The Wise Guys Podcast

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.

We’ve needed a speech like Marco Rubio recently gave in Munich (2-14-26) for a long time now.  As a faithful Catholic of Cuban dissent, the perspective he laid out on the past and future of Western Civilization is critical and urgent. This speech may turn out to be one of the most historic of the 21st century—perhaps, rivaling Ronald Reagan’s “Tear Down this Wall” speech in 1987 at the Berlin Wall. Join us as we discuss why, as people of faith, it is imperative to support Rubio’s call to reclaim (and not feel ashamed of) our western political, religious, and cultural heritage.
 
Notes from Dr. Therrien:
“My apologies for saying ‘the Far East’ when I meant ‘the Middle East.’”“By using the word ‘reparation’ it is not meant in any way to mean paying out money to ancestors of enslaved people.”

In our utilitarian and functionalist world, we have lost the sense of wonder. This makes it extremely difficult to face reality, encounter God, and appreciate all the beauty and blessings that surround us. Listen in as we discuss the importance of wonder and our human capacity to appreciate what is truly given and present to us in any moment. Wonder is a contemplative exercise, which is uniquely personal and truly life giving. Without it, we can never truly know God or find happiness.

The web is filled these days with doomsday scenarios about the future of employment. There’s no doubt that big changes are ahead and that the world of work will shift. Sadly, many tech giants don’t appreciate what humans are and what essentially makes us different than computers or machines. Listen in as we explore what possibilities might be on the horizon once AI and robots take over the jobs humans never did before industrialization and never really liked anyhow. The future might be brighter than we think, especially if we take this moment to re-learn what it means to be made in the image of God.

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.