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 and Winetka now presents the Word on Fire.

Peace be with you. Friends, our Gospels for the next two weeks focus on that inexhaustibly rich conversation between Jesus and Peter.

Which took place somewhere in the vicinity of Caesarea Philippi in the far northernmost region of the Holy Land near the source of the Jordan River.

Jesus asked his gathered disciples that peculiar question upon which I have commented often, who do people say that the Son of Man is?

He's asking for a popular opinion poll, if you want, and he gets a rather predictable answer.

Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. In other words, he gets a whole range of responses from the people.

If we took a public opinion poll today concerning Jesus, you'd get a similar range of answers, maybe not all as positive as those were.

Then he turns to his immediate circle, and he asks the same question, and they fall silent.

But then Simon speaks, you are the Christ, the Son of a living God.

The people didn't have the right answer, nor did the elite circle around Jesus. Only Simon had it right.

And so, in the wake of that confession, Jesus says something extraordinary.

Blessed are you, Simon, Son of Jonah, for flesh and blood is not revealed to you, but my Heavenly Father.

And upon the rock of this confession, Jesus resolves to build his church.

Listen, and I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church.

The church is grounded in this mystical revelation.

Peter didn't get this insight from his own reflections. He didn't get it from polling the people, didn't get it from talking to his confers.

It came, Jesus said, not from flesh and blood, but it came from his Heavenly Father.

It's upon that confession, that mystical revelation, that the church is founded.

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