Bishop Robert BarronFriends, on this feast day of St. Augustine—one of the most influential figures in Church history—I invite you to watch the “Pivotal Players” episode on his life and work. As a theologian and philosopher, he has almost no rivals, and the story of his conversion is a vivid reminder that our hearts are restless till they rest in God.
Word on Fire: wordonfire.org Word on Fire Institute: https://wordonfire.institute/ FREE Daily Gospel Reflections (English or Español): dailycatholicgospel.com
A Life of Heroic Sanctity: Augustine of HippoBishop Robert Barron2024-08-28 | Friends, on this feast day of St. Augustine—one of the most influential figures in Church history—I invite you to watch the “Pivotal Players” episode on his life and work. As a theologian and philosopher, he has almost no rivals, and the story of his conversion is a vivid reminder that our hearts are restless till they rest in God.
Word on Fire: wordonfire.org Word on Fire Institute: https://wordonfire.institute/ FREE Daily Gospel Reflections (English or Español): dailycatholicgospel.com
Donate: wordonfire.org/donate Word on Fire Store: store.wordonfire.orgPreparing His PeopleBishop Robert Barron2024-10-19 | ...What Real Power Looks Like - Bishop Barrons Sunday SermonBishop Robert Barron2024-10-19 | Friends, our Gospel this Sunday is taken from the tenth chapter of Mark, and it is high-octane spiritual business. Something pivotal is being laid out for us in this passage, and it has to do with power, suffering, and a willingness to go where Jesus goes.
Mass Readings Reading 1 — Is 53:10-11 Psalm — Ps 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22 Reading 2 — Heb 4:14-16 Gospel — Mk 10:35-45 or 10:42-45
Help Bishop Barron continue to produce videos like this: bit.ly/3QSvGpo Word on Fire Store: bookstore.wordonfire.orgThere Are No CoincidencesBishop Robert Barron2024-10-16 | ...Flip in PartiesBishop Robert Barron2024-10-14 | ...Five Lessons to Learn from the African ChurchBishop Robert Barron2024-10-14 | Friends, the Church in Africa is on fire for the faith. The number of laity attending weekly Mass in Nigeria, for example, is upwards of 94 percent. This week on the Word on Fire Show, we discuss five things Catholics in the West can learn from the African Church.
A listener asks how best to observe the Sabbath as a whole family.
00:00 | Intro 01:50 | DOWR Chancery dedication 03:00 | The African church as a robust exemplar 05:35 | Does Africa’s numerical strength translate to ecclesial strength? 07:12 | Lesson 1: Primacy of the supernatural 10:56 | Lesson 2: Hold fast to theological orthodoxy 12:08 | How the Church engages cultures 16:13 | Lesson 3: Commitment to evangelize the culture 17:49 | The rhythm between “hunkering down” and “diving in” 19:50 | Lesson 4: Praise in public, criticize in private 23:13 | Lesson 5: Courage in the face of opposition 25:19 | Counter-claims for Africa’s religious success 28:49 | Listener question 31:28 | Join the Word on Fire Institute
Donate: wordonfire.org/donate Word on Fire Store: store.wordonfire.org Pray: bit.ly/2vqU7FtWhat Do You Ask God For? - Bishop Barrons Sunday SermonBishop Robert Barron2024-10-12 | Friends, for this Twenty-eighth Sunday of Ordinary Time, our first reading from the marvelous book of Wisdom presents an old biblical trope: If you were to ask God for something, or if God were to come to you and say he will give you whatever you want—what would you ask for? This is a really clarifying question. And while many things might come to mind, the answer of the paradigmatic wisdom figure is instructive.
