The Word On Fire Show - Catholic Faith And Culture

Friends, we just marked the 60th anniversary of the opening of Vatican II, the Second Vatican Council. Six decades later, can we say the Council was a success? A failure? Something in between? On today’s episode of “The Word on Fire Show,” Brandon Vogt discuss a provocative pair of op-eds published in the New York Times by Ross Douthat, who argues that the Council was both necessary and a failure, and yet cannot be undone. A listener asks, if God is without form, then at the Transfiguration, what was Jesus transformed into? Links “How Catholics Became Prisoners of Vatican II” – Ross Douthat “How Vatican II Failed Catholics—and Catholicism” – Ross Douthat The Word on Fire Vatican II Collection The Paschal Mystery: Reflections for Lent and Easter (Word on Fire Lent booklet) 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 thi

Friends, how do we educate the whole person? Religious sister and mental health counselor Sr. Josephine Garrett talks about this question in her keynote speech at the recent Good News Conference. In her talk, Sr. Josephine shares how in order for the whole person to be educated, the object of the education must be properly ordered to the love of God. Links Good News Conference

Friends, did you know that the birth rate in America is the lowest it’s ever been? Why have families stopped having so many kids, and what can we do about it? On today’s episode of “The Word on Fire Show,” Brandon Vogt and I discuss a recent First Things article by Kevin DeYoung titled “The Case for Kids”. A listener asks, how do you reconcile the fact that we have to honor our parents but also Jesus asking us to leave our parents to follow him? Links “The Case for Kids” by Kevin DeYoung (First Things) 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, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, the 265th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, has passed away at the age of 95 years old. In this special “Word on Fire Show” discussion, Brandon Vogt and I reflect on his life, impact, and key ideas and contributions. We specifically touch on five key areas: 1) True reform vs. false reform in the Church 2) Liturgical renewal 3) Importance of the Bible for theology 4) Synthesis of faith and reason 5) Christocentrism Links Bishop Barron’s resources on Pope Benedict XVI The Pope Benedict XVI Reader (Word on Fire) 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, 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. Links Bishop Barron on Ben Shapiro’s “Sunday Special” 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, 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? Links 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. Links 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? Links 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? Links 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. Links 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? Links 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. Links 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? Links “The Three-City Problem of Modern Life” by Luke Burgis Food for the Soul: Reflections on the Mass Readings (Cycle A) by Peter Kreeft

Friends, today we share Lesson 1 from our new Word on Fire Institute course titled “Evangelizing Protestants.” The course is taught by Andrew Petiprin, the Venerable Fulton J. Sheen Fellow of Popular Culture at the Word on Fire Institute, also a former Episcopal priest who converted to Catholicism. Andrew takes you inside several important texts that express how the Church thinks about Protestants and explain how they belong with us in the Catholic Church. You’ll look at works by St. John Henry Newman, Pope Pius IX, the Second Vatican Council, and Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI. In this first lesson of the course, Andrew shares a little about his personal journey and encourages Catholics to support any Protestant friends or family members who may be discerning coming into full communion with the Catholic Church. He also draws on the particular experience of St. John Henry Newman. Andrew sees Newman as a role model for all our Protestant brothers and sisters who are considering making this step. To watch

Friends, what is a Holy Hour? How do you do it, and why should you start? On today’s episode of the “Word on Fire Show,” Brandon Vogt and I discuss one of the most powerful spiritual disciplines you can adopt. A listener asks, if the Eucharist is so important, why isn’t it mentioned in the Nicene Creed? Links The Holy Hour: Meditations for Eucharistic Adoration edited by Matthew Becklo The Word Became Flesh: Reflection for Advent and Christmas edited by Matthew Becklo 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 conversation I had with leaders at Biola University on proclaiming and encountering Christ. It was wonderful to sit down with our Protestant brothers and sisters to discuss the importance of evangelization in today’s culture. In this discussion, we explore how to evangelize through the new media, reach the disaffiliated, prepare to become an evangelist, and much more. Links Story of a Soul by St. Thérèse of Lisieux (WOF Classics)

Friends, on today’s episode of the “Word on Fire Show,” Brandon Vogt and I discuss some comments recently made by Elon Musk, founder of Tesla and SpaceX, about space and religion. What does Catholicism have to say about the universe and the possibility of alien life? Should we be curious about the cosmos? And what opportunities might space exploration introduce to Catholic evangelists? A listener asks, given recent research on anti-aging, is aging a disease? Links WonderConference.com With All Her Mind: A Call to the Intellectual Life edited by Rachel Bulman The Holy Hour: Meditations for Eucharistic Adoration edited by Matthew Becklo 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 talk I recently gave to the service men and women at the United State Air Force Academy. After previously speaking at the Naval Academy about three sailors from the Bible, then at West Point about three soldiers from the Old Testament, I wondered, what should I speak of to the Air Force Academy? What came to me was the angels, those famous fliers in the pages of the Bible. I told the Air Force men and women that they are flyers, too, and so they should consider the angelic realm, the realm of pure spirits, those who fly into the very presence of God, becoming radiant by contact with him. I encouraged them to join the angels in flight, trust their life to a higher power, and become a person of right praise. Links The Holy Hour: Meditations for Eucharistic Adoration edited by Matthew Becklo 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, an

Friends, on today’s episode of the “Word on Fire Show,” Brandon Vogt and I recap two recent discussions I shared with Lex Fridman and Shia LaBeouf. With over two million views combined, these discussions struck a chord with people and I think they reveal several lessons for Catholics interested in drawing others closer to God. A listener asks, how do you get so many things done? Links Lex Fridman discussion Shia LeBeouf discussion The Holy Hour: Meditations for Eucharistic Adoration edited by Matthew Becklo With All Her Mind: A Call to the Intellectual Life edited by Rachel Bulman Wonder Conference