What Christians must do when they are a minority - The Benedict Option

Rod Dreher, author of ‘The Benedict Option’, addressed a meeting co-hosted by The Iona Institute and the Notre Dame Centre for Faith and Reason in the University Church on St Stephen's Green on 21st January to a capacity crowd of 350+ people. He discussed what Irish Christians needs to do to pass on the faith and live out the faith now that they are in a minority situation in their country, and in an increasingly indifferent and often hostile climate.

The Iona Institute have posted the text of his speech HERE.

Rod Dreher is a senior editor and blogger at for the American Conservative and author of several books, including How Dante Can Save Your Life. 

His talk is an interesting read and while there may be many points people would disagree with him about it is an interesting and challenging analysis of the choices facing Christians in our modern post-Christian country. Something to generate some kitchen conversations! 

• Book Review: The Benedict Option 
• Benedict Option FAQ
• The Irish Church and the ‘Benedict option’
• Breda O’Brien: The Benedict Option – or how to save Christianity 
• The Benedict option revisited 
• The book Christians should read instead of 'The Benedict Option'
• WoF - The Benedict Option and the Identity/Relevance Dilema
• WoF Podcast - The Benedict Option

“Who Gets Into Heaven?”: Ben Shapiro Interviews Bp. Robert Barron, Talks Sex Scandals, Abortion & Catholic Theology

Previous between Bishop Barron and Ben Shapiro HERE. 

WoF - Synod of Bishops - Youth Interviews

The Word on Fire team are in Rome with Bishop Robert Barron during the Synod of Bishops in Rome. They asked young people to identify the best and worst things ever done by the church. It's sobering watching and like many online commentators let's really hope the church leadership see and hear this.

It echos some of the points which Bishop Barron made in his Synod intervention: 

Bishop Barron at Synod of Bishops: Young people are ‘hungry for mission’

Word on Fire - Testimony

Bishop Robert (Bob) Barron is a model of how the Church ought to communicate today: with keen intelligence, gentle humour, and an eye for unexpected connections between faith and contemporary culture. These three testimonies to the fruit borne by such preaching and teaching are well worth listening to in full

Why Do Catholics Pray for the Dead? - (#AskFrBarron)

22nd August - The Queenship of Mary - Bishop Robert Barron

Fr. Robert Barron on The Spirituality of Advent

Word on Fire - Why Did Jesus Have to Die the Way He Did?

Heroic Priesthood

Holiness is heroism.

Christ’s invitation to priesthood is an invitation to a way of life that is athletic in its intensity and heroic in its form.

Discern the call.

In this short film, produced by Word on Fire Catholic Ministries in partnership with Spirit Juice Studios, Father Robert Barron and the seminarians of Mundelein Seminary present the demands and the joy of the priestly vocation.

How to live the season of Advent - Word on Fire

It's easy to overlook the season of Advent by just setting our eyes on Christmas. But as Fr. Barron explains in the two videos below, Advent can be a spiritually enriching time, one in which we anticipate the full glory of Christ. When we learn to embrace this season of waiting, intentionally praying and reflecting on its revolutionary nature, we tap into all its spiritual benefits.

 

Year of Faith - Understanding Why we believe in God?

"Why I hate religion but love Jesus" Youtube video and a Catholic Response

Online at the moment there is a bit of a furore over a short video called "Why I hate religion but love Jesus" which has created a bit of stir, at the time of writing it has been viewed over 15 million times on Youtube. Here is the original:



A Response from Fr Robert Barron over at Word on Fire responding to "Why I hate religion but I love Jesus"(No 1.):



A response from Fr Robert Barron over at Word on Fire responding to "Why I hate religion but I love Jesus" (No. 2)