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, our first reading is a very simple very brief

passage from the book of the prophet Amos but it has I think a rather

extraordinary significance for us and for our time. We don't even really know for

sure when the book of the prophet Amos was written down. The scholars disagree

about that. The prophet Amos himself lived in the eighth century BC. He came from

Judea in the south, up to Israel in the north, and there he prophesied against

the powers that be. As is almost always the case, the prophets annoy the powers

that be. The book of Amos is largely a collection of old visions of impending

judgment, let's say. But the passage the church gives us for today, as I say, is

very interesting. He's being challenged and Amos says this, I am no prophet nor

a prophet son, but I'm a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore trees. He say, well

isn't that I suppose my only interest? No, it's very important for us. Now why? The

prophet Amos is saying here, look I don't belong to this professional or even

quasi-professional class of trained prophets. I'm not the son or grandson of a

prophet. I'm not formally trained in a particular school of prophecy. I don't

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