Three Dogs North

In this episode, the dogs mourn the loss of two episodes (0:02). Rob (7:40) and Michael Metz (11:15) offer Connor some suggestions for his upcoming trip to Rome. They spend the rest of the episode discussing salvation history and the power of finding our own story imbedded within it (18:00).

* Sorry for the background noise this time, check out our GoFundMe so Fr. Mike can upgrade his recording gear. Every bit helps.

Quotes:
“Sacred art must be particular enough to be recognizable, but universal enough to bear the mystery.” (Connor quoting Dr. Denis McNamara, 16:30)

"We are narrative creatures because we are made in the image of the Logos.” (Connor, 17:40)

“God is infinite, but he makes himself receivable; He accommodates our finite categories.” (Connor, 19:15)

“People don’t lose their faith because of a lack of evidence, but because of a lack of imagination.” (Connor quoting Fr. Daniel Siwek, 19:30)

"You can have everything you need, but if there's no story to it then what’s the point?” (Connor, 21:35)

“Imagination is full of potency.” (Michael Metz, 34:50)

Media Mentions:

• Borat (2006)
• Bishop Robert Barron's Catholicism (2011)
• The Chosen (2017- present)
• The Passion of the Christ (2004)
• The Gospels
• Monsignor Shea's Christian Mythic Narrative
• John Henry Newman's An Essay in Aid of a Grammar of Assent
• Rocky (1976)
• Michael D. O'Brien's Theophilos
• Acts of the Apostles

References: 

• St. Peter's Basilica
• Rome, Italy
• Assisi, Italy
• Basilica of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere
• Catacombs of Saint Callixtus
• FOCUS
• Jim Caviezel
• Cardinal Francis George
• NBA
• Sea of Galilee

Shout-Outs:

• Drew Hines
• Ryan Saltness
• Fr. Ben Holdren
• Fr. Patrick J. Boyle
• Matt and Eileen McDonough
• Isaac and Mary Margaret Nawa
• Fr. Callistus Iyorember
• Tim Anastos
• Anycia Flynn, Little Sister Agape

Follow us on instagram @threedogsnorth

Contact us at [email protected]

In this episode, the dogs discuss the current state of collegiate sports (5:40). Michael Metz pretends to read books at the airport (23:00), Connor begins another lecture series (23:55), and Rob offers 3DN consulting services to fix college football (29:10).

Quotes:

“I do feel the centrifugal force of the world of artifacts, where we live totally in a man-made world that gets more and more removed from the God-made reality.” (Connor, 20:20)

“God uses the folly of the cross to shame the wisdom of the world.” (Connor, 26:30)

“Am I part of the problem? Absolutely.” (Michael Metz, 30:43)

Media Mentions:

• No Laying Up Podcast
• Wendell Berry's Eternal Story
• Josef Pieper's Leisure, the Basis of Culture

References: 

• 2026 U.S. Open Golf Championship
• Scottie Scheffler
• Tiger Woods
• YouTube
• Dabo Swinney
• Clemson Tigers
• Lane Kiffin
• LSU Tigers
• Croagh Patrick
• St. Patrick
• Chicago Bears
• George Halas
• Red Grange
• Illinois Fighting Illini
• Big Ten Conference
• SEC
• Wendell Berry
• New York University
• Piggly Wiggly
• Rushville, IL
• Georgia Bulldogs

Shout-Outs:

• Daniel Munie
• Fr. Patrick Gorman
• John "Juice Box" Johnson

Follow us on instagram @threedogsnorth

Contact us at [email protected]

In this episode, the dogs discuss summer movies (1:00), putting the highest goods first (14:00), and how God uses His incarnational reality to draw us into deeper communion (29:40). Additionally, Michael Metz discovers the hermeneutic circle in real time (30:40).

