Catholicism

In Episode 1: “Amazed and Afraid:The Revelation of God Become Man,” we journey with Bishop Robert Barron to the mysterious and sacred sites of the Holy Land. From Caesarea Phillipi, to the Sea of Galilee, to Jerusalem and finally to the eternal city of Rome, Bishop Barron illuminates the Catholic Faith’s conviction that Jesus of Nazareth is the promised Messiah and the revelation of God become man in Christ.

The revelation of Jesus as God is accompanied by a stunning invitation to a unique new way of life, explained in the teachings of Jesus. To every generation, the words of Jesus have proven fascinating, sometimes confounding, deeply transformative and always unforgettable.

Bishop Barron considers St. Anselm’s description of God as “that than which nothing greater can be thought” and explains St. Thomas Aquinas’ arguments that support the claim that God truly exists. He also speaks about the nature of God, as well as the challenging problem of evil contradicting God’s very being.

The lesson correlates the Catholic Faith’s testimony to the revelation of God in Christ with the vivid practices of reverence offered to his Mother. The Blessed Mother, Mary, is shown as “an on-going presence, an actor in the life of the Church” through all ages.

Bishop Barron calls Saints Peter and Paul “two indispensable men, the ones without whom the Church never would have emerged and survived.” In telling each man’s story, Bishop Barron shows how the Holy Spirit worked through apostles and disciples to build the Church.

Clearly answering the question, “What is the church?”, Bishop Barron presents the reality of the Church as “one, holy, catholic, and apostolic” as professed in the Nicene Creed. The Body of Christ can be seen all over the world, while still escaping total understanding as the mystical union between Christ and his Church.

The Eucharist is proclaimed as the “source and summit of the Christian faith” and encapsulates the Church’s identity and mission.
Bishop Barron explores the notion that “all value is summed up in the liturgy, the supreme act by which we commune with God.” The Mass is the central practice of the Church in offering “right praise” to God.

Bishop Barron gives consideration to some of the Church’s greatest heroes and demonstrates how their extraordinary examples display both the passion and the creative potential of Catholicism. This lesson tells the story of the church, both on earth and in heaven, as a vast company of witnesses who are called by Christ to be a Communion of Saints.

This lesson explores the Church’s conviction that life here and now is preparation for an extraordinary world that is yet to come – a supernatural destiny. Bishop Barron presents the Catholic view of death, judgment, heaven, hell, and purgatory.