I really wish my parents had been religious and formed faith in me. I lived my whole life without faith, and I wish I had it to do over again. But I'm starting RCIA today (thanks in large part to WOF and Bishop Barron), and I plan to make my last couple of decades really count.
Well said! I’m publishing a weekly RUclips video on episodes from the life of Don Bosco, entitled ST JOHN BOSCO by JOE ZAMMIT. In this series I’m narrating events and miracles from the splendid life of Don Bosco. St John Bosco used to perform a miracle almost every day, through the intercession of Mary Help of Christians. From the lives of saints we can learn how to love God more and draw closer to him. Thank you
Sister I praise you for your humility. I also wish I would have known Him earlier but God’s time is perfect and He knows better than us. So welcome back home
You are so right Bishop Barron. My dad was a devout Catholic and he was a tremendously positive influence in my great and abiding love for the Catholic Church. I feel so sorry for kids who don’t have a father in the home. I must have a really difficult time figuring out who they are. Not to say anything negative about mothers - i’m a Catholic woman myself - but there’s just nothing like having a good father.
My Saintly Mom did a lot of what was recommended. What I'm most grateful to her for is her witness to devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Mother of God is a sure anchor ⚓ as example and intercessor. She is also most lovable. Thank you Mommy!
I have a similar story to yours Bishop. I am in my seventies today and for my whole life, my Dad has been my hero. When I was five years old, I recall going into my parents bedroom to kiss them goodnight and seeing my father on his knees, by the bed, praying. I asked Him once what he was doing and he said he was "praying to God". I remember thinking I've got to get to know who this "God" is and become his friend. If my father, who is my hero, is his friend, then I want to be his friend too.
Thank you for this talk. As a person who may not be able to have children, it was comforting to know that all adults at church are considered important to the children's Catholic growth. Have a wonderful day.
Wow, hearing this way of parenting is amazing. My parents were incredibly hands off when it came to raising me and my brothers. I was surprised (and more than a little jealous) when I saw how other families lived their Catholic faith together so intimately.
*SAINT POPE JOHN PAUL II:* "Catholic parents must learn to form their family as a domestic church, a church in the home as it were, where God is honored, his law is respected, prayer is a normal event, virtue is transmitted by word and example, and everyone shares the hopes, the problems and sufferings of everyone else." *(Homily at Aqueduct Racetrack, 7th Oct. 1995)*
Well said! I’m publishing a weekly RUclips video on episodes from the life of Don Bosco, entitled ST JOHN BOSCO by JOE ZAMMIT. In this series I’m narrating events and miracles from the splendid life of Don Bosco. St John Bosco used to perform a miracle almost every day, through the intercession of Mary Help of Christians. From the lives of saints we can learn how to love God more and draw closer to him. Thank you
Your excellency, I'm grateful for your work of evangelization. In the last 3 years I've become more dedicated and educated in the truth of the church and this last Sunday I thought to myself "my hard work is being done because I love the Lord" and I want to thank you for being a source of evangelization for me
I have my grandparents and parents to thank for my Catholic faith. Like Bishop Barron, I was also schooled in Catholic schools from elementary through college. My mom's faith grew deeper and richer towards the end of her life and was a true testament to how she lived her life. My faith, too, has grown and I've passed it down to my son. I am happy to see him living his faith especially now that he is 17 years old, a challenging age in these testing times.
I am a cradle Catholic. By the grace of God, I have come into my own in faith, and I continue to be a practicing Catholic. My religion of birth is also my religion of choice. Have I had doubts? Sure, many. Have I been effected by scandals in our Church? Yes, deeply. My parents passed our faith to me, and it was (and is) a part of our lives. What was especially effective, in terms of influence, was the peer-to-peer leadership experiences I had the opportunity of participate in. I gave my first retreat talk at age 14. I'm still giving retreat talks to this day, at age 44. Much has been given me and much is expected of me. I am so utterly thankful for God's grace, and , yes, absolutely, I need to continue to cooperate with His grace to continue to grow in faith, hope, and love. I am not currently a parent, but I very strongly agree with Bishop Barron about this topic on how to keep our kids Catholic. Thank you for shining your light so brightly in our world, which can, at times, be shadowed and less than radiant.
Born and raised in the Philippines, can honestly claim I'm a cradle Catholic but without my parents' who guided five of us, four brothers and me to seat properly in church and just be obedient during those formative years..it will not be as easy. Thank God and a plus to be able to attend Catholic highschool and college. We pretty much grew up with the Catholic faith and still learning alot, with most of us in our early and late 60s. God is good. Now the challenge is how to pass on to grown children & in-laws (24) and most of all to grandchildren (15), currently and perhaps growing.
So I'm a young adult that's basically just left the household and family for college yeah? From the perspective I have, I think a very big part of one's "staying as Catholic" had to do with intellectually engaging with Faith (sorting out some of its many difficulties), and receiving the sacraments of confession and Holy communion frequently. My parents didn't really do this themselves, but my old Catholic Opus Dei highschool really helped me in this regard. To the parents who read this comment, please make sure that you get your kids to love both things, and do these things with them as much as they desire, which may or may not mean going out of your way to drive your teenager to his/her confessor early in the morning before school because they did some *frisky* business last night.
@@m.935 you're talking to a 17-year old kid masquerading as a anthropomorphized potted plant on the internet that makes RUclips videos about videogames that only a small niche can appreciate, totally unrelated to his vocational career path. You're welcome!
Wow, that's so terrific. I was agnostic and accepted the faith when I was in high school. Forty years later and the excitement is still there, seeing God's will and Power in those who come to Faith in His Church. Be bold always and continue to bring the gospel to those around you and be amazed at God's power. It never loses the excitement of seeing atheists and agnostics or those weak in their faith embrace His word and sacrament, growing in holiness.
@@6williamson I can imagine, although from experience this is a lot harder to do online mainly because our Faith is very much part material as it is immaterial.
Your statement is directly on point, one must 'own' their faith, meaning intellectually, spiritually, and sacramentally. No amount of prompting from another source will mean as much or be held more dear.
I remember always sitting beside my dad, I was the youngest of the brood, most Sundays in our local Methodist Church in the town where I grew up. He would share the hymn book with me, so I could read the lyrics of said hymn. He wasn't much of a singer, so he mostly quietly muttered the verses. He was a good man.
So grateful for my parents living their beliefs so as to influence and direct my life. So very much in agreement with the author as it aligns with how my wife and I raised our 5 children. I especially appreciated the comment from Bishop Barron on the question raised by the young listener. Although one of the “separated brethren “ I so appreciate the heart of my Roman family in their willingness to “walk the walk” to the best of their knowledge, done for the purpose of pleasing our Heavenly Father.
Thank you for this Bishop Barron. I’ve had a lot of conflict lately. Thoughts of doubt re’ are myself and my husband are doing enough to nurture our children’s faith. I laughed when you spoke about your parents and how they practiced their faith. As this is exactly how my husband and I are. It was very reassuring for me and gave me such peace. 🕊🙏🏽
This is very true in Catholic families of this generation. I myself struggle in "handing down the faith". I was born Catholic, my parents were practicing Catholics, I was sent to Catholic schools from Elementary thru College. Did the same with my children but still failing miserably in this issue of handling down the faith. Although not totally a failure but wished I could hand it to them 100% of the content discussed, but also 100% to all my children. I have 3 and tirelessly working on the last one to come back home to our Catholic faith.
I understand, I bet you have sown the seeds of faith already, trust in the Lord and pray for them. Your example will have a lasting effect I bet ( as it was for me with my parents)
beautiful summary of the book and comments. Authentic Practice of the faith by parents are crucial for children to believe themselves. I looked at my mum praying at Mass every Sunday or Saturday evening and remembered when I almost passed out from hematemesis. Asked for a vial of water from Lourdes and drank it with faith for healing. And it worked, the vomitting stopped. I credit my Mom’s example of piety for my return to church today. Thank you again for sharing this video WOF team! God love you and blessings!
Passing on anything to the next generation I believe is best done by example... but the passing on of religious practices of the 50's I believe is another story. I come from a large family of 14 children where going to church then was the most important activity of the week: we all had to put on our best clothes... polished shoes... not eat till we returned home etc... and at home... prayers were recited before every meal and the rosary recited every night. My mother was the most devoted person I knew... in her bedroom she had many large statues of her favorite saints to whom she prayed. Today, when I visite members of my family, I see the influence of our upbringing and how it has continued to their children... perhaps not as much devoted... but keeping the faith the best they can and as you say Bishop Barron, in union with the Divine Providence. My faith, is the most important I have... a link to God and Eternity.
Once again, Bishop Barron succeeds in his mission to evangelize the culture through genuine renderings of the reality of Catholicism in America. What a gift is he to the future of our collective lives as the badly of Christ! Robert, Marina del Rey, CA
I believe that when children (and adults) ask questions they are usually genuinely looking for answers. Being able to answer questions may require some real work, research, thought and prayer on the part of the one answering. But what a wonderful opportunity for both to learn and grow in faith! Thank you Bishop Barron and Word on Fire for a wonderful resource that helps to answer many of this new Catholic's questions! God bless.
Bishop, I was assemblies of God for 27 years. I've been watching your podcast for a year now, and have found my way back to the Catholic Church. Thank you for your dedication to the truth
@@southpawhammer8644 , good try, but no cigar! lol, but i tell you what i was for 53 years! I was a Roman Catholic, daily mass, rosary, chaplet of mercy, novenas, you name it, freed from the shackles, look at the serial numbers, maybe you are wearing my old ones!
