Bishop Barron on Grace and Karma 

There is a quote in "The Flowers of Saint Francis" early on: -"Why does everyone follow you, Francesco? You're not tall, handsome or noble." -Because God could not find a lower creature on Earth, nor a sinner worse than I, in order to show that all virtue and good come from Him, not us."

Last week, I converted to Catholic and surprised everyone!!! I have listened to video your for a long time...your wisdom ,devotion and love of Christ have gradually changed me. I find myself wanting to learn more from you about Jesus Christ and ❤️ to will of good of the others. God bless you and thank you, Bishop Barron.

"We may not get what we want, we may not get what we need, but let's pray we never get what we deserve." My favorite toast, and a compact statement of the idea of grace.

I love Bishop Barron. He is a true testament to the true Catholic Church

“God is more willing to pardon than we have been to sin.”😇St. Catherine of Siena🙏🏻4us

One of my favorite RU-vid videos of all time. Fills me with hope and happiness.

I love to listen at your feet Father...God bless your media ministry!!

Another wonderful mini-class, Dear Bishop Barron! Thanks and God Bless you. A true conduit of Grace.

Such an amazing explanation. Thank you Father!

Hi there Bishop Robert Barron. Eastern religion teaches surrender (grace) and freedom from action (karma). “Surrender exclusively unto him with your whole being, O Bharat. By his grace, you will attain perfect peace and the eternal abode.” - Bhagavad Gita 18:62 “Those whose intellect is unattached everywhere, who have mastered the mind, and are free from desires by the practice of renunciation, attain the highest perfection of freedom from action.” - Bhagavad Gita 18:49

Great video. Grace and Karma both have their merits and to each their own. Hinduism is one such religion that essentially combines the two together in the most harmonious way.

Hindus are also very thankful that we live within a karmic tradition and not original sin. I will always be a Hindu, but I nevertheless enjoy this man’s teachings and come back everyday. If someone had a teaching, I want it. Bless you all.

God bless you, Your Excellency! I pray every single one of our prelates would be as charitable, as knowledgeable, and as erudite as yourself. May God bless you abundantly with even more faith, hope, and charity, and may Our Lady pray Our Lord to fill you with wisdom, knowledge, and understanding, and may the Holy Spirit give your words recognition and power with millions of people around the globe!

Am 58, American. Graduated philosophy 1985. Been a seeker since. Have read all theology and philosophy. Karma and Reincarnation is the only way to understand GOD. To be Catholic in 2022 is because of psychological problems. Or, to be ignorant followers of blind truth. The bishop is well educated, I would advise him, as I will do myself, this summer, to take a solo Motorcycle journey across the U.S. Catholic Dogma nor Protestant fundamentalism are not a path to peace with God. Only TRUST, in reality, that there is a purpose underneath our errors, which lets us work them out for ultimate RE-CONNECTION WITH the Divine, is the goal of most of Eastern Philosophy. And, TRUST is the Greek word for FAITH. In the end, we all choose our path, so, good tidings, to whatever you CHOOSE to believe. But, GOD, of course, our creator, and co-creator we smile upon!

Beloved Bishop Barron, you don't need my praise but just the same, here it is: thank you Lord, for electing Bishop Robert Barron, a worthy conduit of your grace.

Thanking Jesus for you Bishop Barron and lots of prayers on your way.

Thank you Bishop Barron, I appreciate the clear and concise explanation and it helps me in my discernment.

"Although our praises add nothing to your greatness, yet our thanksgiving is itself your gift."

Absolutly right with Jesús Christ we not need nothing!😇😇😇 He is our reason to live our Love! God is Love!

"God elects for the sake of the world." I need to remember that the next time I'm jealous. It's not about me or the person who got the gifts. Those gifts are for everybody, and God's reasons for choosing that person or time doesn't really matter.

God bless you, Bishop Robert Barron, you are a worthy vessel of our Master's grace. Please rest assured of my prayers.

Thank you, God, for raising up chosen ones to be a conduit of grace fir the rest of us. Thank you for giving Bishop Barron Your Holy Spirit, to be a conduit of love, wisdom, humility, & grace for the rest of us. I bless You, Lord Jesus, for Bishop Barron on his birthday.

