Word on Fire is brought to you by Catholic Cemetery's, 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, who we might speak with

God's 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 second reading for today is one of the most magnificent texts in the New Testament.

It's taken from Paul's letter to the Philippians, but the hymn, which is at the very center

of this text, is even earlier than Paul's own writing.

What I mean is, it's something that Paul adapted from an earlier tradition.

Therefore, what we're reading is something which goes back possibly to the 30s or 40s

of the first century, within a few years of the death and resurrection of the Lord.

So it's one of the most precious and one of the earliest texts that we have.

It shows that the essentials of Christian theology were in place from the very earliest

days.

Listen now, as this hymn begins, though he was in the form of God, Jesus did not deem equality

with God a thing to be grasped.

Rather he emptied himself and took the form of a slave, being born in the likeness of

...