@@rlrett1 LoL, no shackles here friend. I pray my rosary every day, and I fill it up with requests and intentions. I thought religion was bondage, I found more freedom in the Catholic Church than I ever did being Pentecostal. And I'm not any less evangelical, I haven't lost my faith but gained and built upon it. And most importantly, I've gained the eucharist.
@@southpawhammer8644 . have you ever searched for priest or priesthood in the 13 letters of Paul? If you did, you would have noticed there isn't any mention of it! On the contrary in the book of Hebrews and the other "Hebrew Epistles" it is very common! This letters are written to the HEBREWS or BELIEVING ISRAEL! There is only one nation , God ever instituted a priesthood and that Nation is Israel! The Leaders of this "New Israel" are the 12 apostles! Matthew 19:28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. In the New Covenant every Jew will be a priest mediating between the gentiles and God! (millenium)! 1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Today, we have one mediator, Christ Jesus, no priesthood, no priests, no mediatrix, we are living in the dispensation of grace given to the apostle Paul! Ephesians 3:2 if ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: No Priesthood>>>>no priests>>>>>>no eucharist! So what is the Catholic Eucharist? Study Baal worship and your eyes will open! God bless You!
I love the Word on Fire Show and it’s sincere and practical approach to living our Catholic faith. I would say that my husband and I did a (not intentionally) minimal job in raising our kids Catholic. We love our faith and it’s our foundation, but we pretty much followed our parents’ example of how to practice it. Thank God in His grace that we both are still practicing Catholics and so are our 3 adult offspring. Again, thanks be to God. Faith on Fire helps me to find ways to give my adult children concrete ways to live their Catholic faith with their children in a richer, more meaningful day to day manner. Thank you Word on Fire
Amen to that. And thank you. Fir a long time I thought that as a parent we needed to be very prepared but then I realized that God was telling me, I know you feel not equipped to teach your kids must less guide them in the faith but that He greater than I would equip me as I began to really allow him into our lives and keep him in our life. It’s been quite a journey! It’s a every day surrendering to God’s will and asking for his grace and off to work I go, I keep on inviting our oldest to seek out those answers to the profound questions that dwell in him instead of walking away from the faith. So as Saint Padre Pio tells me Pray more worry less🙏
I will say today this has been one of my favorite teachings from Word On fire. My children are all in their fifties and sixties; some are away from the church. I still see how important it is to be a good practicing Catholic, which I embrace. It is not by words, but by my example that the adult children observe, I have full happy expectations that all my children will be back practicing this miracle faith. Most of all, they know their dad, (who passed to heaven last year) loved them and they have great love and respect for him. Sometimes our church has injured them with nonchristian harshness that takes time to heal. With that being said... Love of faith is internal, heart love... always searching for goodness, and willing the good of the other, Amen
I learn so much from Bishop Barron and Word On Fire. Raised as a Catholic but never really understood what that meant. I feel much more at peace with my faith and LOVE this journey I'm on, I'm understanding and living it more fully.
I would like to add something more - children should be taught, as they approach an age when they are contemplating further education (college, university), to defend their faith. Here in the UK universities are intensely secular and Christian students will be challenged about their faith. Sadly, though in my experience those challenges are fairly easy to defeat, many students are ill equipped to do so. A book like 'On Guard' by the Protestant Philosopher/Apologist William Lane Craig is a near perfect primer for the prospective student.
"those challenges are fairly easy to defeat" So ... how do you defeat this challenge? ( this isnt meant to be offensive(sorry), im just curious how you would defeat it ) Imagine an empty room. Now we put a person A in it who says "my religion A is true". Due to the lack of other persons, no one disagrees so lets assume that the probability may be 100% Now we put a person B in it who says "my religion B is true, your Religion A is a lie". We do have a Problem now because both claim to be the only true religion. the probability that someone is true sinks to ~ 50% Now we put another 8 persons in the room who says "my religion is true, all other Religions are a lie". We do have now 10 Persons and the probability that someone is true sinks to ~ 10% We do observe that the more Religions are there, the lower is the probability that someone is "the right one" Currently we have over 5000 active Religions in the world. Given the fact, that there were already many other religions that already doesnt exist anymore and many other times will come so many other Religions will raise. This means, that if we increase the observed time period, the number of total Religions will increase. If we turn this into a math formula(n equals the total number of religions) we will get this: lim(n-> ± ∞) 1/n = 0 so .... how to defeat this? how to be confident enough that you are the "right one" while calling all others liars? how to avoid the thought that simply all are liars?
@@tehalexy My comment was about having the necessary tools to defend what CS Lewis called "mere Christianity". In your scenario there isn't any attack against any specific Christian doctrine. The argument you present could also apply to the shape of the Earth. If the room has only one person in it and that person says "The Earth is flat", then I don't see the probability of the Earth being flat as 100% because the claim is trivial, it isn't supported by evidence but by an individual. You might argue that it is probable that 100% of people believe that the Earth is flat (though I would suggest the sample is too small) but not that it is 100% probable that the Earth is actually flat. Suppose all the people but one in the room believe the 1969 Moon landing was a hoax, does that reduce the probability that Neil Armstrong walked on the Moon to near zero?
@@russellmiles2861 I'm not talking about changing my children's views, but equipping them to defend their faith in a secular environment. It's never too late to teach Apologetics 101.
@@tehalexy challenge accepted, first question is it if they want to live or they want to die??, this simple question reduce all your 5000 religions back to 50/50, do u want live only now or do u want to live eternally, and if u want live eternally how do u want to live eternally... this satanic atheistic challenges are so boring and easy ...to be or not to be ;)
Love this podcast…very helpful Bishop Barron and Brandon Vogt! I read the WOF book “Brilliant! 25 Catholic Scientists, Mathematicians, and Supersmart People” to my kids at dinner. They really enjoy it!
I was raised Catholic in the Netherlands, we always went to church un sunday and prayed before dinner. However, when I was 11, my parents chose to abandon church. Late in my thirties I met my wife and when I was 40 I became father of our beautiful son (he is 23 now) and since then we live on Aruba. We did our best to raise him as dr. Christian Smith proposes - also to have a appraising but critical way of thinking - only not kind & warm authoritarian - but (I'm a master in pedagogy) in an autoritative way - firm but also giving opportunities. But in a lot of conversations we learned that during 'the lessons' of the church to prepare him for the first communion and later for confirmation he abandoned in his thinking the church because of the old-fashioned teachings and the lack of listening to his kind of reasoning - there wasn't any dialogue. Thank God he always prays and believes in God, but ... for him the church is in the past.
My Catholic faith has been instilled in me by my parents; not priests , nuns, or teachers. I grew up in the Catholic light era of in the 70’s and 80’s. It is the faith instilled in me by my parents as why I am a devout Catholic today.
@@downenout8705 . I take by the mere fact you are following a Catholic post, your are wrestling with something.. If you are not I apologize for my supposition . You are entitled to your belief as I am entitled to mine. My parents did not indoctrinate, they lived their faith. It is by their example I am today. I’m sorry you criticize something you don’t understand. Pax
@@kathleentiernan668 You know nothing about me and to pretend that you do as a justification for dismissing my assertion only points to your close mindedness. I don't expect for one moment that you will recognise your own indoctrination but my hope is that others, who are seeking the truth, will read this and recognise that your words are indistinguishable from a Muslim born into a Islamic family. Your true 1 Peter 3: 15 reason for your faith, from your own words is, "it's true because my mummy told me so". That may be convincing to you but should not be to anyone else.
My children were Baptised raised in as good a Catholic environment as I was able to provide but as teenagers all seemed to - not rebel - as much as just lose interest. I cannot claim to giving as good a Catholic home as I should - mea culpa - and although I have had issues which I had to resolve with my own Catholcism I NEVER found the Faith boring! But then I grew up in a world with far less distractions - how do we fight those? they are on so many levels and all offer so much instant gratification and 'fun'. All that is left - and it is a LOT - for mothers like me - is to pray, and pray and pray - and God will hear us as surely as He did St. Monica.
Having successfully raised faith filled church going children to adulthood, I would say our ‘secret’ was letting them see how faith in Christ was a normal part of our everyday existence. Jesus was (and is) a good, loving, available, interested God - that prayer is as simple as conversation and as sublime as mass. That there is a place for them in church as genuine contributors. ( they helped at mass from the earliest age - simple chores, then with music and reading) the other ‘secret’ especially when teenagers was letting them say critical and questioning comments about church. Chewing over contentious issues was ok and not quashed. Lastly we never saw our kids participation at church as some kind of trophy. Never be proud nor ashamed of your children’s walk with God. Just pray for them to know they are loved by God and that that truth will draw them to Him. Oh lastly, keep a sense of humour and hope. God bless.
Thanks, Bishop and Brandon. Your discussions are always so helpful. I think another big problem in keeping our kids Catholic is that there are so many couples who don't share the same beliefs. If only the mother practices the faith and dad stays home and watches TV, chances are not good the kids will follow in the mother's faith. Trust me, I speak from experience. 😔
spectacular! thank you very much! people think the faith is something outside, if parents don;t live it it's virtually impossible to pass it on. May God guide us to be faithful, practicing catholics!
