Excellent homily! Thank you. As a priest in Ireland I’ve often given homilies on this exact issue. And I’ve been constantly challenged about preaching on this, from both laity and fellow priests etc in that I should preach more on the ‘nice’ Christianity more on the ‘love’ of God only. We desperately need good solid men and women, both laity and religious who can speak on this. Thanks Bishop Barron.
About 40 years ago, I returned to the Catholic faith after being evangelized by Protestants. After receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit, I fell in love with Jesus and wanted to share about Him. That's what happens when one is baptized in the Holy Spirit. It saddened me so much when I would hear priests and others saying something to the effect, preach always and if necessary use words. Yes, it is important to give witnees by the lives we live but it is also good to speak about Jesus and His merciful love. I am so thankful that others spoke to me about Jesus and invited me to their prayer meetings, healing services, etc. Jesus has made a huge difference in my life.
Bishop Barron you are amazing! Thank you for your amazing homilies. The Holy Spirit is alive and moves through you so powerfully! May God continue to bless you in all you do. Peace.
Thank you Bishop Barron, from someone who was raised as a Catholic but sort of fell by the wayside for many, many years. Dabbled in many other beliefs/groups looking for answers. After nearly 40 years, it was eventually the RCIA that gave me the answers that I was searching for. I honestly do believe that my schools did not give me a good grounded understanding of my faith (and I attended Irish Catholic Convent schools). Hopefully it has changed since then. I would definitely recommend the RCIA for not only those wanting to convert from other faiths to Catholicism but also to Catholic Adults, definitely provides greater understanding of the faith, the Holy Mass and the Sacraments. Its also the place where I first heard off and watched Bishop Barron's videos on the Holy Mass. 🙏
That's great to hear! RCIA ignited my Catholic beliefs as well. Father is Irish Catholic, Mother Protestant. Public school didnt teach much at all of faith. But RCIA here in Philadelphia opened my eyes to a whole new world I never really understood. God bless you in you're Journey🙏💚
Wow...i am really guilty of trying to win the argument instead of winning the soul. It is so easy to get caught up in the anonymity of the internet and forego gentleness and kindness. But being snarky brings no one to Christ. I am slowly learning that lesson. Thank you, Your Excellency.
Thank you for this tremendous homily, Bishop Barron. My wife and I found it to be incredibly moving. The Holy Spirit indeed spoke through you today! Deo Gratias.
When I was an Evangelical we had a program called "Evangelism Explosion" that taught us how to evangelize nones and Catholics. I would love to see Bishop Barron team up with catholic answers and create a program like that for Catholics. Until then I'm grateful to have youtube to learn from this great teacher.
Thank you for your clarity. Please continue preaching orthodoxy, doctrine, ten commandments and the creed. I also appreciate very much your reference to the Church Fathers, Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas. We need clarity more than ever in this time of confusion.
Thank you "Your Excellency" for the thought provoking homily. I think before I can tell someone what I believe I need to answer that to myself first. Recently I have been reading about the early Church fathers and this has helped me to understand Catholic Traditions more and has helped me with my faith. Also listening to a good debate gets me ready to answer questions generally asked.
Great sermon. I'm old and I still have alot to learn. Also, I'm a fan of Dr. Peterson and if I understand him correctly, he believes that discussion and communication is imperative for a civil society. I'm glad you mentioned him. Be safe and well. All my thanks.
The other part of St. Peter's instruction is that we respond with gentleness and respect. So often when people evangelize, the gentleness is missing. I pray that i may be prepared to respond with the help of the Holy Spirit. Thank you, Bishop Barron, for patiently continuing to teach us.
Yes I believe in my loving Jesus I believe in the Holy Spirit thank you for the homily. Your friend and always Theresa Peters from Whittier PS I know you from Whittier
I love your homily Your Excellency. Thank you. I’m a stay-at-home mom and also find the internet a wonderful mission field. I do a lot of ministry work on these online forums too. Work to give moms in unplanned/crisis pregnancies life-affirming resources such as OptionLine so that they can care for themselves and their children. Sometimes I find myself alone in this, other times there are people out there offering similar resources. The harvest is plentiful and I’m really encouraged by your homily because most likely it will encourage others to spread the Gospel of Life and to Hope Who is Jesus. It also affirms me in what I’m working to achieve. Again, thank you. Pax et Bonum.
