Episódios

  • A debate has been raging on social media recently about the role work should play both in our individual and communal lives. One side argues that Americans are not only spending too few hours at work, but at a deeper cultural level, they believe the United States and much of the West has become lazy and prone to immediate gratification that undermines efficiency, personal wealth, and national power and prosperity. The other side maintains that, although work is good and necessary for individual and societal wellbeing, time spent at work also compromises individuals’ creativity and ingenuity. This debate is not only rhetorical; how we conceive of the relationship between work and leisure has very real cultural, economic, and even political consequences. What principles should we appeal to to get the balance right?

    A listener asks: Does Jesus have a last name?

    00:00 | Introduction
    01:36 | Word on Fire turns 25!
    02:54 | What is work?
    04:53 | Understanding work within a fallen world
    09:46 | Connecting human dignity and the dignity of work
    12:59 | Prosperity vs. the prosperity gospel
    15:28 | Is intellectual work better than manual, or vice versa?
    17:37 | What if I’m unwilling to work?
    20:50 | What if I’m unable to work?
    21:35 | Understanding leisure
    25:38 | How the Mass relates to play
    29:57 | Relating work to leisure
    32:24 | Listener question: Does Jesus have a last name?
    33:50 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

    Links: Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/

    NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

  • Today we present the seventh lesson of Bishop Barron’s lecture series on one of the most important and influential Catholic theologians of the twentieth century, Han Urs von Balthasar. We will come to understand his life, his theology, and his ongoing impact on the Church and our work to evangelize the culture. Enjoy!

    Links: Full lecture series available at the Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/ Podcast: WOF 149: Who Was Hans Urs von Balthasar? More Resources: https://www.wordonfire.org/topics/hans-urs-von-balthasar/

    NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

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  • What is the nature and purpose of prayer? The question may sound simple, but it unearths some complex philosophical and theological issues. If God is omniscient, what is the point of speaking with him, either out loud or in our thoughts if he already knows what we have to say? If God is all good and all powerful, why does it sometimes appear that our prayers go unanswered? More practically, what are we to make of the great diversity of prayers—liturgical prayer, petitionary prayer, worship prayer, the Rosary? Are some forms of prayer more efficacious than others? Here are some tips on how we can understand and grow in our prayer life.

    A listener asks why Catholics pray for the dead and if we should pray for the souls of non-Catholics too.

    00:00 | Intro
    01:34 | Bishop Barron’s holiday season recap
    02:45 | What prompted the publication of An Introduction to Prayer?
    03:37 | What does it mean to pray?
    05:31 | If God knows everything, why do we pray?
    07:38 | If God is unchanging, how does prayer change things?
    15:53 | If God is all-good, why do prayers go unanswered?
    18:40 | How is prayer different for the Christian?
    21:56 | The importance of liturgical prayer
    23:47 | Understanding contemplative prayer
    28:24 | Properly understanding the intercession of the saints
    31:25 | Practical principles for growing in prayer
    33:41 | Forgiveness as a prerequisite for answered prayers
    35:07 | Listener question
    37:31 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

    Links: An Introduction to Prayer by Bishop Robert Barron: https://bookstore.wordonfire.org/products/an-introduction-to-prayer Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/

    NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

  • We bring you the sixth lesson of Bishop Barron’s lecture series on one of the most important and influential Catholic theologians of the twentieth century, Han Urs von Balthasar. We will come to understand his life, his theology, and his ongoing impact on the Church and our work to evangelize the culture. Enjoy!

    Links: Full lecture series available at the Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/ Podcast: WOF 149: Who Was Hans Urs von Balthasar? More Resources: https://www.wordonfire.org/topics/hans-urs-von-balthasar/

    NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

  • A cultural shift seems to be underway, at least within the United States, that is potentially making society more open—perhaps even more positively disposed—to the wisdom of the Catholic social thought tradition. If there is an opportunity for Catholic teachings to have more cultural and political traction now, how should the Church take advantage of it? What counsel can the Church give on complex policy issues like education, immigration, the economy, and foreign policy? Today we discuss the Catholic understanding of the common good and how it is especially relevant in this moment.