Regarding the “steps vs. graduating” sacramental faith formation-I totally agree with this as a DRE and catechist. One thing we have worked on is at the last individual confirmation meeting we encourage signing up for a ministry ie. lector, childrens liturgy, extraordinary minister. This is a clear message that they are expected now to help build the church.
Thank you for the clear discussion. The book sounds like a wonderful guide. What we SAY to our children is important, but it is by how we LIVE that our children's most enduring and most important impressions are formed. For their wise counsel, I am all the more indebted, but all of my most profound views on this Faith were formed in moments of silent Observation. Watching my parents and older siblings endeavoring to order their lives in concert with the Lord's instructions and Church guidance has been the treasure store to which I turn in every hour of trial or doubt ever since. Yes, they could be quite eloquent when discussing matters of Faith and morals, but it was not, in the end, their wise Words that formed my thinking so much as their Example, as you pointed out Good Bishop. The most important lessons for me came by way of observation. God, please reward my many Teachers for the powerful witness of their genuine, sincere Constancy!
100% agree with all these suggestions and I'm grateful to hear my husband and I are on the right path. As a Catholic I wanted to add that while the parish may not have the primary role in children's faith formation, if you teach your children certain truths of the faith and certain values, but they don't see them lived out or supported at Mass on Sunday, there's a big disconnect that means parents are fighting an uphill battle. I'm thinking here of reverence for the Eucharist, opportunities for uninterrupted prayer before and after Mass, and modest dress, which are very hard to come by at most Novus Ordo Masses I've been to. Precisely for all the reasons outlined in this video, parents should intentionally choose where they take their children to Mass, where their spiritual community is based. Otherwise, even with the channeling towards other faithful adults, it still will seem like an exception and not the rule of the community as a whole doesn't reflect any attempt at reverence and shared values.
The religious channeling part really got to me: growing up I've always been Catholic, and now I realize what helped was seeing my teachers, my coaches, my neighbors all at Mass with their kids (my friends, classmates and teammates). All people that I knew and trusted because I saw them each through the week.
I am very grateful for your time and help with this information about our Catholic school that has a beginning and continuance experience at home . Thanks again for your interest in helping me and others with this information. May God's love be upon you always 🙏 ❤️
Brandon you do an amazing job on putting the shows together. They're very smart and creative. I love the questions that you ask and your input in the show. Thanks for sharing some of your wisdom with us. God Bless!
Thank you for bringing up this important discussion nowadays! My parents definitely had a huge role on my own commitment to the faith. It's a strong witness to have 2 parents who go to Mass every Sunday. I would also say that catechisation is also very important at a young age as well so that the children are knowledgeable about the faith when they are confronted by a secular culture that spews out many lies. Basic theological truths can provide vital in defense of one's faith. Steady participation of the sacraments and a personal relationship with Jesus are also very essential especially nowadays to grow in holiness.
Authoritative and warm perfectly describes my parents. As a parent myself, I try to find that balance, but I think I struggle with keeping warm when I have to be authoritative.
These advice sound like great for any parenting regarding anything at all, including how to be a good person, how to be successful, how to be good at a given sport/music, how to plan your finances, how to plan your life, etc. etc. I'll definitely pick a copy of the book and will read through it!
This was such a great discussion, Bishop and Brandon. Thank you. So important for so many parents. I did most of those things and still lost some of my children. I would like to add two more crucial things parents should do to encourage their kids to choose Catholicism- things I didn't do. First, marry a Catholic. Unless both parents share the faith it is very hard to hold on to the kids. And second, aside from the Mass all the activities with the church and discussions at home, encourage a personal relationship with Jesus. Unless they have that, they probably won't last.
Thank you for this precious video!!! What we also did additional to the evening prayer: we red every day a passage from a good kids Bible. And since we had 4 children, when we went through all of it, we started again. This gave our children basic knowledge about all main persons of the old Testament, about the life of Jesus and his preaching. About his death and resurrection and about Pentecost.
what a good and valuable topic we need to listen to. I totally agree, parents and how they practice their faith plays an important role in keeping children catholic. St. Charbel is our most famous Saint in Lebanon; he had a very faithful parent. I do believe that behind each saint, priest there is a praying family.
I have always had this honest query as to the feasibility of both giving and receiving Communion on the tongue during Holy Mass for extremely large gatherings (take World Youth Day for example). I am unwilling to think or believe that even a single participant in such cases would fail to receive all the benefits of the reception of the Eucharist in full measure or degree because it is received in the hands.
In the end, children never follow their parents' advice, or that of any other adult. They follow adults' example. Another difficulty is that the Church has defined itself by sin and the avoidance of sin, rather than by Love for Our Lord and for our neighbour. It's this that people find so off-putting about it.
Yeah, but they all come out different, too. I've not met the woman who can figure out how to make 2 babies exactly the same. You'd think as long as women have been making babies, they'd start coming up with consistent product! All they do is blame the husbands…. Them rascally babies _always_ come out with different personalities. When them babies get out of line, some of them scoot back in line with merely a glance with a raised eyebrow. Others need a pry bar and close watching to be brought back in line, and then they go astray again when the pry bar goes back to the tool shed. Babies come out full of cuteness and innocence and poopy diapers, but inside they're _all different._ I blame the mothers. This is the burden of fathers.
Thank you very much for the tips and encouragement. It helps to reinforce in me the passion for my faith and my intense hope that my children will be good and faithful in this faith all through their lives.
Really enjoy listening to these talks, always find them both informative and stimulating. Bishop Barron is so good at putting across deep truths in a really clear way.
I live in a very tight religious community… I am the only Catholic for about 1 sq. mile. They have a world wide missionary program… and I asked once who they had the most success converting… my neighbor said Catholic’s…it was a bit of a shock! However, this group has many activities they do as a group… including with children. Religious groups need to do more things together… on a weekly basis… my neighbors do community outreach as well as women groups doing cooking classes, etc. The neighborhoods are mapped out so the same people come to the same church every week… that seems to bond them as a group. I have observed this routine for about 35 years and the groups are glued together.. in a good way.
I'm glad you mentioned TALKING about faith. It is equally important to parents who sincerely, consistently practice the faith. My father was a pastor. We did church, we did prayer, but he never talked to me about Christianity unless I asked a question. I left religion for years, was atheist, then converted to Catholicism. I don't blame my father for my wandering but it was strange that he didn't faith share with me, yet taught others the faith and did outreach. He never shared the why, of belief. I dated a man who is not really sharing the faith with his daughters and it was angering that he only took them to Mass on holidays. His excuse was that he is a revert so they didn't grow up with it. I felt that was weak. He was very devout but just let his teen daughters be taught by the world. I feel this is common, especially with Gen X parents.
My parents talked a lot about the faith...for them it was very intellectual. My father loves theology and philosophy. I do think this kept me in the faith. However, things that were missing from my childhood faith experience included: family prayer time (at least this wasn't consistent), celebration of liturgical holidays (except the big ones like Christmas and Easter), and a real sense of community (I had ZERO friends who took their faith seriously). Still, I stayed in the faith. However, I only stayed intellectually for a long time. I wasn't really LIVING the faith until I became a parent and realized I wanted something different. Some things my husband and I do with our kids (Ages 2, 4, and 6) are an after dinner decade of the rosary, a father's blessing before bedtime, prayer before bedtime (Our Father, Guardian Angel prayer, St. Michael prayer, and a Hail Mary), celebration of more liturgical days other than just Easter and Christmas, Bible stories and saint stories. We are also homeschooling with Seton curriculum, and we have some wonderful Catholic friends in our parish who have kids that are our children's ages. I want to keep figuring out how to make the faith come alive for my kids!!
I could not agree more with that first and most important reason!!! My parents lived as lukewarm Catholics so that’s how I grew up too. Someone who identified as Catholic but did not love the faith and barely went to mass. Now I hope to show any future children I may have what it’s like to be a devout Catholic
Bishop Barron, let me just share something that the Spirit put on my heart recently. I grew up in a Baptist Church, and I heard people that belonged to the Baptist Church routinely, upon being asked, state their faith as “Baptist.” Through my life, I have heard a multitude of different followers of Christ respond the same way, by simply stating their denomination. Recently, I was studying the scriptures, and it felt as though a weight had been placed on my chest by the Sovereign. That weight transformed into an idea, a concept that He wanted me to understand and share. I came to realize that the answer to that question should not be Catholic, Baptist, Protestant, Lutheran, Evangelical, or anything of the like that followers of Christ often return to. No, the answer we should give should be Christian. Putting aside all the differences of belief we have, we all proclaim Christ to be our Savior, and that is above all.
I humbly suggest to bring back all the Faithful, the Catholic Church needs to make it safe for the children. There needs to be a higher standard to which priests are held. And, if wolves are found among the sheep they must be cast out.
What is the question that every child asks, over and over again? That question is “why?”. My parents, although good practicing Catholics (also in the 60’s) never really answered that question for me, and neither did I with my two boys. Our oldest son kind of figured it out on his own but his life was cut short, leaving a widow and 3 children. It was when his children began asking me “why” that I realized just how important the answer to that question is! We absolutely need, as children of a God who created us with an insatiable intellect, to answer the whys with loving care and wisdom. With a faith as rich and steeped in tradition as the Catholic faith, the beautiful whys never stop.
