Word on Fire Reflection

Bishop Robert Barron Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus praises the faithful servant who served his master in a theo-drama. We are called to serve our Master in the same way. A theo-drama is written and directed by God. On the great stage that is the created universe and according to the prototype that is Christ, … Read moreThursday, August 25, 2022

Bishop Robert Barron Friends, in a conversation with Jesus in today’s Gospel, Nathaniel (usually identified with the Apostle Bartholomew) makes the earliest New Testament profession of faith in Christ’s divinity: “Rabbi, you are the Son of God.” Faith is the virtue upon which Christianity rests and is the capacity to see beyond the senses to … Read moreWednesday, August 24, 2022

Bishop Robert Barron Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus forcefully calls the Pharisees (and us) to change their hearts and behavior. St. Augustine defines sin as incurvatus in se—that means “caved in around oneself.” To be in sin is to be “caved in” around the ego and its narrow concerns. When the Lord says, “Reform your … Read moreTuesday, August 23, 2022

Bishop Robert Barron Friends, today we celebrate Mary’s Queenship. Mary was the definitive bearer of the divine presence, the Ark of the Covenant par excellence. When she visited her cousin Elizabeth, the infant John the Baptist leapt in his mother’s womb, doing his own version of David’s dance before the Ark.  The Queen Mother—like all … Read moreMonday, August 22, 2022

Bishop Robert Barron Friends, our Gospel for today features a question that people have been asking from time immemorial and that they still ask today: “Lord, will only a few people be saved?” Heaven, hell, salvation, damnation, who will be in and who will be out? We have remained fascinated with these questions for a … Read moreSunday, August 21, 2022

Bishop Robert Barron Friends, today’s Gospel exposes the pride of the Pharisees and concludes with the prescription of humility. I want to reflect on this virtue. St. Augustine said that all of us, made from nothing, tend toward nothing. We can see this in our frailty and sin and mortality. St. Paul said, “What do … Read moreSaturday, August 20, 2022

Bishop Robert Barron Friends, in today’s Gospel, some Pharisees challenge Jesus to answer which commandment of the Law is the greatest. Jesus responds that every power, every capacity in us must be given over to the love of God. But what exactly does it mean to love God?  St. Bernard of Clairvaux is helpful here. … Read moreFriday, August 19, 2022

Bishop Robert Barron Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus tells the parable that compares the kingdom of heaven to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. The guests invited to the feast refuse to come. There are a number of sayings and parables of Christ that emphasize the difficulty in attaining the kingdom … Read moreThursday, August 18, 2022

Bishop Robert Barron Friends, in today’s Gospel, we hear of a landowner who goes out to hire workers for his field, hiring some first thing in the morning and then others at different times during the day. Then he pays each the same wage. Why should those who have worked only an hour be paid … Read moreWednesday, August 17, 2022

Bishop Robert Barron Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus says to his disciples: “Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of heaven.” When the disciples express their astonishment at this—“Who then can be saved?”—Jesus replies, “For men this is impossible, but for God all things … Read moreTuesday, August 16, 2022