Catholicism Q and A

Episode 1: Amazed and Afraid

Question 1: How does Bishop Barron show Jesus' identity as both fully human and fully divine challenging first-century expectations?
Response: Bishop Barron highlights Jesus' birth in a manger and miracles like calming the sea, fulfilling Old Testament promises unexpectedly, prompting awe and fear among disciples. This reveals God's intimate involvement in human weakness.

Question 2: In what ways can we encounter the "shocking" Jesus today in our daily lives?
Response: Through Scripture, Eucharist, and service to the poor, we meet Jesus as in the Holy Land sites Barron visits, transforming routine moments into divine encounters.

Episode 2: Happy Are We

Question 1: How do the Beatitudes and parables like the Prodigal Son call us to non-violence and mercy?
Response: The Beatitudes bless the meek and peacemakers, while the Prodigal Son shows radical forgiveness, urging us to reject revenge and embrace God's compassionate love as Dorothy Day did.

Question 2: Share a personal experience where living Jesus' teachings brought unexpected joy.
Response: Forgiving a family member mirrored the father's welcome, replacing bitterness with peace, echoing Barron's emphasis on care for the poor and marginalized.


Episode 3: That Than Which Nothing Greater

Question 1: Explain Anselm's and Aquinas' arguments for God's existence as presented by Bishop Barron.
Response: Anselm's ontological argument defines God as the greatest conceivable being, whose existence is necessary; Aquinas adds five ways from motion and causation, proving a first uncaused cause.

Question 2: How does understanding God as pure act address the problem of evil?
Response: Evil arises from creatures turning from God's goodness, not from God; Barron shows this through Auschwitz reflections, affirming God's permission of evil for greater goods like redemption.

Episode 4: Mary, The Mother of God

Question 1: Why is Mary called the "Mother of God," and how do shrines like Lourdes illustrate her role?
Response: As Theotokos from Ephesus, Mary bore the divine Word; her Immaculate Conception and Assumption highlight her as humanity's boast, freeing us from sin's stain.

Question 2: How can Mary's fiat inspire our response to God's call?
Response: Mary's "let it be" at Nazareth models total surrender; groups can pray Rosaries, applying her example to personal vocations amid modern challenges.

Episode 5: Peter, Paul, and the Missionary Adventure

Question 1: How did the Holy Spirit work through Peter and Paul to found the Church?
Response: Peter's confession and Pentecost leadership, plus Paul's conversion and journeys to Rome, spread the Resurrection faith, showing apostolic succession's roots.

Question 2: What missionary steps can our group take locally?
Response: Like Paul in Athens, share faith via neighborhood visits or social media, focusing on Christ's Resurrection as did the Apostles in their creed.