Another part of a video series from Wordonfire.org. Bishop Barron will be commenting on subjects from modern day culture. For more visit www.wordonfire.org/
I was converted after going through all the evolutionary stages of consciousness, and my Agnostic/Scientific view (I don't think Atheism is a coherent logical philosophical argument)'through my Buddhist retreats, through my Taoist meditations, etc.,many and it was like something I had been missing but was there my whole life. Soon as I walked into the Sistine Chapel, which is a very clever aesthetic way, genius even, to convert people to Catholicism, I felt this was it. Later and in the meantime and still today, intellectually and in my heart I was converted by Noam Chomsky, Peter Kreeft and my personal mentor and Constitutional Attorney Dwight Duncan. Personal examples of Saints and sages through all times and places are signifiers of Christ. And we are trying to grapple with the mystery and the divine ethos as a species still. Bishop Barron is icing on the cake, he's added and THIS RUclips channel keeps reminding me of the glory that is to be. Thank you.
I converted from the Jehovah Witnesses (JWs), and Cardinal Newman was right: 'To learn history is to cease being [non-Catholic].' I was educated in America, and I didn't even know that Martin Luther was Catholic until his excommunication, until I studied the Reformation in History 101 at Christopher Newport College. As a JW, I was asked by a householder while going from door to door selling Watchtower magazines why I became a JW. Then he said, 'Did you ever think about, in the spirit of fair-mindedness, giving equal time to the study of other denominations, at least of the "biggies?' That led me out of the JWs within six months, and I was baptized into the Church on Easter, 1980. I have been enjoying the fullness of Christianity ever since, sometimes practicing, sometimes backslid. One of the many stark differences between the Church and the JWs is the goodness and holiness radiating from the Eucharist and from many faithful. The JW meetings are like a social club/business meeting combo. I left the JWs when I was 18 years old. I pray for them and for all who are seeking God, whether they are still on the journey home to the Church or have long since arrived. May God bless all good-hearted people always, and in all ways. 14 May 2017
We are blessed to be part of the Catholic Church, the one true church of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us all assist in the defense of His Holy Church until the day He comes again.
Dear Fr. Barron, Your wellbeing is in our hearts and prayers. While I have never left my faith, I struggled so. A couple years back I joined a church and the priest there very much reminded me of your approach. Part of what was good about that was it was very helpful in the courage and resolve I apparently needed to make a confession and make a turn in life. Many people are looking for peace, and I hope they look to the church. Jesus knows what it is we need and don't need.
Father Barron is right. Sinful behavior stems from what the Church stands against. It does not stem from the Church. I think that people too quickly reach the conclusion that if you are a part of the Catholic Church that you will behave perfectly. As Catholics, we should do this and always strive for perfection in Christ, but we are human and prone to sin against our fellow Man. People need to stop blaming the Church for evil things in the world when the Church is the front-runner in standing up against these things! In other words, just because there are bad priests and laity in the Church does not mean the Church approves or taught these things (in fact it's always the opposite).
They may not have "taught" it, but they hide it, forgive it, and cover it up, along with denying it. Saying that Catholic priests can't marry opens the door to lurid, disgusting, horrible sex crimes that go on for decades as the media reports regularly. The church doesn't "stand up" to crimes committed against children, up to and including murder, as has been recently found in the shallow graveyard at the orphans home in Ireland. They deny it and hire lawyers to fight legitimate claims that these crimes occurred at all. I think they just paid out $213 million in sex crime claims in Australia. See you in church!
Things got very tense, and some reason causes various sexual abuses within the Laity. Cultural differences become magnified over time, particularly if the emotive label of idolaty is applied.
Father, please keep up the great videos! I find them so insightful and best of all you preach Catholicism as it was ordained to be preached by our blessed Lord and St. Peter. God Bless!
Hey..Thanks for taking time to defend our faith and commenting on those who have some misunderstandings. thank you for your effort! i pray that your efforts will not be wasted! :) Fellow Brother in Christ
@CitizenSkeptic Ah yes of course, "science" can now prove that the Catholic church is immoral! Let's see: universities, hospitals, institutions that care for the poor, much of the greatest art and poetry in the west, and even science itself all emerged from the matrix of the Catholic Church. But I know: Sam Harris has gone to his parents' basement and done a little experiment that proves the church is "immoral."
What the Irish newspaper said about Mel Gibson, reminds me of some posters I saw daubed on empty shops, in Tallahassee, years ago. They suggested that Hitler was the psychopath that he was because he went to Catholic school. I said to myself "Wait, I know Catholics (having grown up surrounded by them when I was a child in the UK) and they are not as this poster portrays". The poster was one of the triggers which led me back to the Church after a twenty-nine year hiatus.
@JeffersonDinedAlone Friend, tell me, honestly, that you don't think the remark that I'm referring to in the Irish newspaper is anti-Catholic. I don't for a minute think that every non-Catholic statement is anti-Catholic, but it is naive in the extreme for you to assume that there aren't real anti-Catholics out there.
@pisumalu Notice, please, that it "surpasses" all understanding. This means that it is found, not on the near side but on the far side of understanding. We have to work our way through debate, argument, discussion, etc. in order to come to the deepest sense of God. We don't get there by setting discussion, debate, and argument aside!
@pisumalu Then it's quite clear that you don't have it, because you're discussing, debating, arguing, and criticizing. So I don't get the point of your original post.
@pisumalu I know we've been round and round on this, but you've just made an argument and you obviously think that you're right! This is not an either/or, but a both/and.
Father Barron. Regarding your commentary on Mel Gibson, his films and personal, issues and for what it's worth, I don't see the author of this hurtful article you read as being honest at all. You give them credit, and are being very kind them. In my view the author was deceptive. It was show business, a worded mechanism to twist perception to gain attention, to sensationalize, their product. I do agree with you. It was wrong, veiled sarcasm without conscience as to what injury to the faithful reader, specifically, the Catholic, or Judeo Christian, for that matter, the follower of any theological system that believes in God that might read the article. Whoever wrote it was attempting to create a false reality to distract from the serious issues of life. I do like your commentary. Thank you.
