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.

I want to talk to you today about heaven.

Heaven is difficult to talk about, for obvious reasons.

We have no immediate frame of reference.

Whatever we say about heaven is always symbolic, analogical, poetic sort of talk.

But at the same time, heaven is everything.

It's what it's all about.

In the years after the council, there was a legitimate re-emphasis on this world, on the

responsibility of religious people to improving this world, politically, economically, socially,

social justice questions, all those became important, and validly so.

But I think at the same time we have to realize that in the biblical vision, what it's finally

about for spiritual people is heaven.

The church fathers, as I've often said, refer to us here as resident aliens.

We live here in this world, but our true citizenship is elsewhere.

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