Friends, welcome to Word on Fire, Catholic Ministries. Word on Fire is an apostolate dedicated

to the mission of evangelization, using media both old and new to share the faith on every

continent, and to facilitate and encounter with Christ and His Church. The efforts of

Word on Fire engage the culture and bring the transformative power of God's Word where

it is most needed. Today we invite you to join Bishop Robert Baron, as he preaches

the gospel and shares the warmth and light of Christ with each of us.

Peace be with you. Friends, our first reading for this weekend, which we also hear, by

the way, during the Christmas season, brings us back to the 8th century BC and the musings

of the prophet Isaiah. Just about a century before the time of Isaiah, a Syrian warrior had invaded

the northern kingdom of Israel, and it carried the people off into exile and subjected others

to great oppression. One of the areas they hit hardest was Zebulan and

Nafthali, regions in the northwest part of the territory, near and around the sea of

Galilee. That's why Isaiah says that the Lord, quote, degraded the land of Zebulan and

the land of Nafthali. He means they were the object of this terrible persecution and

attack. But then we hear something really interesting. He foresees, he prophesies that from

that land of gloom, a light will come. Listen, the people who walked in darkness have seen

a great light. Upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom, a light has shown against a very

specific historical reference here. The people who suffered the aggression of the Assyrians,

people whose maybe family members were carried off, those under the boot of an oppressive power,

those people have seen a great light. Upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom, those particular

people in this gloomy state of affairs, on them a light has shown. There's a very specific

reference here. We might miss it, but those at the time knew what Isaiah was talking about. Listen,

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