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 Baron on the Word of God, which is the Word on fire.

Father Baron 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 Winetka now presents the Word on fire.

Peace be with you. Friends, the feast of the dedication of St. John, Lateran, Basilica, and Rome falls on a Sunday this year.

So it gives us a chance to reflect on that church building, but also church buildings in general, and the whole idea of the church.

You know, I was just at John Lateran a few weeks ago. I was over in Rome filming for my Catholicism series. I think I've told you about that.

John Lateran is a very striking place. It's the Mother Church of Catholicism, even more than St. Peter, since John Lateran is the Cathedral Church of the Bishop of Rome.

When the Pope takes his position as Bishop of Rome, he takes possession of the Cathedral of John Lateran.

In the apps of that church, you see the great cathodra, the chair from which the Pope teaches.

On the facade of John Lateran, you find this little Latin motto,

Omnium Eclasiarum, Orbus at Orbus, Kaput at Mater. That means, of all the churches of the city and of the world, head and mother.

John Lateran is the Mother Church of Catholicism.

Inside, over the main altar, you'll find reliquaries holding the heads of Peter and Paul, the two great apostles who died in Rome,

and then throughout the nave of the church, I was really struck by this. In fact, we filmed near some of these statues.

You find these gigantic depictions of the twelve apostles. They're standing almost literally as the pillars of the church.

So as I say, this feast today gives us the occasion to reflect on not only John Lateran, but on church buildings.

And judging from our readings for today, the church insists that all church buildings have as their source and prototype the great temple in Jerusalem, the great temple.

As I've said, often enough before, it would be difficult to overstate the importance of the temple for a first century Jew.

The temple in Jerusalem was, in practically a literal sense, the dwelling place of Yahweh.

God was seen as inhabiting the temple. Now Jews knew, of course, that God was everywhere. They knew that.

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