What if suffering isn’t something to escape—but something that refines? Forged in Fire explores the real Father Stu’s journey through pain, virtue, and grace—beyond the film. https://t.co/w1cwG0nzml #Catholic #FatherStu #KindleUnlimited @markwahlberg @BishopBarron

Which do you think shaped Europe more—the sword of Charlemagne or the witness of Anskar? 👇 Let’s discuss. #HistoryThread #Theology #Saints

8/ God can bring good even from human violence. But the true pattern of evangelization is clear: The sword may impose, but only the cross converts.

7/ ⚖️ The Judgment of History Charlemagne: remembered as “Father of Europe,” but never canonized. Anskar: canonized a saint, Apostle of the North. Why? Because the Church honors not forced conversions, but the free proposal of faith.

6/ 🔄 Soft Power After Hard Power The paradox: Charlemagne’s terror cleared the ground. But it was Anskar’s holiness that bore fruit. By his time, Christianity was no longer just a conqueror’s creed—it was a path to alliance, order, and hope.

5/ 📦 Trade as Highway of Faith Charlemagne’s consolidation secured trade routes northward. Merchants carried goods—and the Gospel. Anskar himself traveled with traders to Birka, Sweden.

4/ 🤝 Diplomatic Leverage For Viking leaders, Christianity was politics as much as faith. Imperial recognition, prestige, and gifts mattered. When King Harald Klak was baptized in 826, Anskar’s mission gained weight because he carried Carolingian backing.

3/ ⛪ Ecclesiastical Infrastructure Charlemagne left behind bishoprics, churches, and monasteries—scaffolding for future missions. From places like Corvey and Hamburg, Anskar launched his work in Denmark & Sweden.

2/ ⚔️ Charlemagne’s Hard Power •Forced baptisms •Destroyed shrines •Massacres of resistance His campaigns were brutal—but they also created something new: stability. Missionaries like Anskar could not have traveled without it.

🧵 Saint Anskar & Charlemagne: The Sword and the Cross 1/ Christianity's spread in northern Europe was shaped by two figures: ⚔️ Charlemagne, who conquered the Saxons with force ✝️ Anskar, the “Apostle of the North,” who preached with patience and prayer

8/8 The Sabbath Crown Creation doesn’t climax with humanity, but with the seventh day—God’s rest. The cosmos finds its purpose in communion with God. Humanity is invited not just to exist, but to live in right relationship with its Creator. In Christ, this Sabbath rest is

7/8 The Sabbath Crown Creation doesn’t climax with humanity, but with the seventh day—God’s rest. The cosmos finds its purpose in communion with God. Humanity is invited not just to exist, but to live in right relationship with its Creator. In Christ, this Sabbath rest is

6/8 Christological Fulfillment From a Christian perspective, the one speaking creation into being is the Logos—the eternal Word (John 1:3). •In the forming stage, the Logos imparts order and meaning. •In the filling stage, the Logos imparts life and glory. Genesis opens: “Let

5/8 Liturgical Rhythm The creation account unfolds like a sacred liturgy: •Preparation: Days 1–3 (the altar set, the table prepared) •Celebration: Days 4–6 (the space filled, the blessing given) Many Jewish and Christian thinkers see this as the cosmos being made into a

4/8 Days 4–6: Filling the Realms God’s pattern is symmetrical. The second triad "fills" the spaces created in the first: Days of Forming Days of Filling Day 1: Light & Dark Day 4: Sun, Moon, Stars (govern time) Day 2: Sky & Sea

3/8 Days 1–3: Forming the Realms Day 1 — Time ⏳ Light is separated from darkness, giving rise to “day” and “night.” Time itself is created—a rhythm for existence, the basis for work, rest, and worship. Day 2 — Weather / Atmosphere 🌦️ Waters above and below are divided,

2/8 Creation as God’s Ordered Liturgy Genesis 1 isn’t a random sequence of events. It’s a deliberate, artful structure—a revelation of how God creates with order and intention. In the first three days, God lays down the infrastructure of the cosmos. In the next three, He fills

1/8 Time, weather, and food: the three essentials for earth to exist. Before any life could fill the world, these building blocks had to be put in place. #Creation #Genesis #DivineOrder #Liturgy #BiblicalStructure

Tragedy serves as a call for renewal, revealing God's power to transform history's darkest moments. Does Lindisfarne change your perspective on Providence or suffering in history? 👇 Share your thoughts #HistoryThread #Providence #Lindisfarne 11/11

The Church had grown complacent and needed repentance. Sometimes, the gravest wounds come from within. But in Providence, even wounds can sanctify. Lindisfarne, 793: 10/11

“It has not happened by chance; it is the sign of some terrible misdeed… The pagans do not know God, but they act as the scourge of God, rousing us to correction.” For Alcuin, Lindisfarne was a wake-up call: 9/11