Friends, I am happy to announce that my newest book, “Redeeming the Time: Gospel Perspectives on the Challenges of the Hour,” is now available: https://wordonfire.org/redeeming-the-time In the same vein as “Seeds of the Word: Finding God in the Culture” and “Vibrant Paradoxes: The Both/And of Catholicism,” I have compiled essays and homilies I’ve written over the past few years to examine the difficult and troubling events of late through the lens of the Gospel. In “Redeeming the Time,” I delve into topics like the sexual abuse crisis in the Church, COVID-19, political polarization, and social justice, among many others that have greatly affected us all over these past several years. M...

Friends, I’m going to be blunt with you: today’s Gospel is really challenging. It cuts right to the heart of the ethical implications of the Gospel. There's something of a “be all, end all” quality about Jesus, something of an either/or. As he says, “Whoever is not with me is against me.” What follows from this is what I call the principle of detachment and clarification of motives. If Jesus is unambiguously the center of your life, then everything else has to find its place in relation to him. If the good things of the world become more important than following him, then something has gone off-kilter. SUBSCRIBE to my YouTube channel to watch every Sunday Sermon: http://bit.ly/wof-subscr...

Friends, our culture is obsessed with self-determination: finding our own voice, setting our own agenda, doing things according to our own lights. But is this problematic? And what does the Bible have to say about self-determination? On today’s episode of “The Word on Fire Show,” Brandon Vogt and I discuss how, in the Christian tradition, heroes are never those who “find themselves,” but rather those who heed the voice of God and remain obedient to the mission that God has given them. A listener asks, how do you possibly balance a passion for baseball with your faith life? NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus conte...

Friends, we come this weekend to the Feast of Corpus Christi, the Body and the Blood of Christ. The Eucharist, as Vatican II famously said, is the source and summit of the Christian life—that from which Christian life comes and that toward which it tends. It's the alpha and the omega of our Christianity. Our three marvelous readings today bring forth three key aspects of the Eucharist: re-presented sacrifice, blood covenant, and spiritual banquet. SUBSCRIBE to my YouTube channel to watch every Sunday Sermon: http://bit.ly/wof-subscribe ———VIDEO LINKS——— The Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist: https://youtu.be/UzCPu_lEhe8 The Eucharist Problem: https://youtu.be/FYA2xhqp26s Bis...

Friends, Trinity Sunday has been called “the preacher’s nightmare.” But while the Trinity remains a supreme mystery, Thomas Aquinas used a basic principle that helps us to get at it: beings, at all levels, tend to make images of themselves. The higher you go in the hierarchy of being, the more interior and the more perfect this principle becomes. SUBSCRIBE to my YouTube channel to watch every Sunday Sermon: http://bit.ly/wof-subscribe ———VIDEO LINKS——— How To Understand the Trinity: https://youtu.be/IqjFe3AoZYw Bishop Barron on the Meaning of the Trinity: https://youtu.be/5l-Lv9tGQwI Can We Completely Understand the Trinity?: https://youtu.be/xBqG2hjTVjY ———WATCH——— Subscribe to this...

Friends, what can St. Benedict, a sixth century monk, teach us about evangelization today? That’s what Brandon Vogt and I discuss in today’s episode of “The Word on Fire Show.” We explore several Benedictine principles including humility, justice, the cultivation of beauty, the intellectual life, community, and becoming masters of the spiritual life. Also, a listener asks whether I truly do my own dishes. 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: https://www.patreon...

Friends, Happy Pentecost Sunday! On this great celebration of the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, meditating upon the number three will tell us a lot of what we need to know about the Spirit, whose distinctive mark is not oppressive unity, nor conflictual diversity, but unity in diversity. The Church is one Body with many parts, animated by one Spirit manifesting many spiritual gifts. SUBSCRIBE to my YouTube channel to watch every Sunday Sermon: http://bit.ly/wof-subscribe ———VIDEO LINKS——— Understanding the Holy Spirit: https://youtu.be/wD71MBo5gBA Bishop Barron on the Holy Spirit: https://youtu.be/1INut0Gi09Q Bishop Barron on The Holy Spirit in the Life of the Church:...

Friends, I’m delighted to share this video from the premiere of “The Making of a Catholic Priest” in Batesville, Arkansas. Watch the full feature-length film at https://youtu.be/HumCsGbVAp4. This film from the Word on Fire Institute shares Fr. Stephen Gadberry’s life experiences and his journey to the priesthood. I hope you enjoy this gritty and emotional story of how Fr. Gadberry answered Christ’s call to engage the culture and spread the Gospel.

Friends, in the latest “Bishop Barron Presents,” I’m delighted to be joined by best-selling author Tara Isabella Burton, known for books such as “Strange Rites,” “Social Creature,” and “The World Cannot Give.” In our conversation, we discuss topics such as: - Are people actually moving away from religion? - The unaffiliated - The retreat into self - Christian truth claims - Why people leave organized religion - And numerous other topics Stay tuned for future “Bishop Barron Presents” conversations. These intellectually invigorating discussions feature varying religious and political perspectives to encourage greater understanding and civility. ———WATCH——— More Bishop Barron Presents Ep...

Friends, on this Seventh Sunday of Easter, the Church gives us the privilege of hearing the very last words of the Bible. If you're reading poetry, a novel, or even a great work of history, the last words are of tremendous importance. We hear today a kind of coda or denouement after the great climax of the biblical story, and it gives us a clue as to the identity of the Church. SUBSCRIBE to my YouTube channel to watch every Sunday Sermon: http://bit.ly/wof-subscribe ———VIDEO LINKS——— Bishop Barron on the Book of Revelation: https://youtu.be/I8yCkYT50No How to Draw Young People Back to the Church: https://youtu.be/qeD6zVEhmMc The Heavenly City: https://youtu.be/RfaQfZetjNg Is Church...

Friends, in my address to the United States Air Force Academy, I discuss three stories of angels in the Bible—Jacob wrestling the angel, Elisha and the angelic army, and Luke’s account of the angels appearing to the shepherds—and the spiritual lessons we can draw from them today. ———VIDEO LINKS——— Bishop Barron's West Point Address: https://youtu.be/YFsvWeam01o Bishop Barron Visits Annapolis – Catholicism and Just War Theory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJDVmldG8W4 Called into the Depths: Bishop Barron’s Address to the United States Naval Academy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBgmZdM0IKg ———WATCH——— Subscribe to this Channel: https://bit.ly/31LV1sn Word on Fire Institute Channe...

Friends, recently I had the great privilege of giving the commencement address at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas. While I was there, I was asked to reflect on beauty and the role that beauty has played in my own formation, so I wanted to share some of those thoughts with you in this video. ———VIDEO LINKS——— Catholicism and Beauty // 2018 LA Religious Congress Talk: https://youtu.be/iUBNTNiqn60 Bishop Barron on Evangelizing Through Beauty: https://youtu.be/bBMOwZFpZX0 Evangelizing is Priority One: Bishop Barron Speaks to Catholic Educators: https://youtu.be/uEx2xQIPags Bishop Barron on Evangelizing Through the Good: https://youtu.be/Jv0JN2FWZDM ———WATCH——— Subscribe to this Ch...