As we move deep into Lent, the liturgical season of “going into the desert”, Bishop Barron explains why these 40 days are needed and meaningful. He unveils the season’s biblical basis and offers practical advice on celebrating it well. A listener asks how to respond to secular critics of Mother Teresa, such as the late atheist polemicist, Christopher Hitchens.
Topics Discussed
- 0:25 – Update on Bishop Barron’s Spanish lessons
- 1:58 – Why are people drawn to Ash Wednesday and Lent?
- 3:57 – What’s the purpose of Lent and where did it come from?
- 5:34 – What significance do the “40 days” have?
- 6:02 – Desert people throughout the Bible
- 10:03 – First temptation of Jesus in the desert
- 13:01 – Second temptation of Jesus in the desert
- 16:25 – Third temptation of Jesus in the desert
- 20:15 – The persistence of spiritual warfare
- 21:48 – Practical recommendations for Lent
- 25:23 – Great books to read during Lent
- 27:03 – Bishop Barron’s favorite “life of Christ” books
- 28:28 – Question from listener: how to respond to critics of Mother Teresa?
Bonus Resources
- Websites
- LentReflections.com (free daily Lent reflections from Bishop Barron)
- Articles
- What is Our Fundamental Problem? (Bishop Barron)
- Saint of Light, Saint of Darkness (Bishop Barron)
- Mother Teresa and Her Critics (William Doino, Jr.)
- Videos
- Bishop Barron on Lent (Bishop Barron)
- What are the Practices of Lent? (Bishop Barron)
- Bishop Barron on Blessed Teresa of Calcutta (Bishop Barron)
- Reflections on Lent (Bishop Barron)
- Books
- Story of a Soul by Therese of Lisieux
- The Imitation of Christ by Thomas A’Kempis
- Confessions by St. Augustine
- Peter Kreeft books
- The Four Cardinal Virtues by Josef Pieper
- Faith, Hope, Love by Josef Pieper
- Leisure: The Basis of Culture by Josef Pieper
- The Silence of St. Thomas by Josef Pieper
- What Jesus Saw from the Cross by A.G. Sertillanges
- The Seven Storey Mountain by Thomas Merton
- The New Man by Thomas Merton
- Life of Christ by Fulton Sheen
- The Lord by Romano Guardini
- Movies
- Jesus of Nazareth (Franco Zeffirelli)
- The Passion of the Christ (Mel Gibson)