@CitizenSkeptic Well friend, the author of the article admitted his critique was motivated by anti-Catholicism! I'm just pointing it out. And how could you or anyone else claim that Gibson's violent remarks in the past were "religiously motivated?" The Jesus I preach said, "love your enemies and bless those who curse you."
This brings to mind a line I read in 'Taking Flight' (de Melo (ed)), which observes: 'we first make our conclusions-then find some way to arrive at them'.
Good observation from Bishop Barron. I believe the Bishop would readily agree that as Catholics, as Christians, we must all follow the Gospel of John (15:12), “this is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” For those that speak poorly of Roman Catholics, perhaps this short passage can be a gentle reminder for them.
Are there lots of bad Americans, even at very high levels of society and government? Of course. Does that mean that America as such is corrupt or that American values are no good? Of course not.
The devil is attacking Mel Gibson because of the great work that he is doing for the kingdom and so of course the devil is also using people 2 hurt Catholicism so we need to pray for those people sinners like myself that are victims of sinning & deception, the temptation coming from the Devil and principalities of Darkness in high places and our battle is not against flesh and blood...
But friend, the bad behavior of church people is never a good reason for turning away from the Church! Christians of all ranks have always behaved badly, up and down the centuries. So what? In fact, our doctrine of original sin teaches us to expect as much. But the Church is the mystical body of Jesus, the spotless bride of Christ, the source of the sacraments, the font of eternal life. Don't turn away from that just because certain Christians don't act as they should.
GLORIOUS DI DARREN HAYES YOU WILLNEVER GET OLDER AND YOU WILL NEVER FEEL PAIN OR FILL THE ROOM WITH LAUGHTER LIKE YOU USED TOAND I WON ,T HEAR YOU SPEAKING. OR OTHERS CALL YOUR NAME IN SPITE OF THIS THE WORLD WILL STILL CONTINUE.AND YOU WILL ALWAYS REMAIN IN MY HEART FOREVER YOUNG.SUN END WIND WON T CHANGE YOUAND YOU AND YOU LL ESCAPE THE HANDS OFF TIME.ANDNOW YOUR BEAUTY WON T BETRAY YOU AND YOUR FUTURE S PAVED WITH GOLD.BUT IN MY MIND YOU ARE SUSPENDED AND YOU WILL BE FOREVER YOUNG..I M A LITTLEBIT HOPEFUL THAT WE ALL CARRY ON.BUT PART OFF ME STILL THINKS WE ARE JUST STARDUST AND FROM THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN I WENT TO MAKE A SAUND ITHOUGHT THAT IF CALL OUTYOU WOULD ANSWER BUT NO ONE DID .AND YOU WILLALWAYS REMAIN IN MY HEART FOREVER YOUNG. SUN ANDWIND WON T CHANGE YOU AND YOU LL ESCAPE THE HANDS OF TIME.AND NOW YOUR BEAUTY WON TBETRAY YOU.AND YOUR FUTURE S PAVED WITH GOLD.BUT IN MY MIND YOU ARE SUSPENDENDED AND YOU WILL BE FOREVER YOUNG.I KNOW THE RULES OF THE GAME FOR EVERY SUNSET THE LIGHT HAS TO FADE.BUT BABY A LIGHT LIKE YOURS WAS SO GLORIOUS... GLORIOUS.ANDYOU WILL ALWAYS REMAIN IN MY HEART FOREVER YOUNG SUN AND WIND WON T CHANGE YOU AND YOU LL ESCAPE THE HANDS OF TIME.AND NOW YOUR BEAUTY WON T BETRAY YOU AND YOUR FUTURE S PAVED WITH GOLD BUT IN MY MIND YOU ARE SUSPENDED AND YOU WILLBE FOREVER YOUNG....OOH OOH OOH OOH.
@badpanda84 Paul knew, even in the first century, that "we hold a treasure in earthen vessels." He knew, in other words, that the bearers of Christ to the world are fragile and morally compromised human beings. I don't think he'd be at all surprised by the clergy sex abuse scandal, though he would be saddened by it.
Many of us really feel for Mel Gibson and pray for him. We feel that after the spectacular success of The Passion of Christ that he was severely attacked by Satan. We pray for him and his family. I believe Mel will come back just as strong as he ever was and defend the Faith.
“The first movement of the prayer petition is asking for forgiveness. Asking forgiveness is the perquisite for both the Eucharist Liturgy and personal prayer.” (CCC 2631)
Some people think we Catholics are not Christians which i find very offensive. We Catholics have every Christian right. As a Catholic Christian, i have every religious right and that's something no one can take away. Despite of the flaws the Catholic church has like the inquisition and the crusade. Those were dark times. But during WW2, Pope Pious XVII managed to save Jewish people from being killed during the Nazi Holocaust. So there's a bright side to it.
+Alan Bourbeau If you read the true history of the "inquisition" and "crusades" you will find that a great deal of it is highly exaggerated anti-Catholic myth.
Prancer1231 I purchased a book recently called The Glory of The Crusades. It puts the crusades in a good light. Let's face it, The Communist regime was the biggest murderer ever, yet people walk around with communist symbols on T shirts. People are very selective with their indignation.
Alan Bourbeau Atheists always try to beat Catholics over the head with the Inquisition and the Crusades; however, they only account for more than two hundred thousand deaths at most. Now let's take a look at countries that adopted atheism and/or persecuted Catholics like Nazi Germany, Russia and China. In a period of forty years, they were responsible for the merciless and indiscriminate killing of well over one hundred million. Now if we were to imagine these atheistic regimes having existed for as long as the Catholic Church, we can extrapolate that there would easily have been easily over one billion deaths by now. In summary, the amount of deaths caused by past Catholic indiscretions is a drop in the bucket compared to the ocean of blood atheistic regimes have already accounted for.
One footnote re: Gibson's "Catholicism": He tends to have his own "brand" of it. He is unapologetically a "traditionalist" which runs counter to mainstream Catholic practice and theology and is anti-Vatican II. So to blame "his" Catholicism as if it is the same as mainstream Catholicism is also unfair. Thanks +Barron!
+Joseph Murphy Even traditionalist/anti-vatican II catholicism does not call for what Mel Gibson was being accused of. Bishop Barron's point was that bad action on the part of one believer does not *necessarily* mean that the whole belief system is bad.