This video brings to mind similarities between karma and prosperity theology. Very thought provoking Bishop Barron. Btw- enjoyed your reflections on Advent.

Thank You ! Another well thought out, easy to understand, even for a wretch like me, presentation. Cheers John

Truely revealation for me, thank you, Praise The Lord Jesus 🙏

WITH GOD ALL IS POSSIBLE...Strive everyday to be WITH GOD in thought and action and trust.

Bravo, father Barron. Christ nailed my karma to His cross. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

One of the best videos from Bishop Barron.

I think I finally figured out what asking for the grace of... patience or understanding my situation. Or the grace of...

Robert Barron is a great speaker to listen to. I do not subscribe to Catholicism, nor plan on being so. However, I learn a lot from his speaks.

Praise God for you! I am wondering if everyone gets grace? but to those who don't believe, we the church are given the chance to witness & evangelize with our testimony & must be compassionate to those who don't know Abbah...so that we who have had our faith activated by the Lord, with His love, in His timing, can love our neighbor as ourself so they too will feel, see & hear Jesus, through us as God blesses us with His timing & opportunities ! We are blessed to be a blessing!

God wants us to see each other as equals. We are not equal in strength and pride, but rather in our weakness and humility.

Great video, another wonderful emphasis on the fact that God works through mediums because he wants us to be a deep and active part of His divine life.

THANKS YOU ARE LUCKY TO HAVE AND TRANSMIT GRACE.GOD BLESSINGS

Thank you Lord for your grace and mercy ✨🙏🏻✨

These videos have clarified so many terms - like grace - that were always elusive & unsatisfactorily explained. So grateful for this channel.

Thank you, dear Bishop 🙏 God bless you 🙏

THANK YOU AGAIN AND AGAIN FOR THE UNDERSTANDING OF OUR FAITH,OUR CREED. I HAVE BEEN WATCHING ALL YOUR WORK ON WORD ON FIRE,SPECIALLY THE CATHOLICISM SERIES,MAINLY EPISODE 6 AND 7.....I WAS TOTALLY CAPTURED REALIZING THAT 71 AND A PROFOUND BELIEVER I YET HAVE SO MUCH TO GRASP......AND YOU ARE INSTRUMENTAL IN THAT PROCESS.THANK YOU AGAIN.MAY GOD CONTINUE TO INSPIRE YOU AS YOU HAVE INSPIRED ME

Although late but this is what I needed to hear... Thankyou Bishop Barron

Amen. God bless you, father Barron.

.... and that last bit ties in with the parable of the talents. I love listening to this.......

Thank you Bishop Barron. This is a good video. I am a Catholic convert from Buddhism, so I would like to explain what I understand from having first-hand experience with a religion of karma, as you put it. :) The principle of kamma (karma) is described by Christ when He says that it is not what goes into the mouth which defiles a person, but what comes out of it. The reality of grace is something that is emphasized by Western religions such as our's, but it sits atop this universal reality of kamma. This makes the truth of God's grace a category of kammic truth. It is also worth noting that, just like a car, a person doesn't require intimate knowledge of the engine to make it work. The idea is that God is the master of kamma, and how God decides to reconcile what kammic debts there might be is God's decision. Also, being that Catholicism is a religion of devotion (bhakti yoga), the idea is that there is more to learn in heaven. The purpose of Christian devotion isn't to obtain this highest, esoteric sense of spiritual mastery such as that which is seen in Theravada Buddhism (raja yoga). I am thankful for this, since - as you mentioned in your video - to incur the full reality of one's due kamma might pay off in the end, but surely is most unpleasant. This would seem to be consistent with our theology, that certain truths will be revealed to us. At least according to my understanding, getting to heaven is just another step in the larger process of complete spiritual enlightenment, and I am infinitely gracious for Christ's sacrifice to get me to heaven so He can continue to teach me what I need to know where it is safe from evil. There is a story of a frog who was reborn into the heavenly realm after hearing one of Gotama-Buddha's discourses. This would seem to resemble the kamma of grace. I would say that this division between grace and kamma is truly a conventional distinction (which follows from higher beings). God can choose as God wishes, and this has kammic results.

