Word on Fire is brought to you by Catholic Cemetery's, serving the Chicago area since 1837, and FSP dedicated to food service excellence.

This is Cardinal Francis George, and I invite you to join me for the next few minutes to reflect with Father Robert Baron on the Word of God, which is the Word on Fire.

Father Baron 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 Parish in Winnicka now presents the Word on Fire.

Peace be with you.

Friends, every year on this second Sunday of Easter, the church asks us to read the same passage from the Gospel of John.

One of the great accounts of the appearance of the resurrected Jesus to his disciples.

So I think the church is telling us, pay very close attention to this account.

In some ways, everything here is on display that you need to know about Jesus risen from the dead.

In reading John's Gospel, we always have to be attentive to the fact that John speaks in an elaborate symbolic code.

It's a densely textured literary artifact, John's Gospel.

Listen now to how this passage opens.

On the evening of that first day of the week, a code, the first day of the week, first day.

It calls to mind the first day of creation.

The Spirit of God hovers over the surface of the chaotic waters.

And God speaks, let there be light.

And with that, creation commences.

With that order comes forth from the chaos.

I think St. John is telling us now, keep this in mind when you read this passage about Jesus risen from the dead.

Because resurrection day is recreation day.

The resurrection is the emergence of God's redeeming and saving light in the midst of the darkness of sin.

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