WOF 053: How to Speak about God

The Word on Fire Show - Catholic Faith and Culture

The most recent meeting of the United States Council of Catholic Bishops ended with a prayer service and a sermon by Archbishop Peter Sartain, wherein his excellency referenced the mystical prayers of St. Catherine of Siena. In this episode, Bishop Robert Barron recounts this wonderful sermon and reflects on the use of the word "thee" in St. Catherine's prayers as well as the common prayers of the Church. Bishop explains that the purpose of this sort of language is to remind us of the intimacy we share in God through the Son. Sharing this personal relationship with Jesus is the real purpose of evangelization. The listener question wonders about the purpose of petitionary prayer.

Topics Discussed

• 0:15 - Introduction, information about the USCCB meeting and Bishop Barron's newly elected office
• 3:53 - Word on Fire Show reaches 1 million downloads
• 4:30 - Overview of Archbishop Sartain's Sermon
• 9:03 - What language did Jesus use when he prayed?
• 11:25 - How does the language we use about God relate to evangelization?
• 13:10 - How do we navigate the fact that God is so far beyond us but also so intimately near?
• 15:38 - What are some common misunderstandings about how to speak about God?
• 18:15 - How do we grow in intimacy with the Lord?
• 20:47 - Question from listener: When does it make sense to participate in petitionary prayer?

Bonus Resources

• Videos
  • Bishop Barron on The Disorienting Quality of Real Prayer
  • Bishop Barron on The Lord's Prayer
  • Bishop Barron on Thomas Merton, Spiritual Master
• DVD's
  • Catholicism: The Pivotal Players (Word on Fire)
  • Catholicism series (Word On Fire)
  • Faith Clips (Word On Fire)
• Articles
  • Three Reasons Why Vikings is the Most Religiously Interesting Show on TV (Bishop Barron)
  • Why We Should Address Jesus as Though (Bishop Barron)
  • Why You Need Spiritual Food (Bishop Barron)
• Books
  • The Strangest Way by Bishop Barron
  • Praying with Confidence by Fr. Paul Murray, OP
  • Praying with the Pivotal Players by Amy Welborn

• Study Program
  • The Mystery of God: Who God Is and Why He Matters (Bishop Barron)
  • Catholicism: The Pivotal Players Study Guide (Word on Fire)

• Websites
  • Word On Fire (Proclaiming Christ in the Culture)
  • Daily Catholic Gospel Reflections (Bishop Barron)

Find bonus links and resources for this episode at http://WordOnFireShow.com and, again, be sure to submit your questions at http://AskBishopBarron.