    A listener asks, what is the kingdom of God?

    00:00 | Intro
    01:41 | Bishop Barron visits a mentor
    02:52 | Religion: public or private?
    06:56 | Assessing recent shifts in culture
    08:09 | Common good vs. utilitarianism
    10:49 | Dignity vs. autonomy
    14:35 | Common good vs. social justice
    18:37 | Common good vs. generic conservatism
    21:25 | Nonnegotiable moral principles vs. variable prudential judgments
    24:27 | Common good and education
    28:23 | Common good and the economy
    30:30 | Common good and immigration
    33:38 | Common good and foreign policy
    35:38 | Listener question: What is the kingdom of God?
    37:38 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

    Links: Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/

    NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

  • Today we share the fifth lesson of Bishop Barron’s lecture series on one of the most important and influential Catholic theologians of the twentieth century, Han Urs von Balthasar. We will come to understand his life, his theology, and his ongoing impact on the Church and our work to evangelize the culture. Enjoy!

    Links: Full lecture series available at the Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/ Podcast: WOF 149: Who Was Hans Urs von Balthasar? More Resources: https://www.wordonfire.org/topics/hans-urs-von-balthasar/

    NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

  • One of the defining features of the Christian moral and spiritual life is the supernatural virtue of hope. What is hope? What makes hope more than a mere superstition? How does hope help us live both individually and in community? Can hope have negative consequences, like motivating people to remain passive in the face of injustice? And what, if any, evangelical significance does hope have? Bishop Barron gives us five reasons why we should be hopeful in the new year.

    A listener asks how he can find the strength to pray again.

    00:00 | Intro
    01:14 | Bishop Barron’s 2024 highlights
    02:47 | The Christian concept of hope
    04:15 | Hope’s relationship to reason
    05:12 | Hope’s practical value in life
    06:24 | Distinguishing hope from faith
    08:27 | Distinguishing hope from optimism
    10:21 | Responding to critiques of hope
    15:37 | Reason 1: Bible sales increase while “nones” appear to have peaked
    19:53 | Reason 2: Woke ideology is losing its grip on the culture
    23:27 | Reason 3: Protestants and Catholics have increased cooperation
    25:36 | Reason 4: The public response to the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral
    30:01 | Reason 5: The Church continues to grow
    31:27 | Listener question
    33:53 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

    Links: Article on Bible sales: https://www.foxnews.com/media/bible-sales-surge-thanks-fresh-editions-new-buyers-looking-things-feel-more-solid-report-finds Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/

    NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

  • We bring you the fourth lesson of Bishop Barron’s lecture series on one of the most important and influential Catholic theologians of the twentieth century, Han Urs von Balthasar. We will come to understand his life, his theology, and his ongoing impact on the Church and our work to evangelize the culture. Enjoy!

    Links: Full lecture series available at the Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/ Podcast: WOF 149: Who Was Hans Urs von Balthasar? Article: “Just a Little Stone in God’s Mosaic” More Resources: https://www.wordonfire.org/topics/hans-urs-von-balthasar/

    NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

  • Despite the enduring, progressive narrative that society favors and privileges men, the sociological data reveals men have and continue to experience devastating declines in education, earning power, economic mobility, relationship stability, and physical and mental health. Often vilified by secular culture as “toxic” merely for existing, men are often far sicker, poorer, more addicted, more depressed, more incarcerated, and more likely to commit suicide than women.

    However, more men than women now regularly go to church; numerous religious movements have been founded with the aim of helping men to overcome their spiritual, mental, and even physical weaknesses; and a new class of Christian men have been emerging on the political and cultural scene unapologetically calling for a return to traditional biblical values. How should we interpret this apparent masculinization of the faith and its effect on revitalizing the role of men in society? What insights does the Church offer, and what can we all learn from this to better evangelize both men and women?

    A listener asks why—procreation aside—God created a woman for Adam as opposed to another man.

