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, the parable that stands

at the heart of our gospel today is probably the least-liked parable that Jesus ever told.

I find the course of my years as a priest and a preacher, I'm asked about this story,

maybe more than any other, including the parable of the prodigal son, which can awaken a

similar resentment. You know the story well, but Jesus tells this landowner goes out and

he hires some people at the very beginning of the day, promised them a daily wage, hires

others at noon, others at three, others at the end of the work day, and then at the end

he pays them all the same wage. Well, lots of people rather naturally identify with the

workers hired earlier in the day who complain. People sympathize with them. It does indeed

seem unfair of this Lord of the vineyard to pay those who had worked significantly different

amounts of time, the same wage. You know, in a similar way, lots of people identify

with the older brother in the prodigal son story who's got a similar complaint. And with

Martha in the Martha Mary story, I've had so many people, mostly women who complain that

Martha's got a very good point. Well, see, these are important moments when a spiritual

story awakens puzzlement or resentment in us, because what it's doing is uncovering something.

...