Why Modern Men Look Elsewhere for Spiritual Wisdom

I started with Joe Rogan and Jordan Peterson. And found my way to pints with Aquinas and bishop Barron.

When I was a young Marine stationed in Okinawa Japan I had the pleasure of serving with a great Catholic Marine, Col. John Ripley who was one the great Marines of our time and a great American hero in the Vietnam war. He taught me that the three great pillars of a man’s life are Intellectual - a life long pursuit of educating oneself; Physical - the constant challenge of pushing oneself to greater physical readiness; Faith - the development of a personal relationship with the Lord. A man cannot truly consider himself a “great man” without a balance between these three things. RIP Colonel Ripley, Semper Fidelis!

After leading mostly young men in the Marines for 30 years I can say that the harder you pushed them the happier they were. They complained/"bitched", but they were happy. They had a sense of purpose. Men, especially young men, have to be challenged to have meaning. Young men are so miserable now. They live at home longer, they smoke weed, and play video games that simulate adventures they are afraid to take on in real life. I thank God for my father, priests, coaches, professors, and military instructors who pushed me harder than I would have on my own initiative. As a boy, and a man, nothing rang more hollow then getting unearned praise. Nothing was better than being challenged to be better and getting the coaching and mentorship to do it.

I hear the Bishops message but, after a number of years of being away from the Church, I decided to attend Sunday Mass and to be honest I probably enjoyed more then I ever have in the past. In this crazy world and all it's insanity , I found the Mass aside from the singing of the responses to be traditional as I remember. so gratifying and peaceful. 🙏

Spent a long time trying to find something that would fill the void in my heart. First it was extreme music, next it was drugs and psychedelic spirituality, then finally found Christ. Or Should I say he found me? Anyways, I see many young men, my age and younger who I can tell are yearning for adventure, genuine virtue, and deep meaning. Unfortunately our culture has very few good outlets for this, and it is sad to say that the church has been dropping the ball. Praying for revival and an awakening of young men coming to Christ! Thanks for another great video Bishop! You've given me lots to think about and I really do feel lit on fire by your words. Viva Cristo Rey!

I believe Jordan Peterson showcases the strengths and weaknesses of human beings. He is unashamed of revealing his vulnerabilities at times and is honest about his shortcomings. What I admire about him is his unwavering appreciation for the power of the Bible. Despite his own family's struggles, they are willing to share their expertise to assist others in their personal challenges. On the other hand, Bishop Barron makes the Catholic journey easier. By "easier," I mean that he appeals to all human emotions and intellect in a positive manner. He presents beauty, truth, and honesty. He fearlessly provides direct answers to the profound questions that humans have regarding faith.

It is my first time here and I am impressed by the quality of this conversation, in particular, Bishop's warning not to fall into the self-help trap but recognise that we cannot save ourselves. Yes, we must be tough but have the humility to recognise our human limits.

Bishop Barron gets it right. The "Biblical Framework" has a beauty and simplicity. Its simplicity that irks non-believers because every narrative reveals a protagonist and an antagonist. Sometimes they are actual people, sometimes inner conflicts, sometimes spirits, sometimes groups....

Awesome, I truly appreciate Bishop Barron’s nuanced position between virtue and pelagianism, and especially his invoking of Saint Paul’s dilemma. That’s very helpful.

Father Barron, thank you for your priesthood, your wisdom, your charisma that you share with all of us. I thank God for putting you in my path, God bless you Father Barron 😊

Thank you Bishop Barron and Brandon. I always love to listen to both of your'll on the Word on Fire show. GOD bless you both. ➕️❤

Jesus was my personal North Star for manhood, he walked the desert, denied the temptations of the devil, threw out the money lenders and went against the elders and the authority, he saw and broke bread with the meek and the downtrodden, he forgave and he gave his life for those he loved. How could you be more of a man than to speak against authority, deny evil, raise up the weak and lay down your life for your friends - it is a truly holy grace

I think the same reason men are being drawn to the Classics, to Greek and Roman philosophy, is the same reason young men are drawn to the Traditional Latin Mass. The ancient is so foreign to the modern world that it's captivating. It's new. The ancient is being discovered, I can't even say 'rediscovered' because many of these young men are encountering it for the first time.

This is one of the most beautiful episodes I have listened to. Thank you, your Excellency!

When Bishop mentioned "men prefer being challenged" I thought, why not create or promote monastic orders? A monastic order where someone can go to learn the proper way of life, faith etc without needing to be ordained into priesthood. Just going to church alone doesn't seem to do the trick for a lot of people so a place where "purposeless" men can go to study or live an ascetic life for a bit might be useful.

Bravo Bishop. You hit the nail on the head....now go all the way!!! I am a cradle Catholic novus ordo by birth Father. I am now attend the Latin Mass my children veil, my son's wear suits in mass...we kneel and only receive the Lord on the tongue. We pray the rosary in Latin together and acknowledge when we pass a church while driving. Go all the way Bishop. We love you and pray for you.

Bishop Barron is very close to the mark. One thing that was missed, and it may be just in the Parishes that I have attended, is that the Priests always exalt women and talk down to men. For example, over the past few years I've attended several funerals. At every one of those for women, the Priest would talk about how good and virtuous... And every man's funeral it was almost like it was off a queue card, how he wasn't perfect and how we must rely on the grace of God for Heaven. And the same for mother's day and father's day, the homily laid out how all women were as virtuous as Mary and father's day if mentioned, would be a subscript. If feel most men, if they want to be talked down to, could stay home and have a conversation with their wife. This turns a lot of men off. I know you can remember when "man up" was the theme of all the men's conferences. I know others share a similar point of view because it sparked a lot of affirming comments on another channel when this topic came up and from both genders. God Bless you BOTH and all the work you do.

I wish our culture, in general, was more religious. I wish we could have more honorable, kind, faithful men.

Looking forward to listening to this.

Brandon is so good in these talks. Many people would be tempted to interject and interrupt more. Brandon keeps it just right. Excellent job!