Thank you Bishop for making that very clear, we can't continue to fall into a commonality of the being so passive when it's time to defend our faith! I don't like the kumbaya approch in today's society because it supports the "Yo lo" "to each his own way of thinking" Going old school means rolling up our selves and arming ourselves with the wealth of knowledge our church has. By all means I still learning and practicing and I don't always have the answers but I know they're out there. Amen to you Bishop and thank you for this video.
Notes on Bishop Robert Barron’s Homily on 1 Peter 3:15b (5-17-20) by Claude LeBlanc “…Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope…” This verse is the foundation for most of Christian apologetics, and ultimately for Christian Theology throughout the centuries. From the beginning, doctrine has mattered for the Church. Some religions (and our culture) emphasize right behavior (orthopraxy) over right belief (orthodoxy). But Christianity, from the beginning, has been deeply interested in both. Christians have been hyper-interested in articulating doctrine clearly and forcefully. The Nicene (325 AD) and Apostles (late 2nd /early 3rd c.) creeds are statements of orthodoxy. Relativism (each person having their own truth) has never been a Christian conviction. Pope Benedict (Joseph Ratzinger) said, at the heart of Christianity, we believe that the WORD (LOGOS) became flesh. That means the mind of God; the pattern by which all things were made, became flesh in Jesus Christ. So, any time we see the “logical” (in psychology, geology, physiology, etc.), there’s a connection to the Logos, and to Christ. Ratzinger went on to say that the early Church was in a culture of both “mythos” (mythology) and “logos” (logic). The Church consistently said “no” to the myths but “yes” to philosophy. When Paul and Barnabas were declared “gods” after healing a crippled man, they rejected that claim. But Paul debated the philosophers in Athens. After Vatican II there was a “dumbing-down” of the faith, presenting it in an emotional and experiential way and deemphasizing the rational/theological. Apologetics was underplayed. What are the results of that? The numbers of the non-affiliated (the “nones”) is growing rapidly, especially among the young, including Catholics. The number one reason “nones” give for leaving the Church is, “I don’t believe the doctrines.” That’s heartbreaking. For a couple of generations, there have not been people “ready and willing and able to give a reason for the hope that is in them” or to explain the faith, and we’re suffering from that. St. Peter says, “…Always be ready…” Had there been enough people to “give a reason” to the “nones,” many of them would not have been swayed by the tired arguments of the “new atheists.” Any Christian worth his or her salt should have been able to take the new atheists on, but the “dumbed-down” Catholicism they were taught prevented that. All of us (bishops, priests, theologians, catechists, the laity) need to “…always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope…” Since we are a religion interested in doctrinal truth, and supposed to be ready to give…a reason for our hope…” we will be, necessarily, a people who argue about religion, and that’s a good thing (although counter-cultural)! Argument (making a case, marshalling evidence, appealing to reason) is the happy middle-ground between aggression and indifferentism. So, let’s develop the art and science of making a religious argument. We will be joining many witnesses-Irenaeus, Origin, Chrysostom, Augustine, Anselm, Aquinas, Bonaventure, Bellarmine, Newman, Chesterton, John Paul II, Ratzinger-all of whom were arguers on behalf of religion. Once we know we have to argue, St. Peter says (in verse 16), “but do it with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear…” When you argue and defend the faith, never do it with aggression, violence, or intolerance. John Paul II said, “the Church never imposes, it only proposes.” We’re not trying to win an argument, but a soul. Listen attentively to their arguments and questions. Always be ready to give a reason for the hope that is in you.
The fact that you care enough to discourse is proof a-plenty that your faith is grounded. Who can explain why they love someone, never mind why they love God! Keep up the good work with patience ,kindness and humility! God bless!
