Word on Fire Reflection

Bishop Robert Barron Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus withstands the opposition of the Pharisees to heal a man with a withered hand. His healings like this one signified the arrival of the kingdom of God. When Jesus began to preach, his theme was that the kingdom of God is at hand. In his own person … Read moreWednesday, January 17, 2024

Bishop Robert Barron Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus acknowledges that he is “lord even of the sabbath.” And the claim of the first Christians was Iesous Kyrios—Jesus is Lord. This was bound to annoy both Jews and Gentiles. The Jews would be massively put off by the use of the term Kyrios in describing an … Read moreTuesday, January 16, 2024

Bishop Robert Barron Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus calls Matthew to become his disciple. Jesus gazes at this man and says simply, “Follow me.” Did Jesus invite Matthew because the tax collector merited it? Was Jesus responding to some hidden longing in the sinner’s heart? Certainly not. Grace, by definition, comes unbidden and without explanation. … Read moreSaturday, January 13, 2024

Bishop Robert Barron Friends, in today’s Gospel, the Lord says his disciples do not fast because God is holding a great wedding banquet. You find the theme of the wedding throughout the Old Testament as a motif to express God’s covenant with his people. We’ve fallen apart in sin. We’ve gone into exile. And what … Read moreMonday, January 15, 2024

Bishop Robert Barron Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus invites his first disciples to come and stay with him.  I think that this command of Jesus is a bit like an initiation ritual. In order to prepare themselves for a lifetime of discipleship, his followers must first pass through an intensive period of spiritual formation, much … Read moreSunday, January 14, 2024

Bishop Robert Barron Friends, in our Gospel today, Jesus says matter-of-factly before healing the paralytic, “Child, your sins are forgiven.” Shocked, the Pharisees respond, “He is blaspheming. Who but God alone can forgive sins?” They were quite right, of course, which is the whole point. If you had hurt me, I could with some legitimacy … Read moreFriday, January 12, 2024

Bishop Robert Barron Friends, our Gospel today gives us one of the great scenes of Jesus healing a leper. And as is usually the case, it becomes an icon of the spiritual life in general. Once in the Lord’s presence, the leper kneels down and begs him. The suffering man realizes who Jesus is: not … Read moreThursday, January 11, 2024

Bishop Robert Barron Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus heals many of the townspeople of Capernaum. His healing of physical ailments points to his spiritual healing—to his being the doctor of the soul. The Gospels are filled with accounts of Jesus’ healing encounters with those whose spiritual energies are unable to flow. Much of Jesus’ ministry … Read moreWednesday, January 10, 2024

Bishop Robert Barron Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus drives out an unclean spirit from a man in the Capernaum synagogue. And he wants to perform the same cleansing operation in our lives. What God intended from the beginning is that our hearts be temples of his presence. So Christ comes into our world. What does … Read moreTuesday, January 9, 2024

Bishop Robert Barron Friends, on this Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, let us meditate on John the Baptist. Young John, the son of the priest Zechariah, grew up in and around the temple, acquainted with its rituals. And he sensed that the true Messiah was on the horizon. And so he went away … Read moreMonday, January 8, 2024