The Word on Fire Show - Catholic Faith and Culture

Friends, in light of the recent scandals, I know many people are wondering whether they should remain in the Catholic Church. And I totally get that; the outrage is warranted. But in this time of crisis, I beg you not to flee, but to fight--not violently, with the weapons of the world, but with the weapons of the Spirit. We need you.

Many of you have asked for Bishop Barron's thoughts on the McCarrick abuse crisis, the Pennsylvania grand jury report, and the recent report from Archbishop Viganò. We're all devastated by the horrific suffering of these many victims, and we're all wondering what to do next. Bishop Barron shared some thoughts a couple weeks ago, in an article, but we thought it might be helpful to have a more candid conversation today, building on the USCCB's recent statement. Listen to the discussion here, and together let's pray for the victims and the entire Body of Christ.

The first annual Word on Fire Conference for Priests brought 300 Catholic priests to Huntington Beach, CA, for a three day reflection on the art of preaching. Bishop Barron delivered four talks, in addition to a talk by Dana Gioia, California's state Poet Laureate, and the conference closed with a lively Q&A where priests asked Bishop Barron whatever questions they had about preaching. Today, we share the Q&A with you. Enjoy!

In this episode you'll hear the full Episode 1 from Bishop Barron's new film series, The Mass. Listen as Bishop Barron explains why the Mass is so important, and why it's not just a lecture or performance but a continual response between Christ and his people. Be sure to visit Mass.WordOnFire.org, where you can pick up the new special edition set of the series, which includes immediate streaming access to the videos and free USA shipping for the box set.

Ten years ago, Bishop Barron and his Word on Fire team set out to create something the world had never seen: a large-scale film series about the Catholic faith that put the intelligence and beauty of Catholicism on full display. The resulting CATHOLICISM series has touched millions of people, becoming one of the most effective evangelistic resources of the twenty-first century. As we celebrate the tenth anniversary of the CATHOLICISM series this week, we share a special Live Q&A with Bishop Barron about the series, and offer a special way to watch all ten episodes free online. Learn more at https://CatholicismSeries.com!

Pope Francis has encouraged priests to "get out of the sacristy into the streets," to find the Church's lost sheep and evangelize them. Bishop Barron agrees with this advice, and in this episode, he offers his take on the best ways to do that. A listener asks why we need to repent if God's love is unconditional. Topics Discussed 04:00 - Bishop Barron's favorite memories from the Pivotal Players film trip 4:00 - What is Bishop Barron's article about? 8:15 - How does a parish shift gears to evangelization? 14:00 - What has been the common perspective on evangelization? 17:30 - How will the Word on Fire Movement serve this mission? 22:00 - What advice does Bishop Barron have for evangelizers, both lay and clergy? 26:15 - Listener Question: Is the love of God really unconditional?

What do we mean by religious liberty? Why should all people, including non-religious people, care about protecting religious liberty? Bishop Barron recently joined the U.S. Bishop's Committee for Religious Liberty, and has been thinking about these questions more deeply. Today, he gives an overview of the topic, including a look at John Courtney Murray, Vatican II, and what ordinary Catholics in the pew can do to promote religious liberty. A listener asks about the divide which has arisen between academic theology and spirituality. Topics Discussed 0:04 - Introduction, USCCB meeting in Florida 2:00 - What is religious liberty? 5:50 - Why should atheists care about religious liberty? 9:00 - What is the history of religious liberty in the USA? 16:00 - Is religious liberty under attack in America now? 19:50 - What are the best ways to propose religious liberty, and how can we defend religious liberty in our own way? 25:45 - Listener Question: How to we heal the gap between theology and spirituality?

In this episode Bishop Barron answers Questions about the Mass. Go to ReasonScienceFaith.com to get your free Catholic scientist posters!

In this episode, Bishop Barron answers questions from the Word on Fire Community. Topics Discussed 0:04 - Introduction 1:45 - Why have my emotions cooled off after my conversion? 6:30 - What should we tell people who think religion is superstition? 10:36 - How should we respond to people who claim to be "spiritual but not religious"? 14:30 - Does religion have a smart people problem? 19:30 - Why does Dante's explanation of Heaven have varying levels? 23:40 - Are all religions at the core fundamentally the same? 27:25 - What are some ideas for evangelizing a college campus? To join the Word on Fire Community go to www.wordonfire.org/community 

In this episode, Bishop Barron discusses the content of his great book, And Now I See. A listener asks about the role of our conscience in relation to Church teaching. Topics Discussed 0:04 - Introduction, Bishop Barron's trip to the National Eucharistic Congress in Atlanta. 2:15 - What is the central crux of And Now I See? 5:30 - Why is the idea of sight used to explain Christian transformation? 7:40 - How does Dante reveal the "mind of fear" in all of us? 13:45 - How does Thomas Merton reveal the "mind of trust" that comes from Christ? 18:30 - How can a aggressive spirituality become a detriment to us?  22:50 - How is the Incarnation the key to changing our vision? 25:10 - What should we do if our conscience is at odds with Church teaching? Visit www.AskBishopBarron.com to submit a listener question.