The Wise Guys Podcast

Why are so many young adults delaying marriage, careers, families, and big life decisions? In this episode of The Wise Guys, we explore why an entire generation has become afraid to take risks—and why waiting for the "perfect" moment may actually be keeping us from the life God is calling us to. Life has never come with guarantees. The Christian life has always been an adventure. If you've ever felt stuck, waiting until everything is "figured out," this conversation is for you.

What happens when faithful Catholics become convinced the Church has made a serious mistake?   In this episode, we unpack the history behind the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX), Vatican II, and one of the biggest questions Catholics still wrestle with today: What do you do when you think the Church is wrong?    This conversation isn't just about one movement in the Church—it's about learning how Catholics can remain faithful during confusing times, trust Christ through the storms, and distinguish between legitimate concerns and the temptation to make ourselves the final authority.

As America approaches its 250th anniversary, what does authentic patriotism actually look like for a Christian? We begin with John Adams' famous statement: "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people." Was he right? And what does that mean for us today? In this episode, we explore why patriotism is a genuine Christian virtue. It's not blind nationalism or partisan politics, but a spirit of gratitude, stewardship, and responsibility for the country God has entrusted to us. We discuss why so many people have become cynical about the United States, how prosperity can cause us to take our blessings for granted, and why America's Christian moral foundations still matter. Whether you're skeptical of patriotism or passionate about it, this conversation challenges us to move beyond complaints and toward grateful, faithful citizenship.

In this episode, Scott and Michel discuss recent "alien" sightings and reports and how we as Catholics should respond. They chat about the laws of physics, the probability of alien life existing, and whether or not it's reasonable to believe that the alien sightings could actually be demons or angels manifesting themselves. If you've been unsettled by any of these reports, you don't want to miss this episode. The Wise Guys cut through all the hysteria and offer some thought-provoking, consoling, conclusions.

In Part 4 of our series on Pope Leo XIV’s Magnifica Humanitas, we unpack Chapters 4 and 5 of the encyclical. We discuss truth in the age of AI, the meaning of human work, and why technology should serve people—not the other way around. Pope Leo reminds us that our future is not determined by machines, but by the choices we make. Join us as we explore his vision for building a culture rooted in human dignity, freedom, and love.

In this episode, Scott and Michel continue breaking down the Pope's latest encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, and explore what it means to be human in the age of AI. We discuss why technology can imitate human abilities but can never replace the spiritual dignity, freedom, and soul of the human person. We unpack the dangers of a technocratic mindset and transhumanism, while reflecting on Pope Leo’s message of hope: that we are not powerless in the face of new technologies. With faith, wisdom, and strong moral foundations, we can help guide AI and digital technology toward true human flourishing.

In this epsiode, Scott and Dr. Therrien continue breaking down Pope Leo XIV's Encyclical Letter, Magnifica Humanitas, in depth so that you can grow in understanding of the purpose and breadth of the Church's social teaching, and how to approach the use of AI and technology without compromising your Catholic faith. We discuss the true meaning of social justice and break down the underlying principles required to uphold the common good. We also go through some practical examples of how to make a positive difference in your own families and communties and live these principles in your daily life. You don't want to miss out on the depth of the Church's teachings in this episode!

In this epsiode, we take the time to break down Pope Leo XIV's Encyclical Letter, Magnifica Humanitas, in depth so that you can grow in understanding of the purpose and breadth of the Church's social teaching, and how to approach the use of AI and technology without compromising your Catholic faith. We cover why the Church releases documents like this, how teachings develop, and why the Church has an important role to play in conversations about modern technology. Some may believe that the Church has no place to speak on a topic as complicated as AI and technology, but we break down why the Church not only CAN speak about these topics, but absolutely *should*.

In this episode, we talk about what reverence actually means, whether Catholics sometimes unintentionally treat God like He’s distant or untouchable, and how Jesus constantly reveals Himself as deeply holy *and* deeply approachable. We discuss fear, intimacy with God, the Eucharist, and how receiving Jesus should draw us closer to Him — not keep us at arm’s length. We also get into why affection and intimacy with God can feel especially difficult for men, and how men and women often experience their relationship with God differently.

In this episode, we dive into confession, conscience, and the fine line between conviction and scrupulosity. We talk about what actually makes a sin mortal, how to discern grave matter, and how to examine your conscience without spiraling into shame or anxiety.    We also explore what confession can look like when you’re not bringing major sins, but instead trying to understand the deeper roots beneath recurring habits, temptations, and disordered desires.    Along the way, we address “Catholic guilt,” unhealthy self-scrutiny, and the temptation to start scrutinizing everyone else too. Because the truth is: we rarely know the full story of what’s happening in another person’s heart.

Miracles are one of the most fascinating parts of Christianity, but what are they for?   In this episode, we explore what miracles actually are, why Jesus performed them, and whether or not miracles have decreased since the time of the Apostles. We also chat about healing Masses, miraculous healings, and the tension between healthy skepticism and genuine openness to God’s power.   This conversation is less about chasing signs and more about understanding what miracles are meant to point us toward. Hint: It's God.

Miracles are one of the most fascinating parts of Christianity, but what are they for? In this episode, we explore what miracles actually are, why Jesus performed them, and whether or not miracles have decreased since the time of the Apostles. We also chat about healing Masses, miraculous healings, and the tension between healthy skepticism and genuine openness to God’s power. This conversation is less about chasing signs and more about understanding what miracles are meant to point us toward. Hint: It's God.

