Are We Saved by Faith Alone? - Bishop Barron's Sunday Sermon

THIS is the reason I am converting to Catholicism through RCIA this year. As a cradle Lutheran, I never received the true depth and breadth - the "complexity" as Bishop Barron defines it - of Christianity. At 15, I asked my youth pastor, "Why doesn't our church celebrate Communion every Sunday as my Catholic friends do?". He told me not to worry about it - "just believe". At 63, Christ is no longer just a person in heaven to believe in; He now lives in me...Thank you, Bishop Barron and all who led me to the Catholic Church. 🙏💙

I was raised a "true-blue" protestant. I was, for a few years, a pastor. I experienced a revelation of the inadequacy of the salvation by grace through faith doctrine and tried to articulate its inadequacy, speaking to the necessity that we must go further, that grace through faith was the beginning but not the totality, that people were lost because they believed they had a forensic salvation and there was no corresponding "working out" or transformation. It came from my own sense, from my own certainty that I, myself, could not consider myself saved without the concrete reality of genuine transformation growing in Christlikeness in-forming me. When I sought to urge those in my congregations and life to "walk in this path" I was rather unceremoniously removed from office and family. Thank you Bishop Barron for speaking so well to this issue.

this brings to mind the parable of the rich man and the 3 servants with the talents, if we don’t go forth and work to multiply his talents, even what is freely given can be taken away.

Bishop Barron is God's gift to us. Gods abundant blessings upon him and his work

I am an agnostic atheist who grew up as a Protestant Christian. I am now in my mid 30s and Bishop Barron is one of the few people who I have witnessed has treated this with depth and seriousness, and as I grow older, my respect for this man only gets deeper.

I've been working through the RCIA at my local Catholic Church this year. I spent thirty years moving all over primarily with the military. And usually I've just found a local protest non-denominational church to attend. I always thought ok, I got church covered. Let just read my bible and pray and I'm good with God. Well since moving to where I am now I am less than half a mile from a very large Catholic Church. After COVID I decided I needed to find a church and after looking around I decided I would go to the Catholic Church. Let me say WOW and what a blessing it is to be a member of the Catholic Church! It is truly a blessing and I feel as if everything is more authentic, everything has meaning and a profoud history to back it up. The protestant churches have NONE of that. Just loud music like your going to a concert and a "feel good" sermon. I love love love listening to your homilies Bishop Baron! And the Word on Fire Institute is fantastic. Thank you for what you do and your service to the rest of us lay people! God Bless you and all the clergy!

Bishop Baron, words cannot express the gratitude I have for you. Beautiful to hear this well prepared homily. Christ is living in you!

I'm a Protestant that once grew up Catholic. I love listening to this Bishop. He's very graceful in his teaching....as like a father that has a loving heart to heart with a child. I have great respect for him and I know he loves Jesus. That said, I do not agree with all that he says or what Rome teaches. But at least he is more gracious than a lot of Protestant pastors I know. I will say that if I do return to the Catholic church, it would be because of this Bishop. God bless him.

This is by far the most clear explanation of justification by faith working through love that I have ever heard. This should be shown to all Christians in the entire world so they can understand the path to salvation.

This man really helped open my heart back up to Christ whereas Protestantism had me walking away. This man is a shepherd.

Bishop, thank you for this. I am a Protestant pastor who has discover the truth of the Catholic Church and Faith through wonderfull Catholic teachers and people such as yourself. Now I am on my journey Home, out of Protestantism. It makes me sad and missereble when I think how many times as a pastor I preached untrue protestant dogmas to my congregation - espesialy on this issue of so called sola fide. May God have mercy on me. Thank you again Bishop for all the work you and the people of Word on Fire do. May God bless and keep you all.

Thank you Bishop. My prayer for you is that you continue to love and serve God all your days. And that you finish well.

Fr Barron, you are such a blessing to all people, protestants and Catholics. Thank You!!! Your message echoes the late Timothy Keller of Redeemer Presbyterian in NYC, who had immense respect for the Catholic Church and her people (the reason many Evangelicals did not like him). I love Jesus and I want to express that love, and my gratitude, toward you. May you and your ministry be richly blessed "beyond what we could ever ask or think!" Eph 3:20.

As a protestant trained at a non denominational Christian University I completely agree with everything Bishop Barron taught today. It is true that some young Christians, both Protestant and Catholic, get caught up in this issue and get it wrong, but Bishop Barron is spot on in his teaching!!! The initial move to Christ is an act of faith for sure, but once you are saved you must cooperate with the Holy Spirit and your life must demonstrate the fruit of the spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, forbearance, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. James 2:18 could not be any clearer.

How amazing to see all the positive comments in this column, God is working through Bishop Barron, bless him for moving mountains with his powerful teachings 🙏

"Faith expressing itself in love" - awesome summary of justification. May God bless Bishop Baron.

I was raised in a deep trust Christian Protestant family. In 2004 I had some problems and anxiety. Went to a psychiatrist and a psychiatrist for 6 months. After a while I didn’t find any way than go deeper into Christianity and then I couldn’t see any other way than to convert to the Catholic Church and here I could find all the sacraments, more prayers etc. I became a Catholic very quickly already I December 16, 2005. That was definitely the right way for me.

Thanks again for your spirit filled teaching. It reminds me that we have a great challenge in the church to clarify that the “Works Gospel” Has taken root in our church. And it offers us an easy and comfortable response to the very real challenge that Paul presents when he tells us in Romans 12: 2 that we cannot be conformed to this world. Witness how our culture has distorted the meaning of love. I pray that we can all join with Paul in proclaiming that we are crucified with Christ and we no longer live, but Christ lives in us

Thank you. The holy spirit has graced me with faith in Jesus. My life belongs to Jesus. It has been a long road, though I understand now that the holy spirit stayed with me the all the time. Having been raised a Catholic, drifted away and then coming back to Jesus, my struggle is with eucharist teaching and the authority. Not sure if what kind of Christian I call myself today other than a child in Christ on the path with the holy spirit, seeking help to cleanse myself of sin to be accepted by God almighty when the time comes. This sermons resonance is very powerful. Thank you. God bless.

Thank you God for Bishop Barron and his way with words. Every week he gives me a new thought to ponder. This week: how can my faith express itself in startling love? What a beautiful way to describe love ! Thank you Bishop Barron!