“Not to throw the laity under the bus…” (proceeds to throw laity under bus). Respectfully, Bishop, your father lived a faith that was more robust. Today, the clergy-indeed our spiritual fathers-are not showing this faithful zeal you say (and I wholeheartedly agree) I must show my sons to keep them in the faith. My spiritual fathers are milquetoast and absconded. Distant and lukewarm. Barely available for the sacraments, much less spiritual direction. This is a consistent and troubling blind spot in your analysis of the problem of modern evangelization: you always punt it back to the laity and minimize the absolute responsibility of our spiritual fathers: priests and bishops. You are a most gifted evangelist, your excellency, and am grateful for your ministry, but I think your analysis stops short of seeing why the parents have lost the faith in the first place.
Fernando Rivero, I agree with much of you’re saying, but where I differ is on ‘why some parents have lost the faith’. True that many of our spiritual fathers fail to spirituality stimulate parents, or kids for that matter! In fact, at Mass just this passed Sunday I experienced exactly that, but I’m still here - faithful as ever! What’s different from someone like me and a parent who decides to leave the faith? I worked at it and they didn’t. In other words, when I need spiritual direction, I look to see and make an appointment with a priest I’m comfortable with. Yet, his personality is not very inviting for social conversation, and is most impatient! But I trust him. I now know of laity in my diocese who are spiritual guides, and so knowledgeable of scripture and Lectio Divina! Also, I practice my faith, daily read the WORD, and regularly learn about apologetics for evangelizing; I am a member of the Fellowship of Catholic Christian Women, where the women of my parish has formed a local group! I don’t want to be held by the hand led by who knows who in some corner church to be entertained and No Sacraments. Yet, I have visited non- Catholic churches as someone’s guest with total respect. I share my faith with those my Lord brings my way, and Bishop Barron is one of many who guide me with the “How When and Why”. I didn’t mean to sound like I’m tooting my horn.
Alas, my wife and I have spent 40 years discipling within the church and sometimes our priests and sisters need evangelizing. It's not a question of 'us; or 'them'. We are all on the same boat and we all have the same destination. We need to watch out for each other. It's not a club, it's a family.
It’s kind of a chicken-egg problem; since we recruit our priests exclusively from the laity, and since most of our priests (excluding adult converts) are products of their formation in Catholic families, there’s a complicated relationship between the holiness of the laity and the holiness of clergy. I think the most spiritually healthy approach is to focus on what we have the most power to do. Focus on living more holy ourselves and thus influencing the sons/daughters or students under our control is probably more useful than bemoaning how lukewarm the clergy are, because very few laity are going to be in a position to directly influence them-though it’s possible to help them in other real ways, through prayer, fasting, etc
As a young adult I left the Catholic church. Going through a tough time in my life I moved back into my parents home. Every Sunday they both attended Mass. I began to go with them and my faith was restored. Today I consider myself a devote Catholic. It was a bond of love between my parents and my self and Our Lord that I cherish decades later. Glory be to God.
I really enjoy watching these videos! I will use your advice in teaching my family and learning myself to be a better Catholic. Thank you and God bless you!
Excellent topic and content. Took a while for me to embrace the faith despite my parents doing some of these things and now I try to be all about passing my love for Christ to my kids and others. So I think, choose some of these things, do it, pray, and seek good guidance. After all that, it will be up to our children to make the choice to follow Christ themselves.
A great show! I’ll be passing this on to some of our parish leaders who are trying to incorporate these realities into new ways of doing faith formation for children and families.
i always learn something to strengthen by life as a practicing Catholic. No matter what the topic it is relevant to life in the Church today. Thank you for leading us on to a stronger life with Christ
Let’s also discuss how the Catholic Churches (in my area at least) need to update their approach to children. The options are a the “cry room” (don’t get me started) and sitting on the bench with parents. Sitting and listening to a speech meant for adults for an hour isn’t developmentally appropriate for a five year old.
Brilliant as always. It's an eye-opener. Interesting to note the pastoral challenge of initiating our children into the faith as opposed to having them look at the different Sacraments at different stages as steps that end at confirmation and later get picked up in marriage or holy orders. So maybe you can help us find or develop creative ways of making them discover through the different stages the joy of developing a personal encounter with God. Maybe give us a talk on this in your brilliant style Bishop Barron and Brandon?
Thank you for your ministry. I wish that more priests were like you. How can we be good role models for our children when we don’t have good role models ourselves? How can we teach our children when the priest hide the truths of the faith from us? When even the bishops do not seem to agree on basic Catholic teaching but rather sow confusion and contradiction.
As a parent of young ones, I am fully engaged in teaching them the faith and reinforcing it. However, the catechesis they are undergoing is brutally lacking. Who can resolve this? The teachers barely know the faith or the catechism and are teaching all sorts of relativistic moral positions because it is just easier to avoid “offending” someone rather than teaching Christ’s truth. In other words, I am competing with the teachers on the catechesis of my kids! It really is driving me to consider home schooling rather than sending them to an expensive Catholic grade school where they are getting a watered down version of Catholicism that will never connect with their spirits. Bishop, with all charity, THIS part of the process is the clergy’s job and the clergy is failing in a major way, as a whole. Extraordinary ministers have become ordinary (often dressing casually and acting even more casually in administering), communion in the hand is done without discussion of the break with Paul VI’s teaching, the morality teaching of the Church is danced around…all by the clergy. I try to teach my children the catechism only to have much of it passed over or minimized by the clergy and the religious education leaders. When will the clergy stand up for the faith???
"Extraordinary ministers have become ordinary..." Strong point there. We, laity and clergy, need to put more hard work and prayer into passing on the faith.
Probably because most know deep down that Hebrews 11:1 faith alone is insufficient in the modern era and will lead to the continuing decline of the church.
I hear that a local parish has arranged its Religious Ed so that one of the parents need to attend with the student and work with their child(ren) on assignments of the week. At my old parish in my former state, I witnessed parents pull up, drop the kid(s) off for Religious Ed, and then drive away. One weekend the dad dropped off their child without realizing their was no Religious Ed that weekend.
Yup, we did it. Even though my children attended catholic school in Canada, we still had them do Corresondence Catechism and us parents learnt even more. In the schools, some teachers are better at teaching the faith than others. Some teachers schedule religon class 10 mins. at the beginning of the day and 10 mins. at the end of the end of the day. And we all know what happens during that time, really. Some high school teachers see teaching the religion as punishments.
The role of the church is very important in maintaining a young community before, during and after the sacraments. I grew up in a committed family but also in the church I met young people whose families did not even attend the annual Holy Week masses and these young people were trained and learned about the Catholic faith. Both the church and the family play an important role in maintaining the Catholic religion after the sacraments.
Very good incites on raising kids Catholic. Incites I needed 54 years ago that show me how my husband and I went wrong. We practiced our faith, but thought exposing them to Mass , CCD and the Sacraments was going to be enough. One daughter has moved to the plan to not impose the Catholic faith and all it rules, on her children in any way and let them decide for themselves about religion. Secularism appears to be what they have found, which is so "in your face" these days. Our second daughter has chosen the "religion" is only for the weak minded and not needed for her highly intelligent family. We failed,as did our parents and now we pray for God's Mercy on all of us and "on the whole world." My plan is to order "Return" and never give up!
I really wish my parents had been religious and formed faith in me. I lived my whole life without faith, and I wish I had it to do over again. But I'm starting RCIA today (thanks in large part to WOF and Bishop Barron), and I plan to make my last couple of decades really count.
Well said! I’m publishing a weekly RUclips video on episodes from the life of Don Bosco, entitled ST JOHN BOSCO by JOE ZAMMIT. In this series I’m narrating events and miracles from the splendid life of Don Bosco. St John Bosco used to perform a miracle almost every day, through the intercession of Mary Help of Christians. From the lives of saints we can learn how to love God more and draw closer to him. Thank you
You will do that for your kids now.
Annette,
You are a huge blessing☆
Sister I praise you for your humility. I also wish I would have known Him earlier but God’s time is perfect and He knows better than us. So welcome back home
God’s timing for you is perfect. Congratulations on taking the step ... bless you!
You are so right Bishop Barron. My dad was a devout Catholic and he was a tremendously positive influence in my great and abiding love for the Catholic Church. I feel so sorry for kids who don’t have a father in the home. I must have a really difficult time figuring out who they are. Not to say anything negative about mothers - i’m a Catholic woman myself - but there’s just nothing like having a good father.
My Saintly Mom did a lot of what was recommended. What I'm most grateful to her for is her witness to devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Mother of God is a sure anchor ⚓ as example and intercessor. She is also most lovable. Thank you Mommy!
I have a similar story to yours Bishop. I am in my seventies today and for my whole life, my Dad has been my hero. When I was five years old, I recall going into my parents bedroom to kiss them goodnight and seeing my father on his knees, by the bed, praying. I asked Him once what he was doing and he said he was "praying to God". I remember thinking I've got to get to know who this "God" is and become his friend. If my father, who is my hero, is his friend, then I want to be his friend too.
Don't dumb down the faith - the Catholic faith is full of beauty, truth, and goodness! This is how we keep our kids Catholic :)
Thank you for this talk. As a person who may not be able to have children, it was comforting to know that all adults at church are considered important to the children's Catholic growth. Have a wonderful day.