Gibson's Catholicism is not his "own brand". It is the traditional catholicism. Even in our Church we have "progressives" on the left against the traditionalists. Vatican ll has never been accepted by the traditionalists for several reasons.
@ETworldjone Well, does it surprise you that a Catholic priest would think that Protestants are relatively wrong on this question?! I mean, if I thought you were right about this, I'd become a Protestant. And friend, the whole Christology of the church is based upon the great narrative of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Our theology of God is grounded in the narrative of Yahweh's relationship to Israel. So what do you mean when you say that we don't derive theology from narratives.
@2pacOG Oy vey. As far as I know, you're the first person in the history of Biblical interpretation to claim that the angel's greeting is not directed to Mary! To say that Mary is "full of grace" does not mean that she is infinite in grace (that applies to God alone); it means that she is free from sin.
@CitizenSkeptic I never said YOU said. I said that is what Father Barron was commenting about the end phrase on the piece done on Gibson. It was alluded to, that Gibson is the posterchild of what Catholicism is, and that was the comment on which Fr. Barron was commenting on.
@Sarusource Let me see if I've got this right. A tiny percentage of priests violated their vows and therefore the entire church is "hypocritical." Mel Gibson is a bad Catholic--and therefore he's "hypocritical." And thus it's correct to blame Catholicism for his bad behavior. Friend, untangling the illogic of this argument would take me the rest of the day.
@ETworldjone Then you had very bad instruction in Catholicism! The hinge upon which the Hail Mary turns is "pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death." We invoke Mary as our friend and intercessor. This in no way compromises the primacy of Christ. And why is communication with the saints "unbiblical?" Jesus conversed with Moses and Elijah at the Transfiguration, and Maccabees recommends prayers on behalf of the dead.
@ETworldjone, I was referring to 2 Maccabees 2:15-17. In what way does it contradict the Law of Moses, it predicts the Resurrection of the Dead and is integral to the continuing story of salvation of the Jewish people. St. Jerome had poor opinions of many of the deuterocanonical books at the outset but his canon was not Protestant anyway. St. Jerome's deferred to the judgment of the Church as above his own regarding the canon. I will cite him in my next post.
@CitizenSkeptic So "Catholicism" encourages anti-Semitism, wife-beating, and alcoholism! Sheesh. Again, just substitute "Judaism" for "Catholicism" and you'll see why your line of thinking is so problematic.
Thank you for pointing this out! I have been saying it for a while now. But of course, as you also said, this is interpreted as me defending Gibson's behavior or worse, hating Jews, myself.
Again friend, what's your point? That some religious people don't live up to the high ideals of the faith? Granted. As I said, our own doctrine teaches us to expect this. I'm not condoning bad behavior, but I'm strongly suggesting that it ought never be a reason for leaving or denigrating the Church!
@pisumalu The peace of God that passeth all understanding is achieved through a lot of prayer, not by wishing upon a star. And a person that has that peace and understanding has a lot of understanding and tolerance for the ones that do not understand.
@ANDROID697 "Nothing about God can be a metaphor." --Of course God is not a metaphor. But we use metaphors to help us glimps certain aspects about his existence our mind cannot fully grasp. ""The father is in me and I am in the father." --This is a metaphor for the intimate relationship between the person of the Son and the person of the Father.
Hey can you explain to me. How you work under that vicar of Christ as you all call it while He wears a scarf with the man boy symbol on it? That is so messed up on so many levels.
As a recent convert, I guess I had never paid much attention to the hatred that Protestants and non-Christians have toward Catholics. I remember after being confirmed and receiving my first Communion, I told everyone at work, because I was truely happy, that I had found a life that I could live in closeness with Jesus. My boss called me at work one day and asked me what I was doing...by becoming Catholic. She was a Baptist. I told her I was doing what God called me to do.
@wordonfirevideo The following is the Morning Consecration to Mary. It look more like worship than prayer. 'My Queen, My Mother, I offer myself entirely to thee. And to show my devotion to thee, I offer thee this day, my eyes, my ears, my mouth, my heart, my whole being without reserve. Whereas, good Mother, as I am thine own, keep me, guard me as thy property and possession. Amen.' Do you get the picture now?
Yes, but you're looking to the government for all sorts of other good things. Does the presence of corrupt Americans--even at high levels--simply obviate the good that America stands for? And the Church has responded strongly to the sex abuse scandal. Take a good look at the 2002 Dallas accords. Consider the fact that every diocese has a lay review board to consider sex abuse charges, etc.
Well critiques of any one seeking the path of faith who occasionally slips is always mocked at. People think because someone has religious convictions and faith but does something wrong is a hypocrite. People of sincere faith have a different perspective of struggles others go through in maintaining their faith.
I simply asked you, the "divine, great spirit," questions. One would think that one so spiritually advanced and superior in wisdom would be able to handle that without childish ad hominem attacks in return. You didn't answer what I asked but your hateful, arrogant responses told me all I need to know. May you someday find humility in God's eternal love.
With all the recent scandals in Hollywood I wonder if the author of this article would reconsider or rethink that line because I think it shows that Hollywood has more to answer for in terms immorality than the Church does.
@ETworldjone, that was from his Against Rufinus, 11:33 [AD 402]), St. Jerome died in 420 AD. St. Jerome followed the dictations of the Councils of Carthage and Rome regarding the canon.
@FaithandReason101 The Bible itself tells us that December 25 is an unlikely date for His birth. The shepherds were in the fields (Luke 2:8-12). Shepherds were not in the fields in the winter time. In ancient Babylon, the feast of the Son of Isis (Goddess of Nature) was celebrated on December 25. Raucous partying, gluttonous eating and drinking, and gift-giving were traditions of this feast. Also there was a Winter Solstice festival that was celebrated by romans.
My Dad and I were up late wondring togeather why we hear peolpe question on TV and online the Catholic faith but never the Baptest faith. They sit by and question us about what we Believe... Yet the Baptest Faith is so broken... I have a friend who is Baptist and I once asked him how he would go about finding a new church if he moved. He said he would have to look at what each one teaches and find one the teaches what he believes. Yet I must only find the name "Catholic" and I am home.
