Three Dogs North

In this episode, the dogs talk about Connor’s new “dumb” phone (0:55) and his experience living without an iPhone for the past ten days (4:30). Rob poses the question: “How many good friends are you capable of having?” (24:30) and the dogs give their own definition of true friendship (29:00).

Quotes:

Media Mentions:

Shout- Outs:

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In this episode, the dogs talk about a new book Mike is reading and its similarities to The Lord of the Rings (2:44). They all discuss various branches of the United States Armed Forces (6:53) and Connor suggests renaming the U.S. Army to “host” (9:20). The conversation turns to The Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius (10:25) and examples of people who embraced their own littleness (18:45). They finish the episode by imagining what it’s like to live in the Heavenly Jerusalem (37:40).

Quotes:

“There’s a lot of fear involved with the standard of the enemy.” (Rob, 16:03)

“Individual friendships are what move people into the light.” (Mike, 18:19) 

“Sam the great. Sam the wise. If you put on the ring he’d be this amazing guy.” (Mike’s rap, 19:33)

“We all know deep down that the world is not as it should be… so we experience conforming ourselves to God’s will as suffering.” (Connor, 21:40)

“God gives us a very small patch of land to till.” (Rob quoting St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, 24:28)

“Shower upon him every earthly blessing, drown him in bliss so that nothing but bubbles would dance on the surface of his bliss, as on a sea…and even then every man, out of sheer ingratitude, sheer libel, would play you some loathsome trick. He would even risk his cakes and would deliberately desire the most fatal rubbish, the most uneconomical absurdity, simply to introduce into all this positive rationality his fatal fantastic element…simply in order to prove to himself that men still are men and not piano keys.” (Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Notes from Underground & The Grand Inquisitor, 36:30)

“I think we are made for something more than just getting everything that we need.” (Mike, 36:50)

“To imagine being bored in Heaven is such an insult to God. It’s narcissism to think that God could bore me.” (Connor, 38:50)

Media Mentions:

Shout- Outs:

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In this episode, the dogs talk about Mike’s mustache (1:13), Tiny Desk concerts (1:40), and Coyote Peterson (3:00). Rob revisits the monotasking discussion from “Altar of snackrifice” and asks Connor to summarize the Art of Manliness Podcast on monotasking (7:30). They broadly depict the difference between an office and a study (13:40) and give their own personal examples of activities that properly demand their complete attention (15:37).

Quotes:

“I like the part at the end where his mustache turned into a butterfly and flew away.” (Connor, 2:39)

“Monotasking is not a hack; in fact it’s the opposite of a hack.” (Connor 16:52)

“The disorder of multitasking is that we bring things together that don’t actually go together.” (Connor, 20:20)

“The greatest sin in today’s world is not taking a sabbath.” (Rob summarizing Fr. Bob Schoenstene, 24:51)

“The Mass is the example of how we take all of these individual particular lower level elements, but then they’re all integrated by Jesus and they actually enter into the Divine. If you properly order all those things together, then it’s one thing. We’re praying the Mass, even if we’re doing a bunch of different activities.” (Mike, 26:37)

“I need an ultimate purpose of why I’m getting out of the bed in the morning and to me the only thing that makes any sense finally is the Mass.” (Connor, 27:58)

Media Mentions:

Shout-Outs:

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In this episode, the dogs talk about what it means to savor (7:00). Connor and Mike admit to guzzling large amounts of sweets (2:10, 4:00) and Rob eventually discloses his own proclivity to inhale ice cream (6:00). Connor brings up Josef Pieper’s work as a framework for understanding savoring (10:00) and the dogs recount fond memories from Mundelein (12:20) that were properly ordered toward fraternity (17:40). Connor brings the conversation back to Ratzinger’s Eschatology (S11 E21, S11 E22) and the places of addiction and attachments where we refuse to die with Christ and instead grasp to our own life (25:13). 

Quotes:

“There is a definite art to savoring.” (Rob, 7:40)

“Savoring has a quality of timelessness because you’re so indulged in the present.” (Mike, 7:48)

“What makes leisure leisure is that it is worship. It is open to God. It’s an affirmation of the good of creation for the sake of the Creator.” (Connor, 10:15)

“Gummy bears are not bad. God wants me to have gummy bears.” (Connor, 11:42)

“In order to be open to the Divine Will, God mediates His love through creation, which means that the creation has to be properly ordered upwards toward God.” (Mike, 15:45)

“The way death is conquered, is that it becomes the place where love (communion with the Father) is most intimate… Now, post resurrection, death becomes a place where we draw life from.” (Connor, 24:35)

“Destiny is communion with God in Heaven.” (Connor, 26:30)

“It’s not like every death is suffering, but you do die into something larger than you. “ (Connor, 28:37)

“The good time and the good food became an occasion to give of myself to the other.” (Connor, 31:58)

Media Mentions:

Shout-Outs:

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In this episode, the dogs talk about the newly renovated chapel at UIC (00:50). Connor shares some feedback he’s received from students (04:10). Mike brings up the similarities between a church dedication and the sacraments of initiation (13:28). The dogs conclude with a discussion on living stones (21:20), the immortality of the soul (21:39), and Connor’s desires for the students at UIC (24:38). 