Great sermon 5-17-20. My response: Along with the Church’s lack of good preaching, teaching, I fault our schools, and reality tv. We don’t teach kids how to think, how to debate; see, take both sides, be empathetic, resulting in shouting matches - the most aggressive, smarmy, personal attacking one wins. Example: the Robert Mueller hearings; it was like watching Jerry Springer or a teacher class on ADD symptoms. No manners, no listening, no humanity.
Truth, such a precious commodity being "dumbed down" in favor of a love (orthopraxis) with very little, if any, of the doctrinal truths (orthodoxy) that our Lord came to bring.. Maybe Pope Francis should start listening to your homilies. I noticed that you omitted his name in your enumeration of the line of orthodox preachers. This past Lent and all of Easter, since you started you daily masses from your chapel, has been most consoling to me because of the logic, the goodness and the beauty of your presentation of the Church of Jesus Christ as it was lived "from the beginning." I pray that you will be encouraged by the Holy Spirit to continue these daily Masses from your chapel indefinitely. In Jesus name I pray. Vicente Villa, Glendale.
Lol. Really. The vicor of Christos needs to follow your council? Leave your office go to the streets and have Yeshua's hands be yours have his feet be yours have his tongue be yours. Give love to the non loved indeed. Our vicor is the best in deed of love rather rhan empty philosophy. You have eyes but do not see you have ears but do not hear u have a heart but it as cold as ice beloved. Listen to Yeshua or leave our house.
Thank you Bishop for your comprehensible exegesis on the scriptures, as always. You are my 'go-to' for exegesis and encouragement. Question: Is it probable that the Nones have left (and others who are disinterested in Christianity and others who have left Christianity to embrace another religion) because they see behaviors of arrogance, haughtiness and extreme prejudice from certain Christians, and do not see Christ in them, the love and humility and compassion and inclusiveness of Christ? Or, they see more contrary Christians than Christ-Christians, and this dissuades them from converting or considering? I wonder all of this as a catechist, being very careful and prayerful of what comes out of my mouth and into the ears of my catechumens; also of those ears in my life who are not Christians, and are Christians.
"Dumbing down..." respectfully, I remember beung told that the Mass had to be in English rather than Latin because the laity didn't understand Latin and couldn't participate. Sadly still grieve.
To proclaim the Truth is one thing and for people to have faith is another. Faith comes through preaching, but not by preaching alone. You can preach as much as you like and unless the person listening has a real intiment experience of the Almighty, then such a person will always remain in the same place. Angels could come down from heaven and do wonders, but unless a person has a real encounter with יהוה like Avraham the father in faith to us all, then it is truly all good for nothing. The journey of faith does not begin with Yeshu nor Moshe, but with Avraham. Each and everyone must first experience the Almighty as Avraham did, only then we can truly have faith. Anyone who settles for anything less than the faith like that of Avraham is not fit for the Kingdom of God, hence the Son of God said that very narrow is the gate that leads to life and that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. That what is impossible for man, is possible for God to accomplish. People would not leave the Church only they had the experience of the Almighty in their life and sometimes I heard a priest tell me such things in a confession that would make others leave the Church, but I did not leave, for my faith is not based on other men, but on the Power of God that worketh in my life, that has saved my life so many times, despite I ought to be dead. I would not settle for any less than the faith of Avraham, I beg יהוה to give me faith the size of a mustard seed, that is most sufficient for me. The journey of Avraham to get faith from the Almighty is a long and difficult one to the point that God asked Avraham to sacrifice that what the Almighty gave him. Who out of humans could do that? Avraham knew, cause he had an extremely powerful encounter and journey with the Almighty, he knew that the Almighty knows better than him and that He will take care of everything as all the Promises the Almighty made to Avraham came from the Hand of יהוה. What יהוה has given, יהוה can take away, yet he spared the son of Avraham, but did not spare His own beloved Son Yeshu! That is the Love of God for us all, for each and every single one of His creations! So if you want faith like Avraham, ask the Almighty and He shall give it to you, but be prepared for a long and rough ride, it shall not be easy, it will be very hard at times, I speak from experience, cause for me it never gets easy, but it gets harder by the day, despite it does get better also. אהבה endures 4EVER. drive.google.com/open?id=17ZLYs7vd03xBREsn77YzkXDBwDngDOqb
Thank you Bishop Barron- I re- listened to your excellent homily this morning and something got caught in my filter I am troubled by. 1) Pope John Paul ll says the church "proposes" not "imposes" 2) IN the Eucharistic Prayer Jesus "commands" us "Do this in memory of Me". Is that command an Imposition? (command = Impose) Are we talking Apples and Oranges?
