Word on Fire – The Catholicism Project
The other night I had the opportunity to preview Episode One of Catholicism. Catholicism is a ten part documentary created and hosted by Father Robert Barron of Word On Fire. The website’s description:
Soon you can discover the rich heritage of the Catholic Church in an epic media experience. Word on Fire Catholic Ministries offers a vision of the Catholic Faith, which has never before been seen. This vision seeks to explore, through a global journey, the living culture of the Catholic Church. From the lands of the Bible, to the great shrines of Europe, to the shores and heartland of America, to the mysteries of Asia, to the rich landscapes of Latin America, to the beating heart of Africa – and beyond, witness the passion and glory of the faith that claims over a billion of the earth’s people as its own.
If the first episode is any indication, this is going to be one great series! Fr. Barron narrates on location from Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and more. Through this series, we visit places central to our faith; places most of us would like to see, but may never get the chance. Fr. Barron takes us to the birthplace of Jesus, the site of the Crucifixion, and the site of the Resurrection.
Fr. Barron takes the Gospels and makes them come alive; while walking in the path of Jesus. He uses his extensive knowledge of Scripture and helps us understand what it was like over 2000 years ago. He brings Jesus to life and makes it very personal.
One of the things that stood out to me was his description of both Jesus and His angels being warriors. Jesus came to fight; but perhaps not in the way the Israelites, or us, think about fighting.
I mentioned before that this series was filmed on location. Over the course of all ten episodes, Fr. Barron will take us to the following places:
- Chicago
- Kentucky
- New York City
- Philadelphia
- Mexico
- Ireland
- Florence
- Spain
- Lourdes
- Rome
- Kampala, Uganda
- France
- Poland
- Germany
- Greece
- Turkey
- Israel
- Egypt
- Kolkata, India
- Philippines
The Catholicism Project will dispel myths and take you on a journey of our Christian faith that you will never forget. The Catholicism Project, while Catholic, is for everyone. It is for Catholics who want to learn more about their faith, Catholics who have left the church, all Christians, and even those of other faiths. Fr. Barron has comments on his site, testimonials of his work, from people of other faiths who are learning what the Catholic church is really all about. There is one from a Mormon who is considering what he has to say; and one from a former atheist (who ironically found Fr. Barron while searching for Bob Dylan!). I encourage everyone to give the Catholicism Project a chance. It will be available on TV and on DVD.
Here’s a list of the titles of the ten episodes:
- Amazed and Afraid: The Revelation of God Become Man
- Happy Are We: The Teachings of Jesus
- The Ineffable Mystery of God: That Which Nothing Greater Can Be Thought
- Our Tainted Nature’s Solitary Boast: Mary, the Mother of God
- To the Ends of the Earth: Peter, Paul, and the Missionary Adventure
- A Body Both suffering and Glorious: The Mystical Union of Christ and the Church
- Word Made Flesh, True Bread of Heaven: The Mystery of the Liturgy and the Eucharist
- A Vast Company of Witnesses: The Communion of Saints
- The Fire of His Love: Prayer and the Life of the Spirit
- World Without End: The Last Things
So, check out Fr. Barron’s Catholicism Project at Word on Fire. It will be well worth your while. It isn’t just about one religion – it’s about Jesus, His reason for His humanity on earth, His teachings, His reasons for dying, His reasons for the Resurrection, and what He wants us to do with it.