Quotes:

“How important it is for me to not try and take the greatest goods and use them as a manipulation to get the things that I want.” (Michael Metz, 14:00)

"Treat the good as a good not because it’s beneficial, but just because they are good in and of themselves.” (Michael Metz, 14:55)

"You can fail to enjoy even the secondary goods when you don’t put the highest good first.” (Connor, 22:10)

"Nothing really can ever be lost; the giver of every good gift has promised, 'I am with you always even until the end of the age.'” (Connor, 23:10)

“No doubt, it is a great grace to receive the sacraments. When God does not permit it, it is good too! Everything is grace!” (Connor quoting St. Therese, 25:50)

"In the caverns of a baptized soul, there is this love. You don't stop being a person, you don't stop being a person who wants all the things people want, but you’re able to freely give them up.” (Connor, 35:50)

"We also need to be open to receiving the good things that God wants to give us.” (Michael Metz, 37:10)

Media Mentions:

• The Odyssey (2026)
• The Rivals of Amziah King (2025)
• John Wick series
• The Beekeeper (2024)
• The Italian Job (2003)
• Snatch (2000)
• Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
• Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026)
• Toy Story 5 (2026)
• Wishbone (TV series- 1995)
• 1 Kings 18 (Elijah and the prophets of Baal)
• C.S. Lewis' A Grief Observed
• Sermon on the Mount

References: 

• Matt Damon
• Kurt Russell
• Jason Statham
• Charlize Theron
• Mark Wahlberg
• Guy Ritchie
• Netflix
• Anne Hathaway
• Christopher Nolan
• Troy
• Bishop Barron
• Mother Teresa
• St. Therese of Lisieux
• Dr. Scott Hahn
• Missionaries of Charity (in St. Louis)
• Hermeneutic circle: See- Judge- Act
• Pope Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger)
• Réginald Garrigou-Lagrange

Shout-Outs:

• Kevin

Follow us on instagram @threedogsnorth

Contact us at [email protected]

In this episode, the dogs center their conversation around a quote from Edith Stein (5:50) about hidden souls and their impact on salvation history. Connor shares his experience in Ireland so far (11:55), Rob reflects on the immense gift of the human soul (23:20), and Michael Metz ties it all back into Mary's fiat (26:10). 

Quotes:

"The greatest figures of prophecy and sanctity step forth out of the darkest night. . . . Certainly the decisive turning points in world history are substantially co-determined by souls whom no history book ever mentions. And we will only find out about those souls to whom we owe the decisive turning points in our personal lives on the day when all that is hidden is revealed." (Rob quoting Edith Stein, 5:50)

“The formative stream of salvation history actually comes from the little ones and the hidden souls.” (Rob, 7:20)

“My heart is open to receive what God wants to show me about my story.” (Connor, 14:20)

“None of us are actually isolated self-made beings.” (Connor, 15:00)

“The church really is my family.” (Connor, 20:20)

“Not only does God respect it (our hiddenness), that's how he moves through us.” (Michael Metz, 27:50)

“The fulfillment of revelation is that God desires to win us over; and he’s happy to do it.” (Connor, 29:00)

Media Mentions:

• Pope Francis' Rejoice and be Glad
• John 1:14
• Gospel of Luke
• Arthur Brooks' The Meaning of Your Life

References: 

• Ireland
• France
• Romania
• Hungary
• Bulgaria
• Brodozer
• Jacksonville
• Chicago
• John Paul II Healing Center
• Fort Bragg
• Edith Stein
• Feasts of Saints Peter and Paul
• Franciscan Friary in Killarney
• St. Patrick
• St. Joseph
• The Apparition at Knock
• Naperville, IL
• Bishop Robert Barron
• Mundelein Seminary
• Libertyville, IL
• Alaska
• The Annunciation
• The Babylonian Exile
• 2026 NBA Draft
• Keaton Wagler
• World Cup
• Boston
• Scotland

Shout-Outs:

• Sam
• Luke and Megan Sander

Follow us on instagram @threedogsnorth

Contact us at [email protected]

In this episode, the dogs discuss different experiences of time (8:15). Rob shares his recent trip to Nebraska for FOCUS training (3:18), Connor gives a brief lecture on metaphysics (14:50), and Michael Metz thinks the Sacred Heart of Jesus is "really cool" (35:10).