Amen ! That those who see that they become blind and those who are blind that they may see.And for those who say we see their Sins remain .

Please God help me to rise above limitations and short comings of people

That was beautiful Father!

An observation from an interested agnostic (or a "secret Herod" as you would say)... what attracted me most with the teaching's of Eastern religions and Karma is the non-finality ingredient in this worldview which I find gives a sense of Hope, whereas the finality ingredient in most Abrahamic religions can lead to a sense of despair. What I mean is, in Karmic religions there is always Hope even in the midst of reaping what you deserve because the punishment is finite and proportionate. In Abrahamic religions, once a certain threshold is passed there is no Hope. That is something that attracts me more towards a Karmic worldview than an Abrahamic worldview. But nevertheless I enjoyed this video and I always enjoy your perspectives on these issues.

Yes i'm not karma just Grace. No body conviced me of false things. So i know the one Who i love and all thanks for God!😇😇😇👼🔥☄️

Excellent, father, as always.

This is a great talk, particularly within the context of the idea of grace. You very poetically and clearly explain some problems with the idea and also how it works. But I think when you address karma it shows at best a slight distortion or misunderstanding of the idea of karma, particularly in Buddhism. Karma is not "getting what you deserve" but rather the idea of cause and effect. If you plant a lemon seed, and the right cultivating conditions occur, a lemon tree will grow. You shouldn't be surprised nor upset that a mango tree didn't grow instead. This is how it works at the simplest and most practical level that most meditation practitioners deal with. I don't think it's even necessarily mutually exclusive from the idea of grace, at least at karma's simplest and most obvious levels. Again, I'm speaking for Buddhism here- not sure about Hinduism, but in Buddhism karma is not at all about "punishment" or getting "just deserts" (although it's possible to manifest that way sometimes- but that's not what it's "about") but on the every day level it's about how mind states are cultivated, how they develop and grow into emotions, impulses, then actions, and then those actions meet with external circumstances, and when repeated and cultivated they can ripen into relationship patterns and personal dispositions. You don't even HAVE to go further into the idea of rebirth- one CAN just leave it there. But in other words, if you want to grow certain kinds of mind states, pay attention to the thought seeds. What kinds of thoughts are you allowing to run through your mind and "listening to" from moment to moment? if your thoughts are criticizing, complaining, blaming, etc. you should not be surprised that you are in a foul mood and treat people poorly, and in return those people are upset with you, or have some poor opinion of you. THAT is the law of karma. The training is to watch those thoughts, and if those thoughts are causing suffering to yourself and potentially to others, the practitioner is to redirect the mind, to see the thoughts are not real nor substantial, have compassion for the conditions that brought about those those thoughts, (you have to practice to see clearly you didn't CHOOSE those thoughts, so you don't "DESERVE" them- they probably came from previous conditions- your biology, your family, etc.) and then to try to cultivate compassionate and kind thoughts. Also to see how this pattern works with others, and how they're ALSO the result of their causes and conditions, which allows you to not see them as inherently "good" or "bad" (although they might be temporarily MANIFESTING as "good" or "bad" fleetingly in a particular context or situation) but rather see them as suffering, and as a fellow human being. From this position it's very hard to see them as an "enemy" but one can still stand up to them or try to stop them from doing harm if that's what you see them doing. But it's from a very different place- not from "you're my enemy" but from "you're my brother or sister, and I feel I need to do XYZ to help you." And as much as possible to be kind, understanding and generous, and how those actions will cultivate the "fruit" of compassion, happiness, and enjoyable relationships. One could argue on a theoretical level how the law of karma and idea of grace are fundamentally different, which I'm not really interested in doing, but on a practical level I don't see how this practice contradicts the tenets of living a Christian life, nor how it contradicts grace. In fact I think it can give you a psychological technology to help improve your Christian walk. You will still have plenty of room for growth, plenty of places where you'll mess up and do something stupid, selfish or unkind, from which you can ask for God's grace to forgive and help you with.

Bishop have you considered sitting down with Jordan peterson? I feel your two perspectives would lead to an amazing conversation

Everything comes from a source of Love and Compassion

Excellent. Thank you for the clarification

Gracias, Padre Barron! Sobre la palabra "karma" Fray Nelson Medina publicó un video también muy clarificador : "La Gracia del sábado 4 de noviembre de 2017".

