Friends, welcome to Word on Fire Catholic Ministries. Word on Fire is an

apostolate dedicated to the mission of evangelization using media both old and

new to share the faith on every continent and to facilitate an encounter with

Christ and His Church. The efforts of Word on Fire engage the culture and bring

the transformative power of God's Word where it is most needed. Today we invite

you to join Bishop Robert Barron as he preaches the gospel and shares the

warmth and light of Christ with each one of us.

Peace be with you. Friends, we are on very very holy ground with our gospel today

because someone asks Jesus which is the greatest commandment. So we're going to

hear not just from a rabbi, not just from a prophet, a merely human figure. We're

going to hear from Christ himself, the word made flesh. What is the single

greatest commandment? And so we better listen very carefully. Well, he responds

the way where the any devout Jew of the first century or indeed a devout Jew of

today would respond. He responds with the famous Shema. It's a prayer derived from

the sixth chapter of the book of Deuteronomy. Look it up, please everybody. When

you have a chance, get out your bibles. Deuteronomy chapter six and you'll find

the Shema. Let me say it to you in the lovely Hebrew. Shema Yisrael Adonai

Eloheno Adonai Echad. That's the beginning of the Shema. Here's what it means. Here

always rail. The Lord our God is Lord alone. Shema Yisrael Adonai Eloheno Adonai

Echad. It's the fundamental statement of Israelite religion and it's the

commandment that Jesus identifies as the most basic in a way everything else in

the Bible, everything else indeed in Christian life is a footnote to the Shema.

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