Mass Readings Reading 1 — Wis 7:7-11 Psalm — Ps 90:12-13, 14-15, 16-17 Reading 2 — Heb 4:12-13 Gospel — Mk 10:17-30 or 10:17-27
Help Bishop Barron continue to produce videos like this: bit.ly/3QSvGpo Word on Fire Store: bookstore.wordonfire.orgDistribution of Wealth and PowerBishop Robert Barron2024-10-11 | ...A Catholic Approach to ImmigrationBishop Robert Barron2024-10-09 | ...Individual TalentsBishop Robert Barron2024-10-07 | ...The Biblical Vision of the Family - Bishop Barrons Sunday SermonBishop Robert Barron2024-10-05 | Friends, the first reading from Genesis and the Gospel from Mark this week are of great importance. They have to do with what we call Christian anthropology—the biblical understanding of who we are—and most specifically, in relation to marriage and family. This question of how we define ourselves is of course on the minds of many people today, and the readings, in a beautifully compact way, bring out the Christian answer.
Mass Readings Reading 1 — Gn 2:18-24 Psalm — Ps 128:1-2, 3, 4-5, 6 Reading 2 — Heb 2:9-11 Gospel — Mk 10:2-16 or 10:2-12
Help Bishop Barron continue to produce videos like this: bit.ly/3QSvGpo Word on Fire Store: bookstore.wordonfire.orgCome Back to Mass!Bishop Robert Barron2024-10-02 | ...Bear Patiently the TroublesomeBishop Robert Barron2024-09-30 | ...How to Resist Anti-Christian BigotryBishop Robert Barron2024-09-30 | Friends, how should we respond when the culture becomes inhospitable if not actively hostile to Christian values? Sadly, biblical and natural law points of view are unwelcome now in many of the institutions that constitute the core of our society, including corporations, public schools, higher education, Silicon Valley, Hollywood, the legacy media, and even government entities themselves. What can Christians do to resist persecution by these secular powerhouses? How can we understand what it means to resist those who undermine Christians in light of Christ’s command to love our enemies?
A listener asks how she can share the faith with her non-religious family members.
00:00 | Intro 01:48 | Matt Walsh’s recent “Am I Racist?” film 02:50 | Distinguishing bigotry from disagreement 03:56 | Distinguishing inhospitality from hostility 06:12 | Anti-Christian sentiment in history 08:43 | Taking opposition at its word 12:47 | How the Olympics opening ceremony provoked response 14:58 | Provocative acts of nonviolence 18:08 | Unpacking “turn the other cheek” 22:24 | Recent revival of religious interest 23:38 | Resistance as an act of love 25:07 | What’s to be done with anger? 26:22 | Pacifism and forceful resistance 28:51 | How the martyrs inform the Church 30:09 | Resistance to culture as a form of evangelization 31:11 | Listener question 32:49 | Join the Word on Fire Institute
Donate: wordonfire.org/donate Word on Fire Store: store.wordonfire.org Pray: bit.ly/2vqU7FtWhoever Is Not Against Us Is For Us - Bishop Barrons Sunday SermonBishop Robert Barron2024-09-28 | Friends, the first reading and Gospel this Sunday have to do with the Church at war with itself. The devil is the scatterer, the divider, and one of his favorite tricks is to take the Church—which is meant to be an instrument of the Gospel in the world—and to turn us against one another.
Help Bishop Barron continue to produce videos like this: bit.ly/3QSvGpo Word on Fire Store: bookstore.wordonfire.orgThe Ladder Doesn’t Matter - Bishop Barrons Sunday SermonBishop Robert Barron2024-09-21 | Friends, why was the story of Jesus with the little children, versions of which appear in the three synoptic Gospels, so vividly remembered by the first Christians? I think they intuited that it got very close to the heart of Jesus’ teaching. The way Mark sets up his account of this story in our Gospel for this weekend is frankly funny, and it’s an example of the disciples completely missing the point of everything.
Mass Readings Reading 1 — Wis 2:12, 17-20 Psalm — Ps 54:3-4, 5, 6 and 8 Reading 2 — Jas 3:16—4:3 Gospel — Mk 9:30-37
Help Bishop Barron continue to produce videos like this: bit.ly/3QSvGpo Word on Fire Store: bookstore.wordonfire.orgMore Than a MythBishop Robert Barron2024-09-18 | ...Jonathan Pageau: The Christian Vision of HierarchyBishop Robert Barron2024-09-17 | Friends, one of Jonathan Pageau’s favorite scenes from Scripture is that of Christ washing the feet of his disciples. Jonathan shared with me why this scene is a paradoxical but beautiful image of hierarchy.
