The Word on Fire Show - Catholic Faith and Culture

Friends, when society dismisses the natural law tradition, is it any wonder we see voluntarism take its place? I recently spoke with Ben Shapiro on his Daily Wire show about natural law, family, happiness and much more.

• Bishop Barron on Ben Shapiro's "Sunday Special"

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Friends, many people in the Church, including the Holy Father, have been talking about "synodality." But what is it? What does it mean? How can it help the Church, and what are possible dangers? That's what Brandon Vogt and I discuss on today's episode of "The Word on Fire Show."

A listener asks, what is appropriate to bring with you into Eucharistic Adoration?

• Good News Conference

Friends, today we share Fr. Mike Schmitz's keynote talk from the recent Good News Conference in Orlando, Florida.

As Fr. Mike explains, joy is a choice, just like love. We can either chase the feeling or choose the reality. Joy comes from the fact that you know that God is here and that you are known and loved by him. The Christian life is a pursuit of the One who loved us first, the One in whom we find our true joy.

• Good News Conference

Friends, why is art important? An uptick in vandalism against famous pieces of art, calling to mind outbreaks of iconoclasm throughout history, has raised questions about art's value and purpose.

On today's "Word on Fire Show," I discuss with Brandon Vogt why art matters.

A listener asks, is God's true nature love or truth? What's the interplay between those two?

• The Great Story of Israel: Election, Freedom, Holiness by Bishop Robert Barron

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 share Bishop Barron's 2022 Commencement Address at Benedictine College, which he offered on May 14, 2022.

Well aware that he was on Benedictine ground, a place filled with the mind and spirit of St. Benedict, Bishop Barron shared some simple rules of life that flow from the heart of that great saint.

Friends, in many parts of the world the Catholic Church is shrinking. Parishes are closing or merging, pastors are devising strategies of consolidation. But for the Church to flourish, we can't just manage decline. We need strategies for growth. That's what Brandon Vogt and I discuss on today's "The Word on Fire Show."

A listener asks, why should Catholics be pro-life?

• Newman on Doctrinal Corruption by Matthew Levering

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!

A new Word on Fire book titled With All Her Mind: A Call to the Intellectual Life features essays by Catholic women who offer a call to pursue what is too often excluded from our picture of femininity: the intellectual life.

Full of practical advice and personal testimonies, and featuring a foreword by celebrated scholar Tracey Rowland, this collection opens readers to the endlessly unique ways for a woman to follow the first and greatest commandment: to love the Lord with all her soul, with all her heart, and with all her mind.

Today we share an interview with the editor of the book, Rachel Bulman, conducted by Haley Stewart, Editing Manager of Word on Fire Spark.

• With All Her Mind: A Call to the Intellectual Life edited by Rachel Bulman

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, what is the role of religion in civic life? Must we bracket religion from the political sphere? Those are pressing questions as we near the midterm elections. On today's "Word on Fire Show," Brandon Vogt and I discuss the relationship between politics and religion and the proper place of tolerance.

A listener asks, do you have any recommendations for explaining the Eucharist to high schoolers?

• Light of the Saints by Cory Heimann and Tricia Dugat

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 share a recent discussion between Bishop Barron and the theologian Larry Chapp about Vatican II. The conversation ranges over several topics, including:

• Why evangelize?
• Deification through the Cross
• The 20th-century Biblical Renewal and the Liturgical Renewal
• Evangelization and the Use of Beauty
• Revival of Catholic Art

If you missed the "Bishop Barron Presents" discussion with Larry Chapp, you can listen to that in episode #299 of this podcast.

• Larry Chapp's YouTube channel
• Word on Fire Vatican II Collection

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, Tertullian famously asked in the third century, "What has Athens to do with Jerusalem?" What does philosophy have to do with theology, or reason with faith?

However, on today's "Word on Fire Show," Brandon Vogt and I discuss a provocative new article that wonders what Athens and Jerusalem have to do with Silicon Valley. How should we understand the intersection of reason, faith, and technology?

A listener asks, how do you feel about neuroscience, and how does it fit in with your understanding of the soul?

• "The Three-City Problem of Modern Life" by Luke Burgis
• Food for the Soul: Reflections on the Mass Readings (Cycle A) by Peter Kreeft