A Friend of the Lord Jesus - Bishop Barron's Sunday Sermon

Friends, the readings for the Second Sunday of Lent brought to mind my good friend Bishop David O’Connell, who was killed last month. He was one of the most Christ-like people I have ever known-a man of deep spiritual conviction, with a profound sense of the power of the Holy Spirit. Like Abraham, he followed the Lord’s call from his homeland of Ireland to serve in the United States, working among the poor and with members of gangs. He called those he served to a deep life of prayer and spiritual transformation in Christ, a mystery revealed in the Gospel account of the Transfiguration.
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[@gloriabandy]

We are left mute at the horror and injustice of violence against one so holy and innocent. Then we remember the passion of Jesus.

[@louisesandberg1249]

You are my friend. You tell me stories about your life. You encourage me to experience the beautiful, the good and the true. Today you shared your beautiful friend who died in such an ugly way. Thank you. I am walking on the mountain with you and your bishop friend. I am seeing the beautiful vistas at each turn. I am telling Jesus "I love you", and Jesus is answering - "feed my sheep". "Do for the least", and "Love enemies". I heard your talk about Notre Dame and the rose window. Integrity. My soul. I am a stained glass window God shines through. Beatific Vision. You brought me to my dad who died of COVID in January 2022. He taught me the beatific Vision when I was little. I asked, "Yes but will God let me have a toy?" His answer loves me to this moment. "In heaven you will be perfectly happy. If you need a toy to be perfectly happy, you will have a toy." Dad, I love you. I am happy to share Bishop Robert Barron with you today. I love you both. And you both love Thomas Aquinas, beauty, good and truth.

[@goldenapplesaga5446]

That bishop was the one who confirmed me in church. I'm really saddened by his death... man..

[@vgraham580]

What a wonderful way to honor your friend Bp. Barron. Beautiful homily!

[@marypinakat8594]

"Christianity is not a philosophy. It's not an abstract set of ideas. It's not a program. *Christianity is a relationship to Jesus. It's a friendship with the Lord."* - Bishop Robert Barron

[@peterj6740]

Yet St Thomas Aquinas was a philosopher and used and built on the philosophy of Aristotle and above all Thomas Aquinas is held in high regard by the Bishop . The philosophy that came out the pen of Aquinas is mind boggling .

[@peterj6740]

@@marypinakat8594 Philosophy is the handmaid of Theology......As St Paul wrote " But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God ,which God decreed before the ages for our glorification " 1 Cor 2 ;7. And what is philosophy but what the word means " Love of Wisdom " Philo ( Love ) Sophia ( wisdom ) If Thomas was alive today , Bishop Barron , would use any means to have a discussion with him and thus deepen his already rich knowledge of philosophy

[@peterj6740]

@@marypinakat8594 ....St Paul further said " Yet amongst the mature we do impart wisdom , although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age who are doomed to pass away ( Previous verse 6 ) . Christianity cannot be expressed by any human philosophy ever devised by any human wisdom . There is a secret wisdom which is completely hidden from the intelligence of human devising and given to mere babes in understanding. Jesus thanked His Father for hiding things from the wise and understanding and revealing them to babes ......Luke 10 ;21 . Mary you are wise in the spirit !

[@peterj6740]

@@marypinakat8594 It must be remembered that Bishop Barron as an adolescent was so influenced by Aquinas that he became a priest and as a seminarian had to study Philosophy and in the middle ages " Scholasticism " was inseparable from the Church . The Good bishop even wrote a book on Aquinas " Spiritual Master "in 1996 and there is no way of getting around that fact .

