A Note from Bishop Barron from the Introduction
Friends,
Welcome to this great Advent journey! I’m so glad you’re joining me and hundreds of thousands of others in prayer and reflection during this holy season.
Every Advent, Christians sing a haunting song whose words go back to the ninth century. But I wonder how carefully we listen to the lyrics:
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appears
In the ancient world, people were tremendously afraid of being kidnapped and held for ransom. Alone, far from home, malnourished, often tortured, hostages could only hope against hope that their deliverance might come. This is the situation evoked by that well-known song: Israel, the people of God, are held for ransom in their lonely exile, and they cry out for their Savior, the Son of God.
To be caught in the nexus of sin is to know the truth and to feel the texture of this imprisonment. We mourn over the sins and moral failures of our leaders; we feel trapped by our own falls into dysfunction and addiction; we feel overwhelmed by the dark powers of the world.
But the good news of Christianity is that Emmanuel (God with us) has indeed appeared, and he has gone right to the bottom of sin in order to defeat it. In his full humanity, Jesus entered into that complex web of sin, and in his full divinity, he did something about it.
May we spend these holy days together in prayer, penance, and hope, fixing our eyes on the appearance of Christ our Savior and longing for his deliverance.
Peace,
Bishop Robert Barron
Bishop of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester
A Note from Bishop Barron from the Introduction
Friends,
Welcome to this great Advent journey! I’m so glad you’re joining me and hundreds of thousands of others in prayer and reflection during this holy season.
Every Advent, Christians sing a haunting song whose words go back to the ninth century. But I wonder how carefully we listen to the lyrics:
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appears
In the ancient world, people were tremendously afraid of being kidnapped and held for ransom. Alone, far from home, malnourished, often tortured, hostages could only hope against hope that their deliverance might come. This is the situation evoked by that well-known song: Israel, the people of God, are held for ransom in their lonely exile, and they cry out for their Savior, the Son of God.
To be caught in the nexus of sin is to know the truth and to feel the texture of this imprisonment. We mourn over the sins and moral failures of our leaders; we feel trapped by our own falls into dysfunction and addiction; we feel overwhelmed by the dark powers of the world.
But the good news of Christianity is that Emmanuel (God with us) has indeed appeared, and he has gone right to the bottom of sin in order to defeat it. In his full humanity, Jesus entered into that complex web of sin, and in his full divinity, he did something about it.
May we spend these holy days together in prayer, penance, and hope, fixing our eyes on the appearance of Christ our Savior and longing for his deliverance.
Peace,
Bishop Robert Barron
Bishop of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester
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Here’s What People Are Saying
“Thank you so much for your inspiring daily reflections! I always look forward to your thoughts and they have been a source of strength and orientation in many, sometimes difficult, situations!”
–Anna
“I receive Bishop Barron’s daily Reflections on the Gospel, which are always so inspiring. I even forward them to my friends so that we help stay attuned to each other through prayer and spiritual sharing.”
–Jeanne
“Thank you Bishop Barron and staff for your Daily Gospel Reflections. Although I am Protestant, I have subscribed for several years and found it enlightening and even inspiring.”
–David
About the Author
Bishop Robert Barron is Bishop of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester (Minnesota) and founder of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries. He received a master’s degree in philosophy from The Catholic University of America in 1982 and a doctorate in sacred theology from the Institut Catholique de Paris in 1992.
Bishop Barron was ordained a priest in 1986 in the Archdiocese of Chicago, and then appointed to the theological faculty of Mundelein Seminary in 1992. He has also served as a visiting professor at the University of Notre Dame and at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas. He was twice scholar in residence at the Pontifical North American College at the Vatican. He served as the Rector/President of Mundelein Seminary / University of St. Mary of the Lake from 2012 until 2015.
On July 21, 2015, Pope Francis appointed Bishop Barron to be Auxiliary Bishop in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. He was ordained bishop on September 8, 2015. On June 2, 2022, Pope Francis appointed Bishop Robert Barron the ninth bishop of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester.
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