This is Cardinal Francis George, and I invite you to join me for the next few minutes to

reflect with Father Robert Barron on the Word of God, which is the Word on Fire.

Father Barron will challenge us to open our hearts to the Word on Fire, which is God's

Word of Love for each of us.

If our hearts are open, the Lord can change and transform us, so that we might speak with

love about the one who is love.

The Archdiocese of Chicago through the generosity of Sacred Heart Parishing Winnetka now presents

the Word on Fire.

Peace be with you.

Friends, our readings for today are extraordinarily rich.

We hear from the Prophet Isaiah, we hear from Paul to the Romans, and we hear our ongoing

reading from Matthew's Gospel.

And all three of these readings today are incomparably rich, and they speak of very deep

things in the spiritual life.

Let me start with Isaiah.

Listen, thus says the Lord, just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down, and

do not return till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, giving

seed to the one who soves, so shall my Word be that goes forth from my mouth.

God's Word throughout the Bible is efficacious.

It affects what it says.

So in the very beginning, God says, let there be light, and there is light.

Let there be dry land, and there is dry land.

...