WOF 052: Pilgrims and Iphones

“Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me” is the simplest form of the Jesus Prayer. Bishop Robert Barron has professed the spiritual power of this short prayer for decades and was recently reintroduced to The Way of a Pilgrim, a short book, which narrates one man's quest to "pray without ceasing" by way of the Jesus Prayer. This episode serves as an encouragement for all Christians to adopt this prayer, which has long been a revered tradition in the Eastern Orthodox Church. The listener question comes from an atheist who wonders what, precisely, is the correct way to read the Bible.

Topics Discussed

• 0:17  - Introduction, background information about “The Way of a Pilgrim”
• 2:53 - Spiritual greatness of the Eastern Orthodox tradition
• 5:17 - What is the Jesus Prayer and how do you pray it?
• 7:50 - What happens after you pray the Jesus Prayer 1,000 times?
• 9:03 - What is the difference between mindful route prayers and mindless babbling?
• 10:40 - How can the Jesus Prayer become an extension of your body and soul?
• 13:29 - What happens to the pilgrim in the story? (Spoiler Alert)
• 15:28 - What is the one thing you cling to most?
• 18:30 - What is the connection between “The Way of the Pilgrim” and TV's “Vikings”
• 20:32 - What advice does Bishop Barron have for helping us detach ourselves from the material world?
• 22:00 - Question from listener: How ought an atheist read the Bible?

Bonus Resources

• Videos
  • Bishop Barron on The Disorienting Quality of Real Prayer
  • Bishop Barron on The Lord's Prayer
  • Bishop Barron on Thomas Merton, Spiritual Master
• DVD's
  • Catholicism series (Word On Fire)
  • Faith Clips (Word On Fire)
•  Articles  
  • Three Reasons Why Vikings is the Most Religiously Interesting Show on TV (Bishop Barron)
  • Why We Should Address Jesus as Though (Bishop Barron)
  • Why You Need Spiritual Food (Bishop Barron)
• Books
  • The Strangest Way by Bishop Barron
  • The Way of a Pilgrim by Bishop Barron

• Study Program 
  • The Mystery of God: Who God Is and Why He Matters (Bishop Barron)

• Websites
  • Word On Fire (Proclaiming Christ in the Culture)
  • Daily Catholic Gospel Reflections (Bishop Barron)

Find bonus links and resources for this episode at http://WordOnFireShow.com and, again, be sure to submit your questions at http://AskBishopBarron.