Boys' Lunch: Recent Episodes
Boys' Lunch
A Christmas miracle! A podcast has been posted! We take some time to reflect on this little gem from Newman and Bishop Barron. Barron says "ideas are only really known across great stretches of space and time, with the gradual unfolding of their many dimensions...the Incarnation (God becoming man) is one of the richest and most complex ideas ever proposed to the mind, and hence it demands the space and time of the Church in order fully to disclose itself." We catch up and talk about this.
We are back on the mic talking about the busy start to our school year. We talk about the fruits of contemplation when you might not hear God directly speak to you in prayer. We did it. We recorded and posted.
We talk about God's movements of transformation in our lives this summer. I hope you are able to listen. We also talk about Paul's trip to the beach and a night to be emo at Paramore. Enjoy
Intern Gets His Big Break. Aidan Goes to School. Chop Chop Fold Fold. 18 Going on 50. A Boy and His Khakis. I think these titles explain it all.
We discuss the idea of being lost in life and lost in this world. How can we find good in this and seek our resting place? How can we start to discern the voice of the Shepherd?
We jump on the mic for the first time this summer. This is the longest we have been away from each other. It has been tough. Although we were separate from each other, we were together intellectually and spiritually in our reading of Fr. Thomas Dubay's "Fire Within". We begin a discussion on becoming an attentive heart serious about the pursuit of God, using the finite as a stepping stone to the infinite. Working on passivity in prayer, allowing God to move us and surprise us in prayer. Enjoy
After 10 years in the profession we take a look at how we grew personally and professionally this past year. Enjoy
Happy summer! This has very little to do with the movie Pulp Fiction and mostly to do with the power of creative humans to abstract reality out for us and teach us the patterns of life. Specifically, the ability of the saints to tell us our story and mission through their writings, hymns, prayers, and lives.
You'll have to click to find out! What a podcast...I would not want to miss this if I were you
We catch you up on Spring Break, the end of Lent, and Easter. Today's discussion talks about the importance of simple creeds lived out within our life and spiritual musings. How can we learn from oral cultures and their ability to memorize important passages, hymns, statements and internalize them in a meaningful way? How can we allow small statements of truth impact our way of being and have it flow out in our thoughts, words, and actions?
It has been an adventure getting this recorded and uploaded, but here it is. We answer questions from people around the school and from our very own homes! Hope you enjoy
We look at the idea of unique ways to become Christ-like in our lives. We quickly look at the willingness to enter the desert with Christ and (briefly, I promise) Dmitri Karamazov's willingness to unjustly suffer in prison on behalf of all. We see how all of us in small ways can use moments to die to self and make meaning of suffering. I suffer, but at the same time, I exist, and that is good.
Some quick life updates about baptisms and trophies. We take a gander at some poems that have been supplying some good prayer and some themes we have been interested in (the journey of humanity, breakthrough of grace, longing of the heart, etc.). There are also only like two Brothers Karamazov references, so you're welcome.
We catch up on our Christmas break and the beginning of second semester and give a tribute to a man that gave so much to our Church. Hopefully we do his life a little bit of justice and maybe help people understand his contributions.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Here's a 40 minute New Year's present to you all. This was a discussion we had during Finals, hope you enjoy!
Sorry for the delay. We recorded this on December 6th, but I sat on it for awhile. I am ready to release it to the wild. This episode discusses two themes. One is about the relatability of the messiness in stories, art, etc. The other is about growing up and realizing you still have a lot to work on. Enjoy
We have a special guest for a special topic. We are excited for some of the opportunities that are coming to Central next year and try to give our perspective as teachers. Enjoy!
We catch up and look at the hidden vice behind many of our actions. While we tend to focus on the immediate and external sins and failings, it is often the deeper spiritual sin and attachments that are the root cause. A quick gander at the Litany of Humility can challenge us and call us to more.
This has been one of my favorite discussions and reminds me of some of our conversations in college over a cup of coffee. We take a small section of a book and pull out some cool and deep human emotions and try to articulate the beauty of God's love and humanity's search for him. The loving heart that a sinner can still possess. How love can be unreasonable, but so very necessary. Great stuff. Pick up a copy of The Brothers Karamazov while you're at it.
We catch up and talk about the genius of St. Benedict. How can the principles in his "Rule" guide us in our vocations and the groups we are a part of?