[@peterj6740]

@@marypinakat8594 If it was worded that Christianity is not merely a philosophy that reasons or a creed to recite or a moral code to observe but Christianity confronts the world about a man to follow . Are we going to let that man influence us to the point of trust and thereby develop a relationship with him. Less than one Catholic in a hundred would say they have a relationship with Jesus .They live in fear of the Judgement to come by not being good enough

[@DownBerkshireBorders]

God rest Bishop Dave O’Connell 🙏 And God bless you, Bishop Barron

[@michaelord5593]

Beloved Bishop Barron - I have come to think of you as a prophet in our time. You preach the way we all ought to live, with the gospel truth always tempered by love. God Bless you! I knew "Father Dave" back in the late 70's in LA County. He lead a team of folks, myself included, to bing food and clothing to an orphanage in Tijuana. He was the bridge between we privileged American youth and the very least among us, the rejected children of Tijuana. Since Bishop Dave's death I have been in a bit of a tailspin as I remember all he taught us. I am also so very VERY grateful for such beautiful priests! Like our Blessed Mother, always pointing us to Jesus! PLEASE NEVER STOP pointing us to Our Lord. You are being heard and we need you so very much. May God Bless you always beloved Bishop Barron.

[@reginadeguzman6450]

A sweet friendship refreshes the soul and gives joy to our hearts. Proverbs 27:9

[@bradfordprophotography2816]

While I never met the Bishop the heaviness of losing such a charitable and giving soul is extremely difficult. Rest in Peace Bishop O'Connell.

[@kevinderosa296]

God bless you Bishop Barron and may God have mercy on the soul of Bishop O,Connell.

[@diannefitzmaurice9813]

Beautiful homily Bishop Barron.

[@lauraabrodsky8155]

Well done and we’ll said, Dear Bishop. I will pray for Bishop O’Connell’s perfect rest and friendship with The Lord and for your comfort as you grieve the loss of this good friend to you. God Bless you. 🙏🙏🙏

[@thehermitage5668]

May the light of God always be our guide

[@ifhollick]

That was beautiful, Bp Barron, thank you. Rest in peace Bp Dave! How I long to be nothing other than a friend of Christs.

[@paullaroche3117]

In Jesus name, I pray for Bishop O’Connell, his works continue and followers emboldened. I pray his transfiguration is a beacon for many to follow. God bless all our priests for the monumental task at hand in this culture and thank you Bishop Barron for your vital leadership as well.

[@elijahtank-sx8ld]

When the 3 of you were ordained together it was such a beautiful thing. I remember that day so well. God bless you all. God rest your soul, Bishop Dave. You are terribly missed here in Los Angeles!

[@mariateresagorospe3447]

Rest in God's heavenly peace,Bishop Dave. Thank you Bishop Barron for sharing his life and honoring him

[@robynmarler1951]

I've seen the sad news about the Bishop, it was good to learn more from an actual friend of his.

[@rodgerbrennan4523]

And Peace be with you. God Bless you keep you in his warm embrace.

[@johnwoulfe3118]

Bishop Barron, you are a very eloquent speaker, love listening to you. I come from the same part of Ireland as David. What a great disciple he was to minister to the inner city of Los Angeles.

[@paulrubio3918]

This homily is truly a touching, poignant tribute to Bishop O'Connell. It's clear from Bishop Barron's description of him that Bishop O'Connell was a friend of Jesus who opened himself up to encountering Christ constantly, and then brought those mountaintop experiences to the people he served to meet their needs and lead them to encounters with God. He truly followed the way of God and became a blessing to many. I pray that Eternal Light may shine upon Bishop David O'Connell and may comfort come upon those who mourn him.

[@tonythompson6454]

So sorry for the loss of your friend.

[@AnthonyArmstrong-ym9ke]

Amen Bishop Barron. I was blessed to be there for your episcopal ordination; I am a Carmelite, and Dave was the neighboring pastor, and we would pray Lectio Divina together weekly. My Bishop Dave memory: when I went up for his blessing after his ordination before he would give me his blessing, he asked me to pray for him first, and then he said his prayer for me was that I would soon be a priest (I was a deacon at the time) and I said, "There's something you can do about that!" and he laughed and said with a surprised expression, "Oh yes!". Truly a humble servant of God and friend of the Lord. I was blessed to have a holy pastor in England in the parish where I grew up, but Bishop Dave was truly a powerful example of a prayerful, humble priest. And there's no need to say, "Rest in peace" because we know he's at peace and, hopefully, interceding for us to be the sort of pastor that he was. Needless to say, you knew him far better than I did in your years together in LA but I think your calling him a friend of the Lord Jesus was probably the best way to sum up his life and ministry! May God bless you and YOUR ministry.

