Word on Fire is brought to you by Catholic Cemetery's, serving the Chicago area since 1837, and FSP dedicated to food service excellence.

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 Winetka now presents the Word on Fire.

Peace be with you.

Friends, you know Buddhism has been described as a sitting religion.

The Buddha sits under the Bodhi tree, and then he receives enlightenment. He wakes up. That's what the name the Buddha means, the one who's been awakened.

His followers are encouraged to engage in sitting meditation, so they too might awaken.

Something beautiful about that, something spiritually compelling about it.

But I've always thought Christianity can't be described as a sitting religion.

Christianity is a religion on the go. It is, if you will, a walking religion.

We see it, you know, especially in this Gospel of Mark that we've been reading the past liturgical season.

Jesus is on the go, from the beginning.

It's as though he's always surrounded by frantic, frenetic crowds. It's as though he's always moving from here to there.

He stays for a time and then says, but I must go elsewhere to proclaim the Gospel.

G.K. Chesterton said, Jesus comes like a kind of thunderbolt. He moves through his life. He's heading toward the cross.

There's nothing common tranquil about him, especially in Mark's Gospel, but rather energetic.

Just a few weeks into his ministry. Jesus sends his disciples.

You know, in the ancient world when a great teacher would gather his disciples around him,

they would spend months or even years at the master's feet learning.

Think of the way Aristotle spent 20 years at the feet of Plato listening to him and taking in his wisdom.

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