The Word on Fire Show - Catholic Faith and Culture

Thomas Aquinas, often dubbed the 'dumb ox,' is celebrated as a towering intellect of Western thought. The discussion delves into his profound insights on the essence of God and humanity. Listeners learn how Aquinas's teachings illuminate modern atheism's misconceptions. The podcast also explores Aquinas's unique connection with G.K. Chesterton and highlights his enduring impact on theology. A listener question about God as the 'unmoved mover' adds depth to the conversation, showcasing the timeless relevance of Aquinas's arguments.

We are taking the next six episodes of the Word on Fire show to discuss each of the great men and women featured on Word On Fire's epic new film series, Catholicism: The Pivotal Players. The focus of this episode is Saint Francis, the great reformer of the Church from the early 13th century who truly embodied the life of Christ through his radical ministry of mercy and love. Our listener question asks about mysticism in the Church today. *In this episode we include a limited time Word on Fire Show discount on Catholicism: The Pivotal Players with Coupon Code: Fran1226   Click on www.PivotalPlayers.com to purchase and act now because this offer expires soon! Topics Discussed 0:19  - Bishop Barron discusses his trip to Poland for World Youth Day 3:00 - Intro about Pivotal Players and St. Francis in particular 6:23 - Why is Saint Francis so universally revered? 8:18 - What's the most misunderstood element of Francis? 10:17 - How did Saint Francis come to faith? 12:25 - How did the Franciscan order come to fruition? 14:44 - What does it mean that the Pope chose the name Francis? 16:14 - What are some of Bishop Barron's favorite Francis stories? 19:48 - Why is Saint Francis a pivotal player? 21:25 - Listener Question: What does it mean to be a mystic today? Bonus Resources Calendar and Prayer Cards  Pivotal Players Calendar (Bishop Barron) Pivotal Players Prayer Cards (Bishop Barron) Books Praying with the Pivotal Players (Bishop Barron) The Little Flowers of Saint Francis (Brother Ugolino) The Strangest Way (Bishop Barron) Study Guides Catholicism: The Pivotal Players - Leader's Guide (Bishop Barron) Catholicism: The Pivotal Players - Study Guide (Bishop Barron) Catholicism: The Pivotal Players - Leaders Kit (Bishop Barron) DVDs Catholicism: The Pivotal Players (Bishop Barron) Find bonus links and resources for this episode at http://WordOnFireShow.com and be sure to submit your questions at http://AskBishopBarron.

"Beige Catholicism" is a phrase Bishop Barron coined early in his career as a way of describing the Church's lackluster adoption of the post-conciliar movement. Much of Bishop Barron's evangelical work, including his famous Catholicism book and film series, focuses on bringing Christ's radical distinctiveness and the Tradition's beautiful vibrancy back into our understanding of the Church. In this episode Bishop Barron details the problems with beige Catholicism as well as the path to a solution. Finally, a listener asks about the Benedict Option for Catholics struggling to keep the faith alive in contemporary culture. Topics Discussed 0:17  - Bishop Barron discusses the new Word On Fire office and studio 2:32 - What is beige Catholicism? 4:45 - What is the history of beige Catholicism? 6:48 - What is the problem with accommodating the culture? 9:30 - What does it mean to domesticate Jesus? 11:45 - Why should we see Jesus as "dangerous and strange"? 13:55 - How the hit show Vikings illustrates the strangeness of Christianity 15:33 - What does a full sacramental vision of the church look like? 17:36 - What does a vibrantly colorful Catholicism look like? 19:20 - How has Bishop Barron's work targeted this problem? 20:20 - Question from listener: How about the Benedict Option? Bonus Resources DVD CATHOLICISM series (Bishop Barron) CATHOLICISM: The Pivitol Players series Books Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith (Bishop Barron) Seeds of the Word: Finding God in the Culture (Bishop Barron) Vibrant Paradoxes: The Both/And of Catholicism (Bishop Barron) The Strangest Way (Bishop Barron) Videos  The Centrality of Christ (Bishop Barron) Articles  How Strange is the Cross (Bishop Barron)   Find bonus links and resources for this episode at http://WordOnFireShow.com and be sure to submit your questions at http://AskBishopBarron.

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? Bishop Robert Barron shares his advice in Part Two of his popular keynote talk on evangelizing the culture. Bonus Resources Videos Bishop Barron on Evangelizing Through Beauty (Bishop Barron) Bishop Barron on Effective Evangelization (Bishop Barron) Bishop Barron on the Seven Great Qualities of a New Evangelist (Bishop Barron) DVD's CATHOLICISM: The New Evangelization (Word On Fire)  Faith Clips (Word On Fire)  Articles   The Joy of Evangelization (Bishop Barron) Practical Strategies of Evangelization (Bishop Barron) Books Seeds of the Word: Finding God in the Culture (Bishop Barron) Word On Fire: Proclaiming the Power of Christ (Bishop Barron)   Find bonus links and resources for this episode at http://WordOnFireShow.com and be sure to submit your questions at http://AskBishopBarron.