[@changedlife1904]

That was really nice !!!! Jesus I love you!! Praying for fr. O connell

[@mercedesfernandezhandsthat5455]

Thank you Father Dave in paradise and Father Robert. Both of you are very good examples of living life loving Yeshua.

[@ViệtNamCộngHòamuônnăm-vnch]

Thank you , Jesus Christ. Praise Jesus Christ.Praise the Lord our God.Amen.

[@damssanchez7990]

I will also pray for you Bishop Barron, so may The Lord assist you in this time of grieving, give you strength and also keep you safe from any danger you may encounter in your ministry. God Bless.

[@stevehill1715]

Always inspiring! Great referencing to Bishop O'Connell. Thank you, Bishop Barron.

[@americanpatriot2422]

Great video

[@roig8578]

Sorry for you loss Bishop Barron. "Christianity is not a philosophy, an abstract set of ideas. Christianity is a relationship to Jesus; it is a friendship with the Lord. It is an encounter and a relationship with him."

[@delishme2]

I will say a prayer for you too dear Bishop 🫶. It's not easy to lose a friend, even when we know they are in God's loving hands. You are an intellectual powerhouse, a friend, a leader, a strength and spiritual guide for so many. It doesn't go unnoticed what a superhuman endeavour that is for one person. As a man, in the seat of your humanity like the rest of us, you have no advantage from the despair and saddness we all feel when we lose a loved one. And so I will say a little prayer for you too. I just want you to know how loved and appreciated you are. Your words have come as cool water, many a time. Praying that God bring you comfort during your period of mourning. God bless Bishop O'Connell, may he rest with our Everloving father. Our loss is surely Gods gain. Gods speed good Sir. 🫶🇦🇺🕊

[@ruthheredia5262]

You have said all I would say for myself, too. Thank you for so eloquently expressing your perceptive, sensitive appreciation of this exemplary Christian, Bishop Barron. He has been a channel of the Holy Spirit to me.

[@bluesky7226]

Thank you for your beautiful words! God bless you too.

[@rosswade3602]

Really lovely words for our friend Robert Barron. Thank you.

[@Chunkibumpi]

May God bless you.

[@josefafernandez8668]

You said the perfect words and sentiments to Bishop Barron. Thank you.

[@dianemcmahon5816]

I am so sorry for your loss of a truly beautiful friend. Thank you for such a lovely and heartfelt tribute to Bishop Dave. You are both in my prayers today

[@Kristiehornbuckle]

I am so sorry for your pain Bishop and all the pain those in LA will have without his presence helping the underdog in society. May god rest his soul.

[@feliciaekenta8888]

I do feel your pain too may the soul of Bishop Dave rest in perfect peace.

[@jovitorata]

May the Good Shepherd lead him to Paradise great job Bisho Barron blessings to all and the staff of word on fire 🔥

[@jameswatrous4399]

My condolences Bishop Barron. I live in California, but in the San Francisco Bay Area. Sadly, I never had a chance to meet Bishop David O'Connell, but he sounds like a really good guy. Unfortunately, there was a priest named Fr. Eric Freed who was murdered eight years ago. He was a priest in the Diocese of Santa Rosa and he was pastor of St. Bernard's Catholic Church in Eureka, CA and the pastor of the Newman Center at Humboldt State University (now Cal Poly Humboldt). I knew him when he was the pastor at the Newman Center for Sonoma State University and parochial vicar at St. Joseph's Parish in Cotati, CA. I was a student at Sonoma State. He was a really good guy and did not deserve to die the way he did.