    00:00 | Intro
    01:49 | Bishop Barron back from Rome
    02:25 | Assessing grim statistics about men
    04:27 | Contributing cultural movements to masculine discouragement
    11:04 | Channeling masculine aggression
    14:47 | A complementary view of male and female
    17:52 | The return of men to the Church
    22:35 | Resources for recovering masculinity from its shadow side
    25:21 | Holy male exemplars
    27:15 | What the Church offers for masculine vision
    28:49 | Listener question
    30:53 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

    Links: Article on book about issues facing men: https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/books/book-reviews/of-boys-and-men-by-richard-v-reeves-males-face-bigger-issues-than-toxic-masculinity/41990575.html E&C Online article: https://www.wordonfire.org/articles/richard-v-reeves-and-jocko-willink-take-on-male-malaise/ NYT article: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/29/opinion/crisis-men-masculinity.html Prison Stats: https://www.bop.gov/about/statistics/statistics_inmate_gender.jsp Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/

    NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

  • Today we bring you the third lesson of Bishop Barron's lecture series on one of the most important and influential Catholic theologians of the twentieth century, Han Urs von Balthasar. We will come to understand his life, his theology, and his ongoing impact on the Church and our work to evangelize the culture. Enjoy!

    Links: Full lecture series available at the Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/ Podcast: WOF 149: Who Was Hans Urs von Balthasar? Article: “Just a Little Stone in God’s Mosaic” More Resources: https://www.wordonfire.org/topics/hans-urs-von-balthasar/

    NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

  • After spending nearly a month in Rome, Bishop Barron has just returned from the concluding session of the Synod on Synodality. However, numerous basic questions remain among the faithful: What challenges were discussed during this synod and what solutions, if any, did the attendees reach? What impact, if any, does either the structure or content of the synod have on the Church’s ability to evangelize effectively both in the US and abroad?

    A listener asks how parishes should adapt to today’s needs.

    00:00 | Intro
    01:27 | A visit to the Czech Republic
    03:10 | What is synodality?
    06:58 | The Instrumentum Laboris and its role in the synod
    07:56 | Who attended the synod?
    09:14 | Relating 2023’s synodal gathering to 2024’s
    11:09 | Bishop Barron’s daily routine in Rome
    16:20 | Communio theology as represented at the synod
    19:27 | The teaching status of the recent synodal document
    21:01 | Assessing the synod’s benefit to the Church
    22:35 | Limitations of synodality as a ruling principle
    25:23 | The question of women’s ordination
    28:00 | Concerns for the authority of the local bishops’ conferences
    29:41 | Has this synod perennially changed the Church?
    31:15 | The possibility of future synods
    32:01 | Listener question
    34:04 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

    Link: EWTN article: https://www.ewtnvatican.com/articles/synod-on-synodalitys-final-document-what-you-need-to-know-3645 E&C Online article: https://www.wordonfire.org/articles/barron/some-thoughts-upon-returning-from-the-second-session-of-the-synod/ Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/

    NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

  • Today we bring you the second lesson of Bishop Barron’s lecture series on one of the most important and influential Catholic theologians of the twentieth century, Han Urs von Balthasar. We will come to understand his life, his theology, and his ongoing impact on the Church and our work to evangelize the culture. Enjoy!

    Links: Full lecture series available at the Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/ Podcast: WOF 149: Who Was Hans Urs von Balthasar? Article: “Just a Little Stone in God’s Mosaic” More Resources: https://www.wordonfire.org/topics/hans-urs-von-balthasar/

    NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

  • Through a litany of trials and grace, Tammy Peterson found her way to the Catholic Church. We bring you the second half of an hour-long conversation she had recently with Bishop Barron. The two explore transubstantiation, the power of prayer, grace in suffering, and more.

    00:00 | Intro
    00:28 | Prayer as sustenance and as intercession across space and time
    06:00 | What is transubstantiation?
    11:50 | Praying Scripture
    13:30 | Prayerful examination of a day
    18:33 | Examining Dante’s Divine Comedy
    20:08 | Dark nights of the soul
    23:31 | Grace in suffering
    31:27 | Remembering the body
    32:58 | Singing and prayer
    34:16 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

    Link: Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/

    NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

  • Today we bring you the first lesson of Bishop Barron's lecture series on one of the most important, intriguing, strange, and influential Catholic theologians of the twentieth century, Han Urs von Balthasar. We will come to understand his life, his theology, and his ongoing impact on the Church and our work to evangelize the culture. Enjoy!