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 Barron on Evangelizing Through Beauty (Bishop Barron) Bishop Barron on Effective Evangelization (Bishop Barron) Bishop Barron on the Seven Great Qualities of a New Evangelist (Bishop Barron) DVD's  Catholicism: The New Evangelization (Word On Fire)  Faith Clips (Word On Fire)  Articles   The Joy of Evangelization (Bishop Barron) Practical Strategies of Evangelization (Bishop Barron) Books Seeds of the Word: Finding God in the Culture (Bishop Barron) Word On Fire: Proclaiming the Power of Christ (Bishop Barron)     Find bonus links and resources for this episode at http://WordOnFireShow.com and be sure to submit your questions at http://AskBishopBarron..

Discover the transformative power of prayer with insights on conversational prayer and how God communicates with us. Learn about various prayer techniques like Lectio Divina and the benefits of rote prayers, including the Rosary. Explore the significance of the Liturgy of the Hours as a universal prayer, and how the Holy Mass serves as the pinnacle of prayer in Catholicism. The conversation also touches on the balance of modern teachings from notable Christian writers. Elevate your spiritual journey with these engaging topics!

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 vacation plans 4:17 - How should Catholic school teachers evangelize their pupils? 5:19 - Do Muslims and Christians worship the same God? 9:28 - Has the Church ever changed its doctrine? 13:10 - How does one evangelize the culture and not be corrupted by it? 20:22 - How do we encourage young people to engage in philosophy? 26:00 - What is the difference between faith and belief? 31:30 - What book is Bishop Barron currently reading? Bonus Resources Books Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith (Bishop Barron) The Crucifixion: Understanding the Death of Jesus Christ (Fleming Rutledge) Seeds of the Word: Finding God in the Culture (Bishop Barron) Vibrant Paradoxes: The Both/And of Catholicism (Bishop Barron) Homilies Father Robert Barron on Faith and Reason Father Robert Barron on The Development of Doctrine   Find bonus links and resources for this episode at http://WordOnFireShow.com and be sure to submit your questions at http://AskBishopBarron.

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 practicing Catholic in London who wonders whether a vigorous spiritual life is necessary if we are ultimately reconciled to God. Topics Discussed 0:17  - Bishop Barron goes to Rome to talk about divine mercy 3:03 - How is God's mercy relentless? 5:28 - How does the story of the woman at the well dismantle religious mythology? 8:01 - How is God's mercy divinizing? 11:40 - Connections to marriage and the Old Testament 13:14 - What does "God became man that man might become God" actually mean? 16:11 - How is God's mercy demanding? 20:01 - The vibrant paradox of extreme demands, extreme mercy 22:34 - How is God's mercy a summons to mission? 25:30 - The highest life is a summons to Mission 26:42 - Question from listener: Why bother engaging in the spiritual life? Bonus Resources Videos Bishop Barron on Extreme Demands, Extreme Mercy (Bishop Barron) Bishop Barron on Pope Francis and Mercy (Bishop Barron) The Best Thing You Can Do in the Year of Mercy (Bishop Barron) Bishop Barron on Pope Francis' "Amoris Laetitia" (Bishop Barron) Articles Pope Francis and True Mercy (Bishop Barron) 4 Lessons on Divine Mercy from the Woman at the Well Homilies Divine Mercy Extreme Demand, Extreme Mercy A God of Relentless Mercy Find bonus links and resources for this episode at http://WordOnFireShow.com and be sure to submit your questions at http://AskBishopBarron.

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 - Can Bob Dylan serve as a gateway to God? 4:45 - Who is Bob Dylan? 8:32 - Why Bob Dylan is best read as a spiritual poet 10:11 - Bob Dylan's religious views 12:17 - Biblical elements of Blowin' in the Wind 15:39 - Bishop Barron on Like a Rolling Stone 21:41 - Bob Dylan and the Resurrection 22:10 - All Along the Watchtower and the Book of Isaiah 26:41 - Finding Jesus in Dylan's Make You Feel My Love 28:43 - Question from listener: How can we evangelize in a secular workspace? Bonus Resources Videos Reflections on Bob Dylan (Bishop Barron) Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower" (Bishop Barron) Reflections on Bob Dylan in China (Bishop Barron) Keith Richards, Bob Dylan, and the New Evangelization (Bishop Barron) Articles "Bob Dylan in China" (Bishop Barron) Bob Dylan Songs Blowin' in the Wind (read lyrics) Like a Rolling Stone (read lyrics) All Along the Watchtower (read lyrics) Make You Feel My Love (read lyrics)   Find bonus links and resources for this episode at http://WordOnFireShow.com and be sure to submit your questions at http://AskBishopBarron.

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://WordOnFireShow.com and be sure to submit your questions at http://AskBishopBarron