@DarthMambo Although most Christians said they liked or even loved the movie, there were some who expressed reservations. They questioned the extreme graphic violence, the strange imagery (remember the freaky baby?). Now, with Mel having a moral/spiritual/personal meltdown, maybe it shows that those reservations had some justification. It may have seemed compelling at the time, but maybe a second, more sceptical look at the movie will reveal certain questionable artistic decisions.
Excellent Dr Barron. Live LOVE for Christ ...SOURCE of WISDOM for ANY...not atheists NOTHING WORTHY comes out of atheist. In other words atheists ...senseless reasoning COME to despair. But if they search for TRUTH seriously they find JESUS CHRIST IN CATHOLICISM. EXCELLENT.
@CitizenSkeptic People who take the bible seriously know that it is not a flat text to be picked up and read like any modern book. It is an acient library of texts that have strong theological principles running through them. It is a book written by believers for believers. If you are intellectually honest, you should be looking at what the stories, which do indeed include battles (not genocide, they were all neighbours, in a small region of the middle east.) represent in full.
I never made that assumption, which you should have known. What I addressed has nothing to do with that, which you also should have known. Why you did not know either of these things is not my concern; that would be up to you to determine in trying to reach a place of understanding.
@ANDROID697 "But then in school we are taught words which replace thier 'senses.'" --?? I was never taught that. Words never "replace" the senses. Words describe what the senses show us, either correctly or incorrectly.
@cooliodraw2 (Contd.) Moreover, this Maccabean story of prayer FOR the dead is a narrative and you cannot derive theology from it because it contradicts the traditional Jewish practice as revealed in the Law of Moses. Moreover, regarding Apocrypha, this is what Jerome said, "the Church reads....the books of Maccabees, but does not admit them among the canonical Scriptures." and "they are read for the edification of the people, not to give authority to the doctrines of the Church."
@wordonfirevideo Don't get me wrong Father Barron, I love watching your videos and I'm a subscriber. But this video was on catholicism, so it gives me the right to share my opinion on what I think are the errors in catholicism. I've seen most of your videos, and I never mention full of grace of father error, but in this video welcomed such a subject. God bless, Hail Jesus, full of grace.
@ETworldjone, How do these intercessory prayers lead to that danger? Christ's communication with Moses and Elijah shows that by Christ the dead are made alive and that in Christ death no longer separates us from our beloveds for we all share one Body in Christ. The saints pray for us forever in Heaven, it is in Christ that we are able to ask for their intercession, much as it is our unity in Christ that our prayers for others are heard. The intercession of the saints has roots in Christology
My friend I think the Catholic church you are talking about is in the period between the council Florence and Trent and the 2nd VC (Vatican council). The Catholic church known today is the one since the 2nd VC, if you want to learn about differences before and after the 2nd VC please do your research on that. I still remember back in highschool if im correct was that they got rid of the notion of Triumphalism in the 2nd Vatican council. In my opinion fanatics emphasise alot on that notion. peace
@CitizenSkeptic, sorry I didn't make the distinction. I see your point now. You're saying that a person who claims membership in a religious organization can hold heterodox views which could contribute to their misbehavior. I am fine with that position. I wrongly assumed you were saying that if someone thought that because Gibson is Catholic, Catholicism is false; even though his actions/beliefs contradict Catholic teachings. To hold to this position would be bigoted & irrational.
@badpanda84 What do you think Catholics did back then? Exactly what you said. They met in secret and in homes. No one is saying the Catholic Church looked exactly like it does today as in with the garb or the public ceremony back then. When we say the Catholic Church was the first Church, we mean that they had the same beliefs we do today. Same teachings and mission because the Early Church and today's Church are one in the same faith.
@JeffersonDinedAlone What is presumptuous is to assume that every time Fr. Barron opens his mouth he is talking about you personally. And he doesn't simply "assume" that anybody is anti-Catholic, he DEDUCES it from what they say. He doesn't make blanket statements about every person walking around the earth. In short: Not everything is all about you.
@ANDROID697 Symbols, words, signs either correctly or incorrectly represent something in the world, but they are also part of that world. Maps are just a real feature of the world as the territory they represent, just as the menus found in a restaurant are a real feature of the world as the meals served there.
And maybe I don't know how to read, but why do we say the Angel is talking about Mary when he is talking about God, "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women." Clearly after that he quickly mentions "The Lord is with you." Did it ever occur to Catholics that Gabriel was talking about God and in the end of verse, the angel gives the title grace to God again. But Catholics like to slip in Mary, after Hail, (Mary) full of grace.
I was converted after going through all the evolutionary stages of consciousness, and my Agnostic/Scientific view (I don't think Atheism is a coherent logical philosophical argument)'through my Buddhist retreats, through my Taoist meditations, etc.,many and it was like something I had been missing but was there my whole life. Soon as I walked into the Sistine Chapel, which is a very clever aesthetic way, genius even, to convert people to Catholicism, I felt this was it. Later and in the meantime and still today, intellectually and in my heart I was converted by Noam Chomsky, Peter Kreeft and my personal mentor and Constitutional Attorney Dwight Duncan. Personal examples of Saints and sages through all times and places are signifiers of Christ. And we are trying to grapple with the mystery and the divine ethos as a species still. Bishop Barron is icing on the cake, he's added and THIS RUclips channel keeps reminding me of the glory that is to be. Thank you.
Praise God!
hell yeah
I converted from the Jehovah Witnesses (JWs), and Cardinal Newman was right: 'To learn history is to cease being [non-Catholic].' I was educated in America, and I didn't even know that Martin Luther was Catholic until his excommunication, until I studied the Reformation in History 101 at Christopher Newport College.
As a JW, I was asked by a householder while going from door to door selling Watchtower magazines why I became a JW. Then he said, 'Did you ever think about, in the spirit of fair-mindedness, giving equal time to the study of other denominations, at least of the "biggies?' That led me out of the JWs within six months, and I was baptized into the Church on Easter, 1980. I have been enjoying the fullness of Christianity ever since, sometimes practicing, sometimes backslid.
One of the many stark differences between the Church and the JWs is the goodness and holiness radiating from the Eucharist and from many faithful.
The JW meetings are like a social club/business meeting combo.
I left the JWs when I was 18 years old. I pray for them and for all who are seeking God, whether they are still on the journey home to the Church or have long since arrived.