![F.HERO Ft. JSPKK x ลำไย ไหทองคำ x M-PEE - ไม่สนิทบิดหมด (Thai Riders Anthem) [Official MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kPJZ0UihBfk/mqdefault.jpg)
What a legend you are Bishop Barron.
Praise the Lord Jesus Christ 🙏 Mother Mary Pray For Us 🙏
Excellent homily! Thank you. As a priest in Ireland I’ve often given homilies on this exact issue. And I’ve been constantly challenged about preaching on this, from both laity and fellow priests etc in that I should preach more on the ‘nice’ Christianity more on the ‘love’ of God only. We desperately need good solid men and women, both laity and religious who can speak on this. Thanks Bishop Barron.
Billo! 87! GOD Bless you and Ireland. IESU BENDIGEDIG! (wonderful Jesus). Greetings from Wales.
Wonderful to hear Bishop Barron. Thanks for the great work you do.
About 40 years ago, I returned to the Catholic faith after being evangelized by Protestants. After receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit, I fell in love with Jesus and wanted to share about Him. That's what happens when one is baptized in the Holy Spirit. It saddened me so much when I would hear priests and others saying something to the effect, preach always and if necessary use words. Yes, it is important to give witnees by the lives we live but it is also good to speak about Jesus and His merciful love. I am so thankful that others spoke to me about Jesus and invited me to their prayer meetings, healing services, etc. Jesus has made a huge difference in my life.
Karen Boggs, well said, IESU BENDIGEDIG! (wonderful Jesus)
Bishop Barron's homilies are the best, this one in particular was a wake up call to step our game up.
Thank you Bishop for boldly proclaiming the truth!
Bishop Barron you are amazing! Thank you for your amazing homilies. The Holy Spirit is alive and moves through you so powerfully!
May God continue to bless you in all you do. Peace.
Thank you Bishop Barron, from someone who was raised as a Catholic but sort of fell by the wayside for many, many years. Dabbled in many other beliefs/groups looking for answers. After nearly 40 years, it was eventually the RCIA that gave me the answers that I was searching for. I honestly do believe that my schools did not give me a good grounded understanding of my faith (and I attended Irish Catholic Convent schools). Hopefully it has changed since then.
I would definitely recommend the RCIA for not only those wanting to convert from other faiths to Catholicism but also to Catholic Adults, definitely provides greater understanding of the faith, the Holy Mass and the Sacraments. Its also the place where I first heard off and watched Bishop Barron's videos on the Holy Mass. 🙏
That's great to hear! RCIA ignited my Catholic beliefs as well. Father is Irish Catholic, Mother Protestant. Public school didnt teach much at all of faith. But RCIA here in Philadelphia opened my eyes to a whole new world I never really understood. God bless you in you're Journey🙏💚
Wow...i am really guilty of trying to win the argument instead of winning the soul. It is so easy to get caught up in the anonymity of the internet and forego gentleness and kindness. But being snarky brings no one to Christ. I am slowly learning that lesson. Thank you, Your Excellency.
I'm afraid of arguments, when I lose it's like my faith appears disavowed in public
Thank you for this tremendous homily, Bishop Barron. My wife and I found it to be incredibly moving. The Holy Spirit indeed spoke through you today! Deo Gratias.