Word on Fire: wordonfire.org Word on Fire Institute: https://wordonfire.institute/ FREE Daily Gospel Reflections (English or Español): dailycatholicgospel.com
Donate: wordonfire.org/donate Word on Fire Store: store.wordonfire.org Pray: bit.ly/2vqU7FtDo You Love God?Bishop Robert Barron2024-09-16 | ...Should We Worry About Declining Birth Rates?Bishop Robert Barron2024-09-16 | Friends, in 1968, a book called The Population Bomb written by entomologist Paul Ehrlich helped spark panic in the West that the global population was reaching a breaking point, saying too many human beings would soon cause widespread famine and social chaos.
This view that a growing human population is an existential threat to humanity remains widespread to this day. For example, University of Chicago political philosopher Martha Nussbaum recently stated that given the world’s current population, “no one should be having any children.” Contemporary empirical evidence, however, points in exactly the opposite direction. Deaths are already outpacing births in many regions of the world, resulting in precipitous declines in national populations. Is this good news for humanity? Are public policies aimed at population control justified? Is there such a thing as an ideal population size? Should anyone care about whether others choose to have children or not?
A listener asks whether we should continue going to confession if we keep committing the same sin over and over again.
00:00 | Intro 01:49 | Seminarians kick off school year 03:00 | Assessing population decreases across the globe 05:36 | Increased attitudes against having children 08:24 | Unpacking “culture of death,” ego-drama, and theo-drama 11:33 | Childbearing as a societal good 12:35 | Population capping through public policy 14:07 | Human population and the environment 17:03 | Utilitarianism as a faulty moral theory for addressing population concerns 18:51 | Foregoing childbirth to spare potential children pain 21:20 | Foregoing childbirth to favor economic security 22:33 | Foregoing childbirth for lack of desire 24:55 | Old age without children 28:00 | The centrality of fruitfulness 29:14 | Pope St. Paul VI’s prophetic ban on artificial contraception 30:57 | How does the Church look forward? 34:05 | Listener question: Does repeating sins disqualify me from Confession? 36:35 | Join the Word on Fire Institute
Donate: wordonfire.org/donate Word on Fire Store: store.wordonfire.org Pray: bit.ly/2vqU7FtFaith Without Works Is Dead - Bishop Barrons Sunday SermonBishop Robert Barron2024-09-14 | Friends, “fools rush in where angels fear to tread”—and this week, I am going to go once more into the issue of faith and works, which has been dividing Western Christianity since the Reformation. Our second reading from the Letter of James is a key text on this issue, and its metaphor of healing—together with Paul’s forensic metaphor—orient us to the Catholic view of justification.
Mass Readings Reading 1 — Is 50:5-9a Psalm — Ps 116:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9 Reading 2 — Jas 2:14-18 Gospel — Mk 8:27-35
Help Bishop Barron continue to produce videos like this: bit.ly/3QSvGpo Word on Fire Store: bookstore.wordonfire.orgThe Discipline of LentBishop Robert Barron2024-09-12 | ...Jonathan Pageau: The Center of the CityBishop Robert Barron2024-09-09 | Friends, in medieval times, the church was at the center of the town—the high point that draws all things together. What is at the center of our towns now? Is society better for it? My friend Jonathan Pageau reflects on this change in this clip from “Bishop Barron Presents.”.
Word on Fire: wordonfire.org Word on Fire Institute: https://wordonfire.institute/ FREE Daily Gospel Reflections (English or Español): dailycatholicgospel.com
Donate: wordonfire.org/donate Word on Fire Store: store.wordonfire.org Pray: bit.ly/2vqU7FtBe Opened! - Bishop Barrons Sunday SermonBishop Robert Barron2024-09-07 | Friends, our Gospel for today is the evocative scene of Jesus healing a man who cannot hear and cannot speak. This man is beautifully symbolic of many in our culture today: we don’t listen to God, and therefore we can’t speak clearly about God. To us, as to him, Jesus says, “Ephphatha!”—be opened to the Word of God!
