Robert Barron | – The Metaphysics of Prayer


What’s actually happening when we pray? In this episode, I answer the deepest questions about prayer—not necessarily how to pray, but what *is* prayer? A listener asks about the Rosary prayer and how it operates.

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 (46)

  1. I’m a cradle Catholic. A few years ago, God touched my heart in a unique way and I started to seek him deeply. I’m learning more and more about the Bible and our beautiful Catholic faith, and Bishop Barron’s videos are one of my major resources. I know I’m on the right path. Thank u so much and God bless!!

  2. Gentlemen, you often talk about books, BUT it would be more helpful if these were listed at the bottom of the summary with all the technical stuff attached. I often don't know how to spell the authors' names, and/or can't remember the titl
    es. Thanks M

  3. QUESTION/COMMENT. Regarding prayer. I personally feel that prayer is more a relational (relationship w Our Lord). Just as we have a relationship with our spouses, the spousal relationship of my soul with the spouse of my soul. I perceive prayer where at times is listening and sharing ; at times, just in silence enjoying the Presence; times requesting help; doing things together. I perceive prayer where as “celebrating and acknowledging His Presence “, in all I do, constantly visiting and talking, or just recognizing His Presence.
    To me saying praying is just a period of our time or a thing we do, it limits the profound immensity of what prayer should be. Just as if, I said my relationship w my souse is when, I do this or when, …. I truly saying prayers, Adoration, Mass, it’s only the entrance to the awareness in my day , life of His Presence, the beginning not the end. His invitation to walk with Him and He with me, ….. in all I do
    in Him with Him for Him and through Him… . Again it’s a celebration of His Presence in my life , again is a relationship. That includes all that we call prayer and beyond. Bishop Barrón, am I extrapolating the meaning of prayer? However, I must admit that from my heart I see it as above mentioned.

  4. For a Bishop, Barron is pretty down to earth and filled with knowledge and his style of teaching is so sincere and humble…he doesn’t wear that authority attitude…praise Jesus, Catholics are blessed here! May God continue to bless him! Great talk on prayer,thankyou, especially liked the praying IN GOD to the father rather than outside of God to God.

  5. Don't really understand Bishop Barron's interest in Jordan Peterson aside from making "intellectualism" accessible. Peterson has some problematic ideas if you listen closely and actually analyze his comments, even contradicting himself at times…

  6. Have you heard this: one day in heaven Jesus was walking around and saw souls He did not recognize and He went to Peter and asked, why are these souls in Heaven? Peter replies, Lord i turned them away but they found the back door and and your Mother let them in!

  7. 11:09 Right, but after you gave your very good explanation, you could also say mother and daughter every once in a while. The idea of the personal placement within the Trinity is great. Thanks for the elucidation, but it could still be feminized just as easily as masculinized. The young priest's idea to take away the gendered pronouns may have been a problem in the way you describe, but that doesn't mean there isn't a problem to begin with which he was trying to address generically as best he could in his fallen state.

  8. Wow, this gave my morning meditation so much power! I definitely subscribe to divine simplicity, and this conversation really reinforced a lot of my suspicions about the power and purpose of prayer. Truly affirming.

  9. Bishop Barron, why is it that Our Lady seems to persistently ask for prayers (as heard from apparent apparitions through out the world) for others, for souls in purgatory etc- how do our prayers influence the outcome for other souls? And why does it influence the outcome? Its confusing especially in light of what you mention here- that prayers are basically for our own benefit.

  10. I am also a cradle Catholic. I practiced Catholicism very devoutly when I was in my 20s, but when I was in my 30s my husband did not really want to be Catholic. We practiced Catholicism for a couple years, but after that he said he wanted us to join another church, not the church of his origin, but another church and I said that’s fine we’ll do that. And it was great, but now he has said that he is not so interested in continuing going to church with me, so I decided to join the Catholic faith again. And it has been wonderful. And as you say, Bishop Baron has been a wonderful resource during this experience.

  11. Your Emminence,

    I am a Coptic Orthodox Lector/Reader. I am also a big fan of all your work in evangelization such as opening the Christian faith to a deluded society through an educated and philosophical framework. May God bless you in all that you do.

    I have a question in regards to prayer, would it be accurate to say that we pray/communicate with God through the dwelling Holy Spirit uniting us to the Son and in turn, the Son brings in us the indwelling of Father? Would this be compatible with the Augustinian Self, Knowledge and Love analogy? Maybe I am looking at it from God inside man and the psychological analogy is looking at it from man inside God?

    In Christ,

    Paul Ibrahim

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