Wow, hearing this way of parenting is amazing. My parents were incredibly hands off when it came to raising me and my brothers. I was surprised (and more than a little jealous) when I saw how other families lived their Catholic faith together so intimately.
*SAINT POPE JOHN PAUL II:* "Catholic parents must learn to form their family as a domestic church, a church in the home as it were, where God is honored, his law is respected, prayer is a normal event, virtue is transmitted by word and example, and everyone shares the hopes, the problems and sufferings of everyone else." *(Homily at Aqueduct Racetrack, 7th Oct. 1995)*
Yep.. The sacred heart lamp and the whole family kneeling in a circle saying the rosary.
Yes, the good old days of formation.
I think that's in the new CCC from the 90s as well, it's fantastic the insight st. Jp2 has it's no wonder he's a saint
Well said! I’m publishing a weekly RUclips video on episodes from the life of Don Bosco, entitled ST JOHN BOSCO by JOE ZAMMIT. In this series I’m narrating events and miracles from the splendid life of Don Bosco. St John Bosco used to perform a miracle almost every day, through the intercession of Mary Help of Christians. From the lives of saints we can learn how to love God more and draw closer to him. Thank you
well said!
@@Kitiwake
Do value your beautiful Presence☆
Your excellency, I'm grateful for your work of evangelization. In the last 3 years I've become more dedicated and educated in the truth of the church and this last Sunday I thought to myself "my hard work is being done because I love the Lord" and I want to thank you for being a source of evangelization for me
Definitely AGREE!!
I have my grandparents and parents to thank for my Catholic faith. Like Bishop Barron, I was also schooled in Catholic schools from elementary through college. My mom's faith grew deeper and richer towards the end of her life and was a true testament to how she lived her life. My faith, too, has grown and I've passed it down to my son. I am happy to see him living his faith especially now that he is 17 years old, a challenging age in these testing times.
I am a cradle Catholic. By the grace of God, I have come into my own in faith, and I continue to be a practicing Catholic. My religion of birth is also my religion of choice. Have I had doubts? Sure, many. Have I been effected by scandals in our Church? Yes, deeply. My parents passed our faith to me, and it was (and is) a part of our lives. What was especially effective, in terms of influence, was the peer-to-peer leadership experiences I had the opportunity of participate in. I gave my first retreat talk at age 14. I'm still giving retreat talks to this day, at age 44. Much has been given me and much is expected of me. I am so utterly thankful for God's grace, and , yes, absolutely, I need to continue to cooperate with His grace to continue to grow in faith, hope, and love. I am not currently a parent, but I very strongly agree with Bishop Barron about this topic on how to keep our kids Catholic. Thank you for shining your light so brightly in our world, which can, at times, be shadowed and less than radiant.
Born and raised in the Philippines, can honestly claim I'm a cradle Catholic but without my parents' who guided five of us, four brothers and me to seat properly in church and just be obedient during those formative years..it will not be as easy. Thank God and a plus to be able to attend Catholic highschool and college. We pretty much grew up with the Catholic faith and still learning alot, with most of us in our early and late 60s. God is good. Now the challenge is how to pass on to grown children & in-laws (24) and most of all to grandchildren (15), currently and perhaps growing.
So I'm a young adult that's basically just left the household and family for college yeah? From the perspective I have, I think a very big part of one's "staying as Catholic" had to do with intellectually engaging with Faith (sorting out some of its many difficulties), and receiving the sacraments of confession and Holy communion frequently. My parents didn't really do this themselves, but my old Catholic Opus Dei highschool really helped me in this regard. To the parents who read this comment, please make sure that you get your kids to love both things, and do these things with them as much as they desire, which may or may not mean going out of your way to drive your teenager to his/her confessor early in the morning before school because they did some *frisky* business last night.
Thank you so much for sharing this advice and your experience, it really means a lot!
@@m.935 you're talking to a 17-year old kid masquerading as a anthropomorphized potted plant on the internet that makes RUclips videos about videogames that only a small niche can appreciate, totally unrelated to his vocational career path. You're welcome!
Wow, that's so terrific. I was agnostic and accepted the faith when I was in high school. Forty years later and the excitement is still there, seeing God's will and Power in those who come to Faith in His Church. Be bold always and continue to bring the gospel to those around you and be amazed at God's power. It never loses the excitement of seeing atheists and agnostics or those weak in their faith embrace His word and sacrament, growing in holiness.
@@6williamson I can imagine, although from experience this is a lot harder to do online mainly because our Faith is very much part material as it is immaterial.
Your statement is directly on point, one must 'own' their faith, meaning intellectually, spiritually, and sacramentally. No amount of prompting from another source will mean as much or be held more dear.
I remember always sitting beside my dad, I was the youngest of the brood, most Sundays in our local Methodist Church in the town where I grew up. He would share the hymn book with me, so I could read the lyrics of said hymn. He wasn't much of a singer, so he mostly quietly muttered the verses. He was a good man.
So grateful for my parents living their beliefs so as to influence and direct my life. So very much in agreement with the author as it aligns with how my wife and I raised our 5 children. I especially appreciated the comment from Bishop Barron on the question raised by the young listener. Although one of the “separated brethren “ I so appreciate the heart of my Roman family in their willingness to “walk the walk” to the best of their knowledge, done for the purpose of pleasing our Heavenly Father.
Thank you Bishop Barron and Brandon, i always enjoy watching the Word on Fire show. GOD bless you all. Stay safe. ➕❤
Thank you 😊 🙏 Word on Fire 🔥 show...,Lisa in Lakeland Florida
Thank you for this Bishop Barron. I’ve had a lot of conflict lately. Thoughts of doubt re’ are myself and my husband are doing enough to nurture our children’s faith. I laughed when you spoke about your parents and how they practiced their faith. As this is exactly how my husband and I are. It was very reassuring for me and gave me such peace. 🕊🙏🏽
This is very true in Catholic families of this generation. I myself struggle in "handing down the faith". I was born Catholic, my parents were practicing Catholics, I was sent to Catholic schools from Elementary thru College. Did the same with my children but still failing miserably in this issue of handling down the faith. Although not totally a failure but wished I could hand it to them 100% of the content discussed, but also 100% to all my children. I have 3 and tirelessly working on the last one to come back home to our Catholic faith.
I understand, I bet you have sown the seeds of faith already, trust in the Lord and pray for them. Your example will have a lasting effect I bet ( as it was for me with my parents)
Let your kids decide there on there own
beautiful summary of the book and comments. Authentic Practice of the faith by parents are crucial for children to believe themselves. I looked at my mum praying at Mass every Sunday or Saturday evening and remembered when I almost passed out from hematemesis. Asked for a vial of water from Lourdes and drank it with faith for healing. And it worked, the vomitting stopped. I credit my Mom’s example of piety for my return to church today. Thank you again for sharing this video WOF team! God love you and blessings!
Passing on anything to the next generation I believe is best done by example... but the passing on of religious practices of the 50's I believe is another story. I come from a large family of 14 children where going to church then was the most important activity of the week: we all had to put on our best clothes... polished shoes... not eat till we returned home etc... and at home... prayers were recited before every meal and the rosary recited every night. My mother was the most devoted person I knew... in her bedroom she had many large statues of her favorite saints to whom she prayed. Today, when I visite members of my family, I see the influence of our upbringing and how it has continued to their children... perhaps not as much devoted... but keeping the faith the best they can and as you say Bishop Barron, in union with the Divine Providence. My faith, is the most important I have... a link to God and Eternity.
Once again, Bishop Barron succeeds in his mission to evangelize the culture through genuine renderings of the reality of Catholicism in America. What a gift is he to the future of our collective lives as the badly of Christ!
Robert, Marina del Rey, CA
Love how he brings ideas simple & Logically!! Soldiers of CHRIST!!
I love listening to Word on Fire 🔥. Thank you Bishop Barron.
I believe that when children (and adults) ask questions they are usually genuinely looking for answers. Being able to answer questions may require some real work, research, thought and prayer on the part of the one answering. But what a wonderful opportunity for both to learn and grow in faith!
Thank you Bishop Barron and Word on Fire for a wonderful resource that helps to answer many of this new Catholic's questions!
God bless.
Bishop, I was assemblies of God for 27 years. I've been watching your podcast for a year now, and have found my way back to the Catholic Church. Thank you for your dedication to the truth
I am glad you left the assembly of God, but you went from blind to blinder!
@@rlrett1 from blind to blinder? I'll bet you're Baptist.
@@southpawhammer8644 , good try, but no cigar! lol, but i tell you what i was for 53 years! I was a Roman Catholic, daily mass, rosary, chaplet of mercy, novenas, you name it, freed from the shackles, look at the serial numbers, maybe you are wearing my old ones!
@@rlrett1 LoL, no shackles here friend. I pray my rosary every day, and I fill it up with requests and intentions. I thought religion was bondage, I found more freedom in the Catholic Church than I ever did being Pentecostal. And I'm not any less evangelical, I haven't lost my faith but gained and built upon it. And most importantly, I've gained the eucharist.
@@southpawhammer8644 . have you ever searched for priest or priesthood in the 13 letters of Paul? If you did, you would have noticed there isn't any mention of it! On the contrary in the book of Hebrews and the other "Hebrew Epistles" it is very common! This letters are written to the HEBREWS or BELIEVING ISRAEL! There is only one nation , God ever instituted a priesthood and that Nation is Israel! The Leaders of this "New Israel" are the 12 apostles!