Mass Readings Reading 1 — Is 35:4-7a Psalm — Ps 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10 Reading 2 — Jas 2:1-5 Gospel — Mk 7:31-37
Help Bishop Barron continue to produce videos like this: bit.ly/3QSvGpo Word on Fire Store: bookstore.wordonfire.orgSpiritual and the MaterialBishop Robert Barron2024-09-06 | ...An Introduction To PrayerBishop Robert Barron2024-09-03 | Friends, Pope Francis has designated 2025 as a Year of Jubilee, and in preparation for that celebration, he has, in turn, designated 2024 as a Year of Prayer.
It is in response to the pope’s call for renewed catechesis on prayer that Word on Fire presents “An Introduction to Prayer,” a small collection of texts from my writings and talks on the subject: http://wof.org/how-to-pray.
This book explores the answers to questions like: - Why should I pray? - What should I say or do when I’m praying? - Who exactly am I praying to? - Are there different types of prayer? - What do the spiritual masters say about prayer? - How can I establish a solid routine of prayer?
My hope for this little book is very simple: that it might lead you on the road to prayer; that it might teach you something about prayer; and that, most importantly, it might prompt you actually to pray.
Learn more at http://wof.org/how-to-pray.Worshiping a Crucified ChristBishop Robert Barron2024-09-03 | ...Nature & the Human Body—Recapping Wonder 2024Bishop Robert Barron2024-09-02 | Friends, the nature and purpose of the human body was once considered obvious. But it has come under attack from secular culture in some strange and even disturbing ways in recent years. Now, unfortunately, it is up for grabs. The Word on Fire Institute sought to address this confusion surrounding the body at our recent Wonder Conference, “Nature and the Human Body.” Drawing on rich theological, philosophical, scientific, medical, moral, political, technological, and artistic resources, the conference sought to reclaim an authentic understanding and deep appreciation for the body—its resilience and fragility, its joys and its sufferings, its transcendence and its temporality, and, above all, its wonder.
A listener asks how Catholics should think about near-death experiences and stories.
00:00 | Intro 01:23 | Hosting the Wonder Conference in Bishop Barron’s own diocese 02:25 | Why we needed Wonder 03:50 | Understanding the false dichotomy of faith and science 06:20 | Addressing the question of body/soul unity 12:38 | Inherent dangers in dividing body and soul 15:36 | Can Catholic ministries give platforms to evolutionary biologists? 17:11 | Highlights from Dr. Heather Heying’s Wonder talk 18:45 | Beginning with the logos and intelligibility 20:04 | The human difference 21:04 | Bishop Barron Presents: liturgical artist Jonathan Pageau 23:06 | Materialism as an incoherent philosophy vs. scientific worldview 26:30 | The intelligibility of creation 27:36 | Fr. Robert Spitzer and the transcendent body 33:46 | Hope for reconciling faith and science in the public square 35:16 | Listener question 37:54 | Join the Word on Fire Institute
Donate: wordonfire.org/donate Word on Fire Store: store.wordonfire.org Pray: bit.ly/2vqU7FtThe Goodness—and Dangers—of the Law - Bishop Barrons Sunday SermonBishop Robert Barron2024-08-31 | Friends, as Americans, we have a very ambiguous relationship to law. On the one hand, we are a nation of independently minded people; we don’t like the law imposing itself on us. At the same time—let’s face it—we are a hyper-litigious society. We see the same ambiguity about law—both its beauty and its shadow side—in our three readings today.
Help Bishop Barron continue to produce videos like this: bit.ly/3QSvGpo Word on Fire Store: bookstore.wordonfire.orgFullness of TruthBishop Robert Barron2024-08-31 | ...Pray, Serve the Poor, and EvangelizeBishop Robert Barron2024-08-29 | ...Jonathan Pageau: Do You Understand Noah’s Ark?Bishop Robert Barron2024-08-28 | Friends, in this clip, Jonathan Pageau discusses the symbols of Genesis 1 and Noah’s ark, and how the New Testament draws them all together.