May God bless all good-hearted people always, and in all ways.
14 May 2017
Don't forget the work of the Holy Spirit is leading you
Brandon Young same here...
We are blessed to be part of the Catholic Church, the one true church of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us all assist in the defense of His Holy Church until the day He comes again.
The Passion Of The Christ is a masterpiece!
@badpanda84 Because Jesus said, "You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church...and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it."
Dear Fr. Barron,
Your wellbeing is in our hearts and prayers.
While I have never left my faith, I struggled so. A couple years back I joined a church and the priest there very much reminded me of your approach. Part of what was good about that was it was very helpful in the courage and resolve I apparently needed to make a confession and make a turn in life.
Many people are looking for peace, and I hope they look to the church. Jesus knows what it is we need and don't need.
@CitizenSkeptic Should certain texts of the Bible be read symbolically? Yes or No?
Father Barron is right. Sinful behavior stems from what the Church stands against. It does not stem from the Church. I think that people too quickly reach the conclusion that if you are a part of the Catholic Church that you will behave perfectly. As Catholics, we should do this and always strive for perfection in Christ, but we are human and prone to sin against our fellow Man. People need to stop blaming the Church for evil things in the world when the Church is the front-runner in standing up against these things! In other words, just because there are bad priests and laity in the Church does not mean the Church approves or taught these things (in fact it's always the opposite).
They may not have "taught" it, but they hide it, forgive it, and cover it up, along with denying it. Saying that Catholic priests can't marry opens the door to lurid, disgusting, horrible sex crimes that go on for decades as the media reports regularly.
The church doesn't "stand up" to crimes committed against children, up to and including murder, as has been recently found in the shallow graveyard at the orphans home in Ireland. They deny it and hire lawyers to fight legitimate claims that these crimes occurred at all. I think they just paid out $213 million in sex crime claims in Australia. See you in church!
hoel7367
Exactly my thoughts as well.
Ones children's behavior doesn't necessarily come from their parents. The gift of free will and individual choice.
Thank you, I love the Catholic church dearly and it helps me tremendously with my relationship with Jesus
Things got very tense, and some reason causes various sexual abuses within the Laity. Cultural differences become magnified over time, particularly if the emotive label of idolaty is applied.
@2pacOG Well friend, how do you translate Kecharitomene in Luke 1: 28? The Vulgate gives us "gratia plena," (full of grace).
Father, please keep up the great videos! I find them so insightful and best of all you preach Catholicism as it was ordained to be preached by our blessed Lord and St. Peter. God Bless!
@goldmen7 Just as I can't speak about you without mentioning your body, so I cannot speak of Christ apart from his mystical body the church.
Amen!
Great video! I am loving listening to Fr. Barron more and more :)
Hey..Thanks for taking time to defend our faith and commenting on those who have some misunderstandings. thank you for your effort! i pray that your efforts will not be wasted! :)
Fellow Brother in Christ
@CitizenSkeptic Ah yes of course, "science" can now prove that the Catholic church is immoral! Let's see: universities, hospitals, institutions that care for the poor, much of the greatest art and poetry in the west, and even science itself all emerged from the matrix of the Catholic Church. But I know: Sam Harris has gone to his parents' basement and done a little experiment that proves the church is "immoral."
What the Irish newspaper said about Mel Gibson, reminds me of some posters I saw daubed on empty shops, in Tallahassee, years ago. They suggested that Hitler was the psychopath that he was because he went to Catholic school. I said to myself "Wait, I know Catholics (having grown up surrounded by them when I was a child in the UK) and they are not as this poster portrays". The poster was one of the triggers which led me back to the Church after a twenty-nine year hiatus.
@JeffersonDinedAlone Friend, tell me, honestly, that you don't think the remark that I'm referring to in the Irish newspaper is anti-Catholic. I don't for a minute think that every non-Catholic statement is anti-Catholic, but it is naive in the extreme for you to assume that there aren't real anti-Catholics out there.
God bless you too, man!
@CitizenSkeptic So the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes are false morality?
Excellently put, Fr. Barron. God bless you.
@2pacOG Well the title "full of grace" was given to her, Luke reports, by an angel. Pretty good source, don't you think?
@pisumalu Notice, please, that it "surpasses" all understanding. This means that it is found, not on the near side but on the far side of understanding. We have to work our way through debate, argument, discussion, etc. in order to come to the deepest sense of God. We don't get there by setting discussion, debate, and argument aside!
@pisumalu Then it's quite clear that you don't have it, because you're discussing, debating, arguing, and criticizing. So I don't get the point of your original post.
@pisumalu I know we've been round and round on this, but you've just made an argument and you obviously think that you're right! This is not an either/or, but a both/and.
@pisumalu But I thought that you had the peace of God that rendered all discussion unnecessary.
Father Barron. Regarding your commentary on Mel Gibson, his films and personal, issues and for what it's worth, I don't see the author of this hurtful article you read as being honest at all. You give them credit, and are being very kind them. In my view the author was deceptive. It was show business, a worded mechanism to twist perception to gain attention, to sensationalize, their product. I do agree with you. It was wrong, veiled sarcasm without conscience as to what injury to the faithful reader, specifically, the Catholic, or Judeo Christian, for that matter, the follower of any theological system that believes in God that might read the article. Whoever wrote it was attempting to create a false reality to distract from the serious issues of life. I do like your commentary. Thank you.
I’m grateful for all of the special touching I’ve received from Catholic priests over the years.
@CitizenSkeptic Well friend, the author of the article admitted his critique was motivated by anti-Catholicism! I'm just pointing it out. And how could you or anyone else claim that Gibson's violent remarks in the past were "religiously motivated?" The Jesus I preach said, "love your enemies and bless those who curse you."
Bishop Barron is awesome!
im so happy for you... welcome home!
Thank You Father Robert.
This brings to mind a line I read in 'Taking Flight' (de Melo (ed)), which observes: 'we first make our conclusions-then find some way to arrive at them'.
@pisumalu Then why have you entered the discussion?!
Good observation from Bishop Barron. I believe the Bishop would readily agree that as Catholics, as Christians, we must all follow the Gospel of John (15:12), “this is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” For those that speak poorly of Roman Catholics, perhaps this short passage can be a gentle reminder for them.