Homecoming, student sightings, updates on life and school. Our topic is based on growing and gathering experiences, being able to work through and name the feelings, emotions, and struggles you are going through. The ability to read a parable, life of a saint, or work of literature that lays out the deep truths of humanity and the triumphs and stumbling blocks that we go through and have that validate or inspire you in what you are experiencing.
We discuss baby news, a million dollar bill, and get to the bottom of what "gas" means. We look at the trend of being "spiritual, but not religious" or "religiously unaffiliated" and how it misses out on what is actually going to challenge us and call us to what we're made for.
What will you choose today? Joy or Cynicism? We jump into some PCSL updates, what we've been reading, and an investigation into what they are putting into chicken. We break down a pretty revealing paragraph about the mindset and outlook of someone who chooses to by cynical (spoiler alert: does not seem like a fun life), while also looking at ways to choose joy even when there is darkness around you.
We are back from our end of summer hiatus with a jam-packed 24 minute episode. Go Saints!
Was Josh Vogel sleeping at Mass?? We give an update on the rest of the happenings of July and take a look at what to do when you have a spiritual writer's block. We talk about self-induced dryness in prayer and how to return to the basics and focus on what works. Share your life with God and return to the Father who is waiting to embrace you with joy.
We discuss the Fourth of July and some pretty good zingers about reverence and recognizing the greatness of creation and the people around us. Are you suffering from a bad case of the Mondays? Give this a listen
We catch you up on some fun events from June and discuss why the space around us matters. The form and function of buildings and architecture can move people and create an experience that draws one deeper into their relationship with God. If that previous statement is true, why are there so many ugly churches? Also, we watch too much HGTV.
Is this just a clickbait title?!? I guess you'll have to click to check out. We talk about books and the idea of building a library for yourself and family. And maybe talk about writing a Boys' Lunch book! Maybe... guess you'll have to listen!!
Boys' Lunch summer. We recorded two episodes last night in Joey's basement. Here is the first.
Here's to 60! Thank you for listening this long. We will continue to record and post this summer, so keep checking every Monday...
What do you do with an animal carcass in your yard? Is hockey a real sport? We look at some themes of light and darkness and how to build up the state of our soul. Literature can be fun!
We are back with a reflection on a common, but rarely recognized view of the world. Also, some lively banter from two different sessions.
We have a special guest on our podcast today to help us discuss Divine Mercy and why we go to a priest for confession. Fun fun.
Happy Holy Week. We have some lively banter and a good discussion about the past and the spiritual life. Zacchaeus is brought in, repressing your memories, enchantment, sending positive vibes, etc. It is a pretty packed podcast.
We have some nice updates and thoughts about our recent Spring Break. What kind of drama are we going to get into today?? Tune in to find out!
Paul and Joey catch up after a few weeks off. We discuss Rome, churches, pilgrimage, beauty, martyrs, and everything awesome. It's good to be back.
Seriously, that sounds terrible. We try to look at the idea of penance, mortification, and attachment with new eyes. As cradle Catholics or outsiders we often don't know the "why" behind the things Catholics do. Let's figure out the "why".
This episode has nothing to do with carne asada. It has everything to do with incarnational evangelization. Enjoy some light and fun banter as an appeteaser, followed by a main course of wisdom from Paul. No dessert...you'll be full by then. Bon Appetit!
It felt great to get back on the mic. We talk about the unique ability of philosophy to show the limits of our human reason and our need to be receptive in order to be wise. It's pretty interesting stuff. Give it a listen.
Advent in Avila! This is kind of an advent reflection, a nod to St. Teresa of Avila, and an explanation of the spirituality that sprang forward from Catholic religious orders. It's a lot of fun. Also, what are our go-to Karaoke songs??
We discuss the Catholic scientist who discovered the chromosomal cause of Down Syndrome and his approach to use science to shed light on the dignity and support we can offer other humans. Human value is not based on what people arbitrarily decide is "productive" or "useful" for society. We need to learn how to experience the joy and the opportunity of each personal encounter. Also, the McRib is still here.
This is a cool dive into the many aspects of our search for love, acceptance, and forgiveness. We discuss the wayward son, our dignity and identity as sons and daughters of God, and what guilt is telling us. Some heavy stuff, but worth the listen all the way through.
Things are fine. We are fine. We begin a two part episode on The Return of the Prodigal Son by Fr. Henri Nouwen. This one focuses on art coming to life, beauty piercing the depths of our being and awakening an ache for the eternal. Cool stuff.
