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 Parish and Winnetka now presents

the Word on Fire.

Peace be with you.

I'm with G.K. Chesterton, who said this, all of Christianity rests upon a kind of sacred

jest, a sacred joke.

What do you mean?

Well, a joke occurs at the juxtaposition of incongruous elements.

How about that for a philosophical description of a joke?

But I think it's true.

We laugh when incongruous elements come together.

So the sophisticated with his top hat in Tuxedo slipping on a banana peel, we find that

funny because it's incongruous.

Or they joke about the French find Jerry Lewis so funny.

When they do, well, a grown man acting like a child, that's funny, it's strange and incongruous.

Chesterton appreciated this.

And he said, you know, at the heart of Christianity is something very much like that.

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