Word on Fire is brought to you by Catholic cemeteries, serving the Chicago area since 1837.

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 in Winnettka now presents the Word on Fire.

Peace be with you. Friends, today we commence this wonderful and holy season of Lent.

And to me, it's very interesting now. On this first Sunday of Lent, the church asks us to meditate on

animals. What? Animals? Well, yes. Listen to the first reading from the book

of Genesis. We hear that the floodwaters have receded. The Ark of Noah is resting on dry ground,

and Noah is spoken to by God. Listen. See, I am now establishing my covenant with you and your descendants

after you. And with every living creature that was with you, all the birds and the various

tame and wild animals. The second reading too today from Paul, from Peter rather, draws attention back

to Noah's Ark. Covenants. God makes them throughout the Bible. There's a covenant with Abraham,

a covenant with Moses, a covenant with David. Jesus himself says, this is the cup of my blood of the new and everlasting

covenant. But this is the first one. The first covenant made, God's contract, God's agreement,

is made with Noah. And listen again, I'm establishing this covenant with you and your descendants, quite right,

with human beings, and, and with every living creature that was with you, all the birds and

various tame and wild animals. Huh, the covenant has to do not just with us, but in some sense with all of creation.

We're all implicated in God's plan, all of us, every creature. This, of course, is consistent

throughout the Bible. The Bible is a very cosmic book. Read any book of the Bible with this rubric in mind. I think you'll see it.

Earlier in the book of Genesis, we hear about the creation. Not just of human beings, but God's creation of all things.

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