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 today, the church gives us this wonderful story of the conversion of St. Matthew.

Of course, we find it in Matthew's gospel.

It's wonderful that the writer himself reflecting on the process by which he was called to

Christ.

There's a particularly great painting of this scene.

Maybe if you've been to Rome, you've seen it.

It's in the Church of St. Louis, the Frenchman in Rome, the Carvaggio.

In this scene, we have Matthew and his cronies and hangars on, and they're at the tax collectors

table.

It's pal-high with money and a couple of the friends there are busily counting the money.

As was the custom, of course, Carvaggio paints them in the finery of his own day.

He was a late 16th century painter.

So there they are in the best clothes of the Renaissance, in their silk stockings and

...