Word on Fire: wordonfire.org Word on Fire Institute: https://wordonfire.institute/ FREE Daily Gospel Reflections (English or Español): dailycatholicgospel.com
Donate: wordonfire.org/donate Word on Fire Store: store.wordonfire.org Pray: bit.ly/2vqU7FtNever Beyond HopeBishop Robert Barron2024-08-26 | ...Do You Accept This Teaching? - Bishop Barrons Sunday SermonBishop Robert Barron2024-08-24 | Friends, we come now to the close of this great discourse of Jesus in the sixth chapter of John, where we see the aftereffects of his teaching on the Real Presence. The Eucharist is a standing or falling point of Christianity, and the question Jesus poses to the Twelve is posed to every one of us today: Do you also want to leave over this teaching? Do you reject it, or do you accept it?
Mass Readings Reading 1 — Jos 24:1-2a, 15-17, 18b Psalm — Ps 34:2-3, 16-17, 18-19, 20-21 Reading 2 — Eph 5:21-32 or 5:2a, 25-32 Gospel — Jn 6:60-69
Help Bishop Barron continue to produce videos like this: bit.ly/3QSvGpo Word on Fire Store: bookstore.wordonfire.orgThe Dark PowersBishop Robert Barron2024-08-23 | ...Bishop Barron Presents | Jonathan Pageau - Recognizing PatternsBishop Robert Barron2024-08-22 | Friends, in the latest episode of “Bishop Barron Presents: Conversations at the Crossroads,” I talk with Orthodox icon-carver and YouTuber Jonathan Pageau. We had a wonderful conversation about his own religious background, the patterns of Scripture, the importance of the Church Fathers, the Jordan Peterson phenomenon, and more. I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did.
Word on Fire: wordonfire.org Word on Fire Institute: https://wordonfire.institute/ FREE Daily Gospel Reflections (English or Español): dailycatholicgospel.com
Donate: wordonfire.org/donate Word on Fire Store: store.wordonfire.org Pray: bit.ly/2vqU7FtA Crucified LordBishop Robert Barron2024-08-22 | ...Becoming a Bearer of GraceBishop Robert Barron2024-08-21 | ...Jonathan Pageau: Recognizing Patterns in ScriptureBishop Robert Barron2024-08-20 | Friends, Jonathan Pageau is well-known for exploring the patterns and symbols permeating both Scripture and society. In this clip from our upcoming conversation, Jonathan explains how the Bible and the early Church Fathers have shaped his life and work.
Subscribe to be notified when the full episode premieres on Thursday.
Word on Fire: wordonfire.org Word on Fire Institute: https://wordonfire.institute/ FREE Daily Gospel Reflections (English or Español): dailycatholicgospel.com
Donate: wordonfire.org/donate Word on Fire Store: store.wordonfire.org Pray: bit.ly/2vqU7FtWitnesses of the TruthBishop Robert Barron2024-08-20 | ...The Conscience Is the Voice of GodBishop Robert Barron2024-08-19 | ...Is Christianity Making a Comeback?Bishop Robert Barron2024-08-19 | Friends, some recent polling suggests that the number of those who identify with no religion has hit a ceiling, and it may even be declining. At the same time, a number of high-profile cultural influencers—even some formerly hostile to the faith—have either converted to Christianity or announced that they now identify as “cultural Christians.” Moreover, religion and politics, once considered verboten to mix, now seem to find themselves deeply intertwined.
How do we assess these cultural and political developments from an evangelical perspective? Is it really the case that society is becoming more receptive to Christianity? Are all these developments positive for the Church, or should we take a more cautious approach to evaluating what all this means for the future?
A listener asks what he can share with non-Catholics to perhaps change their minds.