[@sukussukus7663]

Thank you Bishop for that wonderful teaching

[@juliemarquez92]

We in Los Angeles are still in disbelief with the tragic and sudden loss of our Bishop O’Connell. I was blessed to be at your and his Ordination on 9/5/15. He will be greatly missed and I thank you for the heartfelt homily honoring his memory. May he Rest In Peace.

[@anagbachika8093]

Amen and you too ❤️🙏, may his soul enjoy the beatific vision of God and may we enjoy his intercession too 🕊️

[@humblepiuspeter7750]

God bless bishop barron (7th comment)

[@eleanorpolchinski7919]

Bishop Barron , I am very sorry for the death of you beloved friend too . May send you the Holy Spirit , the comforter to you and all of those that love him . Amen

[@christineflores8599]

Thank you for honoring Father O'Connell....I pray for him, you and his housekeeper.

[@claricemoussalli4760]

What a beautiful heartfelt tribute to your friend . Bishop O’Connell rest in Peace in Gods everlasting love . Nearer my God to thee …

[@johnydevassia]

His Excellency I love and respect you for your voluminous talks on all Christian issues I'm also conveying my deepest sorrow along with you by the death of benevolent Archbishop O. Convell

[@theclapaolini4322]

I will always remember this homily and our saintly Bishop o connell.such a christ filled man of God left us this legacy

[@hopefullyhumble759]

I’m sorry to hear that your friend passed away… May he rest in heaven 🙏🏽

[@marypinakat8594]

Whenever you call me I'll always be there Wherever you lead me I'll always go Whatever you ask me I will always give you Only, Jesus, give me love🙏

[@minhtainguyen7087]

May God bless you too, Bishop. Such a beautiful story and gorgeous point of view. ❤❤❤❤

[@OgeneAdoh]

Thank you so much Bishop for sharing the life of Bishop Dave and showing how concrete my friendship with Jesus should be. Yes I will pray for his soul, the impact of his life and for you too.

[@jesseca1272]

Thank you for sharing this story about Bishop Dave. Beautiful servant of God.

[@Kitten_Me1023]

Rest in Peace, Bishop O'Connell. We will miss you. He is with God now and as far as i know, he's living his new best life. He will be remembered for what he has done down here on earth. May we pray for the sinner who shot him.

[@rshier8422]

This made me cry as i can feel your pain... Such a beautiful and heartfelt tribute Bishop Barron. Rest in peace Bishop O'Connell. God Bless 📿🙏✝

[@AngelGonzalez-ng9ve]

Beautiful Sunday sermon.... 🙌🏻🕊👍🏻🫶🏻⛪️📖✝️

[@angrypotato_fz]

Beautiful tribute and memory of Bishop David O'Connell, thank you.

[@mlmoylan3848]

God bless Bishop O'Connell as he rests now in Heaven, and may the Lord comfort your grieving heart, dear Bishop Barron. Thank you for sharing your beautiful memories of your beloved friend. 🙏❤️

[@blazingamr]

God bless bishop. O'Connell. I hope he is in a better place.

[@kasyokawilson7344]

We trust that the late Bishop has gone to a better place with the Lord. May God have mercy on him.

[@joesimons7387]

I am sorry you lost a dear friend. May God give you peace and joy in this time of sorrow. Death will not have the final word.

[@jogiudice-zi8oz]

I’m so glad you spoke about Bishop Dave O’Connell. I remember hearing about his being shot and, although I didn’t know him, I was upset that a Bishop could be shot down like that. I did think about you at the time of Bishop Dave being shot because I was pretty sure you knew him, having lived in California so long. I will say a prayer for Bishop Dave and for you too Bishop Barron. God Bless you Bishop Barron and all the work you do. Jo

[@mariaalderson2701]

I love you, Bishop Barron. Thank you for this.

[@bukurie6861]

Thank you Bishop Barron's for Sunday Sermon🥰👩‍❤️‍👨♥️✝️🙏

[@rebeccakahn3773]

I, too, shed tears at your pain. You, Bishop Barron, are also a holy man of God. I will pray for your friend, but I will also pray for you. God bless you both.