Matthew 19:28
And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
In the New Covenant every Jew will be a priest mediating between the gentiles and God! (millenium)!
1 Peter 2:9
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
Today, we have one mediator, Christ Jesus, no priesthood, no priests, no mediatrix, we are living in the dispensation of grace given to the apostle Paul!
Ephesians 3:2
if ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:
No Priesthood>>>>no priests>>>>>>no eucharist! So what is the Catholic Eucharist? Study Baal worship and your eyes will open!
God bless You!
I love the Word on Fire Show and it’s sincere and practical approach to living our Catholic faith. I would say that my husband and I did a (not intentionally) minimal job in raising our kids Catholic. We love our faith and it’s our foundation, but we pretty much followed our parents’ example of how to practice it. Thank God in His grace that we both are still practicing Catholics and so are our 3 adult offspring.
Again, thanks be to God. Faith on Fire helps me to find ways to give my adult children concrete ways to live their Catholic faith with their children in a richer, more meaningful day to day manner.
Thank you Word on Fire
0;0
Amen to that. And thank you. Fir a long time I thought that as a parent we needed to be very prepared but then I realized that God was telling me, I know you feel not equipped to teach your kids must less guide them in the faith but that He greater than I would equip me as I began to really allow him into our lives and keep him in our life. It’s been quite a journey! It’s a every day surrendering to God’s will and asking for his grace and off to work I go, I keep on inviting our oldest to seek out those answers to the profound questions that dwell in him instead of walking away from the faith. So as Saint Padre Pio tells me Pray more worry less🙏
I will say today this has been one of my favorite teachings from Word On fire. My children are all in their fifties and sixties; some are away from the church. I still see how important it is to be a good practicing Catholic, which I embrace. It is not by words, but by my example that the adult children observe, I have full happy expectations that all my children will be back practicing this miracle faith. Most of all, they know their dad, (who passed to heaven last year) loved them and they have great love and respect for him. Sometimes our church has injured them with nonchristian
harshness that takes time to heal. With that being said... Love of faith is internal, heart love... always searching for goodness, and willing the good of the other, Amen
keep praying St. Monica
L
Excellent show with practical tips for parents and for leveraging the faith community. God bless you, Bishop Barron and Word On Fire!
I learn so much from Bishop Barron and Word On Fire. Raised as a Catholic but never really understood what that meant. I feel much more at peace with my faith and LOVE this journey I'm on, I'm understanding and living it more fully.
I remember my father to pracy too, but more important for me was that we were going to Holy Mass on Sunday always.
I would like to add something more - children should be taught, as they approach an age when they are contemplating further education (college, university), to defend their faith. Here in the UK universities are intensely secular and Christian students will be challenged about their faith. Sadly, though in my experience those challenges are fairly easy to defeat, many students are ill equipped to do so. A book like 'On Guard' by the Protestant Philosopher/Apologist William Lane Craig is a near perfect primer for the prospective student.
"those challenges are fairly easy to defeat"
So ... how do you defeat this challenge? ( this isnt meant to be offensive(sorry), im just curious how you would defeat it )
Imagine an empty room.
Now we put a person A in it who says "my religion A is true".
Due to the lack of other persons, no one disagrees so lets assume that the probability may be 100%
Now we put a person B in it who says "my religion B is true, your Religion A is a lie".
We do have a Problem now because both claim to be the only true religion. the probability that someone is true sinks to ~ 50%
Now we put another 8 persons in the room who says "my religion is true, all other Religions are a lie".
We do have now 10 Persons and the probability that someone is true sinks to ~ 10%
We do observe that the more Religions are there, the lower is the probability that someone is "the right one"
Currently we have over 5000 active Religions in the world.
Given the fact, that there were already many other religions that already doesnt exist anymore and many other times will come so many other Religions will raise.
This means, that if we increase the observed time period, the number of total Religions will increase.
If we turn this into a math formula(n equals the total number of religions) we will get this:
lim(n-> ± ∞) 1/n = 0
so .... how to defeat this?
how to be confident enough that you are the "right one" while calling all others liars?
how to avoid the thought that simply all are liars?
@@tehalexy My comment was about having the necessary tools to defend what CS Lewis called "mere Christianity". In your scenario there isn't any attack against any specific Christian doctrine.
The argument you present could also apply to the shape of the Earth. If the room has only one person in it and that person says "The Earth is flat", then I don't see the probability of the Earth being flat as 100% because the claim is trivial, it isn't supported by evidence but by an individual. You might argue that it is probable that 100% of people believe that the Earth is flat (though I would suggest the sample is too small) but not that it is 100% probable that the Earth is actually flat.
Suppose all the people but one in the room believe the 1969 Moon landing was a hoax, does that reduce the probability that Neil Armstrong walked on the Moon to near zero?
@@russellmiles2861 I'm not talking about changing my children's views, but equipping them to defend their faith in a secular environment. It's never too late to teach Apologetics 101.
@@tehalexy challenge accepted, first question is it if they want to live or they want to die??, this simple question reduce all your 5000 religions back to 50/50, do u want live only now or do u want to live eternally, and if u want live eternally how do u want to live eternally... this satanic atheistic challenges are so boring and easy ...to be or not to be ;)
Yes we give a GREAT Religious foundation which will guide them through the Storms of REAL LIFE!!
Love this podcast…very helpful Bishop Barron and Brandon Vogt! I read the WOF book “Brilliant! 25 Catholic Scientists, Mathematicians, and Supersmart People” to my kids at dinner. They really enjoy it!
I was raised Catholic in the Netherlands, we always went to church un sunday and prayed before dinner. However, when I was 11, my parents chose to abandon church. Late in my thirties I met my wife and when I was 40 I became father of our beautiful son (he is 23 now) and since then we live on Aruba. We did our best to raise him as dr. Christian Smith proposes - also to have a appraising but critical way of thinking - only not kind & warm authoritarian - but (I'm a master in pedagogy) in an autoritative way - firm but also giving opportunities. But in a lot of conversations we learned that during 'the lessons' of the church to prepare him for the first communion and later for confirmation he abandoned in his thinking the church because of the old-fashioned teachings and the lack of listening to his kind of reasoning - there wasn't any dialogue. Thank God he always prays and believes in God, but ... for him the church is in the past.
Love , love the Word on Fire ! Bishop Barron , you inspire me and make my faith in God even stronger ! God bless you always !
My Catholic faith has been instilled in me by my parents; not priests , nuns, or teachers. I grew up in the Catholic light era of in the 70’s and 80’s. It is the faith instilled in me by my parents as why I am a devout Catholic today.
That's indoctrination at it's best. Thankfully with the power of the internet, more and more "kids" are able to recognise this and find their way out.
@@downenout8705 . I take by the mere fact you are following a Catholic post, your are wrestling with something.. If you are not I apologize for my supposition . You are entitled to your belief as I am entitled to mine. My parents did not indoctrinate, they lived their faith. It is by their example I am today. I’m sorry you criticize something you don’t understand. Pax
@@kathleentiernan668 You know nothing about me and to pretend that you do as a justification for dismissing my assertion only points to your close mindedness.
I don't expect for one moment that you will recognise your own indoctrination but my hope is that others, who are seeking the truth, will read this and recognise that your words are indistinguishable from a Muslim born into a Islamic family.
Your true 1 Peter 3: 15 reason for your faith, from your own words is, "it's true because my mummy told me so".
That may be convincing to you but should not be to anyone else.
Your hatred is glaring
My children were Baptised raised in as good a Catholic environment as I was able to provide but as teenagers all seemed to - not rebel - as much as just lose interest. I cannot claim to giving as good a Catholic home as I should - mea culpa - and although I have had issues which I had to resolve with my own Catholcism I NEVER found the Faith boring! But then I grew up in a world with far less distractions - how do we fight those? they are on so many levels and all offer so much instant gratification and 'fun'. All that is left - and it is a LOT - for mothers like me - is to pray, and pray and pray - and God will hear us as surely as He did St. Monica.
Having successfully raised faith filled church going children to adulthood, I would say our ‘secret’ was letting them see how faith in Christ was a normal part of our everyday existence. Jesus was (and is) a good, loving, available, interested God - that prayer is as simple as conversation and as sublime as mass. That there is a place for them in church as genuine contributors. ( they helped at mass from the earliest age - simple chores, then with music and reading) the other ‘secret’ especially when teenagers was letting them say critical and questioning comments about church. Chewing over contentious issues was ok and not quashed. Lastly we never saw our kids participation at church as some kind of trophy. Never be proud nor ashamed of your children’s walk with God. Just pray for them to know they are loved by God and that that truth will draw them to Him.
Oh lastly, keep a sense of humour and hope. God bless.
Thanks, Bishop and Brandon. Your discussions are always so helpful. I think another big problem in keeping our kids Catholic is that there are so many couples who don't share the same beliefs. If only the mother practices the faith and dad stays home and watches TV, chances are not good the kids will follow in the mother's faith. Trust me, I speak from experience. 😔
spectacular! thank you very much! people think the faith is something outside, if parents don;t live it it's virtually impossible to pass it on. May God guide us to be faithful, practicing catholics!
Regarding the “steps vs. graduating” sacramental faith formation-I totally agree with this as a DRE and catechist. One thing we have worked on is at the last individual confirmation meeting we encourage signing up for a ministry ie. lector, childrens liturgy, extraordinary minister. This is a clear message that they are expected now to help build the church.