    Links: Podcast: WOF 149: Who Was Hans Urs von Balthasar? Article: “Just a Little Stone in God’s Mosaic” More Resources: https://www.wordonfire.org/topics/hans-urs-von-balthasar/ Full lecture series at the Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/

    NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

  • Through a litany of trials and grace, Tammy Peterson found her way to the Catholic Church. Today we bring you the first half of an hour-long conversation she had recently with Bishop Barron. The two explore the call of God, the power of the Rosary, the wisdom of Thomas Merton, and more.

    00:00 | Intro
    01:24 | Relating to God as a called child
    06:25 | Attracting people into community
    10:16 | Understanding true love
    13:20 | Begin with prayer
    14:19 | Prayer: sacred, centering, habitual, and “useless”
    20:43 | The beauty of monastic life and practice
    22:34 | The wisdom of Thomas Merton
    24:18 | Distinguishing a natural spirituality from a properly supernatural one
    28:05 | Learning to pray the Rosary
    38:18 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

    Link: Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/

    NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

  • Today we bring you the second half of Bishop Barron’s May 2024 address at the Star of the North Eucharistic Congress in Bemidji, Minnesota. He concludes his discussion of Eucharistic Adoration, wisdom from saints and holy people, and the power of “staying close to the fire.” Enjoy!

    Show Notes:

    Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/

    NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

  • Parts of the global Church have a very different kind of challenge on their hands than we do in the West: how to handle explosive growth. In many parts of Africa, the Church is running out of room in their seminaries, convents, and monasteries because of rising vocations, and the laity are collectively practicing their faith in ways that put the Church in the West to shame. In Nigeria, upwards of 94 percent of Catholics go to Mass every week, while the U.S. can’t even reach 30 percent in weekly Mass attendance among Catholics.

    What explains this wide discrepancy? What are we in the West getting so wrong about evangelization, and what is the Church in Africa getting so right?

    A listener asks how she and her family can practice Sabbath rest.

    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

    Show Notes: Stats for Nigerian Church attendance: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253488/where-is-mass-attendance-highest-one-country-is-the-clear-leader Stats for American Mass attendance: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/04/12/9-facts-about-us-catholics/ National Catholic Register article: https://www.ncregister.com/news/same-sex-blessings-and-the-catholic-church-in-africa E&C Online article: https://www.wordonfire.org/articles/pope-francis-isnt-actually-visiting-peripheries-hes-leaving-them-behind/ Crux article: https://cruxnow.com/news-analysis/2023/01/running-the-numbers-africa-isnt-the-catholic-future-its-the-present Vatican News article: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2023-04/over-50000-christians-killed-in-nigeria-by-islamist-extremists.html Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/

    NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

  • Today we bring you the first half of Bishop Barron’s May 2024 address at the Star of the North Eucharistic Congress in Bemidji, Minnesota. He discusses Eucharistic Adoration, wisdom from saints and holy people, and the power of “staying close to the fire.” Enjoy!

    Link: Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/

    NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support o f our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

  • 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: How do I share my faith with non-religious family and friends?
    32:49 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

    Links: Bishop Barron’s article in Newsweek: https://www.newsweek.com/olympics-anti-christian-display-reflects-cultural-decline-opinion-1933565 Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/

    NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

  • Today we bring you Bishop Barron’s lecture from the 2023 New Ressourcement Conference. The New Ressourcement is a quarterly journal of theology and philosophy published by Word on Fire Academic. It serves the Church and the academy by publishing scholarly articles that demonstrate the depth and relevance of the Catholic tradition.

    In the talk, Bishop Barron explains the roots of this theological movement, his own coming-of-age experience in a postconciliar Church, and the particular concerns this movement aims to address. Enjoy!

    Links: The New Ressourcement: https://newressourcement.wordonfire.org/ Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/

    NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.