The Grace of God is a gift bestowed on those who ask for it, and any elected by God as Chosen are like kings most high... however, the higher one is on God’s hierarchy, the more one has to serve and bring God’s Grace to

But my question is, why christian doctrine believes that man deserves the worse? I get that we are fallen creatures, we are fallible, but, why does christian doctrine automatically assumes that man is so wicked and corrupt and evil that he deserve the worse of the worse, so as to be thankful that he has a religion of grace and not karma? Karma is a natural law and it operates regardless of what religion you profess.

Thank you!

Karma is a dangerous philosophy, I am Indian and I know how disgusting it is, you never know how much you have to pay for sins from your previous life, when the Idea of determined destiny is involved it becomes worst.

Thank GOD for this video!

The path of grace is also embedded in the eastern philosophy too. Which is known as the path of devotion, one of the four major paths of Indian tradition from Vedas. To understand concept of Karma one need to realize the lessons of the Upanishads (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad specifically), which consists of the core philosophy of Vedas.

Interesting statements, but very simplified presentation of Carmaic religions. You can gain insight or enlightenment, which can also be described as grace, because when gained the Ego and it's motives is dissolved or weakened. Compassion for your self and others are born.

Utterly inspiring words thank you

awesome again dear bishop

Wonderful. Love seeing your library, I recognize some books I have, esp. the Pelikan. Someday, would you consider giving us a library tour and commenting on the books you have found most helpful?

Just beautiful ❤️❤️🙏🙏🙏

If you view Karma as a basic cause and effect the judgment of moral action (or lack thereof), then Grace will often be the better observation. But when karma is just the outworking of the 'law' in which Grace weaves its magic, then Grace is just a greater outworking of divine life. They are both handmaidens of each other when properly understood as for the betterment of mankind (Karma is very much misunderstood in the West). In the end grace 'does thankfully abound' but rarely without the former.

Karma and Grace is not exclusive. I think Grace and Karma together explains life.

God bless you 💕

Wooooow as always a fabulous great, video, thanks a lot Fr Barron Su fan de México

A grace that doesn't reach everyone sounds like an exclusive gift, much more cruel than the principle of karman, which is supposed to be impersonal and not necessarily good and right. I never heard anyone accusing the law of gravity of being unjust.

God made us in his image and likeness and wants us to be his sons and daughters and we need his grace to become what he would like us to be. God wants all of us and calls us to be holy. we can't make ourselves holy-- only grace can.

We have a troll in the dungeon, folks. Ignore and pray for him. Great video though as always, bishop!

While not Karma per se', The Bible does indeed teach that if you do not forgive, you will not be forgiven.

Superbly explained eminece We needed it There is so much obscuruty about that suject

Best video yet!

Interesting.

My family have different members from different school of thoughts. Father is Christian, mother is Hindu and two aunts are Buddhist and Sikh. In terms of grace and karma I would like to share something here. Basically Hinduism is karma centric religion. Yet in Bhagwat Gita (Song of Almighty) Krishna tells Arjuna that it was only grace and grace only that he is helping him win war. Many were righteous and many followed karma point by point, yet it was God's grace that saved the day. In my opinion, theology is often surrounded by laws of the world. But be it holy Spirit or in East atman ( which translate to spirit) is the core of enlightenment of humanity. So in my opinion, Lord and Lord alone grants Grace and judge us according to acts/karma.

Woah I don't wonna stand up in the harsh wind of what I deserve.

I would really love to hear Bishop Barron's take on the fate of peoples who God's grace distributed through Israel did not reach and had no chance to reach. What about, say, Native American peoples that were cut off from God's grace for hundreds and thousands of years? Did God's grace not work among them?

You know, I used to think it was awful that life was so unfair. Then I thought, wouldn't it be much worse if life were fair, and all the terrible things that happen to us come because we actually deserve them? So, now I take great comfort in the general hostility and unfairness of the universe. Marcus Cole, Babylon 5

Yep I needed that,....