Thank you for the clear discussion. The book sounds like a wonderful guide. What we SAY to our children is important, but it is by how we LIVE that our children's most enduring and most important impressions are formed. For their wise counsel, I am all the more indebted, but all of my most profound views on this Faith were formed in moments of silent Observation. Watching my parents and older siblings endeavoring to order their lives in concert with the Lord's instructions and Church guidance has been the treasure store to which I turn in every hour of trial or doubt ever since. Yes, they could be quite eloquent when discussing matters of Faith and morals, but it was not, in the end, their wise Words that formed my thinking so much as their Example, as you pointed out Good Bishop. The most important lessons for me came by way of observation. God, please reward my many Teachers for the powerful witness of their genuine, sincere Constancy!
100% agree with all these suggestions and I'm grateful to hear my husband and I are on the right path. As a Catholic I wanted to add that while the parish may not have the primary role in children's faith formation, if you teach your children certain truths of the faith and certain values, but they don't see them lived out or supported at Mass on Sunday, there's a big disconnect that means parents are fighting an uphill battle. I'm thinking here of reverence for the Eucharist, opportunities for uninterrupted prayer before and after Mass, and modest dress, which are very hard to come by at most Novus Ordo Masses I've been to. Precisely for all the reasons outlined in this video, parents should intentionally choose where they take their children to Mass, where their spiritual community is based. Otherwise, even with the channeling towards other faithful adults, it still will seem like an exception and not the rule of the community as a whole doesn't reflect any attempt at reverence and shared values.
I really admire Bishop Barron and his ministry "Word on Fire". I think Bishop Barron and his team are doing a great work.
God bless🙏
This you tube should be shown to newlyweds before they are married in the Catholic Church. So important.
The religious channeling part really got to me: growing up I've always been Catholic, and now I realize what helped was seeing my teachers, my coaches, my neighbors all at Mass with their kids (my friends, classmates and teammates). All people that I knew and trusted because I saw them each through the week.
I am very grateful for your time and help with this information about our Catholic school that has a beginning and continuance experience at home . Thanks again for your interest in helping me and others with this information. May God's love be upon you always 🙏 ❤️
Brandon you do an amazing job on putting the shows together. They're very smart and creative. I love the questions that you ask and your input in the show. Thanks for sharing some of your wisdom with us. God Bless!
Thank you for bringing up this important discussion nowadays! My parents definitely had a huge role on my own commitment to the faith. It's a strong witness to have 2 parents who go to Mass every Sunday. I would also say that catechisation is also very important at a young age as well so that the children are knowledgeable about the faith when they are confronted by a secular culture that spews out many lies. Basic theological truths can provide vital in defense of one's faith. Steady participation of the sacraments and a personal relationship with Jesus are also very essential especially nowadays to grow in holiness.
Thank you so much for leaving parents with hope and encouragement!
Authoritative and warm perfectly describes my parents. As a parent myself, I try to find that balance, but I think I struggle with keeping warm when I have to be authoritative.
These advice sound like great for any parenting regarding anything at all, including how to be a good person, how to be successful, how to be good at a given sport/music, how to plan your finances, how to plan your life, etc. etc. I'll definitely pick a copy of the book and will read through it!
Excellent conversation! Thank you for your show!
Being an example is always a way to go.
This was such a great discussion, Bishop and Brandon. Thank you. So important for so many parents. I did most of those things and still lost some of my children. I would like to add two more crucial things parents should do to encourage their kids to choose Catholicism- things I didn't do. First, marry a Catholic. Unless both parents share the faith it is very hard to hold on to the kids. And second, aside from the Mass all the activities with the church and discussions at home, encourage a personal relationship with Jesus. Unless they have that, they probably won't last.
Thank you for this precious video!!! What we also did additional to the evening prayer: we red every day a passage from a good kids Bible. And since we had 4 children, when we went through all of it, we started again. This gave our children basic knowledge about all main persons of the old Testament, about the life of Jesus and his preaching. About his death and resurrection and about Pentecost.
what a good and valuable topic we need to listen to. I totally agree, parents and how they practice their faith plays an important role in keeping children catholic. St. Charbel is our most famous Saint in Lebanon; he had a very faithful parent. I do believe that behind each saint, priest there is a praying family.
Receive communion on the tongue, teach what sin is, confess often, pray together as a family and bear fruit together for the Lord.
I have always had this honest query as to the feasibility of both giving and receiving Communion on the tongue during Holy Mass for extremely large gatherings (take World Youth Day for example).
I am unwilling to think or believe that even a single participant in such cases would fail to receive all the benefits of the reception of the Eucharist in full measure or degree because it is received in the hands.
@@marypinakat8594 google what the Saints say about receiving on the tongue.
@@elitisthavoc3949
St. Pope John Paul II?
@@marypinakat8594 There is a clear majority and he is not in it.
@@elitisthavoc3949
So you are telling me there are factions in heaven as well. Becoming interesting.
I always enjoy listening and watching. It's very intelligent and to the point. Thank you.
In the end, children never follow their parents' advice, or that of any other adult. They follow adults' example.
Another difficulty is that the Church has defined itself by sin and the avoidance of sin, rather than by Love for Our Lord and for our neighbour. It's this that people find so off-putting about it.
Yeah, but they all come out different, too. I've not met the woman who can figure out how to make 2 babies exactly the same. You'd think as long as women have been making babies, they'd start coming up with consistent product! All they do is blame the husbands…. Them rascally babies _always_ come out with different personalities. When them babies get out of line, some of them scoot back in line with merely a glance with a raised eyebrow. Others need a pry bar and close watching to be brought back in line, and then they go astray again when the pry bar goes back to the tool shed. Babies come out full of cuteness and innocence and poopy diapers, but inside they're _all different._
I blame the mothers. This is the burden of fathers.
Thank you for your concern.. I will move on, find someone better. Thank you so much 💐
Thank you very much for the tips and encouragement. It helps to reinforce in me the passion for my faith and my intense hope that my children will be good and faithful in this faith all through their lives.
Thanks Bishop Barron, for touching on this very important & much need subject.
God bless you!🙏.
Really enjoy listening to these talks, always find them both informative and stimulating. Bishop Barron is so good at putting across deep truths in a really clear way.
I live in a very tight religious community… I am the only Catholic for about 1 sq. mile. They have a world wide missionary program… and I asked once who they had the most success converting… my neighbor said Catholic’s…it was a bit of a shock! However, this group has many activities they do as a group… including with children. Religious groups need to do more things together… on a weekly basis… my neighbors do community outreach as well as women groups doing cooking classes, etc. The neighborhoods are mapped out so the same people come to the same church every week… that seems to bond them as a group. I have observed this routine for about 35 years and the groups are glued together.. in a good way.
I'm glad you mentioned TALKING about faith. It is equally important to parents who sincerely, consistently practice the faith. My father was a pastor. We did church, we did prayer, but he never talked to me about Christianity unless I asked a question. I left religion for years, was atheist, then converted to Catholicism. I don't blame my father for my wandering but it was strange that he didn't faith share with me, yet taught others the faith and did outreach. He never shared the why, of belief. I dated a man who is not really sharing the faith with his daughters and it was angering that he only took them to Mass on holidays. His excuse was that he is a revert so they didn't grow up with it. I felt that was weak. He was very devout but just let his teen daughters be taught by the world. I feel this is common, especially with Gen X parents.
Thank you Bishop Barron and Word on fire crew. You bring hope into a dark world.
My parents talked a lot about the faith...for them it was very intellectual. My father loves theology and philosophy. I do think this kept me in the faith. However, things that were missing from my childhood faith experience included: family prayer time (at least this wasn't consistent), celebration of liturgical holidays (except the big ones like Christmas and Easter), and a real sense of community (I had ZERO friends who took their faith seriously). Still, I stayed in the faith. However, I only stayed intellectually for a long time. I wasn't really LIVING the faith until I became a parent and realized I wanted something different. Some things my husband and I do with our kids (Ages 2, 4, and 6) are an after dinner decade of the rosary, a father's blessing before bedtime, prayer before bedtime (Our Father, Guardian Angel prayer, St. Michael prayer, and a Hail Mary), celebration of more liturgical days other than just Easter and Christmas, Bible stories and saint stories. We are also homeschooling with Seton curriculum, and we have some wonderful Catholic friends in our parish who have kids that are our children's ages. I want to keep figuring out how to make the faith come alive for my kids!!
I could not agree more with that first and most important reason!!! My parents lived as lukewarm Catholics so that’s how I grew up too. Someone who identified as Catholic but did not love the faith and barely went to mass.
Now I hope to show any future children I may have what it’s like to be a devout Catholic
Bishop Barron, let me just share something that the Spirit put on my heart recently. I grew up in a Baptist Church, and I heard people that belonged to the Baptist Church routinely, upon being asked, state their faith as “Baptist.” Through my life, I have heard a multitude of different followers of Christ respond the same way, by simply stating their denomination. Recently, I was studying the scriptures, and it felt as though a weight had been placed on my chest by the Sovereign. That weight transformed into an idea, a concept that He wanted me to understand and share. I came to realize that the answer to that question should not be Catholic, Baptist, Protestant, Lutheran, Evangelical, or anything of the like that followers of Christ often return to. No, the answer we should give should be Christian. Putting aside all the differences of belief we have, we all proclaim Christ to be our Savior, and that is above all.
