Robert Barron | – The Enemy of Melancholy — Bishop Barron’s Sunday Sermon


Friends, we must develop a theology and spirituality of work. Meaningful labor awakens our desire to collaborate in God’s creativity. Viewing work in this way—as spiritual and moral action—conquers our melancholy, gives us dignity, and brings us into unity with the purposes of the Lord.

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About The Author

Bishop Robert Barron These are brief and insightful commentaries on faith and culture by Catholic theologian and author Bishop Robert Barron. The videos complement his weekly sermons posted and podcasted at WordOnFire.org.

Comment (47)

  1. Thank you so much, Bishop Barron! Your sermons are very uplifting! I have struggled with depression in the past. Melancholy comes and goes. Thank you for reminding us how important work is! It is one of the best antidepressants. We need to stay occupied. This is a very important message!

  2. My Hero, awesome Bishop Barron…a hug of deep gratitude n unplugged love from Goa/ India from Maité Dias 80 for " raising me up" Spiritually , Intellectually, n Emotionally. God Bless You a hundredfold

  3. I publish a weekly newsletter on this exact topic. "Laborare est Orare" (to work is to pray) explores the origin, nature, and art of work. Having received God's life through baptism, Christians are called to manifest God's love in every aspect of their life, including their work. Work ought to be a form of prayer. For many, this involves a reframing of both "work" and "prayer". Laborare est Orare is both a guide for that reframing as well as an exploration of universal principles that create clarity and order in any kind of work.
    You can sign up for free at https://art-of-workflow.ck.page/leo

  4. Many years ago, when I was in college and studying about what was soon to be my career in architecture, I heard the phrase, "God is in the details". Now for someone studying architecture, this effort is almost paramount in preparing drawings for the execution of documents to have your design constructed (at least if you don't want the contractor to exercise his ideas). Furthermore though for me, it struck a chord deeply within me, maybe because I was born and raised to be a devout Catholic, but I believe it was someting I already understood in my childhood. When I would build airplane models or constructions for my model trainsets, I had a feeling of complete joy and content for a "job well done". I loved being "in the details" because in some way, God was loving me for being there with Him. It is something I have carried throughout my career, something I mentor other young architects to do (much to their groaning resistance), but I always tell them, that something awaits them when they get there. God spoke to me in those details, as he still does, and all I can do is wait for the day, when I can here his voice, "Job well done Jeffrey".

  5. Fr Casey l thank God for your gift to tell the story so openly and understanding for anyone.Keep up this helpful explanations about. Our catholic faith
    This ugly case is not easy to learn about but it is a lesson of life that we must be on guard and stay close to CHRIST because He is why we are we cannot but love our church guided always be the HOLY SPIRIT. THANK YOU FATHER. !

