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. Friends, the last several days in the liturgical calendar, so both the

Daily Mass and Sunday Mass, we've been reading from the books of the minor prophets,

Zechariah and Amos. Now, don't be misled by the term minor. It just means that their texts are

shorter than those of the major prophets. Doesn't mean their themes or writings are less important.

Well, this Sunday, we continue this little tour through the minor prophets by dipping into the

magnificent book of the prophet Habakkuk. It's the only time, by the way, in the three-year cycle,

the only time we read from Habakkuk. Who was he? Well, very little is known about this figure.

In fact, I think it's fair to say he's the least known, really, of all the prophets. They think

likely he was writing around the turn of the seventh century BC, which means not too long before

the Babylonian invasion of Judea and the destruction of Jerusalem. What's really interesting

is the theology of Habakkuk, which is particularly profound. He's the first figure

in the Hebrew tradition, seriously to question and quarrel with the ways of the Lord.

Here's how the book, and our reading for today, open. Listen,

how long, O Lord, I cry for help, but you do not listen. I cry out to you, violence, but you do not

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