Are there lots of bad Americans, even at very high levels of society and government? Of course. Does that mean that America as such is corrupt or that American values are no good? Of course not.
The devil is attacking Mel Gibson because of the great work that he is doing for the kingdom and so of course the devil is also using people 2 hurt Catholicism so we need to pray for those people sinners like myself that are victims of sinning & deception, the temptation coming from the Devil and principalities of Darkness in high places and our battle is not against flesh and blood...
You are so right. The battle is not against flesh and blood.
But friend, the bad behavior of church people is never a good reason for turning away from the Church! Christians of all ranks have always behaved badly, up and down the centuries. So what? In fact, our doctrine of original sin teaches us to expect as much. But the Church is the mystical body of Jesus, the spotless bride of Christ, the source of the sacraments, the font of eternal life. Don't turn away from that just because certain Christians don't act as they should.
Praise the Lord.
@pisumalu And you thereby perfectly prove my point!
@Kelp25 Tell me about it!
GLORIOUS DI DARREN HAYES
YOU WILLNEVER GET OLDER AND YOU WILL NEVER FEEL PAIN OR FILL THE ROOM WITH LAUGHTER LIKE YOU USED TOAND I WON ,T HEAR YOU SPEAKING. OR OTHERS CALL YOUR NAME IN SPITE OF THIS THE WORLD WILL STILL CONTINUE.AND YOU WILL ALWAYS REMAIN IN MY HEART FOREVER YOUNG.SUN END WIND WON T CHANGE YOUAND YOU AND YOU LL ESCAPE THE HANDS OFF TIME.ANDNOW YOUR BEAUTY WON T BETRAY YOU AND YOUR FUTURE S PAVED WITH GOLD.BUT IN MY MIND YOU ARE SUSPENDED AND YOU WILL BE FOREVER YOUNG..I M A LITTLEBIT HOPEFUL THAT WE ALL CARRY ON.BUT PART OFF ME STILL THINKS WE ARE JUST STARDUST AND FROM THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN I WENT TO MAKE A SAUND ITHOUGHT THAT IF CALL OUTYOU WOULD ANSWER BUT NO ONE DID .AND YOU WILLALWAYS REMAIN IN MY HEART FOREVER YOUNG. SUN ANDWIND WON T CHANGE YOU AND YOU LL ESCAPE THE HANDS OF TIME.AND NOW YOUR BEAUTY WON TBETRAY YOU.AND YOUR FUTURE S PAVED WITH GOLD.BUT IN MY MIND YOU ARE SUSPENDENDED AND YOU WILL BE FOREVER YOUNG.I KNOW THE RULES OF THE GAME FOR EVERY SUNSET THE LIGHT HAS TO FADE.BUT BABY A LIGHT LIKE YOURS WAS SO GLORIOUS...
GLORIOUS.ANDYOU WILL ALWAYS REMAIN IN MY HEART FOREVER YOUNG SUN AND WIND WON T CHANGE YOU AND YOU LL ESCAPE THE HANDS OF TIME.AND NOW YOUR BEAUTY WON T BETRAY YOU AND YOUR FUTURE S PAVED WITH GOLD BUT IN MY MIND YOU ARE SUSPENDED AND YOU WILLBE FOREVER YOUNG....OOH OOH OOH OOH.
@goinghomesomeday1 And your point is...?
@pisumalu Okay, I know I've said this before, but this time I truly give up! You are relentless in wanting to have your cake and eat it too.
@badpanda84 Paul knew, even in the first century, that "we hold a treasure in earthen vessels." He knew, in other words, that the bearers of Christ to the world are fragile and morally compromised human beings. I don't think he'd be at all surprised by the clergy sex abuse scandal, though he would be saddened by it.
Many of us really feel for Mel Gibson and pray for him. We feel that after the spectacular success of The Passion of Christ that he was severely attacked by Satan. We pray for him and his family. I believe Mel will come back just as strong as he ever was and defend the Faith.
These videos end so suddenly.... I'm always caught off guard. I wish these were like 20 minutes.
Merrielle Gatlin Thanks!
“The first movement of the prayer petition is asking for forgiveness. Asking forgiveness is the perquisite for both the Eucharist Liturgy and personal prayer.” (CCC 2631)
Some people think we Catholics are not Christians which i find very offensive. We Catholics have every Christian right. As a Catholic Christian, i have every religious right and that's something no one can take away. Despite of the flaws the Catholic church has like the inquisition and the crusade. Those were dark times. But during WW2, Pope Pious XVII managed to save Jewish people from being killed during the Nazi Holocaust. So there's a bright side to it.
+Alan Bourbeau
If you read the true history of the "inquisition" and "crusades" you will find that a great deal of it is highly exaggerated anti-Catholic myth.
Prancer1231
I purchased a book recently called The Glory of The Crusades. It puts the crusades in a good light. Let's face it, The Communist regime was the biggest murderer ever, yet people walk around with communist symbols on T shirts. People are very selective with their indignation.
There are problems with both Crusades AND Communism. Its not an either/or.
Alan Bourbeau Atheists always try to beat Catholics over the head with the Inquisition and the Crusades; however, they only account for more than two hundred thousand deaths at most. Now let's take a look at countries that adopted atheism and/or persecuted Catholics like Nazi Germany, Russia and China. In a period of forty years, they were responsible for the merciless and indiscriminate killing of well over one hundred million. Now if we were to imagine these atheistic regimes having existed for as long as the Catholic Church, we can extrapolate that there would easily have been easily over one billion deaths by now. In summary, the amount of deaths caused by past Catholic indiscretions is a drop in the bucket compared to the ocean of blood atheistic regimes have already accounted for.
What!!!!!
Flaws????
One footnote re: Gibson's "Catholicism": He tends to have his own "brand" of it. He is unapologetically a "traditionalist" which runs counter to mainstream Catholic practice and theology and is anti-Vatican II. So to blame "his" Catholicism as if it is the same as mainstream Catholicism is also unfair. Thanks +Barron!
+Joseph Murphy Even traditionalist/anti-vatican II catholicism does not call for what Mel Gibson was being accused of. Bishop Barron's point was that bad action on the part of one believer does not *necessarily* mean that the whole belief system is bad.
