Wadi Cherith

Send us a textOn March 13, 2013, the world watched as Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio stepped onto the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, clothed simply in a white cassock and stole, setting aside much of the traditional papal regalia. In that moment, he was introduced to the world as Pope Francis. Over the past twelve years, our Bishop of Rome has guided us with a message rooted in joy, humility, and discipleship, teaching us what it means to live as the People of God.Join us as we reflect on our memories of Pope Francis—his preaching, writing, and ministry to the world. Together, we will explore how he has invited us to encounter Christ's call—as individuals, as a Church, and as a society—drawing us ever deeper into the path of holiness.Intro music provided by Holly Serio

Send us a text2025 is a Jubilee Year in the Catholic Church with the theme "Pilgrims of Hope". The concept of a Jubilee Year comes from the very beginning of Sacred Scripture in the Book of Leviticus. In our examination of this ancient and new idea in our faith we will look at ideas like redemption, reconciliation, and how this revolutionary concept of a year of Sabbath rest, restoration of property, and liberation for those bound by slavery or poverty played out in the history of Israel and the Church.Intro music provided by Holly Serio

Send us a textToday we discuss our thoughts on the 1946 Christmas classic, It's a Wonderful Life. You've known George Bailey your entire life, but what can he teach you about responding to the movement of the Holy Spirit within you, duty, family, and angels that appear as talking galaxies?Join us as we once again try to force theology into a movie everyone was just trying to enjoy.Be sure to follow and review! Merry Christmas!Intro music provided by Holly Serio

Send us a text"St. Paul preached and people rioted. I preach and they give me tea."-N.T. WrightWe've all heard good homilies and we've heard bad homilies. Have you ever wondered what a priest is thinking while he's preaching? This week's episode of Wadi Cherith is a little different in tone. Instead of diving into a theological or cultural topic, we will be discussing our experience of preaching the Word of God. Join us as we use Aristotle's classic modes of persuasion (Ethos, Pathos, Logos) to discuss this integral part of our worship.Intro music provided by Holly Serio

Send us a textThe Psalms are more than mere words; they are a transformative force in our lives. From personal anguish to shared hope, these texts channel our raw emotions into prayer, offering a space for reflection and empathy. Enrich your understanding of how the Psalms, memorized and recited by Jesus, provide a bridge to a wider human experience and connect us to a rich spiritual tradition. We invite you to explore their poetic power and find comfort, unity, and a profound way to communicate with God, anchoring your faith in both chaos and peace.Intro music provided by Holly Serio

Send us a Text Message."Why did it have to be snakes?!"-Indiana Jones, Ph.D.From the Garden of Eden, to the desert, to first-century Jerusalem, serpents appear over and over again in scripture. While snakes are often considered a universally evil symbol, the reality is more ambiguous and complex. Join us as we discuss the use of symbolism in understanding the intricacies of our Faith.

Learning a new language is one of the most challenging and rewarding endeavors a person can undertake. Join us as we discuss what the Bible says about language, what we can learn by studying a new language, and how ancient language plays a role in the way we understand our Faith.

This is not a podcast for the faint of heart. Song of Songs is a controversial, passionate, and "earthy" book of the Bible which explores both human and divine love. Join us as we walk with King Solomon, St. Bernard of Clairvaux, St. Teresa of Avila, and some of your favorite popes in exploring romantic love in this beautiful corner of sacred scripture. 

The cultural phenomenon Barbenheimer took the movie world by storm during the summer of 2023. As both films gear up for the Oscars,  we discuss surprisingly convergent theological themes like faith's intersection with physics, the reality of death, and the search for meaning and identity in these two hit movies. Warning-spoilers.This episode was recorded live for Theology on Tap in the Diocese of Scranton at Sabbatini's Bottle Shop in Exeter, PA on January 25, 2024.

Two thousand years ago something happened in the night sky that inspired stargazers from the east to find a mighty king who had been born in Israel.  For centuries astronomers and theologians alike have attempted to discover just what those wise men saw. Join us as we explore the meaning behind the Star of Bethlehem that led the Magi to the newborn Christ in Matthew's Gospel. For more information look up The Star of Bethlehem by Michael R. MolnarHave a Merry Christmas from your friends at Wadi Cherith!

"Let nothing disturb you"-- That is St. Teresa of Avila's advice to anyone who desires to grow in their relationship with God. Join us today as we discuss this holy woman and doctor of the Church who pushed the boundaries of theology and spirituality during the height of the Spanish Inquisition.In this episode, we discuss some misconceptions about the Spanish Inquisition (it was still bad, but not for the reasons you think it was!), the great insights we can receive from St. Teresa, and how it all applies to us today.

