Friends, welcome to Word on Fire Catholic Ministries. Word on Fire is an

apostolate dedicated to the mission of evangelization using media both old and

new to share the faith on every continent and to facilitate an encounter with

Christ and His Church. The efforts of Word on Fire engage the culture and bring

the transformative power of God's Word where it is most needed. Today we invite

you to join Bishop Robert Barron as he preaches the gospel and shares the

warmth and light of Christ with each one of us. Peace be with you. Friends, all

the readings this week are about the law in different ways. And I'll speak just

here as an American to my fellow Americans. I think we have a kind of a

ambivalent relationship to the law. You know on the one hand we're kind of

we're a freedom-loving people and we began our country in a great active

rebellion against the king and you know don't tread on me. We've got that very

strong kind of individualist strain. On the other hand you know we're a very

litigious society. We're kind of planted thick with lawyers. Think of how many of

our founding fathers were lawyers. Think too you know our culture was very

influenced by Protestantism. Both Martin Luther and John Calvin at early

points their careers were lawyers and law students. So we both kind of love and

hate the law. We see the beauty of it and we see the limitation of it. And that

really is the motif I think of the readings for today. So let me look first at

the positive side. How the Bible reverences the law. Listen now from our first

reading from Deuteronomy. Now Israel here the statutes and decrees which I

am teaching you to observe. Observe them carefully. For thus you will give

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