The Word on Fire Show - Catholic Faith and Culture

How should we go about evangelization? Especially for those of us living in a highly-secularized society, what techniques should we employ and what pitfalls ought we avoid? In this episode we get advice from one of the greatest evangelists of the postmodern age, Bishop Robert Barron, as we listen to Part One of his popular keynote talk on evangelizing the culture. Bonus Resources Videos Bishop Bar...

Whenever there's a survey asking Christians, "What's one area in your spiritual life you'd like to improve?",  the answers almost inevitably center around prayer. In today's episode, Bishop Barron explains what precisely prayer is and then offers some simple steps as well as some more advanced techniques to help us all grow in intimacy with God. With this goal in mind, Bishop Barron leads listener...

Normally, in each episode we take one listener question. But we've received such a large number of outstanding questions from around the globe that we've decided to devote this entire episode to answering questions from listeners like you. Bishop Barron answers several questions, rapid fire, on many different topics. Topicss Discussed 0:24   - Intro: Bishop Barron talks about his recent work and v...

Pope Francis recently invited Bishop Barron to speak to hundreds of English-speaking priests at a gathering in Rome for the Jubilee Year of Mercy. In today's episode, Bishop Barron reflects on the talk he shared with his fellow clergymen about Jesus' encounter with the woman at the well. From this account, he distills four major lessons on divine mercy. The listener question comes from a practicin...

Bob Dylan is one of the most spiritually interesting songwriters of our generation. In today's episode, Bishop Barron reflects on some of Dylan's best-known hits to show how they subtlety put Biblical themes on display. A listener wonders if Bishop Barron has any tips on how to evangelize in a secular workspace. Topics Discussed 0:17   - Bishop Barron at the Bob Dylan concert last weekend 2:40 - C...

What is Catholic social teaching and what does it have to say about the economy, business, and our everyday work lives? That's what Bishop Barron explains in this episode. Surveying the insights of popes and saints, he shows why the Catholic Church rejects socialism and embraces a nuanced, careful endorsement of the market economy. Find bonus links and resources for this episode at http://WordOnFi...

Venerable Fulton Sheen is remembered as one of the greatest Catholic evangelists of the twentieth century. A master of both television and radio, he shared the Gospel with millions using his unique blend of wit, humor, and insight. Bishop Barron reflects on Sheen's legacy and the lessons he offers us. A deacon listener asks how Bishop Barron prepares his own homilies each week. Topics Discussed 0:...

It's been widely hailed as the greatest sermon ever preached and a masterpiece of religious and social ethics. Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, found in Matthew 5-7, commences with the "beatitudes", a series of eight blessings that Jesus gives to those who suffer, mourn, and express purity of heart. Bishop Barron walks through each beatitude and unveils its deeper meaning. A listener asks whether, acco...

We all face the Big Questions of life—it doesn't matter whether we're religious or not. We wonder about God, identity, meaning, morals, and death. Bishop Barron tackles some of the Big Questions and compares how the world generally answers them with how the Catholic Church responds. A listener asks about the relationship between God's providence and our free will. Topics Discussed 0:14   - The pow...

There's a common tendency to read the opening chapters of Genesis as scientific texts. But is this the best way? Or even the right way? Bishop Barron offers guidance on how to properly understand the Biblical creation story. A listener wonders how we should manage the relationship between Church and state. Topics Discussed 1:05  - The most surprising part about being a bishop 2:29 - How do people...

As Bishop Barron shows in his new book, Vibrant Paradoxes , Catholicism is both/and, not either/or. It celebrates the union of contraries—grace and nature, faith and reason, Scripture and tradition, body and soul—in a way that the full energy of each opposing element remains in place. In this episode, Bishop Barron explores several examples of this both/and embrace. A listener asks about the diffi...

Thomas Aquinas not only shaped the Church, but influenced much of Western civilization. Who was this great saint? What are some of his important writings? And how should we begin to read his masterful  Summa theologiae ? Bishop Barron offers some answers in this week's episode. A bright 14-year-old listener asks about Bertrand Russell's famous criticism of Aquinas, and how to respond. Topics Discu...

