The Wise Guys Podcast

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, bu...

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 t...

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 hum...

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...

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 principl...

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...

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 a...

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 be...

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 conversatio...

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...

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 digni...

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 blac...

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...

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 ju...

"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 sak...

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...

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...

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...

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 p...

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 hu...

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...

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.