Ah - Vatican II. A fair bit changed there...
Gibson's Catholicism is not his "own brand". It is the traditional catholicism. Even in our Church we have "progressives" on the left against the traditionalists. Vatican ll has never been accepted by the traditionalists for several reasons.
@@JRobbySh sounds like a normal person
@ETworldjone Well, does it surprise you that a Catholic priest would think that Protestants are relatively wrong on this question?! I mean, if I thought you were right about this, I'd become a Protestant. And friend, the whole Christology of the church is based upon the great narrative of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Our theology of God is grounded in the narrative of Yahweh's relationship to Israel. So what do you mean when you say that we don't derive theology from narratives.
@2pacOG Oy vey. As far as I know, you're the first person in the history of Biblical interpretation to claim that the angel's greeting is not directed to Mary! To say that Mary is "full of grace" does not mean that she is infinite in grace (that applies to God alone); it means that she is free from sin.
@CitizenSkeptic I never said YOU said. I said that is what Father Barron was commenting about the end phrase on the piece done on Gibson. It was alluded to, that Gibson is the posterchild of what Catholicism is, and that was the comment on which Fr. Barron was commenting on.
I don't like all the Anti-MelGibsonism.
Me neither
@Dead Or Alive , no, he isn't. He is a deeply spiritual, and highly intelligent man. Not to mention the most handsome man of all times.
Mel Gibson helped rescue Robert downy Junior. That's enough for any one man.
@@malvokaquila6768 He saved IronMan ... It's more than enough!
@Sarusource Let me see if I've got this right. A tiny percentage of priests violated their vows and therefore the entire church is "hypocritical." Mel Gibson is a bad Catholic--and therefore he's "hypocritical." And thus it's correct to blame Catholicism for his bad behavior. Friend, untangling the illogic of this argument would take me the rest of the day.
@ETworldjone Then you had very bad instruction in Catholicism! The hinge upon which the Hail Mary turns is "pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death." We invoke Mary as our friend and intercessor. This in no way compromises the primacy of Christ. And why is communication with the saints "unbiblical?" Jesus conversed with Moses and Elijah at the Transfiguration, and Maccabees recommends prayers on behalf of the dead.
thank you fr. for making the broader point on bigotry can say anything about jews or muslims ,but say what you like about catholics!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you
@ETworldjone, I was referring to 2 Maccabees 2:15-17. In what way does it contradict the Law of Moses, it predicts the Resurrection of the Dead and is integral to the continuing story of salvation of the Jewish people. St. Jerome had poor opinions of many of the deuterocanonical books at the outset but his canon was not Protestant anyway. St. Jerome's deferred to the judgment of the Church as above his own regarding the canon. I will cite him in my next post.
Thank you 4 further proving my point.
Which is clearly the Roman Empire, led by Nero the Emperor, whose number is 666.
@CitizenSkeptic So "Catholicism" encourages anti-Semitism, wife-beating, and alcoholism! Sheesh. Again, just substitute "Judaism" for "Catholicism" and you'll see why your line of thinking is so problematic.
Thank you for pointing this out! I have been saying it for a while now. But of course, as you also said, this is interpreted as me defending Gibson's behavior or worse, hating Jews, myself.
This would make a great question at RCIA.
How can i place order for the Word of Fire Bible?
Brilliant!!!
Again friend, what's your point? That some religious people don't live up to the high ideals of the faith? Granted. As I said, our own doctrine teaches us to expect this. I'm not condoning bad behavior, but I'm strongly suggesting that it ought never be a reason for leaving or denigrating the Church!
@pisumalu The peace of God that passeth all understanding is achieved through a lot of prayer, not by wishing upon a star. And a person that has that peace and understanding has a lot of understanding and tolerance for the ones that do not understand.
@ANDROID697 "Nothing about God can be a metaphor."
--Of course God is not a metaphor. But we use metaphors to help us glimps certain aspects about his existence our mind cannot fully grasp.
""The father is in me and I am in the father."
--This is a metaphor for the intimate relationship between the person of the Son and the person of the Father.
Hey can you explain to me.
How you work under that vicar of Christ as you all call it while He wears a scarf with the man boy symbol on it?
That is so messed up on so many levels.
As a recent convert, I guess I had never paid much attention to the hatred that Protestants and non-Christians have toward Catholics. I remember after being confirmed and receiving my first Communion, I told everyone at work, because I was truely happy, that I had found a life that I could live in closeness with Jesus. My boss called me at work one day and asked me what I was doing...by becoming Catholic. She was a Baptist. I told her I was doing what God called me to do.
@wordonfirevideo The following is the Morning Consecration to Mary. It look more like worship than prayer.
'My Queen, My Mother, I offer
myself entirely to thee.
And to show my devotion to thee,
I offer thee this day, my eyes,
my ears, my mouth, my heart,
my whole being without reserve.
Whereas, good Mother, as I am thine own, keep me,
guard me as thy property and possession. Amen.'
Do you get the picture now?
@ErableBleu I accidently wrote Babylon instead of Egypt.
How can you ignore Luke 2:8-12
Also, Jesus never told us to celebrate his birth.
Yes, but you're looking to the government for all sorts of other good things. Does the presence of corrupt Americans--even at high levels--simply obviate the good that America stands for? And the Church has responded strongly to the sex abuse scandal. Take a good look at the 2002 Dallas accords. Consider the fact that every diocese has a lay review board to consider sex abuse charges, etc.
Well that's an entirely different claim than the one you originally made!
Well critiques of any one seeking the path of faith who occasionally slips is always mocked at. People think because someone has religious convictions and faith but does something wrong is a hypocrite. People of sincere faith have a different perspective of struggles others go through in maintaining their faith.
I simply asked you, the "divine, great spirit," questions. One would think that one so spiritually advanced and superior in wisdom would be able to handle that without childish ad hominem attacks in return. You didn't answer what I asked but your hateful, arrogant responses told me all I need to know. May you someday find humility in God's eternal love.
With all the recent scandals in Hollywood I wonder if the author of this article would reconsider or rethink that line because I think it shows that Hollywood has more to answer for in terms immorality than the Church does.