I think a lot of people are confused by God's decision to save so many "wretches" and damn so many people whose only fault is failing to be convinced of his existence.

Thank you Bishop! We will continue to spread the good news of Grace! Do you have any recommendations on evangelizing to people who insist they don't need it?

Excellent!

One difference is that Karma protects (or purports to protect) the *good* actor from harm on Earth. Grace doesn't seem to do that.

It’s not that simple. the Bhakti school of Hinduism very much believes in Grace.

Very nice video. Thank you .

That quote from Isaiah sounds like the fulfilment of the Bahai faith.

The Divine not merited by anyone of humankind (including the Blessed Virgin Mary) certainly astounds those who receive it. But I do think there are elements of reaping what we sow or have sown in God's justice even after receiving Grace. We are responsible to not only be sorry for our sins, but as best as possible in one's circumstance to reconcile the *effects* of each of our sins. Many times this can only be done Spiritually, but none the less it is done. I do truly think that one's own pain, like the prodigal son, is part of this. But I'm certain that for the rest of his life, as cheerful giving as possible out of living The Covenant with God with all of his heart, soul, and resourcefulness (loving God) and his family and neighbors as himself --- it helped by Grace make restitution for the already forgiven wrongs. I do understand that this is not exactly that which you were referring, but this element is often missed in Christendom. It is one of the reasons some of those practicing the religion that Jesus Christ Himself practiced (like the Days of Awe, 10 days for The Ten Commandments to be reconciled with God and neighbor - very solemnly with a firm purpose of amendment) have difficulty accepting our religion. Don't we need to convey this to one another and the world more than we do?

It appears religions of grace invented the easy way out.

There are different views of thinking in the east as to do chanting as per Gita and the Buddha too some different way to chanting to attain moksha or to get better life after your 1st life cycle. There are so many dharma's and doctrines so it's really a broad scale and complex to understand everything. But there is no talk of eternal life by simply accepting a God. You have to continue karmic cycles for 100 lifetimes as such after that you will be in heaven.

I like this one. Grace vs Karma. I'll take Grace please, hold the Karma.

Dear Father Barron, there are several Eastern religious traditions (Pure-Land Buddhism or certain Bhakti Hindu denominations) which place very strong emphasis on the question of Grace. They believe 'Karma' is ultimately only governed or controlled by God. This is identical to the question of "Temporal Punishment" in Catholic Purgatory theology. "Temporal Punishment" and the Purgatory system is a 'Karmic' (Works) System, just as much. Just that, simply, we Catholic don't believe it "trickles-down" or "catapults" our Soul into another Re-Birth Re-Incarnation. This is why Protestants reject the doctrine of Purgatory: They reject any "Good Works" dimension and "Merits" realm or dimension to religion and faith. As such, they are "Grace Absolutists" (Such as Calvinists and all other Protestants in different degrees). They believe Purgatory to be to 'Karmic'. Thus, it is important to understand, that, while as you correctly say that Christianity (and other western-abrahamics) is particularly "Grace-Based" or "Grace-Focused" ... there are 100% dimensions of Catholic and Orthodox Christianity, especially in its Medieval and more Classical sort of "Tridentine Latin" expressions, feelings, and "colors" which, though not ultimately rejecting the Grace-Model of Free-Salvific Blessing and "Electedness", still sees the importance of God is determining and valuating and co-ordinating the distributions of graces, BUT ALSO, merits, fruits and blessings of good works, and thus 'karmic' dimensions of temporal punishments and so on. Temporal Punishment is the 'Karmic' (Works) Element, and Eternal Punishment is the Grace Element. We cannot by-pass God's forgiveness and "*reconciling the world to himself* through Jesus's free grace-blood" without this Grace dimension: that part and element of election-and-forgiveness can only be resolved as a tension THROUGH the element of God's choosing majesty and sovereign dominion. Jesus himself says, any other attempt to "catapult" or push and "prolong" ourselves into this further divine-dimension (heaven) through our own 'karmic' good works alone are as thieves or as those, who, only a few Sundays ago in the previous Gospel, entered the marriage feast WITHOUT a marriage garment. Many, many, many Hindus and Buddhists are right on this issue too! Don't mis-understand or mis-represent them please! Many of them believe that Only God mitigates and guides and rules 'Karma'. They believe that often, if and when God wants, some of these deserving 'Karmas' can be dissolved only at the free and merciful Grace of God in forgiveness. Forgiveness often, for them, also eliminates 'Karmic' degrees and elements because God chooses to do so. In the same way that God, within the Christian frame-work, and fully and faithfully sometimes forgive us with such a powerful wash and tide of detergent in the spin-cycle of his mercy, that we don't even have to "pay back" or "work-back up" those just-tithes for penances towards temporal punishments. No, often enough, through the very merciful friendship and dialogue which God has with us - in that "work" of tendency towards faith and devotion, 'karmas' can be cleared, and our "just-deserts" are washes in or through the simplest Work of Faith. Faith in this sense is actually indeed also a "Work" of the choice towards forgiveness, mercy, and grace. Which is why, ultimately, Calvinism is the only eternally-coherent Protestant formulation: it places Grace as the central defining feature of God's ultimate and extreme surpassing and transcending Majesty and Majestic Sovereign: God is Grace and maybe even heretically for them sometimes, Grace is God. But what I am trying to ultimately make clear here is that, really, this dynamic or dramatic feature of 'karma' and "grace" or "Grace vs. Karma" (Works) is NOT at all only a dynamic between Eastern and Western religion(s)! It is universally a feature of all religious dramas and "dramatics". HOWEVER, there is certainly more pronounced emphasis on Grace in the Western religious traditions and more (General) pronounced emphasis on Karma (Works) in the Eastern religious traditions. But these lines nowadays, more and more, in today's very ecumenical and inter-religious open-dialogue world, are openning up more and more... this old and ancient "East-West" divide is closing up in light of and in facing the fact of global "universalization" of human experience, digital or other-wise. I think and believe that an ultimately good or true religion or religious tradition must have an emphasis or focus on Faith and Grace as central BUT on Karma and Works as "stationary" (it positions and re-positions you faithfully and fully-firmly in the ground of belief and divine-trust!)