For this year's Halloween episode we are joined by guest host Fr. Pat Arensberg as we discuss the popular book and movie series, Harry Potter. Join us as we discuss the use of magic in literature, our sense of uniqueness in the spiritual life, sacrifice, and complex moral characters.

Fr. Alex Roche and Fr. Anthony Dill discuss and debate the creation stories in Genesis. Evolution, Creationism, God's Providence, Enlightenment Deism, human agency, work, loneliness, selfishness, boundaries, and love will all be mentioned in this conversation. This episode is part of an 8-part series of educational and theological talks on our role as stewards of God's Creation, provided by the Diocese of Harrisburg. It was recorded in front of a live audience at Holy Spirit Parish in Palmyra, PA on September 11,  2023.

This podcast focuses on seeing God in unexpected places, but today we discuss an essential theological concept- "apophatic" or "negative theology". Following the thought of great theologians like St. Gregory of Nyssa, Pseudo-Dionysius, and St. Maximus the Confessor, we discuss God's transcendence and unknowability. Join us to discover what this ancient theology can teach us about prayer, discernment, and humility.

Wadi Cherith is back, and we're here to discuss the Book of the Prophet Jonah. Join us as we discuss mercy and hypocrisy, death and resurrection, fish and mammals, all in this short but powerful book.

Join us to discuss our favorite decade. Stone Temple Pilots, girl altar servers, OJ Simpson, and more."Don't have a cow, man"

Scrooge, Marley, Tiny Tim, Fozzy the Bear, and Billy Murray!If you love Christmas, you'll join us for this special holiday episode as we discuss the theology of Charles Dickens' beloved story, A Christmas Carol."Merry Christmas to us all; God bless us, every one!"

Join us as we try a new Halloween tradition, trying to take turns creating and narrating a scary short story.

Join us as we discuss the ins and outs of the very first book written in the New Testament, St. Paul's First Letter to the Thessalonians.

Join us for another trip to the 19th century to look at the vocation and work of the Father of Genetics, Gregor Mendel. 

We live in a work-obsessed culture where time is only well-spent if it's spent getting something. Join us to discover why our down-time is much more closely related to our relationship with God than our work time. In particular we will discuss our own favorite hobby--motorcycles!

As David's reign comes to an end his many sons begin to take center stage. What do the sins and successes of David's sons tell us?

David takes the throne, conquers the city of Jerusalem, and demonstrates that even Israel's greatest king is deeply flawed.

From throwing rocks at a giant to the craziest wedding dowry of all time, the Biblical story of King David has something for everyone. Join us as we discuss the origin story of one of the most important figures in the Bible in the first part of a three-part series. 

Martin Luther King, Jr. is the most influential American religious figure of all time. His speeches, most of which are sermons at the core, proclaim the Gospel message of Jesus Christ. Join us as we discuss the theological contributions and insights of this American prophet.Theme song by Holly Serio Musicwww.wadicherith.com

Today we discuss our thoughts on 1990s Christmas classic, Home Alone. You'll hear about, in descending order of importance:The IncarnationOur Lady of GuadalupeJohn CandyMicro MachinesJoin us as we try to force theology into a movie everyone was just trying to enjoy.Be sure to follow and review!

You don't have to watch HBO to see top-notch political maneuvering, just break open the Book of Esther! Esther explores some fascinating ideas, including Exile, feminism, and revenge, all while never explicitly mentioning God (well, kind of). Join us as we discuss this underrated part of the Old Testament.Happy Purim (in March)!www.wadicherith.comhttps://www.facebook.com/HollySerioMusic/

Spooky.Join us for our Halloween special episode where we discuss werewolves, draculas, frankensteins, and the theological value of horror. 

In 1876 Milton Hershey had a dream to make a chocolate bar that every American could afford.He succeeded.The story of Milton Hershey includes terrible injustices, inspiring altruistic endeavors, and perhaps the most iconic American brand of them all.  Join us as we discuss the story of one man's pursuit of his dream and what it tells us about the intersection of morality, industry, and the need for leisure. 

Rapidly changing times.Outsiders taking the lead.The voice of God in unexpected places.Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost ArkAll of our favorite themes connect in the story of the prophet Samuel. Join us this week as we talk about one of the Old Testament's most important figures...and Ewoks...

What do antibiotics, free will, and Galapagos finches have in common?  Yup, we're talking about evolution again.If you'd like to hear more listen to our four part review of Kenneth R. Miller's book Finding Darwin's God entitled, predictably, "Finding Darwin's God"- Parts 1-4.

