Rooted in faith; Living in Franciscan Joy!

Friends, Peace be with you! With these words, the Risen Lord Jesus greeted his disciples--and they still reverberate today. Through them, God offers new and abundant life, which is Christ's own divine life, given to the world so we can all share communion with God. This makes us his friends, and the defining characteristic of being God's friend is to know him. Throughout Lent, over 155,000 pilgrims received my daily Lent reflections. My hope was to do more than just offer you information. I wanted to introduce you to God, in Christ, so that you might know him as your friend. That's precisely why I founded Word On Fire Catholic Ministries, to invite people into friendship with Christ and to share his life in his Church. The Word On Fire apostolate offers you many resources toward that mission. Each day you'll find articles, videos, blog posts, and homilies to help strengthen your faith and evangelize the culture. The best part is that all of it is free! My hope is that these many resources help you deepen your friendship with God, in Christ, and in knowing him better, introduce him to others. That said, many of you have asked, what's next after the Lent reflections? How do I maintain the spiritual momentum I developed during this holy season? I'll offer two practical suggestions: First, visit WordFromRome.com. In a couple days I'll be traveling to Rome for the canonization of Popes John Paul II and John XXIII. During the trip I'll share exclusive, behind-the-scenes video reflections. So be sure to visit and sign up atWordFromRome.com to receive them. Second, commit to one new spiritual practice, right now. There's simply no better way to carry on your Lenten progress. Read through the Gospel of Mark, one chapter per day; spend some time with the Blessed Sacrament on a regular basis; commit to attending one extra Mass each week; pray the rosary once a day, maybe in your car. All of these are simple, proven ways to deepen your spiritual life. Once more, thanks for journeying with me this Lent. And now we celebrate: Christ is truly risen! Amen! Alleluia! Peace, Fr. Robert Barron