Thank you Bishop Barron for your thought provoking message, my family and I appreciate all that you do. May God Bless you.
When I was an Evangelical we had a program called "Evangelism Explosion" that taught us how to evangelize nones and Catholics. I would love to see Bishop Barron team up with catholic answers and create a program like that for Catholics. Until then I'm grateful to have youtube to learn from this great teacher.
Thank you for your clarity. Please continue preaching orthodoxy, doctrine, ten commandments and the creed. I also appreciate very much your reference to the Church Fathers, Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas. We need clarity more than ever in this time of confusion.
Thank you, Bishop, for imparting more clarity.
I got so much from your homily! Thank you ever so much. May God continue to bless you!!
Thank you "Your Excellency" for the thought provoking homily. I think before I can tell someone what I believe I need to answer that to myself first. Recently I have been reading about the early Church fathers and this has helped me to understand Catholic Traditions more and has helped me with my faith. Also listening to a good debate gets me ready to answer questions generally asked.
Great sermon.
I'm old and I still have alot to learn.
Also, I'm a fan of Dr. Peterson and if I understand him correctly, he believes that discussion and communication is imperative for a civil society. I'm glad you mentioned him.
Be safe and well. All my thanks.
Thank you Bishop for the lovely message that you gave us God bless and many blessings your friend and always Theresa Peters from Whittier🕯🙏😇
Ty bishop Barron. EXCELLENT 😁 homily God bless you
The other part of St. Peter's instruction is that we respond with gentleness and respect. So often when people evangelize, the gentleness is missing. I pray that i may be prepared to respond with the help of the Holy Spirit. Thank you, Bishop Barron, for patiently continuing to teach us.
Thank you Bishop. I will remind myself to be a good listener and hopefully I may be able to articulate more.
Absolutely beautiful, o how we need you Bisho Barron . Thank you!!
Faith Of Our Fathers Holy Faith🙏🏽
No beige Catholicism as you say! Thank you Bishop
Thanks Bishop.
Good, insightful and thought provoking.
Yes I believe in my loving Jesus I believe in the Holy Spirit thank you for the homily. Your friend and always Theresa Peters from Whittier PS I know you from Whittier
I appreciate your mentioning argument as an art and science - it ties into our Jewish roots
I love your homily Your Excellency. Thank you. I’m a stay-at-home mom and also find the internet a wonderful mission field. I do a lot of ministry work on these online forums too. Work to give moms in unplanned/crisis pregnancies life-affirming resources such as OptionLine so that they can care for themselves and their children. Sometimes I find myself alone in this, other times there are people out there offering similar resources. The harvest is plentiful and I’m really encouraged by your homily because most likely it will encourage others to spread the Gospel of Life and to Hope Who is Jesus. It also affirms me in what I’m working to achieve. Again, thank you. Pax et Bonum.
Amen!!! Pick up our game!!👊🏻
Thank you Bishop for making that very clear, we can't continue to fall into a commonality of the being so passive when it's time to defend our faith! I don't like the kumbaya approch in today's society because it supports the "Yo lo" "to each his own way of thinking" Going old school means rolling up our selves and arming ourselves with the wealth of knowledge our church has. By all means I still learning and practicing and I don't always have the answers but I know they're out there. Amen to you Bishop and thank you for this video.
I pray that you will be encouraged by the Holy Spirit to continue these daily Masses from your chapel indefinitely.
Notes on Bishop Robert Barron’s Homily on 1 Peter 3:15b (5-17-20) by Claude LeBlanc
“…Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope…”
This verse is the foundation for most of Christian apologetics, and ultimately for Christian Theology throughout the centuries. From the beginning, doctrine has mattered for the Church. Some religions (and our culture) emphasize right behavior (orthopraxy) over right belief (orthodoxy). But Christianity, from the beginning, has been deeply interested in both. Christians have been hyper-interested in articulating doctrine clearly and forcefully. The Nicene (325 AD) and Apostles (late 2nd /early 3rd c.) creeds are statements of orthodoxy. Relativism (each person having their own truth) has never been a Christian conviction.
