation for our lives as disciples. Unfortunately, many Catholics never receive the formation they need to mature into the disciples they are called to be. Join us as we delve into the nature of formation, why we need it, and where we should receive it.

One of the challenges we face in parishes is a lack of inspiration among parishioners that translates into low attendance at parishes programs, like Preambula’s. Why is it so difficult to get people to step into new growth opportunities at the parish? Most formation programs are half filled with the same people that show up for everything. Join us as we explore some of the underlying reasons for this general lack of engagement.

During the Christmas season we drink deeply from the First Letter of St. John wherein the beloved disciple leaves us no room for lukewarm discipleship. John is clear that we cannot compromise with the spirit of this world. We either abide fully in the love of Jesus, or we don’t. Listen in as we explore what this really means for us, especially when it comes to the two-fold command to love God and love our neighbor as ourselves.

At the beginning of a new year, it’s always a good idea to take stalk of ourselves and discern what needs our attention in the year ahead. Resolutions do not have to be big and audacious. Seldom do those work out anyhow. Listen in as the wise guys take an honest appraisal of our personal growth edges and explore the little disciplines that make personal growth possible.

When the religious sense falls out, holidays become hollow days with lots of work but no joy. The purpose of our holiday traditions is to celebrate a sacred mystery that reminds us of what matters most—who we are and to whom we belong. Listen in as we discuss the purpose of all the holiday get up and the importance of how we celebrate our sacred family traditions.

We live in a society that teaches us to hyper fixate on our feelings. Can we think our way out of emotional paralysis though? Not really. Join us as we explore the anecdote to the excessive emotions that paralyze us. Here’s a hint: good action makes for good feelings.

There’s a reason we celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe at the end of the liturgical year. He is truly Lord of all and the perfect form of true authority. His throne is the cross, and He will return to judge the nations according to the measure of his example. Join us as we explore why within our current geo-political environment, Jesus’ Kingship over all nations is needed as much as ever.

The Pope recently elevated St. John Nueman to the dignity of Doctor of the Church. One of his most famous contributions to the faith is his explanation for the development of doctrine. Listen in as we discuss this important teaching and apply it to two issues that have been hotly debated for decades—The title of Mary as Co-Redemptrix and the church’s teaching on the death penalty.