WOF 114: Three Great Spiritual Athletes

At Mundelein Seminary you'll find a statue of St. George slaying a dragon below which reads, "Athleta Christi Nobilis" —The Noble Athlete of Christ. As we head into the spiritual desert of Lent, we benefit by examining the lives of those saints who courageously embraced a life of profound asceticism and self-sacrifice. In this episode of the Word On Fire Show, Bishop Barron discusses three great spiritual athletes from across the centuries. The listener question asks how to remain charitable when you disagree with your interlocutor. NOTE: Get your free Lent Reflections booklet from Bishop Barron here >> http://wordonfireshow.com/lent Topics Discussed 0:04 - Introduction, the Churchill movie 2:45 - What is a spiritual athlete? 6:25 - Why is St. Anthony of the Desert a great spiritual athlete? 9:55 - Is there something wrong with living your entire life in the desert? 12:25 - What can Thomas Merton teach us about the purpose of asceticism? 16:45 -Why is St. John of the Cross a great spiritual athlete? 20:00 - What is the Dark Night of the Soul? 24:30 - Why is Pier Giorgio Frassati a great spiritual athlete? 28:25 - Listener Question: How might we remain charitable with someone we passionately disagree with? To ask Bishop Barron a question go to www.AskBishopBarron.com