[@CopperNTodd14]

I so very much appreciate how Real and vulnerable Bishop Barron is in this talk. When our heart breaks, it will always be put back together by the Love of Christ. Both bishops allow the Lord's light to work through them in their vocation. This Light (in all of us) gives us the Hope that gets us through the most devastating times. GOD BLESS!

[@Fashionista033]

Praying for you during your mourning of your friend, colleague, and transforming leader in the community. ✝️ Thank you Bishop for putting out these videos for us.

[@nathanngumi8467]

Amen. May God rest the soul of Bishop David O'Connell in eternal peace and comfort his family at this time. 🙏

[@lauraripoli1046]

Let go and let GOD…May Bishop David O’Connell Rest in Peace💜

[@irmamartinez2483]

Thank you bishop Barron for all you do for us. You are a true light! Amen

[@marieturbay3842]

RIP, Bishop David O’Connell. I pray for his soul and for your comfort in these difficult times. Thank you for your guidance on the path to our Savior. God bless you.

[@michaelcollins9178]

Thank you Bishop Barron.I was touched by you're heartfelt description of your friendship to Bishop David Connell . I wish you comfort in you're grief . As you have given comfort to many including myself ,with your wonderful messages of hope,delivered as always with such eloquence and generosity May the Lord Jesus bless you and Bishop David Connell.

[@deniseparrott9678]

Such a beautiful testimony, thank you Bishop.

[@Jim_Mundy]

Thank you for sharing your friend's love of God and your journey with him. I pray that he may rest in the arms of Jesus, whom he loved. And that he would watch over you and pray for you until he can embrace you when you are reunited in the eternal Kingdom. Eternal rest grant unto him, o Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him.

[@marilynnpavlov7738]

My heart breaks for you, Bishop Barron. I am so very sad for the loss of your friend, Bishop O'Connell,

[@annmarielee9677]

He was my pastor in LA south central 30 years ago. He was unique, always with a joke and wonderfully Irish. A very tender heart and wonderful human being. He helped me a lot as well as everyone else. He was committed, also, to the toughest inner city neighborhoods in LA....he had real grit and 💓! May he rest in Jesus✝️

[@margohyde9156]

I believe Bishop Dave O’Connell will continue to minister to his beloved poor through the Devine graces that he has received in eternal happiness with God. May his memory bring you Peace.🙏

[@bobbycaldwell8988]

Beautiful Bishop Barron. Saying a prayer for Bishop Dave O'Connell. Thank you for the wonderful words ... Bless

[@veronicasandoval579]

Bishop David rest in peace. Praying for his soul. My condolences to you Bishop Barrón for your friend. Thank you for the reflections on the Gospel. Send you a fraternal hug.

[@thomasbasil4280]

Thank you, dear Bishop Baron

[@susanbendheim878]

Sorry for your loss. He was a wonderful example of how we are to follow Jesus.

[@levismadore556]

As this imposing Irish oak was uprooted and fell to the ground, its roots, intertwined with yours in friendship and love, bishop Barron, pulled on yours and tore at its flesh. The grand American sequoia trembled as its sap mixed with the soil where his friend laid. We are left in silence from such grace and share in your sorrow with our humble prayers. Shalom, Levis

[@agnsthwnd1941]

Lovely.

[@valdamarielegault1907]

My sincerest condolences to you Bishop!

[@debratetzloff417]

I am so very sorry for your loss and the loss of the people whom Bishop O'Connell served.

[@josephstevens9888]

What a beautiful tribute to your friend Bishop Barron.

[@salinthapasi]

With lot of Love from Trivandrum Kerala India.Thanks for the inspiring homily

[@smc4jmj1]

So very beautiful Bishop Barron. We were all very saddened to hear about Bishop Dave. Thank you for sharing your memories of him. He truly sounds like a very Holy Priest. We continue to pray for His soul, His Family and all who Loved him. God bless you Bishop Barron. I’m sorry for your loss. Prayers are with you! 🙏🏼

[@adama5363]

I'm so sorry to hear about Bishop O'Connor my heart and prayer is for his soul May he rest in peace Jesus I trust in you

[@mariagrant469]

Thank you Bishop Barron for those great words. I was lucky to know him and I am still in shock. And thank you for all your work and outreach. I love your Gospel Bible. I use it every day with the "Bible in a Year".