  6. This Message is for the Pure in Heart
    All the Information that comes from man is carnal. Most of it comes from the experiences one has had, and that ends up being the knowledge, that He, or she, gathers up in his, or her lifetime. Wise men are instructed by reason; men of less understanding, by experience. True wisdom only comes from above.
    1st Chronicles 22:12 “Only Yahuah gives wisdom and understanding, and gives you charge concerning Yashar'el, that you may keep the law of Yahuah, your Elohim.”
    Until you have a healthy fear of Yahuah, you will never gain wisdom.Psalms 111:10 “The fear of Yahuah is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do His commandments: His praise endures forever.” No wisdom can proceed from the mouth of a man.
    Proverbs 2:6 “Yahuah gives wisdom; out of His mouth come with knowledge and understanding.” A man can have all the knowledge in the world, but if He lacks wisdom, all that knowledge is for nothing. A man can acquire millions of dollars, but it does no good if there's no way to spend it! What good does it do if you gain the whole world but lose what matters? Wisdom needs to be the main goal of your life.
    Proverbs 4:7 “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore, get wisdom. And with all your getting, get understanding.” There is no price tag on wisdom, for nowhere can one buy wisdom.
    Proverbs 8:11 “For wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her.” If you have no fear of YAH and live in disobedience to Him, you will never gain true wisdom and understanding. For it is that a humble heart, one which bows to His ultimate Authority, is what allows the Father to pour His wisdom and understanding on us.
    Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of Yahuah is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy, is understanding.” Wisdom is power, and the strength of a man is measured by His wisdom. For it is not by might, not by power, but by the spirit of Yahuah.
    Ecclesiastes 7:12 “For wisdom is a defense as money is a defense, But the excellence of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to those who have it.” Wisdom must be cherished humbly, for it is a gift given by YAH to be used to serve your brethren. Wisdom is not a weapon…it is a tool to help our Brethren who are less fortunate.
    Colossians 4:5 “Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time.” One must become humble enough to realize that you lack wisdom, and to cry out to Father for it.
    James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of YAH, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” Earthly knowledge can never be mistaken for wisdom.
    James 3:15 “This wisdom descends not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.” You cannot gain wisdom from YouTube, or churches, or from any other earthly source.
    James 3:17 “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.” This is as with all my written, and verbal communication. I plead with everyone: time is short, you must fall on your face, repent, and obey. For then, only then, does one have the right to pray. YAH only hears the prayers of the obedient and cries of repentance from the disobedient, nothing else.
    Our Father Isn’t Too Busy for You
    I tell everyone all the time, that the Father is not too busy because there are very few in obedience. I mean, you as a parent, do you reward your children for disobedience? Do you buy them tickets to Disneyland for throwing rocks through your kitchen window? Yahuah is our Father, and as any good parent, He only wants love and obedience from His children.
    Look around you ladies and gentlemen: How many are in obedience? How many observe the Sabbath, a simple day of rest? How many do not put themselves before others…how many people put themselves last? How many, when they meet someone for the first time, is their immediate thought, “How can I help this person?” Everywhere I look, everyone I see, all live by the infamous saying, “WHAT ABOUT ME?!”
    Everyone, I mean everyone, needs to correct their own issues before they criticize someone else's. Remember: it's YAH’s job to correct and refine. Who are we to correct anyone? We can only work on our own inadequacies, nobody else's. All we’re called to do is simply present the Truth as a witness for the Father, nothing more.
    Ecclesiastes 12:13 “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear YAH and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”
    Most everybody in this world worries about what other people think about them, while not even caring about what the Father thinks. He’s the only one that truly matters! What are you trying to do by putting on a show for people? He knows your every thought. What makes anyone think they can hide anything from Him? They lie, brag, get the perfect outfit…they even have selfie sticks for Facebook & Instagram for crying out loud!
    People put on their masks (not physical ones we’re duped or pressured into wearing now), it’s their image or portrait of who they want people to think they are. Many people use their mouth to say, “I believe! I love the Father.” But do they actually show it? How do you show the Father you love Him? It's through your obedience. That is the only way to show love to the Father. By loving Him and treating His other children as you treat yourself.
    For those of you that can hear this message, remember this gift was given to you by Yahuah. We cannot treat others this gift hasn’t been given to with animosity…we must have pity for them and have tremendous gratitude for YAH’s grace. But for the grace of YAH, there go I. Just as I tell everyone…I have done nothing. He did this for me, and if you are hearing this message, He did it for you too. Once we are given this precious gift, we just surrender, and ask!
    Psalms 25:4 “Show me Your ways, YAH; teach me Your paths.”
    My point to all this, ladies & gentleman…is that you will not find wisdom from anyone on the Internet. You may find some information, but if you read it and pray, and truly seek his face, you will get more wisdom than anyone could ever imagine. A peace that beats all understanding, and a love that will conquer all fears.
    1st John 4:18 “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear: because fear has torment. He that fears is not made perfect in love.”
    Just remember that whoever controls the information, controls the perception of the masses. Get your information from The Creator, not the creation. We are heading into even greater deception than ever, and only the wisdom that comes from above can lead you through the coming events. See Matthew 24:24 & Mark 13:22.
    So please, turn off YouTube and pick up the Scriptures. Ask YAH for wisdom and knowledge. Remember: beware of the teachings of MEN. See Matthew 15:9 & Mark 7:7. Who's your teacher? Who knows your needs…someone on YouTube? Who has all the wisdom and knowledge…someone in a church? Who can give you real comfort? The Kingdom is within. There’s no human on this plane of existence who can give you true comfort & peace like YAH the Father.
    You must be filled with the Ruach ha-Kodesh and you cannot get it unless you read the Word.
    Yahusha is the physical Word. He is Truth.
    For more information & fellowship: kdwarner5@gmail.com & https://rb.gy/jpoxga

  7. You do the dishes? That is awesome. I like to cook and have 15+ years in hospitality and food service. But I have to admit, I did not ever do dishes and I’ve never liked doing dishes at home. Any other chore, okay, I can do it, sometimes even joyfully. But not dishes.

  8. Isaiah is a serious "work" to decipher! Although, a #good challenge! It is almost like the portrayal of emotions are a being onto themselves, in dreams there are vivid surroundings, no real emotions …but in visions it is overwhelmingly driven by emotional context & the surroundings could be completely sparse, the information only exists in spirit, like a meta conversation that continues & adjusts, refines simultaneously without the physical presence of any conversee? an emulated discussion allowed to diverge and converge freely just like any conversation/discussion over time, with the combination of ideas naturally cross-reference for a mutually refined conclusion rich with thoughts & ideas!

  9. The root of this story is at the heart of this woman's beginnings as a child and being shown by someone with the patience of love to pave the way for a life of healthy spirituality preserving fruitfulness for God.

  10. 2017 Gallup study shows most Americans do not like their jobs. Other surveys show the religious segment are some of the highest satisfied employed people. So to me this is an easy sermon for a pastor, but folks in the pews probably are not relating. Long hours, low pay, poor benefits for some (if any), and then come home and work even more. We now have to have dual income to make it to low or middle class levels. There was also an MIT study showing pre-Industrial workers labored less and had more family time throughout the year. America is burned out and this sermon just did not really shore up what people are going through every day doing the same old grind, we are beyond tired physically and mentally.

  11. I have a question. "The fear of God"??? I don't have fear of God or my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ because I know they love me. But I do have the fear of myself for failing in my path with Christ Jesus. I don't fear those who truly Love me. Only the fear in myself if I fail Them.

  12. I really enjoyed listening to your teaching on the Proverbs 31 woman on my birthday. In one of the first sermons I heard, you mentioned that you were a student in Paris in the 1980's. I also studied in France in the 1980s and would go to museums. Who knows? You could have been standing next to me at the Louvre.

  13. Hi Bishop Barron, You and I chat back in the 1990's. I am Miguel and used your sermons as an inspirational tool for my life. I pray for you for your protection and your continued discipleship in the world. God bless you very much

  14. Thank you Bishop Barron. I have been listening to you for a few years now. I'm working in the same profession but everything has changed inside. My wife passed away six years ago. This year I married again. We visited Santa Barbara last year. It didn't occur to me I was close to you until I got home. Thank you for putting light on our habit to work and find renewal in life daily. But still somedays I feel very tired….even feeling God may be indifferent. But I find a way of saying thank you Lord at the end of the day.

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