We are one year in. Thanks to all those who have supported and listened. Today we talk about the idea of being called into being. I gave a survey to my students about discerning their vocation and the results will SHOCK you. Probably not though.
Grilling, Chilling, MONSTER TRUCKS! Where are we moving? Why are we Catholic? We highlight a cool group of saints from the first two centuries and the influence they have on the Church and our lives.
Halloween, All Saints, All Souls. We look at the life of St. Maximilian Kolbe. He didn't settle with what was comfortable, he pushed himself, relied on prayer, trusted in Mary and Jesus and was able to do heroic things his whole life. These daily commitments and sacrifices allowed him to be even more heroic in his death. Check it out.
Worst haircut, worst fashion trends, and more. Paul speaks some truth from the book "Diary of a Country Priest". We reject prayer and a relationship with God without ever actually trying.
We discuss Paul's good weekend, camping, staring at the moon, and ponder what life would be like if things were actually silent. Our topic explores Captain Ratzinger and the Rusty Ship. Are the Church's roots deep and its flowers flourishing? Are we ready to jump on this ship to a destination that's worth it? Does Joey have beef with "Gift of Finest Wheat"? Check it out...Episode 40!
How does brewing coffee and listening to vinyl relate to the Mass? Is the parish hall even real? Will my son ever stop moving around at Mass? Find out this week on your Monday-ish podcast.
Have we replaced the Church with a new regime, magisterium, doctrine, value-creating system? It seems the aspects of the Church many didn't like have been replaced by the same type of systems. Interesting. Let's look at that.
Did Joey have the perfect Fall weekend? Would Paul ever dine alone? Tune in to find out. We also talk about Charity and putting God's goals before our own. We continue to jazz up virtues. Someone should pay us for this.
We take some listener questions and give some updates on our lives. We talk about some recent statistics on people no longer having close friends, what friendship is, what type of friendship we are seeing, and the lack of deep connection we see in "social" party groups.
Friday Night Lights are back and some would say it is electric. We give a nod to St. Augustine's recent feast day and discuss his famous work "Confessions". So many messages, so little time.
Many people go through changes and transitions no matter what age they are. We discuss this and give tips and advice for people as they go off to college (and other life changes).
The Boys' Lunch crew is back in the building and back to Monday postings. Tell your friends and family. Today we have the Paul in the Hot Seat. No stone will be left unturned. You're getting the cream of the crop.
This was originally recorded on July 14th and is now being posted on August 11th. Facepalm emoji, am I right? Paul and Joey catch up on their summers and then discuss the life of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati and reasons why everyone should know about him.
As we approach the Fourth of July we decided to look at some principles of America. Was National Treasure real?? Listen to find out. We also catch up on different trips, weddings, and happenings that have been going on. Live from Joey's parent's basement, you are not going to want to miss this
Recorded in Paul's basement, these two teachers go back and forth like Mayweather and Pacquiao and discuss a misunderstood Bible verse (some would say overused in modern Christian songs). What is the natural response of finding God? What does it look like to praise God in 2021? Did Paul get to see the Delicatessen that Goldberg worked at in Mighty Ducks? All big questions answered in this podcast.
What goes into believing in God or proving His existence? We give a birds-eye view of this process and discuss themes of Pascal's Wager, Newman's Assent, a goose getting smacked down by a car, etc.
We give a nod to "The Interview with Jude" this week and put Joey on the Hot Seat. Get ready. Nothing is off limits.
Grass news, house news, seniors are gone. The two of us dive into trends of people's attitude towards organized religion. We look at the change in parish life and participation the past few decades and ask the question, "Will the next generation get baptized?"
Our intern makes an appearance and surprises us with a gift. We also talk about the new social mobility of life and how that might change our connection to the past. And trains.
Do you feel like you're in a rut? Well, not sure if this podcast will help, but we do discuss monotony, perspective, bearing fruit, and Fictional Cereal Characters.
We discuss end of the year feelings, she-bear attacks in the Bible, and our love for our children. We have three of our former students jump on the mic to tell us what it's really like out there. What a treat.
These two wild teachers discuss the best burger in town, buffets, and thoughts on the tambourine at Mass. We highlight the lives and inspiration of two Doctors of the Church (St. Catherine of Siena and St. Hildegard of Bingen) and what we can learn from them.