But I would like to point out that, some of the deistic eastern religions operate under the framework of grace+karma. It's not karma alone. Especially the school of Shri Vaishnavim. Where they say you are stuck in the karmic loop, but you can be saved by Lord's grace. It's a mixture of both grace and karma. But again, in grace based religions, God makes choice on something, right? What is that something? however secretive it is, there must be something on whose basis God makes a choice. The difference is called karma. And again even though Christianity is not proclaiming karma explicitly, the spirit of karma is abundant in many statements, one of which is "as you sow , so you reap". and many more www.openbible.info/topics/that_what_you_sow_so_shall_you_reap

First off, I am a an orthodox christian, just to clarify. I think you’re misunderstanding the basic karman law. Yes, “you get what you deserve”, but that’s found in the bible as well. Look at proverbs for that. What’s important considering karma in Hinduism and Buddhism for example is that this law, this karmic law connected to it the samsara of deaths and rebirths, the important thing to realise is that this is NOT A GOOD THING for us. And that Maya, the veil over our eyes of not knowing God, the Truth, is behind this whole cosmic law, and that this needs to be escaped by knowing God or the essence of all things, or letting go, as in Buddhism. This then sets you free from this law, as you said, freeing you from the terrible law of karma. Mind you, even reincarnating as a god is not in your best interests. In your best interests is to leave this endless wheel of suffering. Much like Christians die to the world with God creating everything anew, so do the easterners escape the circle of samsara by coming to God who frees them from this endless horrifying destiny. It’s not as straight forward as you are presenting it, bishop, no offence.

Why should I care about grace for someone who has wronged me?

The prophet Jonah starts off as a believer in Karma by disobeying God's command to preach to the people of Nineveh, which the prophet Jonah hated. Jonah found God's grace inside the belly of a fish.

Eastern religions have grace as well as karma.

The always amazing Mons Barron, however in the Gospel Jesus says ""Consider carefully what you hear," he continued. "With the measure you use, it will be measured to you-and even more." Mark 4:24, therefore your actions are important.

Punishment is the wrong word to use when describing karma. There is no one punishing. It is better to think of it as cause and effect.

Amen