[@jtminuette4758]

God Bless and peace to you Bishop Barron, and the heartfelt loss of your friend and fellow clergyman. Your talks and sermons have greatly inspired me.

[@cacorte]

Praying for this beautiful soul that was so tragically lost to gun violence. May the Spirit of our Lord bring peace to your heart and all the lives with whom Bishop Dave touched. We mourn his loss and ask for God's redeeming grace. 🙏🙏

[@testing3379]

God bless you too. Rest in peace, Bishop Dave…

[@cliffbarber1642]

Bishop O’Connell has been on my mind all week. Thanks for your personal reflection Bishop Barron. To me there is nothing syrupy about saying “I love you Lord Jesus”. This is what I say to my wife as often as I can. Why wouldn’t I say that to the King of Kings! Eternal rest grant unto thee Bishop O’Connell.🙏

[@ladyj3474]

I am so sorry for your loss Bishop and for everyone he touched.

[@bluesky7226]

Isn't it a shame that we learn of all the goodness of a person after they die. May he rest in God's eternal peace. 💕 He was truly a wonderful servant of God! Thank you, Bishop Barron, for sharing his life with us.

[@landondolanz2844]

Sometimes we forget that at its heart the faith is simply a relationship... thank you for the reminder.

[@maireadcollins6825]

Thank you for yet another inspiring sermon. You never cease to amaze me with your deeply faithful understanding of the Word of God. Making connections we don't see, your knowledge, experience and wisdom shine through to us who are lucky to watch, listen to or read your sermons every day. Today's sermon is so personal, losing your friend Fr. Dave O'Connell, yet highlighting how Christ-like he lived his life & inspired you, reflects your own humility as a true disciple of Our Lord Jesus Christ. I love your sermons everyday. Thank you & May God Bless you Bishop Barron.

[@maryannhoffmann4664]

Thank you, Bishop Barron, for this inspiring account of a beautiful soul. I am sorry for your loss and for the loss to the community he served. I am confident that his spirit will continue to impact countless lives. Peace and God Bless you. ✝️🙏

[@pilarvivianortiz9298]

So sorry for your loss Bishop Barron. I most definitely know how you feel for the loss of Bishop Dean. I also lost someone very special, and in the same way. I will certainly pray for him.

[@louschroeter8720]

Deepest sympathies for the loss of your dear friend. I would further say what a tragic loss for the Church and those people the Bishop led. Our faith tells us Bishop is with the Lord and his mission and love will continue to be carried on in Los Angeles and beyond

[@josi2899]

Our dearest Excellency Bishop Barron, I have been awaiting for you sharing of your time with our Dearest Friend and Apostle of Los Angeles. I too worked in the inner city of Los Angeles, yet only lasted nine months. I was traumatized and burnt out within this short time, thus I can say that our Excellency Dave O'Connell was indeed a martyr. I only know him from the videos of his ministry, and from that love him. Thank you Bishops for your sacrifices, ministry and your individual talents in pastoral leadership.

[@anneturner2759]

Beautiful comment .

[@sallysmith4492]

God Bless you in your sadness Bishop Barron!! Thank you for this simple, heart warming tale of a humble Catholic man who became Bishop to the downtrodden and marginalized. His story reminds me of Mother Theresa's legacy where the remarkable service of both have and always will be greatly missed here on earth!! Still their brightness have and will explode on all of our behalf in heaven!!! Thank God for the life of Bishop David O'Connell!!!(Oh..if only the mountains could talk!!!)

[@SuzanneElizabethAnderson]

Thank you, Bishop Barron. That was a heartfelt appreciation of your friend and fellow Bishop.