Quotes:

“We treat our Churches like people.” (Mike, 18:26)

“Actually the thing that’s important is the obedience of your heart to the Father’s will.” (Connor, 24:20)

“I truly do value more… that kids would pray in there, discern their vocations, encounter the Lord, and become fully alive in Him. That’s much more important.” (Connor speaking about the new chapel, 24:38)

“To say with conviction: ‘I think God wanted me to do this.’ Then it’s the most important thing in the world, even if it’s not here a year from now.” (Rob speaking about Connor’s conviction to renovate the chapel, 29:30)

Media Mentions:

Shout-Outs:

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In this episode, the dogs talk about Mike’s thesis (01:25), distributism (05:30), and the extent to which earthly resources can solve the world’s problems. Connor gives a summary of Ratzinger’s Eschatology (09:08, check out the glossary below). Rob shares a recent reflection about stewardship (20:55) and then they all discuss the hardships and grace of living within natural limits (26:55).

Quotes:

“Whenever someone wants to solve a problem by just spending more money, very rarely is that getting to the root of the thing.” (Rob, 03:35)

“The point of sacraments (God’s grace) is to bring about an earthly justice.” (Connor, 12:04)

“I want the Mass to be a vision of Heaven, of the deepest longings of my heart that have nothing to do with simple morals. I’m moral because I want to stay in communion with this beauty, goodness, truth that is the answer to every question of being human.” (Connor, 12:40)

“We cannot build the Kingdom of God through electing the right people or passing the right laws; it’s just simply not a thing that’s for that. Politics is the necessary evil of living in a world of sin.” (Connor, 13:18)

“Any time we try to make Heaven on Earth it turns into a dystopia.” (Mike, 16:00)

“The kingdom of God is coming. You can choose to tend it, or not.” (Rob quoting Connor,19:57)

“Do you see yourself as a King or a steward?” (Rob, 21:19)

“Addiction is the infinite desire for God that I’ve just pegged on a material thing.” (Connor, 29:55 )

“Nothing is uglier than a steward who thinks he is a King.” (Rob, 37:08)

Media Mentions:

Shout-Outs:

Glossary:

Bromides:

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In this episode, the dogs talk about their favorite moments from recent and past podcast episodes (06:50). Connor’s most memorable moments come from books and movies they have discussed (09:00); Rob and Mike admit to a more immediate memory (13:10). The dogs all recount stories from their time at Mundelein (18:00), the virtues of dogness (38:30), and the ethos of the “best damn cam on campus” (27:55).

Quotes:

“I’m too poor to buy cheap.” (Anonymous, 06:24)

“The church suffering on earth is an extension of the incarnation of Christ’s body.” (Connor. 11:25)

“A gust of beauty.” (Mike, 14:50)

“If you read the Bible every day you will be a friend of the Lord.” (Fr. Bob Schoenstene, 31:30)

“You’re an average of the five people you spend the most time with.” (Connor’s mom, 32:10)

“Dog is man’s best friend.” (possibly Mike, 39:05)

Media Mentions:

Shout-Outs:

Miscellany:

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In this episode, the dogs celebrate Mike’s braceless teeth (01:00) and he shares an epic stair jumping saga from a recent Metz family gathering (08:10). Rob brings up the importance of confronting fear after a close call (15:00) and asks Mike and Connor how they “convey the strength of God as a baby?” (28:05) They all discuss their desire for such a personal God (30:00). Connor shares his recent experience Christmas caroling (32:48) and Rob puts words to the disruptive power of the Incarnation (41:10).

Quotes:

“The art of getting better is having someone coach you to get out of your comfort zone.” (Connor, 11:40)

“Fear isn’t irrational, it’s almost too rational.” (Connor, 17:40)

“It’s always personal, the father has to know his son in order to know what they are capable of and what they need. You can’t fake that.” (Mike, 25:35)

“There is a wildness to God.” (Rob, 30:25)

“This (The Nativity) is the most powerful moment in all of human history and it is in a cave with a child.” (Mike, 35:20)

“Christ breaks language.” (Mike quoting Bishop Robert Barron, 37:27)

“I cannot stay content; I have to be broken open. This world, it needs light. It needs this baby so bad.” (Connor, 39:00)

“Why would a 17-year-old illiterate peasant girl be in charge of the armies of France and win, unless St. Michael is actually talking to her?” (Connor 43:36)

“The only reason John the Baptist is the greatest of the prophets is because of his proximity to Jesus. He’s also the one who says the least. All he does is call to repentance, a turning to God who has a face.” (Rob, 44:25)

Media Mentions:

Shout-Outs:

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In this episode, the dogs talk about football clock management (03:38), European soccer (05:44), steroids in baseball (08:00), and Deflategate (09:20). They reach resounding consensus over whether baseball should get rid of the home plate umpire (12:38) and their conversation about the use of technology moves from sports to the liturgy (27:06). Mike brings up the use of projectors in Mass (26:49) and Connor apples the hierarchy of values as a way to respect Ekklesia in the modern world (31:17).

Quotes:

“Reality is complicated.” (Connor, 22:45)

“A thing is beautiful if it’s revealing what it is.” (Mike, 34:40)

“There’s a big component to the liturgy on this side of death when we behold the face of God that is massively mysterious.” (Mike, 36:26)

“Liturgy is getting caught up into the other with others.” (Mike, 37:00)

“In another few years everybody around will have grown up in a world that is haunted and infected with too many screens; it’s a disembodied world.” (Connor, 37:25)

Media Mentions:

Shout-Outs:

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