00:00 | Intro 01:32 | Bishop Barron’s update on the diocesan pastoral center 02:24 | Tracing the decline of Christianity in the West 06:07 | Assessing the decline of “nones” today 09:59 | Men, women, and trends of religious disaffiliation 13:45 | Public conversions and the indispensability of Christianity in culture 18:46 | Christianity, moral principles, and the legal system 23:09 | Is there broader cultural significance for the National Eucharistic Revival? 24:26 | Hopeful signs for Christianity in conversation 27:54 | Is interest in a broad Christianity simply good? 28:59 | What we can learn from the African and Eastern Churches 30:42 | Listener question 33:00 | Join the Word on Fire Institute
Donate: wordonfire.org/donate Word on Fire Store: store.wordonfire.org Pray: bit.ly/2vqU7FtReally, Truly, and Substantially Present - Bishop Barrons Sunday SermonBishop Robert Barron2024-08-17 | Friends, we continue reading from the sixth chapter of John, this pivotal section of the New Testament where John lays out his Eucharistic theology. And we come today to the rhetorical high point of this discourse, where things really come to a head. It is the ground of the doctrine of the Real Presence: Jesus is not simply symbolically present in the Eucharist; he’s really, truly, and substantially present under the signs of bread and wine.
Help Bishop Barron continue to produce videos like this: bit.ly/3QSvGpo Word on Fire Store: bookstore.wordonfire.orgKing of the WorldBishop Robert Barron2024-08-15 | ...For the Sake of the WorldBishop Robert Barron2024-08-12 | ...Strength for the Journey - Bishop Barrons Sunday SermonBishop Robert Barron2024-08-10 | Friends, we’re continuing our reading of the sixth chapter of the Gospel of John, which is all about the Eucharist. And here’s my take on our reading for today: A long trip by car or plane can be uncomfortable, even overwhelming. But we’re heading somewhere else; we’re on a journey. And on a long journey, you have to find sustenance to keep going.
Help Bishop Barron continue to produce videos like this: bit.ly/3QSvGpo Word on Fire Store: bookstore.wordonfire.orgThe Greatest LongingBishop Robert Barron2024-08-07 | ...Moral Choices Build CharacterBishop Robert Barron2024-08-05 | ...Are Reverent Liturgies & Social Justice at Odds?Bishop Robert Barron2024-08-05 | Does being committed to social justice necessarily entail neglecting the liturgy? Conversely, do reverent liturgies entail downplaying or even ignoring the Church’s mission to care for the poor? The answer to both questions is a resounding, no. How should we understand the right relationship between the liturgy of the Church and the virtue of justice, including social justice? And practically speaking, how can we, as a Church, overcome the unnecessary divisions between so-called “liberal Catholics” and “conservative Catholics”?
A listener asks if someone can be Catholic but not believe in the Resurrection.
00:00 | Intro 01:20 | 10th National Eucharistic Congress recap 02:32 | Understanding the role and meaning of the liturgy 05:06 | The power of the spoken word in the liturgy 07:16 | The physicality of the liturgy 09:10 | Distinguishing between authentic and inauthentic liturgies 11:13 | Did Vatican II negatively effect the liturgy? 12:45 | Understanding justice as a cardinal virtue 14:45 | Relating justice and charity 18:24 | Social justice within a Catholic framework 20:34 | The relationship between loving God and loving neighbor 26:00 | Connecting the liturgy and social justice 27:33 | Is social justice possible without the liturgy? 28:51 | How cloistered monks and nuns serve the Church 30:01 | Bridging the divide between separated Catholics 31:40 | Listener question 33:50 | Join the Word on Fire Institute
Donate: wordonfire.org/donate Word on Fire Store: store.wordonfire.org Pray: bit.ly/2vqU7FtEverything in This World Passes Away - Bishop Barrons Sunday SermonBishop Robert Barron2024-08-03 | Friends, in the midst of our country’s great Eucharistic Revival, we continue our reading of the sixth chapter of the Gospel of John. And this week, I want to reflect on a line that names something so spiritually basic: “Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life.”