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...

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...

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...

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:...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

In 1968, a book called The Population Bomb written by entomologist Paul Ehrlich helped spark panic in the west that the global population was reaching a breaking point, saying too many human beings would soon cause widespread famine and social chaos. This view that a growing human population is an existential threat to humanity remains widespread to this day. For example, University of Chicago political philosopher Martha Nussbaum recently stated that given the world’s current...

We are happy to share Bishop Barron’s keynote address at the historic 2024 National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis. 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 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...

The nature and purpose of the human body was once considered obvious. But it has come under attack from secular culture in some strange and even disturbing ways in recent years. Now, unfortunately, it is up for grabs. The Word on Fire Institute sought to address this confusion surrounding the body at our recent Wonder Conference, “Nature and the Human Body.” Drawing on rich theological, philosophical, scientific, medical, moral, political, technological, and artistic resources, the conference...

Recently, Bishop Barron traveled to the 2024 National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis. He gave a homily during a breakout session to all the priests present there, and now we are bringing it to you. 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 of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this...

Some recent polling suggests that the number of those who identify with no religion has hit a ceiling, and it may even be declining. At the same time, a number of high-profile cultural influencers—even some formerly hostile to the faith—have either converted to Christianity or announced that they now identify as “cultural Christians.” Moreover, religion and politics, once considered verboten to mix, now seem to find themselves deeply intertwined. How do we assess these cultural and...

Today, we bring you the latter half of Bishop Barron's conversation with Patrick J. Deneen, a professor of political science at the University of Notre Dame. In this engaging discussion, the two address topics relating to freedom, truth, and the political order. Links:   Part I of this discussion: WOF 448 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...

Does being committed to social justice necessarily entail neglecting the liturgy? Conversely, do reverent liturgies entail downplaying or even ignoring the Church’s mission to care for the poor? The answer to both questions is a resounding, no. How should we understand the right relationship between the liturgy of the Church and the virtue of justice, including social justice? And practically speaking, how can we, as a Church, overcome the unnecessary divisions between so-called “liberal...

Today, we bring you the first part of Bishop Barron's conversation with Patrick J. Deneen, a professor of political science at the University of Notre Dame. In the discussion, they touch on topics relating to freedom, truth, and the political order.   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 . ....

We bring to you the second part of Bishop Barron’s discussion with Dr. Tod Worner on the way a Catholic, and indeed all Christians, should approach the crossroads of Religion and politics. Enjoy! 00:00 | Intro 00:26 | The relationship between morality, religion, and democracy 04:03 | The public nature of Christianity 06:04 | Is vitriol built into democratic politics? 09:34 | Argument over quarrel 14:32 | What is "the herd" doing today and how should Catholics respond? 15:57...

We recently hosted a Word on Fire Institute member event in London. At the event, Bishop Barron reflected on five animating sensibilities for evangelization. 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 of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join

Today, we bring to you the first part of Bishop Barron’s discussion with Dr. Tod Worner on the way a Catholic should navigate the crossroads of religion and politics. 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 IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

Bishop Barron had the privilege of speaking to members of Parliament in London, England. He reflects on the presence of the Church in society, her endurance throughout the ages, and why Christianity is consistently a powerful cultural force. 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 IGNITE today to become a...

Over 83 percent of Americans still believe in miracles, but what, specifically, are miracles? What are the grounds for believing in them, especially for non-eye witnesses? In the Catholic context, who has the authority to deem an event miraculous? Should Catholics incorporate devotions to Church-approved supernatural events like apparitions of the Virgin Mary and post-Ascension appearances of Jesus Christ into their faith life? We discuss the Catholic understanding of miracles and how the...

We have arrived at the end of our journey with Dante. At the top of Mount Purgatory, Dante ascends the Paradiso and in the highest heaven, he beholds the divine glory of the beatific vision: God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Bishop Barron's course, “Dante’s Catholic Imagination,” is timeless and ever-relevant. Watch it in its entirety in the Word on Fire Institute. NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit...