This is Cardinal Francis George. 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. Word on fire,

Catholic Ministries, is a non-profit ministry at the forefront of Catholic evangelization

using new media to spread the faith and every continent. Father Barron challenges 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 global benefactors of word on fire with the support of the Archdiocese of

Chicago now present Word on fire. Peace be with you. Friends, our first reading for this weekend,

which we also hear, by the way, during the Christmas season, brings us back to the 8th century BC,

and the musings of the Prophet Isaiah. Just about a century before the time of Isaiah,

Assyrian warriors had invaded the northern kingdom of Israel and had carried the people off into

exile and subjected others to great oppression. One of the areas they hit hardest was Zebulan

and Naftali, regions in the northwest part of the territory, near and around the sea of Galilee.

That's why Isaiah says that the Lord, quote, degraded the land of Zebulan and the land of Naftali.

He means they were the object of this terrible persecution and attack.

But then we hear something really interesting. He foresees, he prophesies that from that land of

gloom a light will come. Listen, the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.

Upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shown against a very specific historical

reference here. The people who suffered the aggression of the Assyrians, people whose maybe

family members were carried off, those under the boot of an oppressive power, those people

have seen a great light. Upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom, those particular people in

this gloomy state of affairs, on them a light has shown. There's a very specific reference here.

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