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 readings for this week

are all about grace and the call. Our first reading taken from the famous sixth chapter

of the book of the prophet Isaiah concerns the call of Isaiah. The prophet is in the Jerusalem

temple. He said prayer and he's granted a vision. Listen, I saw the Lord seated on a high

and lofty throne with a train of his garment filling the temple. God displays himself this way

to very few people in Israelite history. Moses comes to mind, sort of as Ezekiel. It's one of

the rare times though when this grand vision of God is given. What do we notice? The vision came

to Isaiah, unbidden, undeserved, unmerited. It came as a gift. He was ready. He was in the right

place but it came as a gift. So it always goes with the true God. God who is the creator of all things

cannot be caught in our familiar games of exchange and reciprocity. You do this and I'll do that.

You give and I'll give back. But see, it doesn't work that way. God is the sovereign Lord.

So his interventions are never out of need or calculation. They're always grace. Gosh, the

importance of that word in our religious tradition. Grace, free gift, the primacy of grace. If we get

that wrong, then the whole thing is thrown off kilter. We start bargaining with God. We start

trying to manipulate God. I'll do this if you do that and vice versa. It just doesn't work that

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