Lent
Jesus in the Desert
by Bishop Robert Barron . February 17, 2002 .
Just after his baptism, Jesus retires to the wilderness and there he faces the tempter. We enter into this experience with him, facing the same struggle. Like the Lord himself, we wrestle with the temptations to make sensual pleasure, the ego, and power the center of our lives. In resisting all three, we make the acceptance of God's will and mission possible.
The Downward Momentum of the Son of God
by Bishop Robert Barron . April 8, 2001 .
The Word entered into our flesh in order to bring the love and justice of God even to the darkest places. Jesus stands shoulder to shoulder with sinners in the waters of the Jordan, and, at the end of his ministry, he goes into the pain and anguish of death itself in order to save us.
Scapegoating
by Bishop Robert Barron . April 1, 2001 .
The New Testament frequently explores the scapegoating violence of the mob, nowhere more insightfully than in the story of the woman caught in adultery. Jesus stops the momentum of the violent crowd and forces them to see their own sin.
Between Fear and Complacency
by Bishop Robert Barron . March 18, 2001 .
The healthy religious life is lived out between fear and complacency. If the excessive fear of God was a problem years ago, a complacent attitude seems far more pervasive and dangerous today. What the Bible says consistently is "don't be afraid: so get going!"
Resident Aliens
by Bishop Robert Barron . March 11, 2001 .
We Christians, as Paul reminds us, have our citizenship in heaven. This means that, here below, we are "resident aliens," at work in the world, but our eyes fixed on a transcendent goal. This makes us, paradoxically enough, the best friends the world ever had.