Good morning, this is Cardinal Francis George, and I invite you to join me for the next few minutes to reflect with Father Robert Baron on the Word of God, which is the Word on Fire.

Father Baron 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 love about the one who is love.

The Archdiocese of Chicago through the generosity of Sacred Heart Parishing Winnetka now presents the Word on Fire.

Peace be with you.

This is Father Robert Baron. I'm a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago, also a professor of theology at the seminary in Mondeline.

And this program is called the Word on Fire. This is a program of Catholic evangelism.

Now those two words might sound a little odd together. We don't often juxtapose them, Catholic and evangelical, but I mean both with great seriousness.

This is a show of Catholic preaching, so I'm going to be drawing on the richness of the Roman Catholic tradition.

Art and architecture, poetry, drama, cathedrals, theology, philosophy, literature, all of the glories have had interpretive tradition that we call Roman Catholicism.

But at the same time, I want these talks to be evangelical. That means they are proclamations of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I hope the talks are informative, but my main purpose here is not to inform you.

I hope these talks are entertaining, interesting, but my main purpose is not to entertain you.

My purpose in these talks is to convert you. That's the purpose of all authentic Christian preaching is to bring you into relationship with Jesus Christ in the church.

Word on Fire. That's the title I've chosen for this year-long program of Catholic preaching.

Jesus said, I have come to light a fire on the earth. That wonderful line, terrific.

He's come to light a fire that burns things up, burns things away, cleanses, illumines, lights up the world.

Jesus' word is always a word of judgment. It always burns away whatever is opposed to God's order.

And Jesus' word is always illuminating. I am the light of the world, he said, to show you the way.

One of my complaints in recent years actually is that a lot of our Christian preaching is not very fiery.

It becomes rather bland or beige or pedestrian, too often just an echo of the culture around it.

I have come to light a fire on the earth, says the Lord, and I think all Christian preaching ought to be fiery in that way.

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