Christians often misunderstand the meaning of "peace". Too often, it gets reduced to “just be nice” or “never fight back”—but that’s not what Jesus taught, and it’s not what the Church believes. In this episode of Wise Guys Podcast, we challenge the idea that peace equals passivity. We dig into what Scripture actually says, what the Church teaches about self-defense, and why protecting human dignity requires us to establish and sometimes enforce real boundaries. Peace isn’t about avoiding conflict, it’s about responding to it rightly. ✅ NOTES: During this episode, when addressing Jesus’ prohibition of armed revolution, (turn the other cheek), I failed to mention one obvious point: by turning the other cheek, Jesus tells us to oppose political injustice through non-violent resistance. The three best examples of this are the March on Montgomery, the Solidarity Movement in Poland, and the March for Life. The logic of non-violent resistance does not eliminate the right to self-defense. Rather, it affirms that armed resistance is almost never a morally licit means for resolving political failure. It’s too destabilizing to the commonwealth. The same logic is applied when the state seeks to execute a Christian because of their faith. Non-violent resistance represents the decision to appeal to a higher authority, namely, God. It is not a command to be passive in the face of abuse. -Dr. Michel Therrien

The world is watching the situation with Iran unfold, but how should Catholics respond? In this episode, we dive into the Church’s call for peace, why the Vatican often avoids taking political sides, and what that actually means. We also explore the reality of self-defense, the limits of Just War Theory, and the difficult question: what happens when your enemy doesn't want peace? This isn’t a black-and-white issue, and we don’t pretend it is.

We talk about justice and mercy a lot, but do we actually know what they mean? In this episode, we keep it simple. We define justice and mercy, walk through some real-life examples, and talk about how to actually live them out. Along the way, we also tackle why God's mercy can seem confusing-and why it's not. This is a practical conversation to help you make better decisions in everyday situations. In this episode we discuss: what justice actually means what mercy actually means how they work together rather than against each other how God's mercy reveals His justice, not the absence of it

Most of us think of the resurrection as Jesus simply "coming back to life"...but that's not what actually happened. If you've ever though Easter was just about proving Jesus's power over death...this episode will blow that wide open! In this episode, we dive into the reality of the resurrection. It's not just a cool miracle like Lazarus being raised, but something far more radical. Jesus didn't just return to His old life...He entered into a completely new, glorified existence. And here's the part that changes everything: He did it for us. We talk about what it means that Jesus's resurrected body is transformed, how He opens the door for us to share in His divine life, and why the resurrection isn't just something to celebrate once a year. It's the foundation of the life we're called to live right now.  

"Offer it up" sounds holy...but what if you're not actually ready to? In this episode, we unpack the reality of redemptive suffering and how our relationship with suffering develops over time. Too often, we try to jump to the language of the saints without first going through the necessary stages of growth. Like St. Paul, when he said in Colossians 1:24, "...I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ's afflictions..." He could only say that after years of following Christ and growing in holiness. We talk about: Why it's okay if you're not "rejoicing" in suffering yet The stages of spiritual maturity in suffering What it really means to unite your suffering to Christ Wherever you are in your journey, God is working! Happy Triduum!

In this episode we dive into our experience of embracing the three Lenten practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. What’s the point of these disciplines? Do they make us more worthy of God’s love or do they make us more capable of receiving the love God already has for us? Duh. But how we frame these practices for ourselves makes all the difference between a performative experience of penance and a transformative one. Join us as we discuss the highs and lows of Lenten disciplines and also make fun of Scott’s gut!

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.

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.

Advent (like Lent) is a season that teaches us about the amazing ways that Jesus fulfills Old Testament prophecy. Christianity is a historical faith, inasmuch as God enters the human story in a specific time and place, as part of an unfolding plan to save us. The historical nature of our faith matters. We do not believe in a series of abstract ideas but in a series of concrete historical events that changed the world, including the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. Join us as we explore the historical landscape of Scripture: where it originates, how it came together and why it still matters to us today.

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.

In our culture today, where masculinity can be either eclipsed or exaggerated, guys find it difficult to be vulnerable. This is our experience anyhow. As disciples, Jesus wants more than a guy’s logic and assent to truth. He also wants a man’s heart for the sake of love, but in ways that mirror the Sacred Heart. Join us as we explore the challenges men have with accessing their emotions, why this is, and what Christian men need to do about it.

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.

During the month of November, the Church commemorates the saints and the faithful departed. The Christian belief in a final judgement and the possibility of heaven, hell, or purgatory after death is still a stumbling block for many. When viewed within a framework of law, it seems like final judgement simply boils down to getting what we have coming to us. But what if there’s more to it than that? Join us as we explore the reality of life after death. Perhaps it’s not that God settles the score, but that we simply attain what we most desire in our heart.

We often see our work as toilsome. TGIF and Monday morning dread are evidence of a culture that misunderstands the nature and dignity of human work. The wrong mindset toward work leaves us either depressed or anxious. Join us as we explore the biblical view of work as a human vocation that images God and brings the satisfaction of peace to the restless human heart.

Join us as we interview Michel’s son-in-law. Tyree grew up in a broken and impoverished household led by the strong faith of his mother. Listen in as he tells the story of how prophetic dreams, Godly mentors, and the grace of Jesus lifted him out of the dark valley of despair and hopelessness into the light of God’s glory.

In this episode we discuss the Church’s teaching on peace and its relationship to the common good. What does true peace require and is it possible to bring a lasting peace to the Holy Land? What will it take to end this age of terrorism in one of the most troubled hot spots in the history of the world?

The Church teaches that we are obliged to inform our conscience. But we are also obliged to obey our conscience even when we are in error about what is right and wrong. Yet when people zealously oppose what is truly good from an erroneous conscience it creates unimaginable moral problems. This is why a proper moral education is so critical. Join us as we explore how this generally unknown teaching helps us understand the polarization we see in our society around so many issues.

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.