Hypothetical animal fights, 30th birthday, some listener questions. We can't be child-like....we're in our thirties. We ponder some of St. Therese's teachings. Ever heard of her?
We work our way through failure and fear of failure. I'm kind of scared that we failed at it. We also have some hot takes on childhood snacks and discuss the visit from our Bishop.
We're back! Sump Pumps, Blizzards, and more. We catch up with each other after our hiatus and reflect on important people in our lives, the spiritual journey, and Holy Week. What happened on Holy Monday??? Must see content.
Paul and I weren't able to record a podcast this week. If you are interested in purchasing a mug please send an email to boyslunch1@gmail.com so we can get an estimate of how many to order.
More merch talk, sports superstitions, and a touching Stations of the Cross. We talk about two things that tend to draw youth (and really everyone) out of the apathy they might face when seeking Christ. Maybe it's spaghetti and Nickelback.
Men Handling Illness, Oprah, Merch. We talk about striking a balance between loving the teachings and living the teachings. Fan Questions at the end.
How many times can two guys say the word leisure in 20 minutes? Seriously, let us know. We answer a few fan questions and talk about our modern approach to both work and free time.
Have we intellectually accepted the reality of Christ? Has that actually changed the way we live? I don't know. It's probably our intern's fault.
There is a storm a-brewin' (literally). Paul and I couldn't meet up this week so I asked my wife if she would join me. We talk about some tips for Lent and go through some rapid-fire questions about our relationship.
Here are some resources for Lent:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jhHwfAWpOTG2vo85c0aNtQL8NWXqF2R5WTIIJtkug-k/edit?usp=sharing
https://www.whitehouseblackshutters.com/40-bags-in-40-days/
https://www.abidingtogetherpodcast.com/
https://blessedisshe.net/category/devotions/
Facial Hair, Frailty, and a Mid-Life Crisis.
The topic in this episode isn't as scary as it seems. We look at the idea of understanding our mortality in a healthy way. How can I have death as a consideration in my life that is leading me to enjoy what is in front of me, but also prepare for what God is calling me to in the afterlife? You know... that kind of stuff.
Email if you have questions, topics, etc. - boyslunch1@gmail.com
AOL , Merch, E-mail. Some discussion on MLK and some of our favorite moments as teachers. Send questions, topics, etc. to our agent at boyslunch1@gmail.com
Some Book Titles:
The History of Black Catholics in the United States by Cyprian Davis
Parish Boundaries: The Catholic Encounter with Race in the Twentieth-Century Urban North by John McGreevey
From Slave to Priest: The Inspirational Story of Father Augustine Tolton (1854-1897) by Caroline Hemesath
The Black Eyed Peas, First CD's, Sports Dreams. We talk about Christian ideas that are nice in theory, but can be hard in practice. Specifically we look at the ideas of capital punishment, life in prison, etc. Great content.
The Bears lost and still made the playoffs. It was gross. Today we talk about the idea of trying to follow through with something. Does our society have a problem? No. We're perfect. There you go. I answered it. Now you don't have to listen. No need to commit. Just stay at home. Good luck trying decide what to watch tonight and which streaming service to use. You won't be able to. There's too many options. Or you'll regret what you actually pick. Will you really be satisfied? Probably not.
Join us as we reflect back on 2020. Where was the good? What about resolutions? Frozen apps? Friday's Sponsorship??
With Christmas around the corner we talk about the wonder and innocence of our kids and some of our favorite gifts growing up. We also discuss trends we see in communication and interactions through distance learning and modern technology.
Dateline, German Shepherds, and some Paul high school stories. We also discuss things we've learned, mistakes we've made, or misconceptions on our end as teachers. Just great content.
In Part 2 of our segment with Kevin we talk about what goes into making big decisions in our lives. Also, we give some hot takes on P.E. equipment
Special guest and original Boys' Lunch member joins us to talk about his recent move and job change. And I guess to catch up.
Today we discuss our infamous name change, the importance of fruitful discussion and dialogue, and our friendship. Paul has a microphone this time.
So I know we call it "Forever a Bridesmaid" in the episode, but after much discussion we have changed our podcast to "Boys' Lunch". In this episode we talk about the recent change in our jobs, reflect on teaching during this quarantine-era, and discuss a break-down in a fast-food chicken parking lot.
Sorry about the audio quality, we have new equipment coming for the next episode.