Pope Benedict (Joseph Ratzinger) said, at the heart of Christianity, we believe that the WORD (LOGOS) became flesh. That means the mind of God; the pattern by which all things were made, became flesh in Jesus Christ. So, any time we see the “logical” (in psychology, geology, physiology, etc.), there’s a connection to the Logos, and to Christ. Ratzinger went on to say that the early Church was in a culture of both “mythos” (mythology) and “logos” (logic). The Church consistently said “no” to the myths but “yes” to philosophy. When Paul and Barnabas were declared “gods” after healing a crippled man, they rejected that claim. But Paul debated the philosophers in Athens.
After Vatican II there was a “dumbing-down” of the faith, presenting it in an emotional and experiential way and deemphasizing the rational/theological. Apologetics was underplayed. What are the results of that? The numbers of the non-affiliated (the “nones”) is growing rapidly, especially among the young, including Catholics. The number one reason “nones” give for leaving the Church is, “I don’t believe the doctrines.” That’s heartbreaking.
For a couple of generations, there have not been people “ready and willing and able to give a reason for the hope that is in them” or to explain the faith, and we’re suffering from that. St. Peter says, “…Always be ready…” Had there been enough people to “give a reason” to the “nones,” many of them would not have been swayed by the tired arguments of the “new atheists.” Any Christian worth his or her salt should have been able to take the new atheists on, but the “dumbed-down” Catholicism they were taught prevented that. All of us (bishops, priests, theologians, catechists, the laity) need to “…always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope…”
Since we are a religion interested in doctrinal truth, and supposed to be ready to give…a reason for our hope…” we will be, necessarily, a people who argue about religion, and that’s a good thing (although counter-cultural)! Argument (making a case, marshalling evidence, appealing to reason) is the happy middle-ground between aggression and indifferentism. So, let’s develop the art and science of making a religious argument. We will be joining many witnesses-Irenaeus, Origin, Chrysostom, Augustine, Anselm, Aquinas, Bonaventure, Bellarmine, Newman, Chesterton, John Paul II, Ratzinger-all of whom were arguers on behalf of religion.
Once we know we have to argue, St. Peter says (in verse 16), “but do it with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear…” When you argue and defend the faith, never do it with aggression, violence, or intolerance. John Paul II said, “the Church never imposes, it only proposes.” We’re not trying to win an argument, but a soul. Listen attentively to their arguments and questions. Always be ready to give a reason for the hope that is in you.
I'm always afraid of arguments because when I lose my faith appears ungrounded in public when it really isn't
The fact that you care enough to discourse is proof a-plenty that your faith is grounded. Who can explain why they love someone, never mind why they love God! Keep up the good work with patience ,kindness and humility! God bless!
Great sermon 5-17-20. My response: Along with the Church’s lack of good preaching, teaching, I fault our schools, and reality tv. We don’t teach kids how to think, how to debate; see, take both sides, be empathetic, resulting in shouting matches - the most aggressive, smarmy, personal attacking one wins. Example: the Robert Mueller hearings; it was like watching Jerry Springer or a teacher class on ADD symptoms. No manners, no listening, no humanity.
Would love to see you on the Joe Rogan Podcast!💚 Joe is a calm atheist, could be groundbreaking for some intellectual discussion/arguing
Truth, such a precious commodity being "dumbed down" in favor of a love (orthopraxis) with very little, if any, of the doctrinal truths (orthodoxy) that our Lord came to bring.. Maybe Pope Francis should start listening to your homilies. I noticed that you omitted his name in your enumeration of the line of orthodox preachers. This past Lent and all of Easter, since you started you daily masses from your chapel, has been most consoling to me because of the logic, the goodness and the beauty of your presentation of the Church of Jesus Christ as it was lived "from the beginning." I pray that you will be encouraged by the Holy Spirit to continue these daily Masses from your chapel indefinitely. In Jesus name I pray. Vicente Villa, Glendale.
