For those of you who aren't familiar with Fr. Robert Barron of The Word On Fire podcast, you should be. In short, he's a preacher par excellence from the Chicago area. In this two CD set, Fr. Barron ellucidates six conversion stories from the Old and New Testaments: Bartimaeus, the Rich Young man, the Woman at the Well, the Calling of Matthew, Jonas, and the Magi.

If you're familiar with the Word On Fire podcast then the format will feel familiar. These stories are told in ~20 minute segments and, like the podcasts, the vignettes open and close with a musical background. To be frank, a few of the musical backgrounds went on too long and it was a little distracting. Pleasant music, mind you, but I was trying to focus on the words not the music.

As for the content, it's worth the price. I listen to a lot of audio, most only once. This set will easily bear a second listening. Fr. Barron seamlessly interweaves giants like Dante and Carrivagio into a narrative which is surprisingly accessible. and spiritually insightful. Whether you're a bookish academic or a more regular sort, you will find something to enrich your spiritual life in these disks.

There is also a workbook which accompanies this set. The workbook is cross referenced with the Catechism and the questions would be suitable for self-study or group-study. I'm not much of a small groups guy, so I can't say how easy to use it would be in that setting. Nevertheless, if you had any hesitation that Fr. Barron's style would be a bit highbrow, this accompaniment should ease your mind.

In short - it's good Lenten fare. If your Lent isn't progressing as you'd like, you should consider giving yourself a boost with this set.