Word on Fire

What began as an answer to Pope John Paul II’s call for a “New Evangelization” has drawn millions of people into—or back to—the Catholic faith. Join us in celebrating twenty-five years of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries.

In their luminosity and verticality, in their decorations and symbolic devices, in their harmony and proportion, in the way that they gather all of creation into right praise, the Gothic cathedrals still speak to us of God. Get your tickets for Bishop Barron’s new film, “Heaven in Stone and Glass,” today! Check your local listings: heaveninstoneandglass.com

Learn more: liturgyofthehours.com

Do you want to start praying the Liturgy of the Hours? Here are four practical tips.

On the fourth anniversary of his installation as bishop of @WinonaRochester, learn about the rich symbolism of @BishopBarron’s episcopal coat of arms.

“If it is my destiny that I should give my life here, then so be it. I do not want to desert these people.” An Oklahoma native, hardworking farmer, and a faithful shepherd, Fr. Stanley is the first American-born martyr.

Behind the triumph of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Antarctic exploration is a deeply Christian man who sought virtue alongside talent in his crew members. Alex Taylor shares the thrill of the voyage: on.wof.org/4wo0gfp

What would you do if following Jesus meant risking your life? Shūsaku Endō’s “Silence” is a Japanese Catholic masterpiece about a Jesuit priest facing persecution, betrayal, and a profound test of faith in seventeenth-century Japan. Get 20% off your copy at wof.org/silence.

@BishopBarron youtu.be/5GHyYKizSic

From @BishopBarron’s homily. Check out his Sunday Sermon.

I sat down for “two drinks” with @BishopBarron for @TheFP

Each volume of Word on Fire’s Liturgy of the Hours has 7 colored ribbons, custom-bound to ensure the book lies flat during prayer and durable enough for decades of daily use. Learn more: liturgyofthehours.com

The letter from Word on Fire’s attorney speaks for itself. Christopher Hale made false claims about Bishop Barron’s You Tube Channel growth and when this was pointed out to him, he took no action to retract and correct his false statement. This is deeply disconcerting as journalism obtains credibility from factual reporting. Inasmuch as Mr. Hale presents himself as a journalist, he should expect to be held accountable to the standards the public expect for his profession.

NEW: Bishop Robert Barron and Word on Fire are threatening to sue me for a social media post about his online viewership. In the post, I claimed that Barron’s numbers were declining amid his “MAGA conversion.” The lawyers contest the numbers. They didn’t contest the MAGA conversion. Here’s why. thelettersfromleo.com/p/after-lawsui…

@wostok_CLF @BishopBarron Can you find where Bishop is railing against democratic socialism? I couldn't. Just him railing against Marxism and Communism. Maybe it is you that needs to learn the difference.

@WordOnFire @BishopBarron I didn't say that it's the same thing, but since bishop rails against democratic socialism in exactly the same way, I added the quote. What he's criticizing isn't communism/Marxism - which will never take hold in the U.S. anyway. He's using it to rail against democratic socialism

@wostok_CLF @BishopBarron And Bishop is talking about Marxism. What is your point here? Seems like Bishop and Pope Benedict are in agreement. Marxism is inherently evil? What point are you making?

@WordOnFire @BishopBarron He is not talking about communism. Try to learn the difference.

Here is a quote from the exact same article that you are attempting to misconstrue: firstthings.com/europe-and-its… "The essential problem of our times, for Europe and for the world, is that although the fallacy of the Communist economy has been recognized, its moral and religious fallacy has not been addressed. The unresolved issue of Marxism lives on: the crumbling of man’s original uncertainties about God, himself, and the universe. The decline of a moral conscience grounded in absolute values is still our problem, and left untreated, it can lead to the self-destruction of the European conscience, which we must begin to consider as a real danger—above and beyond the decline predicted by Spengler."

@BishopBarron If you're going to quote that, I'd also like to quote this one from the same Pope Benedict XVI: „In its purpose, social-democratic socialism was in many ways close to Catholic social teaching.“

Also, lifted from that exact same article: "The essential problem of our times, for Europe and for the world, is that although the fallacy of the Communist economy has been recognized, its moral and religious fallacy has not been addressed. The unresolved issue of Marxism lives on: the crumbling of man’s original uncertainties about God, himself, and the universe. The decline of a moral conscience grounded in absolute values is still our problem, and left untreated, it can lead to the self-destruction of the European conscience, which we must begin to consider as a real danger—above and beyond the decline predicted by Spengler."

This meme has spread way out of context. Here is the original article: firstthings.com/europe-and-its… Here is the full excerpt so @BluffCityAtty cannot continue to mislead people about Pope Benedict XVI. Pope Benedict was specifically attacking Marxism in the very same article this quote is lifted from. "But in Europe, in the nineteenth century, the two models were joined by a third, socialism, which quickly split into two different branches, one totalitarian and the other democratic. Democratic socialism managed to fit within the two existing models as a welcome counterweight to the radical liberal positions, which it developed and corrected. It also managed to appeal to various denominations. In England it became the political party of the Catholics, who had never felt at home among either the Protestant conservatives or the liberals. In Wilhelmine Germany, too, Catholic groups felt closer to democratic socialism than to the rigidly Prussian and Protestant conservative forces. In many respects, democratic socialism was and is close to Catholic social doctrine and has in any case made a remarkable contribution to the formation of a social consciousness. The totalitarian model, by contrast, was associated with a rigidly materialistic, atheistic philosophy of history: It saw history deterministically, as a road of progress that passes first through the religious and then through the liberal phase to arrive at an absolute, ultimate society in which religion is surpassed as a relic of the past and collective happiness is guaranteed by the workings of material conditions."

Their joy is infectious, and they’re breaking through online algorithms. Johanna Duncan writes about the return of American nuns: account.wordonfire.org/r/EnAINVg

Last week, Word on Fire showcased The Liturgy of the Hours, Second Edition. The reviews are in. Preorder yours today: liturgyofthehours.com