Lol. Really. The vicor of Christos needs to follow your council? Leave your office go to the streets and have Yeshua's hands be yours have his feet be yours have his tongue be yours. Give love to the non loved indeed. Our vicor is the best in deed of love rather rhan empty philosophy. You have eyes but do not see you have ears but do not hear u have a heart but it as cold as ice beloved. Listen to Yeshua or leave our house.
Thank you Bishop for your comprehensible exegesis on the scriptures, as always. You are my 'go-to' for exegesis and encouragement. Question: Is it probable that the Nones have left (and others who are disinterested in Christianity and others who have left Christianity to embrace another religion) because they see behaviors of arrogance, haughtiness and extreme prejudice from certain Christians, and do not see Christ in them, the love and humility and compassion and inclusiveness of Christ? Or, they see more contrary Christians than Christ-Christians, and this dissuades them from converting or considering? I wonder all of this as a catechist, being very careful and prayerful of what comes out of my mouth and into the ears of my catechumens; also of those ears in my life who are not Christians, and are Christians.
Bishop Baron do you have some references for argument of the faith done with gentleness and truth speaking?
Hypertolerant...yes and no.
Thank you, Bishop Barron and Happy Sunday.
good sermon. Bishop the Atheist are now claiming Jesus didn't exist. They site Origin and others but how can you say "that's Nonsence " politely?
James Richard Wiley Not one serious historian of the period agrees with them.
"Dumbing down..." respectfully, I remember beung told that the Mass had to be in English rather than Latin because the laity didn't understand Latin and couldn't participate. Sadly still grieve.
To proclaim the Truth is one thing and for people to have faith is another. Faith comes through preaching, but not by preaching alone. You can preach as much as you like and unless the person listening has a real intiment experience of the Almighty, then such a person will always remain in the same place. Angels could come down from heaven and do wonders, but unless a person has a real encounter with יהוה like Avraham the father in faith to us all, then it is truly all good for nothing. The journey of faith does not begin with Yeshu nor Moshe, but with Avraham. Each and everyone must first experience the Almighty as Avraham did, only then we can truly have faith. Anyone who settles for anything less than the faith like that of Avraham is not fit for the Kingdom of God, hence the Son of God said that very narrow is the gate that leads to life and that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. That what is impossible for man, is possible for God to accomplish. People would not leave the Church only they had the experience of the Almighty in their life and sometimes I heard a priest tell me such things in a confession that would make others leave the Church, but I did not leave, for my faith is not based on other men, but on the Power of God that worketh in my life, that has saved my life so many times, despite I ought to be dead. I would not settle for any less than the faith of Avraham, I beg יהוה to give me faith the size of a mustard seed, that is most sufficient for me. The journey of Avraham to get faith from the Almighty is a long and difficult one to the point that God asked Avraham to sacrifice that what the Almighty gave him. Who out of humans could do that? Avraham knew, cause he had an extremely powerful encounter and journey with the Almighty, he knew that the Almighty knows better than him and that He will take care of everything as all the Promises the Almighty made to Avraham came from the Hand of יהוה. What יהוה has given, יהוה can take away, yet he spared the son of Avraham, but did not spare His own beloved Son Yeshu! That is the Love of God for us all, for each and every single one of His creations! So if you want faith like Avraham, ask the Almighty and He shall give it to you, but be prepared for a long and rough ride, it shall not be easy, it will be very hard at times, I speak from experience, cause for me it never gets easy, but it gets harder by the day, despite it does get better also. אהבה endures 4EVER. drive.google.com/open?id=17ZLYs7vd03xBREsn77YzkXDBwDngDOqb
Thank you Bishop Barron- I re- listened to your excellent homily this morning and something got caught in my filter I am troubled by.
1) Pope John Paul ll says the church "proposes" not "imposes"
2) IN the Eucharistic Prayer Jesus "commands" us "Do this in memory of Me".
Is that command an Imposition? (command = Impose)
Are we talking Apples and Oranges?
Scary lol