Quotes:
“There’s a particular grace of old friendships that’s deep magic of the human experience." (Rob, 12:45)

“Heaven is entering into eternity.” (Connor, 14:40)

“We are perfectly open vessels to God’s infinite love and being as he pours himself out into us.” (Connor, 18:50)

“God really is always working.” (Michael Metz, 27:16)

“We have access to eternity as the image of God, but we are also radically conditioned by our bodies, which change and grow and die.” (Connor, 33:00)

“Things pass away, but nothing is really lost.” (Connor, 33:20)

“The infinite love of God pours itself into a human heart and yet it contains the totality of God’s love.” (Michael Metz, 36:00)

“It gives me peace to live in the reality that things that are not fully reconcilced in my life are okay, because God is there.” (Michael Metz, 40:18)

Shout-Outs:

• Drew and Emily Hines
• Fr. Ben Holdren
• Mitch and Sarah Minarick
• Anne Marie Brummer
• Walter

Media Mentions:

• Ezekiel
• Paul J. Griffiths' Decreation: The Last Things of All Creatures
• Sheldon Vanauken's A Severe Mercy
• St. Augustine's Confessions
• C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity
• The Matrix (1999)
• Tig Notaro ("Can you believe it?")

References: 

• St. Cecilia of Rome
• Fr. Gus Belauskas
• Bishop Robert Barron
• Fr. Bob Schoenstene
• Lincoln, Nebraska
• FOCUS
• Southern Illinois University
• Fort Bragg
• Champaign, Illinois
• metronomic time vs. systolic time
• chronos vs. kairos
• St. Thomas Aquinas (God is pure act; ipsum esse subsistens)
• World War II
• Hans Urs von Balthasar
• John Mulaney
• The Sacred Heart of Jesus
• Serenity Prayer

Follow us on instagram @threedogsnorth

Contact us at [email protected]

In this episode, the dogs celebrate the Feast of Corpus Christi (2:20) by sharing their love for the Eucharist (11:50), the privilege of being a priest (12:55), and the joy of sharing the deposit of faith with God's people (20:35). 

Quotes:

“All I need to do is show up and Jesus is going to be there (about the Mass).” (Michael Metz, 3:30)

“When all else fails, the Eucharist is our home.” (Connor, 6:40)

"That’s the deposit of faith- all we have to do is not inhibit the flow of God’s grace. There’s an unbelievable richness to it and yet it’s so simple.” (Michael Metz, 20:30)

“Jesus gives people hope and life.” (Michael Metz, 21:00)

“Hold onto the Eucharist, hold onto Jesus.” (Michael Metz, 21:40)

“The paschal mystery will unfold in ways you could never expect.” (Rob quoting another priest, 32:47)

“Abiding conversion comes from being with Jesus (in Eucharistic adoration).” (Rob, 34:55)

"Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I love you!" (Connor quoting St. Augustine's Confessions, 35:55)

“Jesus truly is the axis around which all of reality spins.” (Michael Metz, 40:30)

“There is nothing in the human experience that is outside of the reality of God’s love for us.” (Michael Metz, 41:40)

Shout-outs:
Bobby and Katie Fredericksen (from The Catholic Couple)

Media Mentions:

• Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
• Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis' Fire of Mercy, Heart of the Word (Volume IV)
• John 10:10
• The Simpsons "The Father, the Son, and the Holy Guest Star" (season 16 episode 21)

References: 

• The Feast of Corpus Christi
• Archbishop J. Peter Sartain
• Cardinal Francis George
• Seattle, WA
• National Eucharistic Preachers
• National Eucharistic Revival
• Abner
• Boaz
• Missionaries of Charity
• Yemen
• Fr. Jim Rafferty
• Pope Leo XIII exorcism prayer
• Justin Martyr
• St. Boniface (English born "Apostle to the Germans")
• St. Charles Lwanga (Uganda)
• Apollo (Greek god)
• St. Katherine of Sienna
• Melchizedek
• Abraham
• Moses
• St. John Paul II Newman Center at UIC
• Blue Island, IL
• St. Jerome
• FOCUS
• LifeTeen
• Blessed Chiara Badano
• Rome
• Haiti

Glossary: 

• autobasileia: the kingdom in person

Fact check: 

• Did JPII proclaim more saints than all predecessors?