You are on the right way to the one world religion, Bishop Barron loves you! They all profess a loving Jesus without DOCTRINE!!!
I humbly suggest to bring back all the Faithful, the Catholic Church needs to make it safe for the children. There needs to be a higher standard to which priests are held. And, if wolves are found among the sheep they must be cast out.
The Bishop and host have a wonderful rapport. Very thoughtful.
Bishop Barron is the wiser man I've met on Internet
He is definitely a smooth talker, Satan's finest!
What is the question that every child asks, over and over again? That question is “why?”. My parents, although good practicing Catholics (also in the 60’s) never really answered that question for me, and neither did I with my two boys. Our oldest son kind of figured it out on his own but his life was cut short, leaving a widow and 3 children. It was when his children began asking me “why” that I realized just how important the answer to that question is! We absolutely need, as children of a God who created us with an insatiable intellect, to answer the whys with loving care and wisdom. With a faith as rich and steeped in tradition as the Catholic faith, the beautiful whys never stop.
“Not to throw the laity under the bus…” (proceeds to throw laity under bus). Respectfully, Bishop, your father lived a faith that was more robust. Today, the clergy-indeed our spiritual fathers-are not showing this faithful zeal you say (and I wholeheartedly agree) I must show my sons to keep them in the faith. My spiritual fathers are milquetoast and absconded. Distant and lukewarm. Barely available for the sacraments, much less spiritual direction. This is a consistent and troubling blind spot in your analysis of the problem of modern evangelization: you always punt it back to the laity and minimize the absolute responsibility of our spiritual fathers: priests and bishops. You are a most gifted evangelist, your excellency, and am grateful for your ministry, but I think your analysis stops short of seeing why the parents have lost the faith in the first place.
Fernando Rivero, I agree with much of you’re saying, but where I differ is on ‘why some parents have lost the faith’.
True that many of our spiritual fathers fail to spirituality stimulate parents, or kids for that matter!
In fact, at Mass just this passed Sunday I experienced exactly that, but I’m still here - faithful as ever! What’s different from someone like me and a parent who decides to leave the faith?
I worked at it and they didn’t. In other words, when I need spiritual direction, I look to see and make an appointment with a priest I’m comfortable with. Yet, his personality is not very inviting for social conversation, and is most impatient! But I trust him. I now know of laity in my diocese who are spiritual guides, and so knowledgeable of scripture and Lectio Divina!
Also, I practice my faith, daily read the WORD, and regularly learn about apologetics for evangelizing; I am a member of the Fellowship of Catholic Christian Women, where the women of my parish has formed a local group!
I don’t want to be held by the hand led by who knows who in some corner church to be entertained and No Sacraments. Yet, I have visited non- Catholic churches as someone’s guest with total respect.
I share my faith with those my Lord brings my way, and Bishop Barron is one of many who guide me with the “How When and Why”.
I didn’t mean to sound like I’m tooting my horn.
@@josiemascorro9701
More than commendable☆ God bless you heaps☆
Alas, my wife and I have spent 40 years discipling within the church and sometimes our priests and sisters need evangelizing. It's not a question of 'us; or 'them'. We are all on the same boat and we all have the same destination. We need to watch out for each other. It's not a club, it's a family.
It’s kind of a chicken-egg problem; since we recruit our priests exclusively from the laity, and since most of our priests (excluding adult converts) are products of their formation in Catholic families, there’s a complicated relationship between the holiness of the laity and the holiness of clergy. I think the most spiritually healthy approach is to focus on what we have the most power to do. Focus on living more holy ourselves and thus influencing the sons/daughters or students under our control is probably more useful than bemoaning how lukewarm the clergy are, because very few laity are going to be in a position to directly influence them-though it’s possible to help them in other real ways, through prayer, fasting, etc
Agree 👍
As a young adult I left the Catholic church. Going through a tough time in my life I moved back into my parents home. Every Sunday they both attended Mass. I began to go with them and my faith was restored. Today I consider myself a devote Catholic. It was a bond of love between my parents and my self and Our Lord that I cherish decades later. Glory be to God.
I really enjoy watching these videos! I will use your advice in teaching my family
and learning myself to be a better Catholic. Thank you and God bless you!
Excellent topic and content. Took a while for me to embrace the faith despite my parents doing some of these things and now I try to be all about passing my love for Christ to my kids and others. So I think, choose some of these things, do it, pray, and seek good guidance. After all that, it will be up to our children to make the choice to follow Christ themselves.
Peace be with you all.
Thanks a lot for this topic. It helps me to direct my children on their religious life.
Just bought "Handing Down the Faith"!!!! Excited to read it!!!!
This is very needed topic. Thank you Bishop Barron.
A great show! I’ll be passing this on to some of our parish leaders who are trying to incorporate these realities into new ways of doing faith formation for children and families.
Love the picture of the little girl and boy.
So true Bishop Barron!
Thank you of sharing your experience and knowledge. God bless 🙏🏼❤
i always learn something to strengthen by life as a practicing Catholic. No matter what the topic it is relevant to life in the Church today. Thank you for leading us on to a stronger life with Christ
Great discussion and very timely for parents who have the responsibility of helping their children embrace and enjoy the blessings of faith in God.
Let’s also discuss how the Catholic Churches (in my area at least) need to update their approach to children. The options are a
the “cry room” (don’t get me started) and sitting on the bench with parents. Sitting and listening to a speech meant for adults for an hour isn’t developmentally appropriate for a five year old.
I really love listening to your show! It settles my mind during my often stressful work days.
Brilliant as always. It's an eye-opener. Interesting to note the pastoral challenge of initiating our children into the faith as opposed to having them look at the different Sacraments at different stages as steps that end at confirmation and later get picked up in marriage or holy orders. So maybe you can help us find or develop creative ways of making them discover through the different stages the joy of developing a personal encounter with God. Maybe give us a talk on this in your brilliant style Bishop Barron and Brandon?
Thank you for your ministry. I wish that more priests were like you.
How can we be good role models for our children when we don’t have good role models ourselves? How can we teach our children when the priest hide the truths of the faith from us? When even the bishops do not seem to agree on basic Catholic teaching but rather sow confusion and contradiction.
Thanks and peace be with you both!
As a parent of young ones, I am fully engaged in teaching them the faith and reinforcing it.
However, the catechesis they are undergoing is brutally lacking. Who can resolve this? The teachers barely know the faith or the catechism and are teaching all sorts of relativistic moral positions because it is just easier to avoid “offending” someone rather than teaching Christ’s truth.
In other words, I am competing with the teachers on the catechesis of my kids! It really is driving me to consider home schooling rather than sending them to an expensive Catholic grade school where they are getting a watered down version of Catholicism that will never connect with their spirits.
Bishop, with all charity, THIS part of the process is the clergy’s job and the clergy is failing in a major way, as a whole. Extraordinary ministers have become ordinary (often dressing casually and acting even more casually in administering), communion in the hand is done without discussion of the break with Paul VI’s teaching, the morality teaching of the Church is danced around…all by the clergy. I try to teach my children the catechism only to have much of it passed over or minimized by the clergy and the religious education leaders.
When will the clergy stand up for the faith???
"Extraordinary ministers have become ordinary..." Strong point there. We, laity and clergy, need to put more hard work and prayer into passing on the faith.
Probably because most know deep down that Hebrews 11:1 faith alone is insufficient in the modern era and will lead to the continuing decline of the church.
Same problem here: what I teach at home from the catechism is NOT taught or lived at catholic schools.
I hear that a local parish has arranged its Religious Ed so that one of the parents need to attend with the student and work with their child(ren) on assignments of the week.
At my old parish in my former state, I witnessed parents pull up, drop the kid(s) off for Religious Ed, and then drive away. One weekend the dad dropped off their child without realizing their was no Religious Ed that weekend.
Yup, we did it. Even though my children attended catholic school in Canada, we still had them do Corresondence Catechism and us parents learnt even more. In the schools, some teachers are better at teaching the faith than others. Some teachers schedule religon class 10 mins. at the beginning of the day and 10 mins. at the end of the end of the day. And we all know what happens during that time, really. Some high school teachers see teaching the religion as punishments.
God Bless you Bishop Barron and Brandon 🙏🏽🙏🏽
Word on fire, a great way to stay connected, and to live your faith through Lent
The role of the church is very important in maintaining a young community before, during and after the sacraments. I grew up in a committed family but also in the church I met young people whose families did not even attend the annual Holy Week masses and these young people were trained and learned about the Catholic faith. Both the church and the family play an important role in maintaining the Catholic religion after the sacraments.
thank you, Bishop Barron for the insights.
Very good incites on raising kids Catholic. Incites I needed 54 years ago that show me how my husband and I went wrong. We practiced our faith, but thought exposing them to Mass , CCD and the Sacraments was going to be enough. One daughter has moved to the plan to not impose the Catholic faith and all it rules, on her children in any way and let them decide for themselves about religion. Secularism appears to be what they have found, which is so "in your face" these days. Our second daughter has chosen the "religion" is only for the weak minded and not needed for her highly intelligent family. We failed,as did our parents and now we pray for God's Mercy on all of us and "on the whole world."
My plan is to order "Return" and never give up!
Thank you for this fenomenal show, interesting always. God bless you bishop Barron.