Word on Fire is brought to you by Catholic Cemetery's, serving the Chicago area since 1837.

This is Cardinal Francis George, and I invite you to join me for the next few minutes to

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

Father Barron 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, who we might speak with

God's Love about the One who is Love.

The Archdiocese of Chicago through the generosity of Sacred Heart Parish and Winetka now presents

the Word on Fire.

Peace be with you.

Friends, today is the great feast of the baptism of the Lord.

Here's the first thing to note about the baptism of Jesus.

It was embarrassing, embarrassing.

The first Christians wanted to portray Jesus as the Son of God, as the fulfillment of

the hopes of Israel, as the risen Lord.

And so, why would he be seeking a baptism of repentance?

That was just embarrassing.

That's what John, of course, was offering.

He was inviting this sinful to come out to Him in the desert and to confess their misdeeds

and be purified.

So again, the problem, why would Jesus be seeking such a baptism?

In fact, scholars use what they call the criterion of embarrassment to prove the historical

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