This is Cardinal Francis George. I invite you to join me for the next two minutes to reflect

with Father Robert Barron on the Word of God, which is the Word on Fire. Word on Fire Catholic

Ministries is a non-profit ministry at the forefront of Catholic evangelization, using

new media to spread the faith and every continent. Father Barron challenges 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 global benefactors of Word on Fire with the support of the Archdiocese of

Chicago now present Word on Fire. Peace be with you. Friends, our Gospel for this weekend

is magnificent. It's from the 10th chapter of Mark's Gospel. It's right smack in the middle

of Mark's Gospel, and it's a hinge story. Much will turn on this tale that Mark tells. A tale

undoubtedly based upon something very real. The fact that the person Jesus heals in the story is

named, not always the case, but in this case, the person is named. Indicates that it's probably a

story that was very vividly remembered. In fact, this person in question was around for some time

after Jesus' death and resurrection, and probably was there telling and correcting this story, a

point of reference for it. So it's very much of a real tale. At the same time, I think it's a

beautifully elaborated tale. What I mean is, Mark brings out the theological and spiritual

significance of this healing of Jesus, and that's what I think makes it very powerful for us, even

2,000 years after the event. This is now how this story begins. As Jesus was leaving Jericho with

his disciples in a sizable crowd, now Jericho, yes, it was a city in Jesus' time. In fact, one of the oldest

cities in the world, a city you can visit the ruins of the ancient city today, but for any biblical

person, Jericho meant much more than a city east of Jerusalem. For Jericho was a city that the

Israelites destroyed when they came into the Promised Land, led by Joshua, hence the famous

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