Check out some of these pictures (https://hubblesite.org/resource-gallery/images) and tell me the Hubble Space Telescope doesn't lead you into deep contemplation about the wonders of our God.  

It might be the first Bible story you ever learned, but how much time can you honestly say you've spent reflecting on the story of the great flood from the book of Genesis?  Join us as we explore themes of chaos, environmental catastrophe, and God's desire to remember and preserve us.

Why does our podcast have such a weird name?  In this episode we discuss the Prophet Elijah, including what happened at the Wadi Cherith.  Listen as we examine what Elijah can teach us about finding wisdom from unexpected sources, the dangers of creating idols for ourselves, and why it's important to sometimes journey outside of Israel to hear God's voice.

It's a name we all know, but might not know much about. In this episode we discuss the Scourge of God, Attila the Hun, and his role in the Fall of the Roman Empire.  What can this episode in history teach us about how Christians think about the end of the world, politics, and the role of the Church in history?  Join us to find out.

As proud sons of Pennsylvania, Groundhog Day (the movie and the holiday) has a special place in our hearts.  From the importance of Groundhog Day as a celebration of the Presentation of the Lord to Bill Murray's hilarious depiction of one man's struggle to overcome the monotony of life and find fulfillment, there is plenty to discuss this week. "That's right woodchuck chuckers, it's GROUNDHOG DAY!"

The Bible describes salvation as the glorification of God's creation.  What does this mean for our friends that crawl, swim, and fly?  What will be the role of animals in the New Heaven and New Earth?  Fr. Anthony and Fr. Alex discuss.

Do aliens exist?We don't know.How would the discovery of life on other planets influence Catholic theology?We're not sure.Do you want to tangle with the Space Cops?Absolutely not.Join us to discuss all the reasons that Catholics should not feel threatened by wondering whether or not we are alone in the universe...

Listen to this if you have emotions. Fr. Anthony Dill and Fr. Alex Roche debate the importance of letting passions or emotions into one's spirituality. We are all affected by passions as humans. Should we incite them or should we try to keep them muted? This may be our biggest disagreement yet!

Time to gather the wolfpack, the 5 families, the flock, the gaggle, the herd, the [insert collective noun here], because today we talk about what happens when the Church from around the world gathers to speak with one voice.  Join Fr. Anthony Dill and Fr. Alex Roche to discuss Ecumenical Councils throughout history and why we should be paying attention to our most recent council, Vatican II.

Join Fr. Anthony Dill and I for perhaps our nerdiest podcast yet. After reading David Kertzer's The Pope Who Would be King: The Exile of Pius IX and the Emergence of Modern Europe we discuss the ending of the 1100 year-old Papal States, Blessed Pius IX, and the beginning of the new nation called Italy. Sound esoteric and unrelatable? Well, maybe you're kind of right, but we'll see if we can find a few ways to learn from this crazy period of Church and world history...

Fr. Pat Arensberg and I talk about our plans to genetically engineer dinosaurs. Of course the movie teaches us to never believe the illusion that we have complete control, but this time...Special thanks to Holly Serio Music for our theme song.www.wadicherith.com

Part four of our first book discussion. This week we discuss chapters 8-9 of "Finding Darwin's God: A Scientist's Search for Common Ground between God and Evolution" by Kenneth R. Miller from Brown University. This concludes our book review.www.wadicherith.com

Part three of our first book discussion. This week we discuss chapters 6-7 of "Finding Darwin's God: A Scientist's Search for Common Ground between God and Evolution" by Kenneth R. Miller from Brown University. If you would like to read along you can pick up the book and join us next week (June 18) to discuss chapters 8-9.

This week is the long-awaited part two of our first book discussion. This week we discuss chapters 3-5 of "Finding Darwin's God: A Scientist's Search for Common Ground between God and Evolution" by Kenneth R. Miller from Brown University. If you would like to read along you can pick up the book and join us next weeks(June 11) to discuss chapters 6-7.

Trying something different this week by doing part one of our first book discussion. This week we discuss the first two chapters of "Finding Darwin's God: A Scientist's Search for Common Ground between God and Evolution" by Kenneth R. Miller from Brown University.

Join Dr. Glenn Willis, a student-favorite professor at Misericordia and master conversationalist as the two of us discuss the relationship history has on our study of theology, our response to the pandemic, and our daily lives. Be warned, we get pretty dense!

Today we visit with Dr Larry Chapp and Dr. Carmina Chapp, both theology professors who run the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker Farm in Harvey's Lake. We talk about what a Catholic Worker Farm is, what role it can play in our rapidly changing world, how the theology of the Paschal Triduum speaks to us now more than ever, and ways we can more fully enter into the Mass while watching from home.