Welcome back to the Word on Fire show.

I'm your host, Matthew Petrusig.

We are continuing our walk through Bishop Barron's lecture series

on one of the most important Catholic theologians

of the 20th century, Hans Ores von Balthasar. Enjoy. We're talking about the

theodramatique, the theodrama, this play between infinite and finite freedom. The fact that

paradoxically, we discover who we are precisely in relationship to God. The kingdom of God or the kingdom of heaven is this

acting area opened up by Jesus, who's the definitive person who's found himself in mission.

So there's the framework we're talking about. In this next lecture, I want to just put some more

meat on the bones and follow Baltazar

as he analyzes the Bible in terms of some of these great themes.

Here's a first one, is the unexpected and irresistible quality of the call.

So go back to the Bible now and look at people who were summoned by God,

who felt the divine call, very often despite themselves, very often the least likely person being chosen.

Think of the stammering Moses or the stammering Paul. There's some speculation that

the thorn in the flesh for St. Paul was a speech impediment. Here's someone called upon to speak,

and we know that from the account in Exodus, that Moses said, look, I'm a bad speaker, and yet God

summons him precisely to that task. Think of the barren women, Sarah,

Hannah, Elizabeth, who are called upon to become mothers against all expectations. There's

something very often unexpected about the call of God. So my life is moving in a particular

direction, following my natural gifts, maybe following the encouragement of my community.

And then comes the divine call.

...