Normally, in each episode we take one listener question. But today, we've devoted the entire episode to questions from listeners like you. Bishop Barron answers several questions, rapid fire, on many different topics. Find bonus links and resources for this episode at http://WordOnFireShow.com  and be sure to submit your questions at http://As kBishopBarron.

What does God want me to do with my life? And how can I discern God's will for my day-to-day decisions? We all ask these questions and today Bishop Barron offers his advice. A listener also asks how Bishop Barron discerned his own call to the priesthood. Find bonus links and resources for this episode at http://WordOnFireShow.com  and be sure to submit your questions at http://As kBishopBarron.

How did God use a little-known seminary professor to launch a worldwide evangelization ministry? Bishop Barron shares the story behind his Word on Fire ministry, including the many twists and turns along the way. A Protestant listener who is interested in Catholicism asks for some good book recommendations. Find bonus links and resources for this episode at http://WordOnFireShow.com  and be sure t...

During this Easter season, when Christians around the world celebrate the rising of Jesus from the dead, Bishop Barron looks reflects on the evidence for this extraordinary event and what it means for us today. A listener asks, in response to a previous episode, how to teach our kids about God without watering down the faith. Find bonus links and resources for this episode at http://WordOnFireShow...

Today we discuss a viral video from Bill Nye the Science Guy, a pop-science leader, who wonders whether philosophy can provide any real answers to the questions of life. A listener asks whether Bishop Barron would accept an invitation to appear on HBO's "Real Time" with religious skeptic Bill Maher. Find bonus links and resources for this episode at http://WordOnFireShow.com  and be sure to submit...

Today we're sharing the second part of a talk Bishop Barron recently gave titled "Against the YouTube Heresies." (If you missed the first part, be sure to listen to it first !) Modeled after St. Irenaeus' classic work from the second century,  Against the Heresies , Bishop Barron identifies the most common objections people have to Christianity today, especially on the Internet, and then shows us...

Today we're sharing the first part of a talk Bishop Barron recently gave titled "Against the YouTube Heresies." Modeled after St. Irenaeus' classic work from the second century,  Against the Heresies , Bishop Barron identifies the most common objections people have to Christianity today, especially on the Internet, and then shows us how to respond. You'll hear the first half of the talk in this ep...

This week, Baker Academic released a new hardcover edition of Bishop Barron's book,  The Priority of Christ: Toward a Postliberal Catholicism . Bishop Barron discusses the book's main ideas including the problem with liberalism, how Jesus Christ is the proper foundation of knowledge and ethics, and how the saints unveil the good life. A listener asks about Jesus' words from the cross, "My God, my...

Bishop Barron recounts his time at the annual Los Angeles Religious Education Congress held from February 25-28, 2016. He shares about his talk on 1 and 2 Samuel, having breakfast with philosopher-priest Fr. Robert Spitzer, and the best approaches to evangelization. A listener asks about the nature of sin and whether it's a privation of the good or something real and substantial. Find bonus links...

As we move deep into Lent, the liturgical season of “going into the desert”, Bishop Barron explains why these 40 days are needed and meaningful. He unveils the season's biblical basis and offers practical advice on celebrating it well. A listener asks how to respond to secular critics of Mother Teresa, such as the late atheist polemicist, Christopher Hitchens. Find bonus links and resources for th...

Bishop Barron recently celebrated his first Confirmations as bishop, confirming several people at Holy Cross Parish in Moore Park, CA. He shares about that, and also discusses the purpose of Confirmation and the gifts of the Holy it provokes. For this week's listener question, Richard wonders why Jesus had to die on the cross instead of God just snapping his fingers and forgiving everyone. Find bo...

Bishop Barron is back from the Philippines and catches us up on what's been going on, including his recent interfaith dialogue event on Pope Francis and the environment. He also reflects on why so many Evangelicals are drawn to the Pope, and takes a question from a listener wondering how God could allow natural evils such as tsunamis, earthquakes, and animal violence. Find bonus links and resource...

What is the Eucharist? How do Catholics understand it as meal, sacrifice, and Real Presence? In this episode, we share Bishop Barron's full keynote talk on the Eucharist from the 51st International Eucharistic Congress in the Philippines. Find bonus links and resources for this episode at http://WordOnFireShow.com  and be sure to submit your questions at http://AskBishopBarron.com .