Follow us on instagram @threedogsnorth

Contact us at [email protected]

In this episode, the dogs talk about the importance of fruitful relationships in the context of space travel (8:55), post-apocalyptic horror movies (31:40), and everyday life (35:40). 

Quotes:

“My priesthood, to be meaningful, must have a horizon beyond my life.” (Connor, 28:25)

"We're supposed to exist for other people." (Michael Metz, 38:00)

“In our human existence, we will always be in that tension, to truly totally forget ourselves. And yet, that is God; he is perfect, he does not need anything, he enjoys himself, but he also utterly shares himself at no cost.” (Connor, 40:05)

"We are made for relationship." (Connor, 41:00)

“The drive for communion results in you needing to make a sacrifice.” (Connor, 41:20)

Media Mentions:

• Passengers (2016)
• Interstellar (2014)
• Megan Ulrich's Hell, Bring the Kids Too
• Megan Ulrich's Return Unto Me
• Thomas Jefferson's The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth
• A Quiet Place (2018)
• The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005, 2008, 2012)

References: 

• Eucharistic Preachers
• Kalamazoo, Michigan
• Michael Scott
• Men's Warehouse
• Chris Pratt
• Netflix
• Jennifer Lawrence
• META
• Adam and Eve
• Noah's Ark
• Emily Blunt
• FOCUS
• John Krasinski 
• Rome, GA
• Jordan B. Peterson (on self-consciousness and anxiety)  
• St. Joseph

Shout-Outs:

• Fr. Thomas Byrne

Follow us on instagram @threedogsnorth

Contact us at [email protected]

In this episode, the dogs talk about being attentive to the "right things" (9:10). Michael Metz offers a tutorial on the art of pranking (23:45), and Connor shares how naming what is true helps him find peace in frustrating circumstances (35:30).

Quotes:

"You gotta know when to win." (Rob quoting Doug Johnson, 3:55)

"I'm at that stage in my life where I keep myself out of unnecessary arguments, so, even if you tell me 1+1=5, you're absolutely correct, enjoy." (Connor quoting Keanu Reeves, 4:45)

"What do I attend to and why?" (Michael Metz, 11:00)

“His (Justin's) high philosophy was answered by the simplicity of the humanity of Christ.” (Michael Metz, 26:35)

“We need to live in the truth; our consciences demand it.” (Connor, 27:10)

“There’s something in us that wants to live the lie that we can be something else.” (Connor, 27:55)

“The will of God is the current circumstances you find yourself in; living holiness is accepting that.” (Connor summarizing Ciszeck, 28:05)

“It is good that I am here and God is here sustaining me and strengthening me to do his will, whatever it may be.” (Connor, 29:20)

"I really enjoy golf course confrontation." (Rob quoting Michael Metz, 37:30)

Media Mentions:

• Three Dogs North S11 E76- Soft boys
• Miguel de Cervantes' Don Quixote
• WarGames (1983)- "The only winning move is not to play."
• Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
• The Matrix (1999)
• Ignatius of Loyola's Spiritual Exercises
• Arthur C. Brooks' From Strength to Strength
• Fr. Walter Ciszek's He Leadeth Me

References: 

• META
• Facebook
• Akedo
• ChatGPT
• YouTube
• Matthew Broderick
• Neo
• The Institute for Priestly Formation (IPF)
• Trinity Sunday 2026
• Memphis
• Justin Martyr (Justin the Philosopher)
• Junius Rusticus
• The Battle of the Bulge
• Chicago
• Wordpress
• Jiu-Jitsu
• Bruce Lee

Shout-Outs:

• Walter
• Doug Johnson

Glossary:

• Murder- group of crows
• Aboriginal Vicar of Christ- voice of God speaking directly inside us
• Impassible- incapable of suffering pain
• Immutable- unchanging
• Pantsing- pull down someone's pants (prank)
• Tabletopping- when someone is tripped backward by a person crouching behind them (prank)

Follow us on instagram @threedogsnorth

Contact us at [email protected]

In this episode, the dogs discuss Pope Leo's encyclical (1:00) and the inherent sacredness of the human face and voice (7:05). Michael Metz recounts his ongoing battle with META (13:55), Connor reflects on how Jesus' humanity was formed through his relationship with his mother (19:28), and Rob gives a brief lesson on soteriology (30:00).

Quotes:

“It’s inherently relational (our face and voice), they express us most authentically but they are also invisible to us except in relationship to someone else looking at us and listening to us.” (Connor, 7:55)

"We are all born into the world looking for someone looking for us." (Connor quoting Curt Thompson, 18:15). 

“Jesus’ humanity was formed by Mary not just biologically but psychologically.” (Connor, 19:30)

"To be human is relational.” (Connor, 20:05)

Media Mentions:

• Ezekiel 36:26 "I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh"
• Pope Leo XIV's Magnifica Humanitas
• Pope Leo XIII's Rerum Novarum
• John Paul II Gift and Mystery
• C.S. Lewis' That Hideous Strength
• Mumford & Sons' The Cave
• Joseph Ratzinger's Jesus of Nazareth
• The Chosen
• Armageddon (1998)
• Men in Black (1997)
• C.S. Lewis' Till We Have Faces
• The Dark Knight (2008)
• J.R.R. Tolkien's The Fellowship of the Ring ("Not all who wander are lost.")

References: 

• The Postal Service
• Death Cab for Cutie
• Ben Gifford
• Jimmy Tamborello
• Netflix
• Facebook
• META
• Dante Alighieri
• Tronick's Still Face Experiment
• Mary
• St. Thérèse of Lisieux

Glossary:

• Soteriology: "What is not assumed cannot be saved"
• Palagianism

Follow us on instagram @threedogsnorth

Contact us at [email protected]

In this episode, the dogs discuss the power of good stories (15:40) and how they can help us make sense of our own lives (36:00). Mike reflects on what can be both consoling and frustrating about belonging to large institutions (18:30).

Quotes:
"Culture is what is celebrated, tolerated, and presumed." (Connor quoting Dr. Henry Cloud, 28:00)

"It's way easier to destroy things than build them." (Connor, 32:30)

"The power of narrative helps me see how deeply meaningful this life is." (Rob, 36:10)

Media Mentions:

• Shadow Force (2025)
• Avengers
• Willa Cather's Death Comes for the Archbishop
• J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
• Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)

References: 

• Toulouse, France
• Chicago, IL
• 2012 SEC Championship Game
• T.J. Yeldon
• Trent Richardson
• Derrick Henry
• Alec Ogletree
• Georgia Bulldogs
• Alabama Crimson Tide
• The Big Ten
• White Claw
• Bishop Robert Barron
• Bishop Louis William Valnetine DuBourg (1766- 1833)
• Louisiana Purchase
• Bishop John Carroll (1735- 1815)
• Boston, MA
• Philadelphia, PA
• New York, NY
• Bardstown, Kentucky
• Napoleon
• St. Louis, MO
• Sir Ernest Shackleton
• St. John Neumann (1811- 1860)
• St. Dominic
• St. Francis
• Tom Cruise
• The Dominican Order
• Society of Jesus (Jesuits)
• St. John Paul II Newman Center
• Michelle Duppong
• FOCUS
• Blessed Chiara Badano
• NASA
• The Apollo Program

Shout-Outs:

• Pat Metz
• Rebecca Berry
• Ben
• Brother Francisco
• Emilie Ann Poletti 
• Kevin Metz

Follow us on instagram @threedogsnorth

Contact us at [email protected]