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, today we celebrate with the whole church this great feast of the presentation of the Lord.

A few days after his birth, Jesus in a cord with Jewish law, is brought to the temple for his circumcision and his presentation.

His whole life now offered to God by Mary and Joseph.

The feast of the presentation is a very churchy feast.

What I mean is it's a feast that emphasizes church, liturgy, ritual.

The readings reflect it. Our first reading talks about sacrifice in the temple.

A ritual act by which God and humanity are linked.

Second reading from the Letter to the Hebrews talks about Jesus as a priest.

A priest is someone who performs a ritual sacrifice.

So Jesus in his own person links together divinity and humanity.

He is in his own being, his own person, a priest.

Then the lovely gospel for today, taken from that familiar passage of Luke's gospel.

Let me just read a little bit of it.

When the day came to purify them according to the law of Moses, the couple brought Jesus up to Jerusalem so that he could be presented to the Lord.

For it is written in the law of the Lord, every firstborn male shall be consecrated to the Lord.

So Mary and Joseph bring the Christ child to the temple in Jerusalem, the most sacred place in the country.

And they engage in this ancient ritual act, circumcision, purification, presentation.

When I was coming of age in the church, late 60s, early 70s.

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