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. Well friends, we have this year the special

privilege of celebrating the feast of the presentation of the Lord on a Sunday and it gives us the

opportunity to reflect a bit more fully on this very interesting, very important feast. The story

of the presentation was found in the Gospel of Luke and the Luke is massively interested in the

temple. In fact, as Gospel begins in the temple, remember the story of Zechariah and the angel,

and it ends in the temple. The disciples, after the resurrection, going to the temple and praising

God constantly, and then throughout the Gospel of Luke, a lot of temple references are made.

Well, why was the temple so important for ancient Israel? The temple was in practically a literal

sense, the dwelling of the Lord. Of all the mountains of the world we hear, Yahweh preferred

Mount Zion, the locale of the temple, there he had chosen to live.

It was the place of encounter, Par excellence. It was the meeting place of God and human beings.

Therefore, at the temple, Israel was most itself, most in touch with its mission to bring the

worship of the true God to the whole world. The temple was also a new Eden. If Adam was the first

priest in right relation to God, rightly worshiping God, then the temple is a new Eden, the priest in

the temple a new Adam. That's why the temple was covered with symbols of creation. It was the

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