Word on fire is brought to you by Catholic cemeteries, serving the Chicago area since 1837.

This is Cardinal Francis George, and 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.

Father Barron 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 Winetka now presents

the Word on fire.

Peace be with you.

Friends, when I was a student in Paris, oh now about twenty years ago, there was a friend

of mine lived a couple doors down.

He was a Vietnamese priest, oh probably in his mid fifties at the time.

And he was an exile.

He'd come over like me when he was a young man in his twenties to study theology, preparing

for the priesthood.

And while he was in Paris, far away from home, his home country went through all these

political and cultural shifts, and of course it became powerfully anti-Catholic.

As a result, he was not allowed to return home.

Here he is in his twenties, preparing for priesthood, hoping to return to his country, minister

there, but he couldn't.

He was stuck there in France.

...