This is Cardinal Francis George. 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. 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 and a very blessed and happy Easter to

everybody. Francis, what's Easter all about? Let me start with this. In 1st century Judaism, so in

the time of the New Testament, there were many views concerning what happened to people after they

died. So following a very venerable tradition, some said that death was just the end, that the

dead simply returned to the dust of the earth from which they came. Again, it's got very ancient

roots within Judaism that view. Others around Jesus' time maintain that the righteous dead would rise

at the close of the age. Think of, you know, when Jesus approaches the tomb of Lazarus and Martha

says, yes, I believe that he will rise at the resurrection of the dead. That's what she meant

at the end of the age. Still others thought maybe a bit here under the influence of Greek philosophy

that the souls of the just went to live with God after the demise of their bodies. Think of the book

of Daniel here, the book of wisdom. You have some reference to this. Some that seemed even

believing in a kind of reincarnation. Think of when Jesus asked the disciples, who do people say

that I am? And some of them say, well, you know, Jeremiah or one of the prophets come back from the

dead. There are all kinds of views about what happened after we die. Here's what's particularly

fascinating about the accounts of Jesus' resurrection is that none of these familiar frameworks

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