WOF 053: How to Speak about God

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?