The Wise Guys Podcast

Freedom of speech is under assault today. Yet there are also very real problems with the way free speech is exercised. It should be no surprise that the Church has important things to say about this basic civil right. Join us as we delve into this teaching and apply it to the problems we see in our media.

In 1917 Our Lady of Fatima prophesied that, unless we returned to God in faith, the poison of Russia would spread throughout the world. She was referring to the ideology responsible for Communism and Secularism, which today we call Critical Theory. Yet she also predicted that her Immaculate Heart would Triumph in the end. Listen in as we discern what’s happening in the West today. Is God about to liberate us from our own secular Babylon, like he did for ancient Israel through King Cyrus the Great of Persia?

The last several weeks has revealed a dark moment in our nation. A Catholic school Mass shooting, a brutal subway murder, and a political assassination have left everyone stunned and the country reeling. As everyone flocks to their preferred political commentaries and narratives, it provides us an opportunity to look more deeply at the mystery of evil. Join us as we try to make sense out of the multiple factors that may have influenced these tragic and murderous events.

What happens to us when we approach our faith with a performative mindset?  We tend to live our lives to make ourselves worthy in the eyes of God and others. But the other problem is having a minimalist mindset, as though our faith is simply about checking boxes. And of course, there’s those who want to do everything their own way with a certain autonomy. Listen in as we unpack these three mindsets and explore what it means to be in an authentic relationship with Jesus on the road to holiness.

Mass shootings seem, tragically, to be commonplace anymore. Listening to all the commentary in the media is disquieting and also misleading. When we politicize real social problems, we seldom discuss important issues on the level they require and deserve. Listen in as we explore what lies beneath terrible tragedies like the recent Catholic school shooting in Minnesota.

This is always a popular topic! Listen in as we discuss the Church’s teaching about the common good, the rule of law, governance, and obedience to authority. It’s a difficult but very necessary teaching, especially in this age of distrust and radical individualism. Without this important injunction, any social organization will disintegrate.

Fr. Mike is the parochial Vicar of St. James and St. Katharine Drexel parishes in Washington County, PA. Listen in as Fr. Mike unpacks his amazing faith-filled upbringing in rural PA and his powerful vocation story. Fr. Mike is a man of adventure who has never shied away from a good challenge, even if that means giving up everything for Jesus.

We hear much in the media these days about corruption. And lots of it is being exposed. Scripture tells us that the “love of money” is the root of all evil. Join us as we discuss the ways in which the inordinate or unjust pursuit of wealth can corrupt the institutions that support key values such as health, education, politics, and sex.  

Is there a best way to receive Holy Communion? Many have strong opinions about this, and there are arguments on both sides of the debate. Join us as we seek an answer to this contentious issue. Is how we receive our Eucharistic Lord a theological issue or a matter of personal preference? And is there only one way we ought to outwardly express our interior piety? Listen in as we seek to discern Jesus’ heart on this matter.

These are unsettling words from Jesus. At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns us not to fall into self-deception. Just because we do many great things for Jesus, it doesn’t mean we are fulfilling the will of the Father. Listen in as we explore the meaning and significance of Jesus’ warning for our lives. Here’s a hint: it's all about the relationship with God and not the pursuit of self-justification and the self-satisfaction that follows.