Sorry, Mike, but the Roman Catholic Church is WAAAAAY ahead of Hollywood in that regard....Try again,my friend!! 😁😁😁😁
Excellent
@ETworldjone, that was from his Against Rufinus, 11:33 [AD 402]), St. Jerome died in 420 AD. St. Jerome followed the dictations of the Councils of Carthage and Rome regarding the canon.
Fr. Barron why didn't you come and have a nice cup of tea in my house? - Blessings from Ireland - Rene
@FaithandReason101 The Bible itself tells us that December 25 is an unlikely date for His birth. The shepherds were in the fields (Luke 2:8-12). Shepherds were not in the fields in the winter time.
In ancient Babylon, the feast of the Son of Isis (Goddess of Nature) was celebrated on December 25. Raucous partying, gluttonous eating and drinking, and gift-giving were traditions of this feast.
Also there was a Winter Solstice festival that was celebrated by romans.
My Dad and I were up late wondring togeather why we hear peolpe question on TV and online the Catholic faith but never the Baptest faith.
They sit by and question us about what we Believe... Yet the Baptest Faith is so broken...
I have a friend who is Baptist and I once asked him how he would go about finding a new church if he moved. He said he would have to look at what each one teaches and find one the teaches what he believes.
Yet I must only find the name "Catholic" and I am home.
@DarthMambo Although most Christians said they liked or even loved the movie, there were some who expressed reservations. They questioned the extreme graphic violence, the strange imagery (remember the freaky baby?). Now, with Mel having a moral/spiritual/personal meltdown, maybe it shows that those reservations had some justification. It may have seemed compelling at the time, but maybe a second, more sceptical look at the movie will reveal certain questionable artistic decisions.
"Full of Grace" is the name Gabriel gives Mary. "Hail" is a greeting given only to Emperial Members of the time.
Excellent Dr Barron. Live LOVE for Christ ...SOURCE of WISDOM for ANY...not atheists NOTHING WORTHY comes out of atheist. In other words atheists ...senseless reasoning COME to despair. But if they search for TRUTH seriously they find JESUS CHRIST IN CATHOLICISM. EXCELLENT.
@CitizenSkeptic People who take the bible seriously know that it is not a flat text to be picked up and read like any modern book. It is an acient library of texts that have strong theological principles running through them. It is a book written by believers for believers. If you are intellectually honest, you should be looking at what the stories, which do indeed include battles (not genocide, they were all neighbours, in a small region of the middle east.) represent in full.
I never made that assumption, which you should have known. What I addressed has nothing to do with that, which you also should have known. Why you did not know either of these things is not my concern; that would be up to you to determine in trying to reach a place of understanding.
@ANDROID697 "But then in school we are taught words which replace thier 'senses.'"
--?? I was never taught that. Words never "replace" the senses. Words describe what the senses show us, either correctly or incorrectly.
@2pacOG Did it every occur to you that the Protestant translators rendered the term the way they did because of their own theological prejudices?
@cooliodraw2 (Contd.) Moreover, this Maccabean story of prayer FOR the dead is a narrative and you cannot derive theology from it because it contradicts the traditional Jewish practice as revealed in the Law of Moses. Moreover, regarding Apocrypha, this is what Jerome said,
"the Church reads....the books of Maccabees, but does not admit them among the canonical Scriptures." and "they are read for the edification of the people, not to give authority to the doctrines of the Church."
@wordonfirevideo Don't get me wrong Father Barron, I love watching your videos and I'm a subscriber. But this video was on catholicism, so it gives me the right to share my opinion on what I think are the errors in catholicism. I've seen most of your videos, and I never mention full of grace of father error, but in this video welcomed such a subject. God bless, Hail Jesus, full of grace.
@ETworldjone, How do these intercessory prayers lead to that danger? Christ's communication with Moses and Elijah shows that by Christ the dead are made alive and that in Christ death no longer separates us from our beloveds for we all share one Body in Christ. The saints pray for us forever in Heaven, it is in Christ that we are able to ask for their intercession, much as it is our unity in Christ that our prayers for others are heard. The intercession of the saints has roots in Christology
@JeffersonDinedAlone if quoting you draws correction, perhaps you should've stated what you meant in the first place.
@wordonfirevideo
Hail is a form of greeting. It was usually used to adress someone important, like caesar.
so why would God be greeting himself?
My friend I think the Catholic church you are talking about is in the period between the council Florence and Trent and the 2nd VC (Vatican council). The Catholic church known today is the one since the 2nd VC, if you want to learn about differences before and after the 2nd VC please do your research on that. I still remember back in highschool if im correct was that they got rid of the notion of Triumphalism in the 2nd Vatican council. In my opinion fanatics emphasise alot on that notion. peace
@CitizenSkeptic, sorry I didn't make the distinction. I see your point now. You're saying that a person who claims membership in a religious organization can hold heterodox views which could contribute to their misbehavior. I am fine with that position.
I wrongly assumed you were saying that if someone thought that because Gibson is Catholic, Catholicism is false; even though his actions/beliefs contradict Catholic teachings. To hold to this position would be bigoted & irrational.
@badpanda84
What do you think Catholics did back then? Exactly what you said. They met in secret and in homes. No one is saying the Catholic Church looked exactly like it does today as in with the garb or the public ceremony back then. When we say the Catholic Church was the first Church, we mean that they had the same beliefs we do today. Same teachings and mission because the Early Church and today's Church are one in the same faith.
@wordonfirevideo Wonderful and Gentle Response to Heretics.
@JeffersonDinedAlone What is presumptuous is to assume that every time Fr. Barron opens his mouth he is talking about you personally. And he doesn't simply "assume" that anybody is anti-Catholic, he DEDUCES it from what they say. He doesn't make blanket statements about every person walking around the earth. In short: Not everything is all about you.
@ANDROID697 Symbols, words, signs either correctly or incorrectly represent something in the world, but they are also part of that world. Maps are just a real feature of the world as the territory they represent, just as the menus found in a restaurant are a real feature of the world as the meals served there.
And maybe I don't know how to read, but why do we say the Angel is talking about Mary when he is talking about God, "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women." Clearly after that he quickly mentions "The Lord is with you." Did it ever occur to Catholics that Gabriel was talking about God and in the end of verse, the angel gives the title grace to God again. But Catholics like to slip in Mary, after Hail, (Mary) full of grace.