WOF 004: Answering the Atheists

Today, we are bringing you a recent conversation from the “Bishop Barron Presents” series between Bishop Barron and Congressman Ro Khanna. Congressman Khanna represents California’s 17th Congressional District, best known as the home of Silicon Valley. Over the course of the conversation, the Bishop and he discussed his background, Catholic social teaching, various policy matters, finding common ground, and why the American experiment is a great and worthwhile endeavor. Enjoy!

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 us today!

Friends, the Book of Jonah is one of the shortest books of the Bible, yet it’s packed with profound truths about hearing and obeying the voice of God. On today’s episode of “The Word on Fire Show,” Brandon Vogt and I discuss this powerful little book.

A listener asks, why did Jesus show up when he did and not at a different point in time? What would the world look like had he showed up later, or not at all?

00:00 | Intro
00:46 | Bishop Barron on Catholic Schools Week
01:51 | Bishop Barron’s recent conversation with Jordan Peterson
02:47 | Intro to the book of Jonah
04:41 | Jonah’s opening narrative
09:25 | Lessons from Luke’s road to Emmaus and Jonah
11:00 | The significance of Jonah’s storm
14:31 | The significance of Jonah’s fish
16:58 | Answering Jonah’s critics
18:22 | Jonah’s concluding narrative
20:17 | Jesus’ words on Jonah
22:48 | More resources on Jonah
23:34 | Listener question
26:17 | New book—Princesses of Heaven: The Flowers
27:13 | Special announcement about future of WOF Show

Links

• A Journey with Jonah: The Spirituality of Bewilderment by Fr. Paul Murray
• Princesses of Heaven: The Flowers by Fabiola Garza

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Friends, we are in the midst of a mental health crisis, with many calling it another pandemic. Record-high numbers of Americans are facing depression and suicide. Nearly half of young people report feelings of persistent sadness or hopelessness. What’s behind this crisis, and how can the Church help? That’s what Brandon Vogt and I discuss on today’s episode of “The Word on Fire Show.”

A listener asks, is “just war theory” a concession to human weakness? How do we square that with Jesus’ teachings on non-violence?

00:00 | Intro
01:09 | USCCB recap on surrogacy
03:49 | Why the mental health crisis matters to bishops
06:00 | Social media's role in damaged mental health
09:39 | Community's role in healing mental health
13:03 | The connection between psychological and spiritual suffering
16:09 | Religious disaffiliation and mental illness
17:47 | Who is St. Dymphna?
18:40 | A word for those wrestling with poor mental health
20:55 | Listener question
24:17 | New book—“Christ Brings All Newness”

Links

• Bishop Barron’s statement on surrogacy
• Christ Brings All Newness: Essays, Reviews, and Reflections by Fr. Robert Imbelli

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Friends, the Catholic Church seems locked in constant disagreements, often between so-called liberal and conservative Catholics. But is there a third way to lead us out of this quagmire?

Cardinal Francis George offers a compelling answer, which Brandon Vogt and I discuss on today’s episode of the “Word on Fire Show.”

A listener asks, did Jesus ever get sick?

00:00 | Intro
01:13 | New episodes of “Bishop Barron Presents” are back!
03:24 | Who was Cardinal Francis George?
06:31 | Cardinal George’s critique of liberal Catholicism
09:45 | Why liberal Catholicism falls short of giving life
12:26 | Cardinal George’s critique of conservative Catholicism
18:11 | Cardinal George’s solution: simply Catholicism
20:53 | How Is Catholicism for our times and against our times?
23:38 | What Cardinal George might say to us today
24:39 | Listener question
26:41 | 2024 Wonder Conference

Links

• “How Liberalism Fails the Church” by Cardinal Francis George (Commonweal)
• Register for the 2024 Wonder Conference (August 2-4, 2024 – Rochester, MN)

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Friends, today we’re excited to share with you the newest episode in our “Bishop Barron Presents” series. In this discussion, Bishop Barron talks with Fr. Joseph Fessio, SJ.

Fr. Fessio was formed by some of the greatest figures of twentieth-century Catholicism, including Henri de Lubac, Joseph Ratzinger, and Hans Urs von Balthasar. This fascinating conversation covers his life story, his education, his experience in Europe, the founding of Ignatius Press, and much more. Enjoy!

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Friends, we all strive to be spiritually great. We want to be magnanimous, great-souled men and women. But how do we get there? The Church offers a concrete seven-fold path, and that’s what Brandon Vogt and I discuss on today’s “Word on Fire Show” episode.

A listener asks, I’m coming back into the Church after a 15 year absence, and all the words [of Mass] have changed. What happened?

00:00 | Intro
00:55 | Bishop Barron’s California recap
02:18 | How spiritual works of mercy relate to corporal works of mercy
05:08 | Why loving others includes meeting spiritual needs
05:44 | 1) Admonish the sinner
08:24 | 2) Instruct the ignorant
10:17 | 3) Counsel the doubtful
13:32 | 4) Comfort the sorrowful
15:54 | 5) Bear wrongs patiently
19:00 | 6) Forgive all injuries
22:18 | 7) Pray for the living and the dead
26:18 | Listener question
28:32 | New book—Ethics for Beginners by Peter Kreeft

Links

• Ethics for Beginners by Peter Kreeft

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Today, we’re excited to share with you Bishop Barron’s recent talk at Harvard University titled “The Catholic Intellectual Tradition,” sponsored by the Harvard Catholic Forum.

Bishop Barron explores some foundational themes in the Catholic intellectual tradition, including God, the human person, sin and grace, society, and freedom. All flow from Christology, our understanding of Jesus, so that, as St. Bonaventure said, Christ is truly found at the center of all the disciplines pursued in the university.

Get your copy of Word on Fire's 2024 Lent Reflection booklets: WordonFire.org/Lent2024

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Friends, each of us wants to be a good person. But how do we actually do that? How do we truly become a person of love? That’s what Brandon Vogt and I discuss on today’s “Word on Fire Show” episode.

A listener asks, if I did not inherit the sins of my parents, why did I inherit the sins of Adam and Eve?

00:00 | Intro
00:46 | Update on Winona-Rochester Diocesan Pastoral Center
02:38 | Dorothy Day and the need for corporal and spiritual works of mercy
04:41 | The seven corporal works of mercy
05:50 | Corporal works of mercy as measuring marks for self-examination
06:36 | 1) Feed the hungry, 2) give drink to the thirsty, 3) clothe the naked
10:53 | Direct aid for the needy vs. indirect aid
12:57 | 4) Visit the imprisoned—is this literal?
14:41 | How acts of love can lead to peace
17:27 | 5) Shelter the homeless
18:53 | 6) Visit the sick
21:02 | 7) Bury the dead
22:57 | How ordinary parents can pursue corporal works of mercy
24:12 | Listener question
27:21 | 2024 Lenten Reflections booklet from Word on Fire

Links

• 2024 Lent Reflections Booklet – FREE copy!

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!